Couples Therapy

Last weekend Marco and I played in a scotch doubles event in a small city about 45 minutes outside of Zurich. As I have mentioned before, the players here have organized private clubs where most competitions are held and each one has their own little community of players. This event was in Lucerne at a club called Billard Club National Littau which has around 50 members with 7 9" tables, one snooker table, kitchen, private smoking lounge, cue storage areas and a nice bar at the entrance.

The more I play in new events around this region the more I learn about the pool culture. Before coming to Europe, I had a subconscious idea in my head of what a "normal" path for pool knowledge/development looked like but every day here challenges that idea. Players approach the game in such a different manner here that it's hard to tell what concepts a player has learned and what they have not. For instance, in the U.S. you know the "bar players" that think it's not fair play to play defensive shots? Well, I have not seen that exist even in beginners here. Strategy is considered a norm here. This is a very basic example but these differences in development really came to light at this scotch tournament and particularly in the women I see here.

I have always thought that you can kind of tell how well a player shoots just by watching one or two shots and seeing their stroke, stance, etc. What I have learned here is that since most players have a great sense for correct mechanics, that immediate determination is not as easy to do. I rarely see a female player that makes what I think are normal novice mistakes like holding the cue too far back, bridging too short, standing in an unbalanced manner. Instead, the women here are quite good shot makers and have a good grasp for the natural paths of the cue ball. They play more games (straight pool and snooker) so their experience is more well rounded. However, they seem to be a bit timid with manipulating the path of the cue ball. They play shape by adjusting their speed or by using a bit of draw but I rarely see them put any real english on the ball, or attempt any big stroke shots.

At first I thought this might be because there is a definite shortage in the number of women that play but after playing in this tournament I wonder if there is another factor. The male ego is a very funny thing and I am not generalizing for all men but it was a very big factor in a tournament like this. It always baffles me why guys insist on trying to crush the ball when we are using a magic rack! Everyone in the pool world knows that the wing ball goes in the corner every time with a magic rack so why bother risking the cue ball getting kicked in or being unsure of how far up table the one ball will go if it't not necessary?

This was our strategy and it worked great until we were on a table with a REALLY old magic rack that didn't lay right anymore. Because the first shot of the rack is arguably the most important shot and the shot that will either start us out in line for the rest of the rack or it will be the shot to hand over control to the other team, we always had Marco taking that first shot. He is the stronger player and I think that is always the best strategy in a scotch team. I did a soft break, making the wing ball every time and hitting it just hard enough to bring the 1ball to sit in front of the side pocket. Even though this was an obvious strategy to others and it was winning us game after game, I couldn't believe that the other guys still insisted on making fun of Marco because "the woman is doing the breaking." Guys really think their role is for power.

So this got me thinking when we got to later rounds against stronger players. The Male-female dynamic was so interesting, and at some points irritating for me to see. This tournament allowed all teams to talk to each other throughout the entire game and some teams took that to an extreme. During one of our matches, our opponents discussed every single shot. The male player was a top player in Switzerland but the female player was also a quite accomplished player in her own right yet when she player with him, not only did he have something to say about EVERY shot, SHE needed his opinion on every shot! In her own matches playing against other women she is decisive, confident and wins quite a few tournaments but suddenly when playing with a top male player, she is unsure of how to execute the simplest of shots. So I wonder if perhaps the fact that the women are less willing to experiment with a lot of english or try new shots has anything to do with the gender roles I see in men and women's pool here.

To encourage more women to play and to help develop the skills of the women that are already playing, one of the girls that runs our private club and I will be doing a monthly ladies night at our club. I'm hoping it will become a regular thing and we can get a good turn out.

A Different Kind of System

The more I play pool here and experience new tournaments the more I see the differences in the pool culture and the way the entire system is set up. For starters, players PAY to play here, instead of trying to make a living at pool. And the federation actually supports the players and provides a service worth paying for. All players wishing to compete for the Swiss Championships must first buy a license to earn points towards their national ranking. I believe for the women this is about 100-150 Swiss Francs ($110-$165). Every tournament, big and small must be registered with the federation and pay a sanctioning fee. From national qualifiers to weekly tournaments at the local bar, they all pay fees to the federation and they all earn points. The federation runs a nice website (billard-net.ch)that lists all tournaments happening anywhere in the country and every player has a login so they can sign up online, find out all tournament information check their overal rankings. Tournament Directors can manage their event online and even post live scoring during the event. Players wishing to compete for the Swiss Championships must play in qualifiers for each discipline, qualifiers that cost a nominal fee to compete in but have no prize money. The same is true for those that qualify for the championships, no prize money. They just play for the honor of the title. So what does the federation do with all of this money? Well besides running the website, sending support staff to the bigger tournaments to print score sheets and manage the events electronically, they also fund the trips for their top players to compete in international events. This includes things like the European Championships and the World Championships. When Marco represented Switzerland in the world championships, the federation not only paid his hotel and travel, they also gave him extra spending money for the trip. From what I can tell it's a good system. Of course since there are very few tournaments with prize funds this means that weekly tournaments are not a bonus salary for the top players (as it is many times in the states) but it certainly changes the type of people that are involved in the sport.

Here pool is viewed as a Sport, not just a game played in bars. Players actively try to improve their game by studying the game. The run drills, set up practice times and learn all they can. This week the private club that Marco and I play at sent an email survey to all of our members to coordinate practice schedules. Players were supposed to list what days and times they will be at the club to practice. But the funny part is that they were doing this to they can AVOID being there at the same time as other players, not so they can see when they can meet other players at the club. It's a funny concept to me because I get bored easily once I have been shooting alone for awhile. Every time I think about going to the club to practice I call up one of the other girls to see is she is up there or is any other players are there to shoot with. I guess that must seem funny to them.

I played in my first weekly tournament last week at a private club near by called Billard Club Dietikon and had a great time. Marco was nice enough to watch lil Marco on his only night off that week so I could get out and play a bit. Imagine a $20 entry tournament with no payout that fills up every week...would never happen in the states. To my surprise (I didn't know which game it was when I signed up) it was an 8-ball tournament and I was happy to see I can still kind of play that game. I started off a bit rough with a close match in the first round but played pretty well after that. I went undefeated and won the tournament and had a great time getting to know other players from our club and new people from the Dietikon club. It's funny for me because most people I meet always comment on how great it must be to have a guy that is so good at pool that can teach me. I just smile because Marco and I rarely play together. Lately when we have free time at the same time we don't "waste" it on pool but spend it enjoying family time...funny how much my perspective has changed since we had our son. It's pretty cool :)

Back in Action

Last weekend I played in my first big tournament in Zurich. Last year I attended the Gstaad Swiss Open so this wasn't my first tournament in Switzerland but the Color of Money 9-Ball Tournament was still an interesting experience.

There are a few differences that I have noticed about Swiss pool vs. American pool. The players here actually use practice time to, well, practice...I know that is a funny concept because most players I know in the U.S. just "shoot" when they have time on the table. The local private club near my house has "training" nights 2 days per week and when I attend, all the players are actually running drills and shooting alone, each on their own table. The mechanics of the average amateur player here is far better than what I see in the U.S. Most players there, even the more advanced ones, spend little time on their form and have adjusted to their bad habits, myself included. Most players here are very deliberate with their pre-shot routines and have a very mechanical approach to the game. I believe a lot of what they do is guided by the PAT system which is popular here.

While all of this is a refreshing thing to see, the negative to pool here is that there seems to be little interest in spectating. When leaving the private club the night before the tournament, I asked a fellow player if he weas going to watch the tournament. He looked at me like I was crazy like "why would I do that?" The first thing that flashed in my mind was a view of the bleachers that have to be brought in for the Texas Open each year to make room for all of the paying spectators. This brings me to the next point, pool tournaments are not big business for the pool halls.

In addition to not bringing in lots of extra spectators for the tournament, the format of the tournament did nothing to encourage business for the poolhall. It was a round robin format with timed rounds and short breaks in between rounds. I of course made another "American" mistake when I ordered a rum and coke half way thru the round robin stage to calm my nerves. Apparently drinking is prohibited during the tournament and is grounds for disqualification, as well as the use of any drugs.
I like this rule as it pertains to promoting pool as a "sport" rather than a game played in bars but it does little to help bring in revenue for the pool hall. The rounds ran on schedule with no waitresses tending to the match tables so also no revenue there. They took a one hour break for lunch (Everyone at one time) so naturally, most players were ready to get out of the poolhall for a bit and left for lunch rather than ordering food there.

The format of the tournament itself was very professional. All the tabulations were done electronically, score sheets were printed for each round and everything ran quickly. I liked the round robin format because it allowed all players to get their money's worth as everyone was guaranteed at least 7 matches. It was a 64 player tournament, 8 groups of 8 with the top 2 of each group advancing to the single elimination final 16 bracket. The only part I didn't like was that the round robin stage was based on total games won, no value on winning or losing your match. So you are better off losing 7-9 than winning 6-3. The rounds were race to 9 with a 45 minute time clock. I was impressed by how quickly most players played. There were no gimmicks and slow playing and all the "extra" sharking that goes on with some of the tournaments here where players have the slow playing down to an art.

Overall I was very happy with how I played. Since I moved I have practiced much more than I have in the past 2 years so this was my first real tournament after I have been able to put a little time in on the table. Since it had been sooo long since I really felt like I was playing well I had no idea what to expect about my performance. I always feel like I play worse in men's events so I also had low expectations. Being one of 2 girls in the 64 player field, I'm sure the guys in my group were happy to see me there. My boyfriend is a former Swiss Champion and still one of the top players in the country. Unfortunately for his group, the other top ranked player, Dimitri Jungo, was also in their group so they were drawing dead from the first rack. Marco and Dimitri had nearly perfect scores coming out of the round robin stage.

My first match I was happy to find that my opponent spoke perfect english so it was easy to ask him questions about the format, etc. To my surprise I broke and ran my first rack and I think that set the tone for the rest of that match. I won my next few matches with ease but still felt a bit uncomfortable, like I could be playing better but just didn't have a "polished" game yet. Then I saw my next match was against the leading player in our group who was handing out 9-0 and 9-1 losses all day. This was when I illegally ordered the rum and coke (to calm my nerves) before I was immediately warned by every player around me that I wasn't supposed to do that. I also came out with a good first rack played almost flawless. We traded break and runs most of the match until I accidentally touched a ball while bridging over it at 3-3 which could have been disaterous for me. He ran out that rack and B&R the next so I was suddenly down 3-5. I beared down though and took advantage of all of my chances at the table and came out with a 7-5 win. I was undefeated going into my last round of the round robin stages but I had not won enough games to have a shot at advancing. The top 2 guys in my group were consistently reaching 8-9 wins (except when they played me) while I was averaging 6-7 so I had no shot. If I won the last match 9-0 I would tie with the 2nd ranked player in my group. But I was a little wound up about the whole process and lost the very first game so I mentally had given up after that point.

All in all I was happy with my play and enjoyed the format. It certainly helps everyone get their playing time and the single elimination for the final 16 made for some very exciting matches.

Getting this tournament under my belt has given me the itch to play again so I'm ready for the 2012 events to start. Unfortunately, the Women's 10-Ball Italy Open is the same weekend as the Paris Open which is taking place at a pool hall that I have always wanted to visit. So naturally, we are going to Paris instead of Italy. Seeing the lack of women's pool in this area has also sparked my interest in running some events so we'll see if I can put something together next year.

My New Home

My son and I just moved to Zurich, Switzerland about 2 weeks ago and we are finally starting to get settled in. My boyfriend, Marco, did a great job of getting our apartment all set-up with the exception of the main furniture pieces that I wanted help him pick out.

It's so beautiful here and the culture is so different in lots of very subtle ways, many of which you might miss if you aren't looking for them. It's a very safe and clean city, people are very trusting and many things operate on the honor system. For instance, at the main train station, there is a huge bike rack area where you see hundreds of bikes left each morning by the trains' passengers and I can count on one hand how many are chained up with a lock...the rest are just laid there assuming no one will mess with them. The curbs of their streets and sidewalks are granite and pre-school aged children usually walk to school alone with no adult supervision.

Perhaps my favorite thing so far is the amazing food and how different the food culture is here. It's funny to see the difference when I am checking out at the grocery store. I look around at all of the other customers and it's nothing like it is back home. Everyone is unloading only fresh items from their carts...vegetables, pasta, eggs, milk, bread made fresh daily, handmade pastires. You won't see one person with a frozen pizza box, pre-packaged dinners, or boxes of snacks. In fact, those things are hard to find at these stores. What they call a "chain" italian restaurant is more authentic than anything I've seen in the U.S with fresh ingredients and they prepare the entire meal in front of you. I can't wait to visit the neighboring countries and taste the real thing. For now, I am just enjoying the yummy cheeses, wines and fresh pasta.

I am loving the location of our apartment. We are just a few blocks from everything: the train station, the tram and bus stop, the Billiard Club, a nice mall, etc. There are also about 5 grocery stores within a block or 2 and a farmers market down the street 2 times a week. Zurich is also in a great location, just an hour from Austria, Germany and the Alps...so much to see!

Now that we are settled in, I am looking forward to experiencing the pool culture in my new country and will be sure to report on some of the interesting things. Marco and I have some fun things planned for the pool community here in this region of Europe so I am looking forward to getting things rolling with our plans...more info to come soon.

Unemployment

My self-selected life of unemployment has been quite a roller coaster these first few weeks but I am looking forward to the holiday weekend. My mom was out of town for a bit helping my brother with his kids over the Summer but cut her trip short when she got sick. After many hospital visits and tests they have told us she is going to be fine, on the recovery end of it now. Between that and the long tedious process of immigration paperwork, I have been surprisingly busy for someone now working.

Between my due date and about a month ago (5 month chunk of time) I could count on one hand the number of times I picked up my cue. The Texas Open is always one of my favorite events of the year...minus the absence of a smoking ban in that county. It takes place right in my back yard so I love being able to play a good event, see all of my pool friends and get to sleep in my own bed every night of the event. With that in mind, I have made it a point to get out and practice over the past few weeks. Although I really feel like I have no frame of reference on my playing level right now, it's been so long since I was playing on a consistent basis, I am rather happy with how I'm playing. I hope I can play as well as I feel this weekend.

For anyone close to Texas I highly recommend coming out to this event to either play or just to watch. It's a great event, the poolhall stays open 24 hours throughout the weekend and it's always a full 128 field. Spots are almost gone so sign up soon!

Two Weeks Notice

I officially turned in my letter of resignation at my job recently and I can't tell you how much peace it has brought me. I will soon be able to spend more time with my son and we will both be moving soon as well. The last few months have been tough for me. Half the time I am gone 10 hours a day and only see my little man for an hour or two each day and the other half of the time I'm traveling with work. Little Marco is no stranger to living the hotel life lately so I'll be so happy to just spend some time at home with him and watch him develop.

I had never been one of those women that got ga ga over babies but now that I have mine I totally get it. It's crazy how in an instant this little thing becomes more important to you than anything else you've ever experienced. I had no idea how rewarding being a mom would be. Nothing else seems as important as it used to be.

Between my busy work travel schedule and taking care of Marco I have had little time for anything else. I have only played pool once since the Ultimate 10-Ball in Dallas in April and recently resigned from the WPBA board. I still think there is a great amount of potential with the tour but I just didn't believe in the direction we were going and didn't have the time and energy to put towards the changes I would have liked to see. I miss seeing all the girls so I hope I can make it back to an event sometime soon but we'll see.

Once I am no longer working I hope to be able to write, practice, and work out more. I can't wait!

A New Do

Since I entered motherhood I have very little free time...which pretty much means none. That being said, I haven't done anything to maintain my haircut or color in a long time so my hair has grown quite long. As much as I LOVE the 100+ degree heat during the beautiful Texas Summers, I just can't manage the long hair any longer so I decided to chop it all off...well not all of it but a lot of it.

I'm completely impulsive and extremely indecisive at the same time so I need some help deciding on which hair cut to get. The rest of my hair will be donated to Locks of Love but in the meantime, let me know which hair do you think would suit me best. These are the ones I like so far.