Back on the Tournament Trail

By Kerry Hartsfield Impson,
Former WPBA Touring Pro

Hello once again. Quite a while since I've written, I know, but it's been a long dry spell for tournaments in my neck of the woods so I haven't had much to write about. Plus my family has been inundated with holidays, birthday parties, colds, a couple of bouts with the flu, and some home remodeling that's really kept my practice time down. But the Northwest Women's Pool Association is kicking off its first tournament this year at the Cue Ball in Salem, OR April 16-17, and I'm really excited about this one - last season at the Cue Ball I squeaked by the #1-ranked player on the NWPA to win my first tournament in many years.

And I've been playing well, probably as solid as I played right before I quit. At least, my best game right now is close to that speed; my lows are probably lower, mostly due to limited practice time and lack of "tournament toughness". Of course, my former speed was only good enough to be in the top 20 on the WPBA at that time; the circuit is much tougher now. But hopefully with less practice time but more dedication I'll be able to make some waves in the rankings - when I get there, at least: With only four NWPA tournaments scheduled this year (and only one qualifier), my chances of getting anywhere near the Pro Tour in 2005 will be pretty slim.

My practice routine continues to focus on keeping my stroke straight, because the surest way to lose a match is to miss balls - and the surest way to miss balls is to strike the cueball differently than aimed. It took me a long time to realize that this was the main reason I missed routine shots (my husband actually had to tell me), and until then practice did little to improve my shotmaking because of my stroke inconsistency. Many excellent players have imperfect fundamentals, but they have the leisure of spending many hours practicing, honing, and adapting to their imperfections; I do not have that leisure. I must make every minute of practice count.

In some ways I feel I'm close to an impasse with pool right now, where I need to either decide definitively to pursue a pro career again or bag it. It's difficult to put in the time that I need to truly elevate my game, at this point; and it's frustrating to play poorly because of inadequate preparation. But at the same time I enjoy the competition, the camaraderie and the game itself. Perhaps, ultimately, just being a "weekend warrior" will be enough to satisfy my pool craving, for although pool is my biggest hobby, it is just that - a hobby; and until such time as it provides an income, it will remain a hobby. Occasionally I'll catch myself reminiscing wistfully about the pool-saturated lifestyle I had before kids - sweating two top players gambling until the wee hours; playing in a tournament every night of the week (and every weekend); spending long uninterrupted hours on the green cloth, just the rainbow of balls and me……and in truth, part of me misses it a little bit. But I wouldn't trade my family for anything.

 

All copyrights are owned by Kerry Hartsfield Impson. No duplication is allowed without her permission.