Why are pool players so gadget oriented?
- Thread starter pwd72s
- Start date
The god that lives in my closet must be appeased by regular offerings of pool related gadgets, or the crops will fail.
I have the magic one, so everyone else can stop looking.
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That is a problem??? In fact one of the real problems with pool is, it is NOT a product driven or oriented game like say golf. That is where sponsors come from. What few products we do have don't invest in the game.
I was just watching bowling and the players with all their sponsor patches on their shirts. I wonder if the day will ever come for pool when the those few who do make a buck or two off the game will put anything back in it.
Sorry but yours is a copy...mine is the real Mccoy
Damn, I knew the tip on my magic cue sounded funny.
IMO there are so many players who think gadgets will make you play better.
Macguy said it right, pool is NOT improved per se with better equipment as is golf.
Hell, there is no difference between a $500 cue and $100 cue in my mind.
I have always and will always play with a le professional tip on my $50 cue stick.
A "better" tip or stick aint a gonna make me play any better or worse for that matter.
Pool is such a "raw" sport that it's the players own faculties,
e.g. eye-hand coordination, that drive the dynamics of the game forward.
This IS an unfortunate built-in aspect of the industry.
If I were to ever get a sponsorship from a cue company, or any "gadget" company for that matter,
it's not the equipment itself that I would pay attention to but rather the company's reputation for doing business (as companies go).
But hey, if players want to walk in with all their accoutrements to their ears and think that makes them play better, then so be it.
We need people to buy our products.
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Pool?
Golfers are always searching for the magic putter that never misses a put and the clubs where every 7 iron goes 200 yards and feels like butter.
Tennis rackets at the top level are crazy expensive and the players have exact details on things such as how tight the strings are for them to perform at the top level.
Football players of late seem pretty serious with regards to how much air is in their ball.
I think sports where the players are "not" pretty particular about their equipment are the rarity. Pool is pretty normal that way.
This is a great thread because it's so true. We love our gadgets.
Even a simple thing like a cube of chalk - how many holders are there? Wooden sticks that fit in the pocket, magnetic clips, zip line retractors, leather pouches on a clip, metal cubes that clip over them.
I see it as pool players like a variety of things until they can find their niche/pre-shot routine.
The gadgets that really amaze me are the aiming/stroke tools that can be found. The most outrageous one is that spider laser trainer I remember seeing on TV about ten years ago when pool was more prevalent on espn. Janette Lee and Allen Hopkins I think were on a short informercial with that device that set up next to an object ball and projected a laser spot exactly half a cue ball width away so shooter can imagine ghost ball.
That was a James Bond qualified gadget.
Speaking only for myself:: I'm not gadget oriented.
A) while I did spend tons of hours looking for a special cue, in the end I bought one and have used it continuously for the past 7 years, the only change is a 314 was replaced by a Z2.
B) I read a lot about cue tips, settled on one, and have been using it for the last five years (each lasting about 3/4 year). I tried 2 others along the way, and went immediately back to the chosen one.
C) My break cue came from the starter pack of the pool table I bought. as did a box of chalk. After 5 years of use, I am 1/2 way through the original box of 12 cubes.
D) Don't have an extension, or mechanical bridge, or much of anything else.
:frown:
Oh it's not the players...it's the people who sell the myths.
Gimmicks and people go and believe it all or are curious and need to try something new.
:wink:
Because its part of the enjoyment of the game. Same in any sport. Especially to the Ameture. The pro golfer doesn't try every club or gadget or whatever. They know what they can do regardless of the club they use. Like another poster said, it doesn't matter who the sponsor is, be it Nike, Callaway, Ping, etc., etc., they're gonna use the equipment and play well. Same way with the pro level pool players. I would venture to say that they dont swap their equipment, especially cues, nearly as often as us ametures.
Part of the fun for me, being an Ameture pool player, as is most players on this forum, is trying different cues, or practice methods, or taking different advice from better players or those who instruct (teach) the game. Another reason is technology. We all love to try that new piece of equipment to see if it possibly can help our game. How fun would the game be if there was only one pool cue period. No different makes, models, weight, tips, shafts, etc. Only one type of ball, chalk, table cloth, etc, etc. You get the point.
Like I said in starting, I consider it all part of the enjoyment of the game.
Just my point of view.....:thumbup:
Part of the fun for me, being an Ameture pool player, as is most players on this forum, is trying different cues, or practice methods, or taking different advice from better players or those who instruct (teach) the game. Another reason is technology. We all love to try that new piece of equipment to see if it possibly can help our game. How fun would the game be if there was only one pool cue period. No different makes, models, weight, tips, shafts, etc. Only one type of ball, chalk, table cloth, etc, etc. You get the point.
Like I said in starting, I consider it all part of the enjoyment of the game.
Just my point of view.....:thumbup:
IMHO pool players are far LESS gear oriented than other hobbyists. The group I'm most familiar with are musicians. Musicians make pool players look like gear-content cheapos when it comes to spending money to get "that sound" (BTW, "that sound" doesn't come from gear...as Billy Gibbons of ZZTop says "tone is in the fingers.") I know a singer who's been through $20,000-worth of microphones, trying to find the perfect one for her voice.
Ditto for golfers. Every "new" club design and every "improved" ball design. Ask a dedicated golfer how many putters he's owned in the last 10 years.
Part of it is that we pool players actually have a very narrow range of gear to choose from compared to other hobbies.
Ditto for golfers. Every "new" club design and every "improved" ball design. Ask a dedicated golfer how many putters he's owned in the last 10 years.
Part of it is that we pool players actually have a very narrow range of gear to choose from compared to other hobbies.
I agree, compared to many other things pool players seem much less gadget oriented than almost everyone else. Other hobbies of mine - golf, cycling, guitar - are way more gadget oriented than pool. Sure, we get into our cues and stuff, and maybe tips and chalk are important to some (but most sem to find one and just stick with it) but it really seems pretty minor compared to most other hobbies.
How do u define gadgets?
What's a gadget?
Is it something new, or "new & improved"? Is it a radically different design?
Does it improve your aim, or stroke delivery? Is it a conventional application?
Look, everyone tries something new from time to time. That's how we learn. Sometimes we try to gather info before deciding to get something and we even have tried the thing before ordering....maybe not......sometimes, we act on the product's popularity or testimonials or its reputation. The fact is that ooohs & aahs garnish lots of attention nowadays.......but how often we switch....change....says a lot whether the item is a gadget.
For years, I used a house bridge but never with my cue. I wouldn't rik scratching the shafts because as Bill Grassley will attest, the shafts on my pool cues are pristine. So I used a house cue on a house bridge.....and then I got a Kamui Leather Bridge and started using my custom cues and never had any issues....shafts remained perfect.
Is the Kamui a gimmick? I didn't think so and I used it for years and then I switched to using a JustaBridge. Now that darn thing looks like it should be a gimmick the way it acts like a Transformer. But gotta admit, it's the best bridge I have ever used....really secure and steady....incredibly flexible and has so many different bridge variations.....and protects my cue shafts 100%.
Was the JustaBridge a gimmick? Again, I didn't think so but my point is to someone else, they might think I'm crazy.....they'd tell me just grab a house bridge or if I'm that concerned, shoot the shot left handed using my fancy, dancy cue.
Yet there are going to be "genuine gimmicks" and most of us have learned to spot them but still, it's easy to get tempted because everyone is looking for a little edge. So be careful and remember there is no substitute for skills and luck........the more you practice, the better your skills and funny, it also seems like the luckier you become......Well, it just seems that way, at least that's what I found playing the better players who astonishingly get the rolls or so it seems. But let's face the stark reality of pool which is there's no substitute for applying good fundamentals and mastering cue ball speed.
Matt B.
What's a gadget?
Is it something new, or "new & improved"? Is it a radically different design?
Does it improve your aim, or stroke delivery? Is it a conventional application?
Look, everyone tries something new from time to time. That's how we learn. Sometimes we try to gather info before deciding to get something and we even have tried the thing before ordering....maybe not......sometimes, we act on the product's popularity or testimonials or its reputation. The fact is that ooohs & aahs garnish lots of attention nowadays.......but how often we switch....change....says a lot whether the item is a gadget.
For years, I used a house bridge but never with my cue. I wouldn't rik scratching the shafts because as Bill Grassley will attest, the shafts on my pool cues are pristine. So I used a house cue on a house bridge.....and then I got a Kamui Leather Bridge and started using my custom cues and never had any issues....shafts remained perfect.
Is the Kamui a gimmick? I didn't think so and I used it for years and then I switched to using a JustaBridge. Now that darn thing looks like it should be a gimmick the way it acts like a Transformer. But gotta admit, it's the best bridge I have ever used....really secure and steady....incredibly flexible and has so many different bridge variations.....and protects my cue shafts 100%.
Was the JustaBridge a gimmick? Again, I didn't think so but my point is to someone else, they might think I'm crazy.....they'd tell me just grab a house bridge or if I'm that concerned, shoot the shot left handed using my fancy, dancy cue.
Yet there are going to be "genuine gimmicks" and most of us have learned to spot them but still, it's easy to get tempted because everyone is looking for a little edge. So be careful and remember there is no substitute for skills and luck........the more you practice, the better your skills and funny, it also seems like the luckier you become......Well, it just seems that way, at least that's what I found playing the better players who astonishingly get the rolls or so it seems. But let's face the stark reality of pool which is there's no substitute for applying good fundamentals and mastering cue ball speed.
Matt B.
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Because what if...?
You'd feel like a schmuck if you found out decades ago you could have jumped a level or two simply by spending 5 or 10 bucks.
Same goes for playing the lottery.... Or voting for the President of your choice.... Or...
:grin-square:
If you like technology you can see some new stroke training technology on steroids here:
www.cue-md.com.
It's designed specifically for pool. Current research in neurology indicates that instant feedback (such as from a sound or vibration) reinforces and speeds up the learning process.
Pool is nothing. How many stores are there that survive just selling pool related products?
I started biking. You buy a bike and then the fun begins. It is the same as buying a boat. All the extras that you never thought you needed.
With a bike you will eventually need clipless shoes and pedals, proper clothing, helmet, some kind of bag to carry stuff. Tire pump, CO2 cartridges, gloves, water bottle, water bottle holder, bike speedometer/computer, chain lube, chain cleaner, tire patches, and on and on. As with anything else it depends on how serious you are.
Granted in pool many of the things people buy are useless but other than a cue, and case the extras don't really cost that much unless you are buying some overpriced worthless piece of hocus pokus that promises to make you a better player.
I started biking. You buy a bike and then the fun begins. It is the same as buying a boat. All the extras that you never thought you needed.
With a bike you will eventually need clipless shoes and pedals, proper clothing, helmet, some kind of bag to carry stuff. Tire pump, CO2 cartridges, gloves, water bottle, water bottle holder, bike speedometer/computer, chain lube, chain cleaner, tire patches, and on and on. As with anything else it depends on how serious you are.
Granted in pool many of the things people buy are useless but other than a cue, and case the extras don't really cost that much unless you are buying some overpriced worthless piece of hocus pokus that promises to make you a better player.