What Happens to Your Stroke at a Certain Age?

ChrisinNC · Feb 16, 2018

For some of us, it hits in your 50 or 60s. If you're lucky maybe not until your 70s. You've still got sharp corrected eyesight, still got solid fundamentals, a solid pre-shot routine, decades upon decades of experience of playing at a certain level of proficiency to draw on. But how can one describe what happens to your stroke when you get to a certain age, and why?

Shots that you've made in your sleep your entire life are no longer a given. No shot becomes too easy to possibly miss, particularly in a tournament situation when there is the added variable of pressure. Is this largely a mental thing, or is there some physical explanation for it, as we enter our latter years, that I just don't understand?

I'm trying not to accept it and to play through it. At times when I'm practicing by myself, I play like I did 30-40 years ago. Even when in a longer gambling session against a evenly skilled opponent, I can generally play pretty well. But something about a tournament and a shorter race, particularly against a weaker player getting a handicap, its just very frustrating to mess up easy outs and feel like I've never played before.

Anyone else in advanced years (60+) experienced this, and if so, have any of you had any luck overcoming this, or is it just something that needs to be accepted that our best years of playing pool are behind us?

realkingcobra · Feb 16, 2018

ChrisinNC said:
For some of us, it hits in your 50 or 60s. If you're lucky maybe not until your 70s. You've still got sharp corrected eyesight, still got solid fundamentals, a solid pre-shot routine, decades upon decades of experience of playing at a certain level of proficiency to draw on. But how can one describe what happens to your stroke when you get to a certain age, and why?

Shots that you've made in your sleep your entire life are no longer a given. No shot becomes too easy to possibly miss, particularly in a tournament situation when there is the added variable of pressure. Is this largely a mental thing, or is there some physical explanation for it, as we enter our latter years, that I just don't understand?

I'm trying not to accept it and to play through it. At times when I'm practicing by myself, I play like I did 30-40 years ago. Even when in a longer gambling session against a evenly skilled opponent, I can generally play pretty well. But something about a tournament and a shorter race, particularly against a weaker player getting a handicap, its just very frustrating to mess up easy outs and feel like I've never played before.

Anyone else in advanced years (60+) experienced this, and if so, have any of you had any luck overcoming this, or is it just something that needs to be accepted that our best years of playing pool are behind us?

The ability to focus and concentrate starts to diminish, being replaces by frusteration and forced concentration, whereas when younger it's like it was second nature.

Meucciplayer · Feb 17, 2018

I am "only" 58 but I believe there are a few factors.

- your micro-movements are somewhat trembling (I realise this much more in another hobby of mine which has to do with microscopes - it is much harder for me now to move objects under magnification by hand)

- your eyesight is not as good (look at really small script on coins etc. - there are some instances where you can't read stuff without a magnifying glass and on the other hand you are not able to see as well in the distance, too.

- as RKC already said, focus is lost sooner. I know that I can stay focussed for short periods but if I play longer sets, I start losing it

I think that other hobbies like microscope work or scale modelling etc. are a lot better to identify these weaknesses aquired with older age. In pool, it is a bit hard to see why you miss a certain ball.

Tony_in_MD · Feb 17, 2018

Age will affect everyones game to various degrees. I am in my late 50's now.

I have changed my stroke in the past two years. I have shortened my bridge length, and take fewer and shorter practice strokes.

I am shortening the amount of time I am down on a ball, and keeping the cue movement to a minimum pre hit. This way I can keep my focus on the one stroke that matters (the last one)

When I was younger I had that long 9 ball stroke.

ChrisinNC said:
For some of us, it hits in your 50 or 60s. If you're lucky maybe not until your 70s. You've still got sharp corrected eyesight, still got solid fundamentals, a solid pre-shot routine, decades upon decades of experience of playing at a certain level of proficiency to draw on. But how can one describe what happens to your stroke when you get to a certain age, and why?

Shots that you've made in your sleep your entire life are no longer a given. No shot becomes too easy to possibly miss, particularly in a tournament situation when there is the added variable of pressure. Is this largely a mental thing, or is there some physical explanation for it, as we enter our latter years, that I just don't understand?

I'm trying not to accept it and to play through it. At times when I'm practicing by myself, I play like I did 30-40 years ago. Even when in a longer gambling session against a evenly skilled opponent, I can generally play pretty well. But something about a tournament and a shorter race, particularly against a weaker player getting a handicap, its just very frustrating to mess up easy outs and feel like I've never played before.

Anyone else in advanced years (60+) experienced this, and if so, have any of you had any luck overcoming this, or is it just something that needs to be accepted that our best years of playing pool are behind us?

Sealegs50 · Feb 17, 2018

Tony_in_MD said:
Age will affect everyones game to various degrees. I am in my late 50's now.

I have changed my stroke in the past two years. I have shortened my bridge length, and take fewer and shorter practice strokes.

I am shortening the amount of time I am down on a ball, and keeping the cue movement to a minimum pre hit. This way I can keep my focus on the one stroke that matters (the last one)

When I was younger I had that long 9 ball stroke.

These changes all sound good to me. Do you believe these adjustments to your shot routine would have been helpful if you had adopted them at an earlier age?

Tony_in_MD · Feb 17, 2018

Good question. My changes now are because of my current physical abilities (combo of age and health issues).

Even with my issues, I believe that I am more consistent in striking the cueball now then I was when I was younger. In hindsight I would have liked to make these changes 30 years ago but my ego wouldn't allow it.

I find this an excellent topic. I would love to see someone put in the time to review videos of the same players through the decades. Like Earl, or Buddy to compare their stroke from the 80's to the most recent vids of their play.

Sealegs50 said:
These changes all sound good to me. Do you believe these adjustments to your shot routine would have been helpful if you had adopted them at an earlier age?

iusedtoberich · Feb 17, 2018

Tony_in_MD said:
Age will affect everyones game to various degrees. I am in my late 50's now.

I have changed my stroke in the past two years. I have shortened my bridge length, and take fewer and shorter practice strokes.

I am shortening the amount of time I am down on a ball, and keeping the cue movement to a minimum pre hit. This way I can keep my focus on the one stroke that matters (the last one)

When I was younger I had that long 9 ball stroke.

I'm only 39 so I can't comment on game degradation yet

A note on short strokes. I played against Henry Patcheye in Philly a few times when he was in his 80's before he died a few years ago. He would approach the table, be in the set position for a few seconds, then pull back and fire. Zero warm up strokes. You could see the micro tremors when he was standing still in the set position. He still played jam up, A speed at least. (He was touring pro speed when he was young). I never saw him when he was younger, so I have no idea if his stroke was more conventional then.

measureman · Feb 17, 2018

I'm almost 71 and have been playing for 58 years.
I can still play pretty good but only at about 75% of when i was 40 and played every day.
But I've compensated by trying to play smarter.
Smarter being that years ago I would just bounce off a rail and shoot the 6 foot shot,now I try to get closer.
And of course the long tough shots that were fairly easy in my prime have gotten a bit harder. LOL.
I think my stroke is still as smooth as ever.

dearnold · Feb 17, 2018

I'm only 50, but used to play in a straight pool league with a lot of older guys. It is a biological fact that our physical abilities decline with age. So yes, sooner or later this is going to impact your game in a measurable way. How and when that happens is largely a matter of your particular genetic makeup along with how you treat yourself. Do you have a history of physical decline in your family? Or was grampa sharp as a whip until 90? Your genetics will provide some clues. But your environment is also important. Do you exercise regularly? Are you overweight? Smoker? These all come into play.

But at the end of the day, you are a unique individual with a unique history and a unique environment. So you will age differently from others. All you can do is control the factors you can to be the best you can be as long as you can.

What you describe, however, sounds more like nerves. Something I can attest to. I'm a choker and hate high pressure situations. They kill my game and it's very disappointing to practice your ass off at home and do very well just to go to league night, get nervous and completely collapse. I doubt that's mostly about age, however, it's about how we all do or don't handle stress in performance situations.

Just keep playing, do your best and try to have some fun. Your pro days might very well be behind you.

efirkey · Feb 17, 2018

This is why older players turn to one pocket.

I just turned 50 and you are scaring me a little bit.

GoldCrown · Feb 17, 2018

71 and stroking better than ever due to the company I’m in and instructors. Eyesight is fair...distance shots are slightly blurry. Sometimes I’m tired and simply can’t focus. I stop playing when that happens. Steady concentration is tough.

bstroud · Feb 17, 2018

At 76 I don’t see any difference. Of course I can see again.

Stroke seems the same and my overall speed is still the same.

Prefer to play 10 ball over 1pocket.

Concentration may be a factor but the desire to win overcomes all.

Bill S.

ChrisinNC · Feb 17, 2018

dearnold said:
I'm only 50, but used to play in a straight pool league with a lot of older guys. It is a biological fact that our physical abilities decline with age. So yes, sooner or later this is going to impact your game in a measurable way. How and when that happens is largely a matter of your particular genetic makeup along with how you treat yourself. Do you have a history of physical decline in your family? Or was grampa sharp as a whip until 90? Your genetics will provide some clues. But your environment is also important. Do you exercise regularly? Are you overweight? Smoker? These all come into play.

But at the end of the day, you are a unique individual with a unique history and a unique environment. So you will age differently from others. All you can do is control the factors you can to be the best you can be as long as you can.

What you describe, however, sounds more like nerves. Something I can attest to. I'm a choker and hate high pressure situations. They kill my game and it's very disappointing to practice your ass off at home and do very well just to go to league night, get nervous and completely collapse. I doubt that's mostly about age, however, it's about how we all do or don't handle stress in performance situations.

Just keep playing, do your best and try to have some fun. Your pro days might very well be behind you.

Yes, nerves is certainly a factor, but I can't say it was a factor in previous years. The bottom line is it's just become increasingly harder to deliver a nice fluid stroke and following through with the shaft staying perfectly in line. I've always had a long bridge, so that probably doesn't help. I'm gonna try shortening up my bridge and my stroke, and see if that helps.

I recently watched a video of Mosconi vs Cranfield in a Legends match. Both players were in their early 60s - my age. It was very sad to see the deteriorated strokes of both these players. They could no longer stay down and still on the ball, and could no longer follow straight through with the cue. I'm sure for players that were as great as these guys, it had to be frustrating.

measureman · Feb 17, 2018

GoldCrown said:
71 and stroking better than ever due to the company I’m in and instructors. Eyesight is fair...distance shots are slightly blurry. Sometimes I’m tired and simply can’t focus. I stop playing when that happens. Steady concentration is tough.

Me too.
and i'm almost 71.

chefjeff · Feb 17, 2018

I came up with this thought a few weeks ago and it helps me to stay steady when my tremor is kicking in on my stroke:

Right about at the "set," I think: All I'm doing is pulling a long stick of wood backward and then forward, how hard can that be?

It kind of puts things in a perspective that helps me, as all the pressures of the shot/game/match are subordinated to that simple fact that all I have to really do is simply move a wooden stick back and forth. Hell, I was doing that as a baby!

fwiw,

Jeff Livingston

tim913 · Feb 17, 2018

realkingcobra said:
The ability to focus and concentrate starts to diminish, being replaces by frusteration and forced concentration, whereas when younger it's like it was second nature.

I agree with this. I'm in my 60's and still practice every day, and my stroke is probably better than it ever was. I just don't have that 'killer instinct' anymore that that used to really hone my focus so that I not only could see the contact point on the ball,, but it was "YUGE"! Eyesight is not as good as before, but it's mostly the focus. I find myself saying after a miss, "I looked at the OB, but I did not play(concentrate on contact point) the OB!

jay helfert · Feb 17, 2018

Over 70 and haven't play much at all in the last year due to bursitis. Got it handled now and trying to get back in stroke. I HATE starting over! After one week I'm just getting a feel for my new Starkey cue. I feel good on some shots and erratic on others. Will I ever play good again or even close to my speed fifteen years ago when I was in action almost daily? I don't know but I'm going to try. Biggest difference for me now - I'm playing with a lighter cue (17.6 oz.) because it's easier for me to handle.

Good luck to everyone! Isn't pool fun.....and frustrating! :thumbup:

jay helfert · Feb 17, 2018

tim913 said:
I agree with this. I'm in my 60's and still practice every day, and my stroke is probably better than it ever was. I just don't have that 'killer instinct' anymore that that used to really hone my focus so that I not only could see the contact point on the ball,, but it was "YUGE"! Eyesight is not as good as before, but it's mostly the focus. I find myself saying after a miss, "I looked at the OB, but I did not play(concentrate on contact point) the OB!

This is good. When I really concentrate on where I want to hit the object ball I do okay, but when I lose focus only slightly - Miss!

Pushout · Feb 17, 2018

Great thread!! At age 68 I sometimes play better, for short periods, than I ever have. But, a lot of the time it's just not there. One of my problems is definitely focus and I only practice for short periods of time usually. One thing I seem to do is miscue more often. When I was younger I might miscue a couple of times a year, now it seems like I miscue at least once when I'm practicing, sometime a couple of times. And yes, the frustration becomes a factor pretty quickly.

lfigueroa · Feb 17, 2018

ChrisinNC said:
For some of us, it hits in your 50 or 60s. If you're lucky maybe not until your 70s. You've still got sharp corrected eyesight, still got solid fundamentals, a solid pre-shot routine, decades upon decades of experience of playing at a certain level of proficiency to draw on. But how can one describe what happens to your stroke when you get to a certain age, and why?

Shots that you've made in your sleep your entire life are no longer a given. No shot becomes too easy to possibly miss, particularly in a tournament situation when there is the added variable of pressure. Is this largely a mental thing, or is there some physical explanation for it, as we enter our latter years, that I just don't understand?

I'm trying not to accept it and to play through it. At times when I'm practicing by myself, I play like I did 30-40 years ago. Even when in a longer gambling session against a evenly skilled opponent, I can generally play pretty well. But something about a tournament and a shorter race, particularly against a weaker player getting a handicap, its just very frustrating to mess up easy outs and feel like I've never played before.

Anyone else in advanced years (60+) experienced this, and if so, have any of you had any luck overcoming this, or is it just something that needs to be accepted that our best years of playing pool are behind us?

Everyone is different so what follows is just me at 64.

Nowadays I believe I have more knowledge, and table and stroke awareness, than any time before. My eyesight is corrected reasonably well and nerves are not an issue for me. But two things are:

I’m not in constant combat anymore until 3 in the morning, nor do I give up my weekends to spend them in hours long tournament play. So I’ve lost a big edge thataway. Though I still like to practice on a regular basis, my opportunities to compete are far more limited.

The second thing is physical and something I always took for granted — my footwork and stance. A year ago I tore the meniscus in both knees, the left one more severely. And though I can stand at the table comfortably I can tell it’s different and I’m not creating all the minor adjustments that I used to for different shots. At the Derby this year I played reasonably well my first two matches. Then the toll of sitting down in the chair and then getting back up for each shot over and over took its toll and I played like ca-ca my last two matches.

So buried in there is the fact that unless you’re running marathons in your later years it’s possible that your legs, knees, ankles, feet are not helping the cause. YMMV.

Lou Figueroa

What Happens to Your Stroke at a Certain Age?

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