"real" talent
I agree wholeheartedly with all the folks on here who've enthusiastically encouraged you to pursue your dream. Where I diverge from them a little is to point out that this dream is a tough one, and will require sacrifices.
I doubt that you can achieve A player status at your age if you continue to spend so much time reading and posting in forums, watching and commenting on streams, playing friendly matches with friends, etc.
Improving at any age is tough, and it only gets harder as you get older, because you're fighting physical factors that younger people don't yet have to.
I believe you can do it, based on your descriptions of your current level of play, and on the overflow of vitality and optimism you seem to have for everything about this game. BUT, you'll have to focus that on your goal.
Map out all your weaknesses, and getting professional help doing this would be very valuable. Put together a plan to strengthen those weaknesses, and to be able to measure your progress. Work the plan, then work it some more, and work on it more after that.
Tough goals such as yours can be achieved, but almost never are because to do so usually requires a nearly all consuming passion and dedication. You seem to have that passion for the game, but do you have it for this goal? Do you want it that badly?
John Biddle, I like what you posted very much. Johnnyt has a lot to think about. Most people who knew me twenty years ago can't wait to tell the next noob in the pool room how poorly I used to play. I've had people ask me why do I practice so much , watch so many instructional videos, take so many pool lessons, play in so many pool tournaments in spite of the fact that I am not a professional pool player.
For the most part, people in general don't understand the driven nature of people like you or I. Some people even on this forum who love the game, don't understand the competitive drive that some people have. I laugh because some people think my practice looks like hard work. My practice habits, competitive drive and desire to learn are what makes me who I am, at least in the pool world. Most people are just plain lazy. Bob Rotella, one of sports best psychologist and mentor to real champions says that real talent is earned talent and it is THE MOST VALUABLE KIND OF TALENT. Bob Rotella knows that it the combination of character, attitude, and devotion that mkes greatness possible.
John Biddle gave you some excellent information. I'll give you a couple of other things that you can mull over and throw out the back door if you don't like them. Start going to EVERY Senior tournament in the country to test your mettle against them. I have been told that there are some tough old SOB's out there practicing harder now because
they can. Lucky you, that you still have the physical ability to put in the long hours it requires to be competitive at this game.
Don't listen to anyone who says you can't be an A player. They are just telling you what they think about themselves and they really don't know you. You are your own man and you can choose to accept this goal without the negative comments from naysayers.
I haven't seen you play and I haven't seen your physical condition but if those and your competitive drive and love for pool are anything like what you write,
I have no doubt that you can be an A player.
Make valuable use of your training time and put yourself in tournament competition with the best in your age group at every opportunity. That should tell you plenty about how far you have to go to reach an A player's status.
JoeyA
