Think of it this way.
Are “table knowledge” and “rigid body physics” mutually exclusive?
Yes.
Can you discuss them separately? Yes.
Is there anything special about a cue ball compared to any other inanimate object that will defy the laws of motion. No.
Why would anybody care to discuss one without the other in the context of pool?
Answer: Because they are independent, and because we can.
A player uses table knowledge to affect the cue ball. But the affect on the cue ball can always be reproduced exactly with a robot provided you input the same parameters. The human being does not change the laws of physics.
Nobody needs credentials to understand causality.
Who cares / why are you wasting my time?
Answer: as a player you should be focusing on improving your table knowledge and stroke accuracy. Do not waste your time creating different strokes that you believe cause the cue ball to do special things. It is unnecessary. Just focus on accuracy with the stroke you already have.
You either know how to play or you don’t.
Answer: Learning Anything in life is never an indivisible operation. Anything can always be broken into smaller pieces and studied independently. That goes for absolutely anything.
I'm sorry, I'm going to try to be nice, but no, you don't either know how to play or not. Sure you do either know how to play or not, but it's not finite. No one knows how to play before they learn. Like with anything, you have to learn how to do it.
And like with anything, the best way to learn is to go to experts who have a demonstrated knowledge of how to do something. That's not saying that everyone who demonstrates an ability to do something is the best to teach others how to do it, but if you can't show a high level of doing something, you probably shouldn't be speaking to it.
