I think if sponsors/money get big then matters will change. Now just a few are paying the mtg.

Lowell said:

I'm not buying the argument that the US has a shortage of 9 foot tables, and establishments that allow people under 21 are more likely to have 9 foot tables anyway.

I'm also skeptical of the idea that the US needs to be nothing but a sterile, European billiard academy style of environment for us to produce pros. However, access to pool tables in the formative years is important.

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Does pool in the US need to change in any way to make the US more competitive? How can that change happen?

They have been sold.

iusedtoberich said:

... I doubt anyone today has actually hung a modern light at many heights and compared them to form new guidelines.

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The rules/equipment specs have a requirement: the light intensity at all places on the playing surface should be at least 520 lux, which is 520 lumens per square meter. I got a lux meter on Amazon -- about $30. The local room is 160 lux at the end rails, and that's definitely not enough.

Stand back up and reset. You cannot shoot with that thought going through your head. It's admittedly hard to do this because when that thought does enter your head, you are usually feeling extremely vulnerable, exposed, and uncomfortable. You want the moment to be over, so you shoot with no confidence. Standing up and resetting feels like exposing yourself even more. But you have to do it.

Another mantra to repeat/internalize is that once your bridge hand hits the cloth, the shot is 99% made or missed already. You can't reliably "fix" anything from that point on most shots. So the pressure should actually be off at that point. You've already committed to a line. Any intrusive thought at that point can only harm your stroke and push the cue ball off your chosen line.