What does it take to become a Champion?

im not at all, but people like you have to ruin a thread, i was saying about athletes thats all.

just trying to say about being good at 1 sport means normally you are at most.

people like you should be banned from the forum, nothing better to do than right a load of s h i t e, get a life

It's "write", you idiot. I'll get a life, if you go back to school....OK?
 
first i would like to say how awesome it is that we can have this conversation with someone who is a true champion at pool...i think it is awesome to hear John's opinion on what it takes to be a champion...i think there has to be a good combination of talent and practice and even the ability to hold up under pressure to be a champion (and luck doesnt hurt either :))...but i also believe that the amount of natural talent can differ and that hard work and practice can make up for some lack of natural talent...i have also seen people who have a naturally gifted stroke but not have the mental game required to be a champion and then there can be guys who have the mental game but struggle with other aspects of the game...even if practice alone can get you there i would say the person who practices 10 hours a day everyday has a special talent to be able to do that as well..haha
 
Ok

im not saying i wasnt a pro golfer because i was poor.
as a matter of fact i played not pga tour quality golf but aaa or mini tour speed at one time in my life.,playing part time in between winning pro pool events.i
was just busy playing pool by then and too late to turn back and try to make it at golf.
anyway you seem to have it all figured out by numbers.
hey if you meet somebody that has shot 62 twice at golf and ran in the 400s twice at pool like me let me know.
i would be willing to hear there opinion on golf, pool, life, talent ,heart dedication and the one in a hundred that should be champ etc.
until then im going with what i know because ive been there done that .

Gotcha John,

When I meet somebody that has accomplished exactly the same things I have or more then I'll listen to them. Until then nobody can tell me anything and I'll run around with my nose in the air too.

I have beaten Hall of Fame members of three different sports including pool. Can you say that? If not I shouldn't be listening to you!

Hu
 
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talent is a myth, talent will make you one of the best around your hole in the wall or a descent short stop....but patience, pratice, and dedication are what makes a champion. Talent might get you the the starting line, but it sure isn't going to get you to the finish.

Grey Ghost

I think the point is though if you have no talent you are not even getting to the starting line, let alone the finish.

Most of the people on this planet could never be a champion no matter how much patience, practice, and dedication they put into the game. They will simply never beat a field like the US Open or the World 10-ball championships and become what this thread was asking about.
 
the top players become great very fast and almost easy.
tiger at 13 great,ricky fowler golfer 16 great,johnny archer pool 18 great.
it takes whatever it is that makes you great quick.
some people call it natural ability but whatever it is some people have it and some dont. no matter how much they practice.
i could show you examples of people in every sport that have played almost everyday their whole lives and are average at best.pool players included.
then i can show you the people who take up the game and in a year or two are damn near pro. then those special people go practice alot and become world class,.

You cant train in what God left out, no matter how hard you try.

With tons of effort you can become a good solid player, but to be a champion you have to have talent and pay your dues.

Johns post above is dead nuts right on the $$$.
 
Ok John....technically your not a world champion yourself (oh oh, i think i struck someones nerv), so I wouldn't be talking.

Are you a complete tool? John won the bloody US Open you twit, he is most definately a champion and won one of those very few tournaments that ALOT of pro's very much want to win. It is not his only win either, but it is a HUGE win that many world champions have NOT actually managed although they have tried.
 
This thread is going nowhere though, but in conclusion if you want to become a champion, according to "JOHN" you have to be born with it. Sorry everyone your f ucked lol :eek:

It's the truth, and it is making alot of people cry on this thread.

I have seen people put 10 hours a week into this game and BLOW past players who were initially better then them who were at the same time putting 40 hours a week into the game.

If people think genetics, eyesight, hand/eye coordination, heightened muscle memory pattern imprinting, and tons of other genetically produced differentiation within species is a myth and that all humans are born identical and then go on from there and create their own fate they are delusional and were themselves the vicitm of not only little natural talent in pool but a slow working brain as well.
 
It's the truth, and it is making alot of people cry on this thread.

I have seen people put 10 hours a week into this game and BLOW past players who were initially better then them who were at the same time putting 40 hours a week into the game.

If people think genetics, eyesight, hand/eye coordination, heightened muscle memory pattern imprinting, and tons of other genetically produced differentiation within species is a myth and that all humans are born identical and then go on from there and create their own fate they are delusional and were themselves the vicitm of not only little natural talent in pool but a slow working brain as well.

Very well put. Case closed!
 
Gotcha John,

When I meet somebody that has accomplished exactly the same things I have or more then I'll listen to them. Until then nobody can tell me anything and I'll run around with my nose in the air too.

I have beaten Hall of Fame members of three different sports including pool. Can you say that? If not I shouldn't be listening to you!

Hu

i didnt say nobody can tell me anything in pool.there is some people whos opinion about pool related stuff i respect. guys like sigel,hatch,archer etc.
not guys on the net who have never been in my shoes or played any sport much less pool like me.
you seem like a good guy but believe me when it comes to all aspects pool i know more than you.
i understand its hard for you to be talked too like this by someone half your age .
i know in your prime you played great but trust me in your prime i would have hunted you down like a thief in the night to play you for all your money on your home table.snooker,14.1,9ball,1hole.
go tell all your stories about how much you know about pool to the guys at the shooting range,maybe you can impress them.
when it comes to talking about how to become a champion im like a 100 years old and your still shittin yellow.
if i ever come through new orleans again ill be sure to sign a cueball for you or something.lol night night
 
you seem like a good guy but believe me when it comes to all aspects pool i know more than you.

Heh. Efren used to sit and watch the amateur players that he could spot the 6 out and the breaks to..To see if he could learn something.

I am actually mentoring a player who is physically MUCH better than me, and he'll probably gain a ball or two in the next few months.

I think Efren is the sort of dude who is so humble when it comes to gaining knowledge, he is capable of listening to anyone's opinion, and if there is actually knowledge to be gained...He LEARNS.

I think there is a difference between arrogance, and pride.

Some people walk the line..And some people fall way over the line.'

All I know..Is ShootingArts is a stone cold CHAMPION shooter, John. If you had actually been reading any of his threads that didn't center around you, (something I highly doubt you have) you'd know that he has achieved some phenomenal feats in shooting.

Last I heard..Champion level shooting requires great eyesight and precise muscle control.

And he didn't take long to become great, either.

With your pride, in his prime, I could very well see him trapping you in a game you can't win.

I find the comment where you talked about "hunting him down like a thief in the night" to be distasteful, and supremely arrogant.

Like I said, I still like you, but I see it as a character flaw. I could never see Bustamente, Reyes, Alcano, and a host of players who are at least the 8 better than you ever saying that.

I think respecting ALL opponents is a big part of playing 100%, ALL the time.

I think people who have no respect for their lesser opponents often struggle to achieve their full potential.

Russ
 
Oh..and by the way. Sigel? I sat and watched him get torched by a shortstop named Josh Degler in Orlando about six months ago.. Playing EVEN.

So I doubt he can beat you, now. If he can't beat you, then why would you listen to him?

It just looks a little inconsistent, is all.

Oh, I know what you'll say.. His past acheivments and blah blah blah. But that's the thing, isn't it? Imagine it was a world where he had not accomplished anything yet... And suffered a catastrophic accident right before he would have won his first tournament. And could no longer play. (Kinda like Coltrain)

He would have offered to give you advice, and he would have said he had all the knowledge..

And you'd have told him. "Dude, i don't care how good you used to be..I would hunted you down in your prime and busted you playing straight pool (ahah hah hah!), one pocket, 9 ball (ahah hah hah hah hah!), or snooker..on your own table." Which would have been really funny.

Happy Thanksgiving, BTW! I hope you and your GF had a good Turkey Day, John! :D

Russ
 
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speaking of dreaming

John,

You have never in your life dominated a player of Johnny Archer's class the way I dominated him. What is more it is safe to say you never will. You defined Johnny as a great player, I not only beat him, I didn't let him make a ball for over an hour while playing him for a fish letting him stroke his stick for a shot or two most games in a gambling match up.

Had you came through town in my prime you would have wet your pants and snuck out of the place before somebody thought you were a pool player.

I am old, I'm gimpy, and I'm clumsy. My reflexes suck. I have severe arthritis in both hands. When I was young I was known for being clumsy then too. Easy pickings for a man with your physical gifts that excels in everything requiring hand eye coordination. Pistol competition requires hand eye coordination and fast reflexes. My nose is open. Come get me big boy! As a little more of a handicap I'll shoot a pistol I fitted and put together myself using files and hand tools.

Win and besides the cash I'll post on here that you beat me. Get your ass spanked and I'll post that too. Same thing goes for rifle competition but you would stand far less of a chance there than with pistols, rifle competition requires knowledge. I'm not much of a pool player now and that's a fact. It's also a fact that I beat people that would have spanked you like a pup.

Now, you wanna bark or you wanna whine? I was barking and backing it up before you were wearing three cornered pants!

Hu





i didnt say nobody can tell me anything in pool.there is some people whos opinion about pool related stuff i respect. guys like sigel,hatch,archer etc.
not guys on the net who have never been in my shoes or played any sport much less pool like me.
you seem like a good guy but believe me when it comes to all aspects pool i know more than you.
i understand its hard for you to be talked too like this by someone half your age .
i know in your prime you played great but trust me in your prime i would have hunted you down like a thief in the night to play you for all your money on your home table.snooker,14.1,9ball,1hole.
go tell all your stories about how much you know about pool to the guys at the shooting range,maybe you can impress them.
when it comes to talking about how to become a champion im like a 100 years old and your still shittin yellow.
if i ever come through new orleans again ill be sure to sign a cueball for you or something.lol night night
 
The bottom line is, you have it or you don't and I agree with John 100%.
You will get better with practice but that alone will only get so far, in
another words, you will never be on top. For those of you who disagree,
practice as hard as you can and I'll see you in ten years and when I do
I will tell you, I told you so:frown:
 
I have remained tacit long enough on the particular subject. I think anyone who doesn't have some major physical or mental flaw can make pro level speed. Notice I said pro level speed. World class speed is different. I am talking about Parica, Archer, Pagulayan etc etc you get the point. To obtain a level like that I believe it takes an innate natural ability coped with a mixture of determination and a shear will to win. Do I believe everyone can be Archer with 10000 hours of practice. NO..... Do I believe you can make pro level speed like a Tommy Kennedy? Yes. Nevertheless, Kennedy did win a U.S. Open and he isn't nearly as dominate a player as a Reyes "worldclass" ...

Just my 2cents
 
I have remained tacit long enough on the particular subject. I think anyone who doesn't have some major physical or mental flaw can make pro level speed. Notice I said pro level speed. World class speed is different. I am talking about Parica, Archer, Pagulayan etc etc you get the point. To obtain a level like that I believe it takes an innate natural ability coped with a mixture of determination and a shear will to win. Do I believe everyone can be Archer with 10000 hours of practice. NO..... Do I believe you can make pro level speed like a Tommy Kennedy? Yes. Nevertheless, Kennedy did win a U.S. Open and he isn't nearly as dominate a player as a Reyes "worldclass" ...

Just my 2cents
I kind of agree but then again, how many people do you see getting to Tommy's level
on regular basis? Not many.
 
Oh..and by the way. Sigel? I sat and watched him get torched by a shortstop named Josh Degler in Orlando about six months ago.. Playing EVEN.

So I doubt he can beat you, now. If he can't beat you, then why would you listen to him?

Wat?? You think just because Sigel is older now and doesn't play at the world champion level anymore that there's nothing to be learned from him?? Oy Vey!!
 
Oh..and by the way. Sigel? I sat and watched him get torched by a shortstop named Josh Degler in Orlando about six months ago.. Playing EVEN.

So I doubt he can beat you, now. If he can't beat you, then why would you listen to him?

It just looks a little inconsistent, is all.

Oh, I know what you'll say.. His past acheivments and blah blah blah. But that's the thing, isn't it? Imagine it was a world where he had not accomplished anything yet... And suffered a catastrophic accident right before he would have won his first tournament. And could no longer play. (Kinda like Coltrain)

He would have offered to give you advice, and he would have said he had all the knowledge..

And you'd have told him. "Dude, i don't care how good you used to be..I would hunted you down in your prime and busted you playing straight pool (ahah hah hah!), one pocket, 9 ball (ahah hah hah hah hah!), or snooker..on your own table." Which would have been really funny.

Happy Thanksgiving, BTW! I hope you and your GF had a good Turkey Day, John! :D

Russ
You have to remember that anybody can beat anybody at any given time. Because Mike
lost, it doesn't mean jack.
 
hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard...

coasting only works when you are going downhill...

two guys... equal talent..... one perfects it... one squanders his gift..

the guy who works harder wins...

it's the difference between world class...

and a middle of the road, mediocre, touring pro....
 
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