You guys always think I'm on the lemon. LOL. Johnnyt
I'm Finished Trying to play on a big table
- Thread starter Johnnyt
- Start date
You guys always think I'm on the lemon. LOL. Johnnyt
Most of my time is on a 9 footer but league play is on a BB. I find that the nine footer makes my game better on the seven footers.
I don't buy the age thing Johnny. We just bought (and are moving to) Hawthorne, an active retirement community in Leesburg FL. God's waiting room as someone called it, where everyone is over 55 and probably averages about 68+. They have four 9' GC IIIs in the billiard room. That is one of the reasons we are moving there
. Anyway, from what my friend tells me they have a 16 man tournament everyday and a traveling pool team that plays against all the other "active" retirement communities in the area. From what I understand there are 10 - 15 teams in the league. Mostly old guys but some pool rooms, bars, Moose, Elks, etc so the competition is supposedly reasonable.
I visited another "active" retirement community in the area and they had three 9' tables, so it appears that nine footers are common among the "older" set.
So if you get NW of Orlando Johnny you can play against a bunch of old guys on 9 footers. All you need is a new pair of glasses and a steady stroke.
I did notice that all the 9 footers I saw had 5" pockets. These old guys just don't keep up with the times. But maybe I can persuade them when I get to Florida. 
Shamless ad here. :embarrassed2:
I am selling my GC III with 4.5" pockets here in NE Ohio for $1,500.00 plus some other stuff, including a Paul Mottey cue. anyone interested can see my web site in a day or so. Some stuff will be posted on Ebay, etc. With four GC IIIs at Hawthorne I won't need it in Florida.
I don't buy the age thing Johnny. We just bought (and are moving to) Hawthorne, an active retirement community in Leesburg FL. God's waiting room as someone called it, where everyone is over 55 and probably averages about 68+. They have four 9' GC IIIs in the billiard room. That is one of the reasons we are moving there
. Anyway, from what my friend tells me they have a 16 man tournament everyday and a traveling pool team that plays against all the other "active" retirement communities in the area. From what I understand there are 10 - 15 teams in the league. Mostly old guys but some pool rooms, bars, Moose, Elks, etc so the competition is supposedly reasonable.I visited another "active" retirement community in the area and they had three 9' tables, so it appears that nine footers are common among the "older" set.
So if you get NW of Orlando Johnny you can play against a bunch of old guys on 9 footers. All you need is a new pair of glasses and a steady stroke.
I did notice that all the 9 footers I saw had 5" pockets. These old guys just don't keep up with the times. But maybe I can persuade them when I get to Florida. Shamless ad here. :embarrassed2:
I am selling my GC III with 4.5" pockets here in NE Ohio for $1,500.00 plus some other stuff, including a Paul Mottey cue. anyone interested can see my web site in a day or so. Some stuff will be posted on Ebay, etc. With four GC IIIs at Hawthorne I won't need it in Florida.
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The club that I belong to here kinda skews older to begin with, people under 40 would be a minority most of the time, heh. We have five 9-footers, and every afternoon there are several "seasoned" gentlemen that are always found there playing, and some of them playing quite well.
In our APA league in town, there are many guys in the 60's, including many 6's and 7's (for what that's worth).
Don't let the number stop ya, Johnny.
In our APA league in town, there are many guys in the 60's, including many 6's and 7's (for what that's worth).
Don't let the number stop ya, Johnny.
:groucho: :groucho: :groucho:
Since pool was more popular in my generation than in the current generation I'm continually suprised that there aren't more 'geezers' playing in the afternoon. VERY few around here show any interest. Where are you from?
Bangor, Maine. Just a bit out of the way.
Somehow I don't expect that you'll be "passing through" anytime soon.... but if you do, give a shout ahead of time.
Seriously, many of those guys play really well, most of them would easily kick my poor little beginners behind. One of the guys has to be in his 70's, and plays League every week, quite well. All of our League matches here are on 9-footers, at all three host locations. It would actually be difficult to find an 8-footer to play on around here, and I don't recall any 7-footers, maybe at one of the bowlng alleys, not sure. that's why these "bar-box" threads amuse me. Next nearest pool room is 35 miles away, with seven 9-footers. The bowling alley in that town also has four 9-footers, tho they are kinda beat up.... I guess the room where the state APA tournament is played is all 8-footers, down in Portland. That's over 2 hours away, so I won't just drop by to see.
All I know is 9-footers. You can hang, Johnny. I've seen it here.
Although the problems confronted converting from a barbox to a 9-footer are linear ,
two factors rear their ugly head which are closely related to chaos theory.
"Chaos theory is a field of study in mathematics, physics, and philosophy studying the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. Small differences in initial conditions (such as those due to rounding errors in numerical computation) yield widely diverging outcomes for chaotic systems, rendering long-term prediction impossible in general. This happens even though these systems are deterministic, meaning that their future dynamics are fully determined by their initial conditions, with no random elements involved. In other words, the deterministic nature of these systems does not make them predictable. This behavior is known as deterministic chaos, or simply chaos."
Those two factors are a slight angle error and differences in application
of english at the initial contact of stick and cue ball. (actually, upon reflection , spin may be non-linear thus subject to deterministic chaos.)
These factors are ,of course, intuitive, but identifying them may help
you overcome them.
I am a barbox to a 9-footer convert at age 63 (4years ago) and the greatest progress I have made was starting to wear glasses about
6-months ago. That helped cure the first factor, angles, I'm working
on the english problem now. It is much more subjective.
I'm happy to announce that I have acheived a level of solid C player.
Don't give it up Johnyt. Challenges keep us young!:happydance:
two factors rear their ugly head which are closely related to chaos theory.
"Chaos theory is a field of study in mathematics, physics, and philosophy studying the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. Small differences in initial conditions (such as those due to rounding errors in numerical computation) yield widely diverging outcomes for chaotic systems, rendering long-term prediction impossible in general. This happens even though these systems are deterministic, meaning that their future dynamics are fully determined by their initial conditions, with no random elements involved. In other words, the deterministic nature of these systems does not make them predictable. This behavior is known as deterministic chaos, or simply chaos."
Those two factors are a slight angle error and differences in application
of english at the initial contact of stick and cue ball. (actually, upon reflection , spin may be non-linear thus subject to deterministic chaos.)
These factors are ,of course, intuitive, but identifying them may help
you overcome them.
I am a barbox to a 9-footer convert at age 63 (4years ago) and the greatest progress I have made was starting to wear glasses about
6-months ago. That helped cure the first factor, angles, I'm working
on the english problem now. It is much more subjective.
I'm happy to announce that I have acheived a level of solid C player.
Don't give it up Johnyt. Challenges keep us young!:happydance:
My eyes were just checked a few months ago. They checked out very well. I don't need glasses. Most of playing bad on a 9' table is mental for me. To play well I have to bear down and think too much before any long shot. It gives me a headache I don't need. You could probably some it up that I'm too lazy to work at it anymore. Of course if someone starts a senior tour in FL on 9 footers I'd get un lazy real quick.
Johnnyt
Johnnyt
Totally agree....
he probably played on 9's for 15 years before they even invented a bar box.
Totally agree....
Owned a Q-Ball table at 11 yo, a bummper pool table at 14, a bar box at 15, and my Dad always had a 9' in the basement. Johnnyt
Johnny, what's a cue ball table? Is it just a mfg name from the past or is it a one of a kind?
The game of Q-ball was played in NY, NJ, PA, and a few other NE States in the 1950 to about 1956 when the bar boxes started showing up in bars. It was shown live on WPIX TV weekly for about two years. My Dad's team from Long Island, NY won it twice on TV. He got a $300 Benrus diamond watch and a high end cue (can't remember the cuemaker now). He sold the cue at the show for a lot of money for a cue back then and I hocked the watch in Alaska in 1965 after a long binge.
The table was 3' x 6'. You shot from one end of the table only. There were 6 white balls and 1 red ball. There were holes in the table just a hair larger than the balls worth from 10 to 200. Double that if it was the red ball dropping. The 200 hole was protected by a wooden mushroom in front of it. If knocked over you lost your score for that round. I will look on the net and see if I can find a picture of the Q-ball table and the rules. Johnnyt
I just tried to find anything about the table or the rules of Q-ball on the net with no luck. Maybe someone else good with research on the net can try, or maybe a member that is in his 60's to 80's from the NE can add to what I wrote about it above. It was a cool game. My Dad took me around to all the bars and made a lot of money putting me in the box when I was 11 to13 yo. He was brutal with his cut to me. About 10% and a few cokes with a cherry in them. But I didn't care about the money back then. I loved to gamble even then and got to spend a lot of time with my Dad and would get his aproval when I won. Johnnyt
This is very much like it only with one wooden mushroom. http://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Bar-Billiards.htm#BB
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I found a link to tables that are very close to a Q-Ball table of the 1950's NE US. Johnnyt
I had a similar experience with one of my good friends trying to play on his GC2 after years of BB play. He invited me to play 9 ball with him on Friday nights and my game was terrible. I was basically a rack boy for weeks before I realized that what I could get away with on the BB tables just didn't work on the GC. I was hitting shots too hard, my fundamentals were bad, and I was intimidated by the big table. I stuck with it and with his help I gradually improved and now I like 9' tables much better than the BB tables. The 9' tables show all of your flaws in your stroke and fundamentals in a hurry and if want to improve you need to play on 9' tables IMO. I play on BB tables in an ACS league with some of my friends, but I don't care for the BB tables. I wish the league was played on 9' tables.
James
Banks
Banned
I'm with you on this one, too, but giving up only makes you a quitter.
On the 9, stop trying to use all of that english for the time being. Think of it like as long as you get a shot at the next ball then you'll be alright. I've noticed I can play much better by avoiding unnecessary english and just relying on my pocketing of the longer shots (as much as I hate them). Also, you'll have to adjust for the pockets since cheating them will be more difficult. Knock them around for a while and you'll notice yourself getting better and more comfortable on them.
On the 9, stop trying to use all of that english for the time being. Think of it like as long as you get a shot at the next ball then you'll be alright. I've noticed I can play much better by avoiding unnecessary english and just relying on my pocketing of the longer shots (as much as I hate them). Also, you'll have to adjust for the pockets since cheating them will be more difficult. Knock them around for a while and you'll notice yourself getting better and more comfortable on them.
I can and will help you JohnnyT with Perfect Aim
Hi there JohnnyT,
As you probably know I am the creator of Perfect Aim. I couldn't help feel your pain with playing on the 9 footer. I have a little story to tell you that seems to get reinforced everytime I teach someone Perfect Aim that just doesn't seem to shoot the way they used to or could.
As we age we lose our natural coordination.
I'm 56 and when I was 20 if I was fishing and thought the fishing would be better out on this rock in the water 6' out I would just jump out on it. If i tried to do that now I would get hurt just thinking about it. This is why they have tried to have a senior tour at the age of 50. Because our eyes and body just don't quite work as good as once upon a time.
The problem with lining up a pool shot is we have to coordinate a whole bunch of things but the biggest problem is we lose that natural ability to get those eyes in the most natural position that they need to be in to see the shot correctly. It's hard enough when we're younger but after 50 it can be a real challenge.
One of my older students, you might know him as Guido from Michigan. He shows up at alot of the tournaments to work on cues. He does great work. Rodney Morris had him put on a few tips while I was there and there were other guys there that could have done it but Guido was his man. Years back he played a little on the pro tour but for the past 25 years he hardly played. He told me his game just went down hill. He was watching me play at galvaston and noticed I was doing pretty well. We started talking about pool and I explained to him how I use this eunique method that really helps me and 100's of other players see the shots so much better.
Guido is 71. I told him that he had lost alot of that natural coordination just like I am telling you. So we did a lesson right there at Galvaston.
He was kind of surprised at what he learned and acted real excited because he could see the shots so much better now that he had the eyes in the right position. He thanked me and we parted ways.
About 2 weeks later he called me up. He told me he thought he was playing just as good as he was when he was younger. Not only that but he won the small local tournament in his home town that he usually doesnt even come close to winning. He said there are about 3 or 4 hot shots that would always get him. I still remember how excited he was.
Then he called about 3 weeks later to tell me another happening. He was shooting pretty good so he offered to gamble a little with the top hot shot where he's from. He not only beat him a couple of sets but the guy quit the last set down 4 to whatever and just paid Guido and quit.
This is not an isolated story but the kind of story I'm getting used to hearing and expecting when someone learns and understands Perfect Aim. It's hard enough to have the eyes in the right position when your younger but as we age it becomes even more difficult. Perfect Aim teaches you how to get them in the right spot so we can see the shot correctly. and there is deffinitely a right spot and only one spot.
The eyes take the info to the brain and the brain sends it to the body. If the camera or eyes are in the wrong place just a fraction of an inch the brain does not get the right info. There is no way the brain can send the message to the body if your not seeing the shot right in the first place.
What I've really notice is that you really have to have the eyes in that most perfect position on the 9 footer or you have all kinds of trouble.
If you were a hunter and only had a pistol you could only shoot so far. Sometimes you need to get out the rifle and then if it's too fer yet you need a scope.
I can't put a scope on you cue stick but I'm telling you this Perfect Aim is the next best thing.
I would like a chance to help you revive your aim. You sound like one of the warriors of this game and at 71 and still playing you have definitely earned your stripes.
As you probably have seen I have started the Perfect Aim review by AZers for AZers on the main forum.
I would like to send you the Perfect Aim video and work with you along with the other players and see if we can get you firing those balls in on that there big table. I am very confident that this will rejuvinate your aiming ability greatly.
All I ask in return is that you post you results from what you learned with Perfect Aim and if it has helped you just post your results on the thread whether you thought it helped or not. Just be honest. That's all I ask.
Fair enough.
I am showing these players a new teaching technique that I don't think has ever been used. I've used it in my personal lesson for the past month and have found it makes it so much easier to teach Perfect Aim then before. My students understand it quickly and easily.
Just like a puzzle, if you are missed one piece it just won't work right. Understanding is the secret to Perfect Aims success. And that's what it's all about, improving that pool game for everyone.
If you accept just send me your Name,address, and Phone number in a PM and I will rush you the video out Monday morning.
The biggest complaint I get after I teach a player over 50 Perfect Aim is where were you 30 years ago???
And this will also help on the Bar Box............
Have a great weekend. Thanks for listening Geno.
uttahere::dance:
Hi there JohnnyT,
As you probably know I am the creator of Perfect Aim. I couldn't help feel your pain with playing on the 9 footer. I have a little story to tell you that seems to get reinforced everytime I teach someone Perfect Aim that just doesn't seem to shoot the way they used to or could.
As we age we lose our natural coordination.
I'm 56 and when I was 20 if I was fishing and thought the fishing would be better out on this rock in the water 6' out I would just jump out on it. If i tried to do that now I would get hurt just thinking about it. This is why they have tried to have a senior tour at the age of 50. Because our eyes and body just don't quite work as good as once upon a time.
The problem with lining up a pool shot is we have to coordinate a whole bunch of things but the biggest problem is we lose that natural ability to get those eyes in the most natural position that they need to be in to see the shot correctly. It's hard enough when we're younger but after 50 it can be a real challenge.
One of my older students, you might know him as Guido from Michigan. He shows up at alot of the tournaments to work on cues. He does great work. Rodney Morris had him put on a few tips while I was there and there were other guys there that could have done it but Guido was his man. Years back he played a little on the pro tour but for the past 25 years he hardly played. He told me his game just went down hill. He was watching me play at galvaston and noticed I was doing pretty well. We started talking about pool and I explained to him how I use this eunique method that really helps me and 100's of other players see the shots so much better.
Guido is 71. I told him that he had lost alot of that natural coordination just like I am telling you. So we did a lesson right there at Galvaston.
He was kind of surprised at what he learned and acted real excited because he could see the shots so much better now that he had the eyes in the right position. He thanked me and we parted ways.
About 2 weeks later he called me up. He told me he thought he was playing just as good as he was when he was younger. Not only that but he won the small local tournament in his home town that he usually doesnt even come close to winning. He said there are about 3 or 4 hot shots that would always get him. I still remember how excited he was.
Then he called about 3 weeks later to tell me another happening. He was shooting pretty good so he offered to gamble a little with the top hot shot where he's from. He not only beat him a couple of sets but the guy quit the last set down 4 to whatever and just paid Guido and quit.
This is not an isolated story but the kind of story I'm getting used to hearing and expecting when someone learns and understands Perfect Aim. It's hard enough to have the eyes in the right position when your younger but as we age it becomes even more difficult. Perfect Aim teaches you how to get them in the right spot so we can see the shot correctly. and there is deffinitely a right spot and only one spot.
The eyes take the info to the brain and the brain sends it to the body. If the camera or eyes are in the wrong place just a fraction of an inch the brain does not get the right info. There is no way the brain can send the message to the body if your not seeing the shot right in the first place.
What I've really notice is that you really have to have the eyes in that most perfect position on the 9 footer or you have all kinds of trouble.
If you were a hunter and only had a pistol you could only shoot so far. Sometimes you need to get out the rifle and then if it's too fer yet you need a scope.
I can't put a scope on you cue stick but I'm telling you this Perfect Aim is the next best thing.
I would like a chance to help you revive your aim. You sound like one of the warriors of this game and at 71 and still playing you have definitely earned your stripes.
As you probably have seen I have started the Perfect Aim review by AZers for AZers on the main forum.
I would like to send you the Perfect Aim video and work with you along with the other players and see if we can get you firing those balls in on that there big table. I am very confident that this will rejuvinate your aiming ability greatly.
All I ask in return is that you post you results from what you learned with Perfect Aim and if it has helped you just post your results on the thread whether you thought it helped or not. Just be honest. That's all I ask.
Fair enough.
I am showing these players a new teaching technique that I don't think has ever been used. I've used it in my personal lesson for the past month and have found it makes it so much easier to teach Perfect Aim then before. My students understand it quickly and easily.
Just like a puzzle, if you are missed one piece it just won't work right. Understanding is the secret to Perfect Aims success. And that's what it's all about, improving that pool game for everyone.
If you accept just send me your Name,address, and Phone number in a PM and I will rush you the video out Monday morning.
The biggest complaint I get after I teach a player over 50 Perfect Aim is where were you 30 years ago???
And this will also help on the Bar Box............
Have a great weekend. Thanks for listening Geno.
uttahere::dance:
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