A fun experiment is, at the pool hall, ask some players how many shots they've shot in their lives. The answers are telling re. this thread. It's at least good for a few laughs.
Jeff Livingston
Poll: How long did it take you to become an "A" player
- Thread starter iusedtoberich
- Start date
A fun experiment is, at the pool hall, ask some players how many shots they've shot in their lives. The answers are telling re. this thread. It's at least good for a few laughs.
Jeff Livingston
I shoot about 3 shots per hour when practicing or playing. That's pretty slow, but I'm a deliberate player. Times 60 minutes with breaks and that's about 150 per hour of actual play. That means I've got about 1500 hours or more to play.
I'm getting tired just thinking about it.
Jeff Livingston
Any more deliberate and you might as well not shoot at all! :grin:
I did not give myself a rating , I guess my option would
be...... I am comfortable with where I am at.
To get to the next level for me depends on how much I practice.
If I prepare for the tournament most times I will beat or put a
Top player in a bind.To stay consistant and To practice and prepare on a daily bases is just more than I am willing to do. It would take a lifestyle change.
My hats off to the pros who put the time in
Petey
be...... I am comfortable with where I am at.
To get to the next level for me depends on how much I practice.
If I prepare for the tournament most times I will beat or put a
Top player in a bind.To stay consistant and To practice and prepare on a daily bases is just more than I am willing to do. It would take a lifestyle change.
My hats off to the pros who put the time in
Petey
After watching Don McCoy play for years, I timed him per shot, and he averages about 19 seconds per shot when playing 9 ball. Maybe that's where I got it? (I have about 35 ingredients in my shot recipe.)
If only I could pot balls and get shape like he does...
Jeff Livingston
Wow...
Just when I thought that I was obsessed with pool....Reading this thread shows me that I have so much further to go. I don't feel bad that I am not an "A" player yet. But I am glad to see that I am not as crazy as people around me think I am for playing so much.
Just when I thought that I was obsessed with pool....Reading this thread shows me that I have so much further to go. I don't feel bad that I am not an "A" player yet. But I am glad to see that I am not as crazy as people around me think I am for playing so much.
Sorry for bringing up and old post, but the original question assumes all "years" are the same. I dont agree.
I fully believe the learning curve of a youth or teenager is many times quicker than that of an adult.
A 4 year old can learn a second language in 1 year. A 40 year old would need 5 years. Almost every top pro in every sport started as a kid. If you start later than that you just cant catch up. I started my best sport (not pool) when I was 13, by age 18 I was an instructor.
Of course a teenager with no job or responsibilities has unlimited table time, and that is essential, but I think its more than that. I think the young body is a "sponge", able to learn anything at an much excellerated rate.
I fully believe the learning curve of a youth or teenager is many times quicker than that of an adult.
A 4 year old can learn a second language in 1 year. A 40 year old would need 5 years. Almost every top pro in every sport started as a kid. If you start later than that you just cant catch up. I started my best sport (not pool) when I was 13, by age 18 I was an instructor.
Of course a teenager with no job or responsibilities has unlimited table time, and that is essential, but I think its more than that. I think the young body is a "sponge", able to learn anything at an much excellerated rate.
TheThaiger
Banned
Agreed, and no need to apologise for dredging up old threads - so long as they're as good as this one.
I ran 101 balls when I was 16 after playing intensively for 3 years. I guess I was an "A" player in 3 years. I also learned how to play in NJ in the early '60s and watched and learned from a ton of great and near great players,so although I did not know it at the time my pool education was greatly accelerated by that.
After watching Don McCoy play for years, I timed him per shot, and he averages about 19 seconds per shot when playing 9 ball. Maybe that's where I got it? (I have about 35 ingredients in my shot recipe.)
If only I could pot balls and get shape like he does...
Jeff Livingston
Jeff, I think that was a typo. You meant 3 shots per minute. At 3 shots per hour, you could run out a 9ball rack in 3 hours and running 100 balls would take well over a day.
I don't know about being an A player, but at age 14yrs, I've made a living at pool & gambling , and I'm , 53 yrs, now, and have no complants.
Choose your games Wisely!:wink:
David Harcrow
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Interesting thread. I'm an "A" player where I'm from but I would not bet my own money against the 9-ball ghost. I'd also take the ghost against pretty much every other straight-up A player I know (not A+, not open; A).
Sure, I can beat the ghost. I just don't think I can beat it over 50% of the time over the long run. That's a pretty hard task.
I should say I'm assuming no gaffes with the ghost. No pattern racking, no 9-balls firing at the pocket on the break, tournament-quality 9 foot table, et cetera.
Sure, I can beat the ghost. I just don't think I can beat it over 50% of the time over the long run. That's a pretty hard task.
I should say I'm assuming no gaffes with the ghost. No pattern racking, no 9-balls firing at the pocket on the break, tournament-quality 9 foot table, et cetera.
And that's probably a big part of why you're a champion
TheThaiger
Banned
I think a true A player beats the ten ball ghost as well regularly..
this could be my first post but i peruse incognito. i never read this thread because seemeed to me n me alone that ive always been relative to my regular bunch an a player because im the best big fish in a lil pond ya ever seen,insert emoticon or lol or whatever, but thankfully its only because of the guidance that was so freely offered me by some talented guys. actually they called it donation, ha ha, but i always ate . pool players to me are not just the everyones the same across the board theyre more giving of themselves if only for the love of the game. i dont know technically,or wont,how to rate myself but ive seen people doing amazing things on a pool table since i was little and it still amazes me. indirect answer to the question is i was at my best years ago but it took about 18 months. apologies for ramblin n typin skills
"A" player?
My story is a bit different than most. I began bowling and playing pool in January of 1955. Back then, bowling was huge and I had plans of becoming a pro bowler until 1971, when pool became my priority. In 1967, I had my best year bowling, but came out only $1k ahead, while in 1968 I made over $4k playing with a house cue on a bar box. Incidentally, I played on 9-footers from '55 to '65, then mostly bar boxes for the next two decades. I've played on 7, 8 and 9-footers since '91. I've been rated a "masters" player on bar boxes since the late '70s, but not a strong player on the 9-footers until the '90s. Now, in my 70th year (and three retirements), I don't know what the hell I am! Now I do more teaching than playing...
Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor
Gainesville, Fl
My story is a bit different than most. I began bowling and playing pool in January of 1955. Back then, bowling was huge and I had plans of becoming a pro bowler until 1971, when pool became my priority. In 1967, I had my best year bowling, but came out only $1k ahead, while in 1968 I made over $4k playing with a house cue on a bar box. Incidentally, I played on 9-footers from '55 to '65, then mostly bar boxes for the next two decades. I've played on 7, 8 and 9-footers since '91. I've been rated a "masters" player on bar boxes since the late '70s, but not a strong player on the 9-footers until the '90s. Now, in my 70th year (and three retirements), I don't know what the hell I am! Now I do more teaching than playing...
Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor
Gainesville, Fl
Cool this thread I started was brought back.
The "gambling" ratings I'm used to go:
Pro
Open
A
B
C
D
I'm at the dcc and they have a 10 ball ghost challenge. You get 1 point for each ball you pocket, and if you run the whole rack, it gets scored just like a spare in bowling, with the next racks points being added to the current rack. they have 11 racks total, for a possible 210 total points.
Anyway, some top "regional" players that are consistent in cashing high and winning some open regional stops like the joss tour or mezz tour, have cashed several tines in us open and all dcc disciplines, were trying the challenge. They were scoring between 70 and 110 out of a possible 210. I was watching them play and they were not beating the ghost even in the traditional sense of win/loss of game.
These are super high quality players I'd put at open level.
The "gambling" ratings I'm used to go:
Pro
Open
A
B
C
D
I'm at the dcc and they have a 10 ball ghost challenge. You get 1 point for each ball you pocket, and if you run the whole rack, it gets scored just like a spare in bowling, with the next racks points being added to the current rack. they have 11 racks total, for a possible 210 total points.
Anyway, some top "regional" players that are consistent in cashing high and winning some open regional stops like the joss tour or mezz tour, have cashed several tines in us open and all dcc disciplines, were trying the challenge. They were scoring between 70 and 110 out of a possible 210. I was watching them play and they were not beating the ghost even in the traditional sense of win/loss of game.
These are super high quality players I'd put at open level.