Even greats like SVB and Deuel who have tons of natural ability and talent, put in HUGE amounts of time and effort developing their ability. They didn't plop out of their mother ready to grab a cue and run racks.
Again, who ever said otherwise? No one has ever stated that with so-and-so system, you don't need to practice. What they HAVE said, is that by using so-and-so system, you can SHORTEN the amount of time it takes you to reach your goal.There are so many excuses, crutches and devices of mental avoidance in pool. The worst of which is aiming systems, followed closely by cue selection. Sorry people, there's no getting around it. There's no secret. All it is, is mastery of the fundamentals.Why make the mistake of attaining knowledge about how to do something with having a crutch? There are many so called "secrets" to good pool. If there weren't, everyone would be a world champion just by hitting a couple million balls. And, while mastering the fundamentals is a very important part of the game, it is only one aspect of the game. Now, YOU are wanting to leave out the other aspects of the game.
Do you realize that the short instructional section they used to print in the BCA rule book, if followed to perfection and executed consistently - would result in high level play? It's all there. How to hold the cue, how to line up. Bridges to use. What top, bottom and english does. You don't really believe that is all you need to know, do you?
Mastery of the fundamentals, and the application of them. That's it. I recently watched Corey Deuel play. There is nothing secret, special or different about what he does. What he is doing, is executing the fundamentals flawlessly. Same with Shane. Again, that is just one part of the game. He didn't automatically know how to get position or aim just because he can make the cue go in a straight line every time.
Good grief people, the game basically amounts to hitting one ball, to strike another to send it to a pocket! How complex can the interaction between two spheres be? Apparently, more so than you know.It's not as complex as some make it to be. And people here are creating charts, graphs, schematics, using trigonometry. Ridiculous.It's called "communication, and learning. Again, fundamentals applied.No, it's called "aiming". Fundamentals are a different part of the game. For everyone of you aiming system junkies, there's at least 10,000 players out there with a low IQ who will beat you silly in a race to 10.Please don't bet on that, you will lose everything you have. Do you think they are applying any of this nonsense that is discussed in these aiming system threads on every shot?Do you really think anyone discussing aiming is referring to charts and things while aiming? If you think so, you're foolish. Perhaps you should get out more and interact with some of these players sometime. Perhaps you should be more open to knowledge.
I think it is pointless for a person interested in developing their game to invest so much time and energy in "aiming systems" because no aiming system means a damn thing if you can't cue the ball correctly. And I will repeat myself, most of you cannot do it consistently or correctly. If you could, YOU'D be a PRO. Honestly, I have not seen a person who has pro-level cuing, that is mastery of cuing the cue ball, who for some reason isn't a pro level player. Example, because they are ignorant of some super-secret "aiming system" which is the key to victory. That I have never seen. Again, you apparently don't "read" much of the aiming threads. NO ONE has EVER stated that you need an aiming system to become a pro. Or that you even NEED an aiming system. What people HAVE said, is that IF you are having trouble aiming certain shots, then an aiming system can help you increase your percentages of making those shots. AND, that if you use an aiming system on each shot, you will be using the same preshot routine to align to each shot, and increase your repeatablilty and consistency, doing the same thing everytime can only help your consistency, it's the definition of the word.
It's just more secret weapon syndrome. If you have the right tools or knowledge, you will prevail. Wrong. These are excuses and crutches for the horrific and sad truths:That is where you are not understanding. It's not just having the tools, it's knowing how to use them, and actually putting in the time to use them correctly.
Truth #1: Most people will never possess the physical ability to play at the pro level.Wrong, but that depends on just what you mean by "physical ability". What most won't have is the training required. Reminds me of all the clowns that say the game is 90% mental. BS!!!!That's because you missed the other part of that statement- the part where it is stated that AFTER you have achieved a good understanding and use of the basics, THEN it becomes 90% mental. Which, has a lot of merit to it. The physical component (hand eye coordination etcetera) is very underrated in pool. Hey, I'm not saying you ought to just give up and accept whatever level you're at. Always believe and push forward. But there will be a limit for you, and for most of us, that limit is not pro-level play. Sorry. If we could, we would. We'd all be giving Efren a run for his money. Underrated by who? Again, those aren't things you are born with. They come from proper training. Most aren't willing to put in the time for proper training. Ones eye-hand co-ordination has a LOT to due with what they did from the time they were born up to the present time. Any way you want to look at it, it's all training, even in a baby. If you start out late in life trying to learn it, you first have to unlearn what you think you know about it, adding to the time it takes to properly learn it. But, it can be taught. Obviously, those with years of practice at it have an advantage towards becoming pro at any sport than those with no training. Volumes have been written on the subject.
Truth #2: Most people will not have the life situation, the time, the desire, nor the dedication to do a little something called WORK. To put in the hard work to improve. To play with fire inside them, with desire to get better, to win and win. To always be hungry and want to learn and improve. To condition their mind, vision and muscle memory to be able to repeatedly execute the fundamentals correctly and apply them to the game.
True, and there is nothing wrong with that. Very, very few actually have the desire to be a pro or to even see just how could they can get. Takes too much time away from the things they really prefer to do.
Like it or not, what makes for a good player is a person who can work hard at improving their game. There's no easy way out. No cue will make you play better. No knowledge of a system will get you there alone. So why be so obsessed with aiming systems? It would be like being obsessed with the rules of the game thinking that will make you better. Because they can shorten the time it takes you to learn the right way to do something. Notice the word "shorten", no one ever said "eliminate", so don't equate systems to eliminating all time needed.
Look, if knowledge could do it - you'd be able to read a book, then go to the table and run out a rack the first time you pick up a cue. Most people are capable of obtaining more than enough knowledge of the game, how it is played, what makes for a good stroke and good fundamentals. But do they practice what they preach? Do these players do what they know? They don't! If they did, they'd be great. But they are not.
Who EVER has said that knowledge is the only thing you need to play pool??? Who??? You seem to have some kind of aversion to knowledge?? The wise person gathers what knowledge they can, and then puts that knowledge TO USE. Without the "to use" part, knowledge alone is meaningless. Without knowledge, one spends year upon year banging balls into the rails. If you REALLY think that most people are able to come up with a good stroke on their own over time, just go to any room that has leagues, and just sit and watch for a while. You will be hard pressed to find more than just a few that have any idea of how to do things correctly. But, by YOUR statement, they are smart enough to have learned how to do it right, but are too stupid to actually do it the right way. I tend to believe that they just don't have the knowledge to do it right.
You have to train your mind & body to execute the knowledge that you already possess. That comes with years of practice and working on the game. Who ever said otherwise?
The hardest thing to learn to do in pool, is to do something exactly the same way every time. Our brains and bodies are not equipped with an instinctual, evolutionary derived ability to do fine things precisely and with extreme consistency. Such as hitting a cue ball exactly the same way or in the correct spot. As bio machines, we never had any adaptive or survival need to do such fine and complex things in such a consistent way. If a cave man threw a rock and it was 2mm off it's mark, it didn't matter for knocking out the squirrel. But for us, being off like that causes missed shots. For that reason, we have to TRAIN to be good at something like pool. You would be very hard pressed to find anyone that doesn't think that.
PS, for all you aiming system fanatics....you ought to see how Snooker is. In Snooker, there is much, much more emphasis on body, arm, and stroke mechanics (fundamentals), than "aiming systems" or cue technology.