Can you become a AA/world beater at the age of 40'sh....

I honestly don't see why not.

Most of the guys I grew up playing around had played for 20 years and still couldn't make a ball. They weren't even B players for the most part. I blame this on a lot of the old school guys being unable to approach the game objectively. They still play with 21oz cues with 13mm tips and break from the middle.

As long as your vision and health are in reasonable condition you should be fine. Oh yeah, and don't road block yourself with sillyness about how the game should be played/tradition.
 
OTB said:
I'm going to crack down and practice, look at my stroke and see what needs improvment and put the time in, I say this but I guess time will tell.........
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if you are rated at an apa 6 or bcapl 8.8 i would think you have decent fundamentals and shot making ability.

in my opinion the 2 major things you need to improve upon is focus and cue ball control. i think those 2 things are the difference between being good and being great.

the ability to focus accomplishes several things such as blocking out distractions or overcomong them. cast aside doubts or inner negative thoughts. keeping a positive attitude. ever wonder why you miss a shot you have made a hundred time before ? it was a lack of focus..not some how you mysteriously changed your stroke, grip, stance etc in the middle of a game.

now to cue ball control... that means control the cueball at all times, when you break, make a shot or play a safe. or practice squatting the cue ball on the break, nothing worse in 9 ball than the cue ball on one short rail and your object ball on the other rail with half a dozen balls blocking your shot. practice safties.. try to hide the cue ball or object ball. no need to practice shooting balls if you can run 5 or 6 at the level you are now unless you practice the the same shot over and over using different types of english on each shot to see how the cue ball acts and where it ends up. also try the same shot at different levels of cue ball speed. a lot of shots can be made in more than one pocket, determining wher you want the cueball to end up will determine which pocket to shoot the ball. bottom line is you control the cueball you will control the game.

now if i could just follow all the advice i just gave you i would be an aa player instead of just a banger.:smile:
 
I don't understand the responses to this thread.. Everyone seems to think that becoming a pool pro, or AA player (which Is below masters and Triple A right? So.. Thats not too hard to accomplish.. wouldn't that be like playing above average?)

I feel like anyone can accomplish anything, if they have the drive / desire / passion and are willing to put the effort forth to accomplishing it.

OTB, I really think you can elevate your game. You just need to keep practicing, pay attention to what the better players do.. and adjust. I started playing pool seriously (not just being silly and smacking balls around randomly) at the age of 19. I played for 8 hrs a day for a few summer months. I learned a lot in those few months.. especially how to not spend all my money racking for everyone! haha. Silly bar tables.

Regardless, I stopped playing shortly after, due to issues with work, and just picked it back up again a year and a half ago. I would say that I am on track to being a decent AA player. I can run the rack down, and make 5-6 balls in a row consistently, I know basics for english, and shape. I also am starting to understand banking and speeds needed to make balls during banks, how english effects banks.. and so much more. It just takes a LOT of paying attention and questioning everything you do, remembering what works, and what doesn't.. and adding in the repitition of doing it correctly.

I am still a novice, but in my league play, I am still one of the best novice players in the league. I spent all last year in a Double A league, with abunch of good players around town. The difference in level of play is amazing. You have to adjust, They run the balls down super consistently, and then they either run out or hook themselves and have to pull something out of their bag of tricks. Many times this would leave a wide open table for me to run down on (8 Ball League). Could I beat these guys in a race to 7? Probably not, but I would give it my all!

I learned so much from those beat downs in AA last year, that I have even more knowledge and experience that Single A is almost not fun for me anymore.

I plan to keep on practicing, with a goal in mind of being one of the best shots in the area, and after achieving that goal, I plan to expand that to the Country, and so forth. I am only 25, and I know that I am somewhat younger than you, but I Really feel like anyone can do anything they put their minds too.. and I Really encourage you to keep on trucking. If I ever get up in the Michigan area, Maybe we can shoot a few games, as well as if you come to the Dayton, OH area.

I am always looking for a good match, and I am always open to learning.

Happy shooting, and good luck my friend.
 
LoVe4DaGaMe said:
I don't understand the responses to this thread.. Everyone seems to think that becoming a pool pro, or AA player (which Is below masters and Triple A right? So.. Thats not too hard to accomplish.. wouldn't that be like playing above average?)

I feel like anyone can accomplish anything, if they have the drive / desire / passion and are willing to put the effort forth to accomplishing it.

OTB, I really think you can elevate your game. You just need to keep practicing, pay attention to what the better players do.. and adjust. I started playing pool seriously (not just being silly and smacking balls around randomly) at the age of 19. I played for 8 hrs a day for a few summer months. I learned a lot in those few months.. especially how to not spend all my money racking for everyone! haha. Silly bar tables.

Regardless, I stopped playing shortly after, due to issues with work, and just picked it back up again a year and a half ago. I would say that I am on track to being a decent AA player. I can run the rack down, and make 5-6 balls in a row consistently, I know basics for english, and shape. I also am starting to understand banking and speeds needed to make balls during banks, how english effects banks.. and so much more. It just takes a LOT of paying attention and questioning everything you do, remembering what works, and what doesn't.. and adding in the repitition of doing it correctly.

I am still a novice, but in my league play, I am still one of the best novice players in the league. I spent all last year in a Double A league, with abunch of good players around town. The difference in level of play is amazing. You have to adjust, They run the balls down super consistently, and then they either run out or hook themselves and have to pull something out of their bag of tricks. Many times this would leave a wide open table for me to run down on (8 Ball League). Could I beat these guys in a race to 7? Probably not, but I would give it my all!

I learned so much from those beat downs in AA last year, that I have even more knowledge and experience that Single A is almost not fun for me anymore.

I plan to keep on practicing, with a goal in mind of being one of the best shots in the area, and after achieving that goal, I plan to expand that to the Country, and so forth. I am only 25, and I know that I am somewhat younger than you, but I Really feel like anyone can do anything they put their minds too.. and I Really encourage you to keep on trucking. If I ever get up in the Michigan area, Maybe we can shoot a few games, as well as if you come to the Dayton, OH area.

I am always looking for a good match, and I am always open to learning.

Happy shooting, and good luck my friend.
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Ratings are different in different areas. The main thing to take note of is the term world beater. Imho, world beater means you can jump in the box with well known pros and not be an underdog.
 
No time like today. We are having a 9 ball tournament Tuesday evening at 7:45 at Hall of Fame Billiards in Warren. Only about an hour south of you so I'd suggest starting there to help kick off your new goals. Usually only about 20-24 players but the usual talent is there to help gauge your game against. Typically about 6-8 A players, a few good B players and a dozen or so C players.
 
Masayoshi said:
Ratings are different in different areas. The main thing to take note of is the term world beater. Imho, world beater means you can jump in the box with well known pros and not be an underdog.
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Well that makes more sense, but I still feel like people can set goals and obtain them.. It may take a lot of time to attain these goals, but I feel like they can be attained. It just depends on how hard you work to attain them.

I desire to be a professional player some day. I know I don't play nearly enough right now, and I am absolutely okay with that.. I spend many days sitting around wishing I could play pool, but I don't know too many really good players in my area (that are willing to just go and shoot with me constantly for fun). I also don't really know about the tournaments in my area. I am highly willing to start going to them though, lol.

I feel like I can be a professional player too, I am not discouraged at all, I know that once I have saved enough money to get a diamond in my house, all bets are off. I will definitely be practicing a lot more often. I have a desire to run rack after rack, after rack.. whether I have to rack them myself or not. For some reason, pool is crack for me, and I seem to want to play it ALL the time..
 
There's absolutely no reason you can't rise to AA level and be competitive in big tournaments at the age of 40+...so long as you don't have signficant eyesight or physical problems and you put in the time. In my case (I'm 47), I don't run as many racks in a row in 8 or 9 ball as I did when I was in my 20s...but I'm definitely 1,000% smarter than I was then. Knowing what I know now, I can't understand how I thought I could play at all back then...since then, family/work/life intervened to keep me off the tables; now I'm playing 3-4 times a week and am reliably running 3, 4 and 5 packs in 8 ball and am getting a few 2 packs in 9 ball on a 9 footer. My game has come back pretty strong, but I need a lot more practice. Look into playing in one of the regional tours (Tiger, Planet or Action), where you'll match up with A and AA players. Combined with a strong practice regimen you'll soon see how far you can progress!

I know he's a hall of famer, but I love the way Ray Cool Cat Martin takes Corey apart in 8 ball on a 9 footer in this video...Corey is miked and you can hear how deep Ray got into his head. Now THAT's true experience winning the day! :cool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI4rZG3coaw&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL5FEDA1CEF83EAB3A
 
As long as you don't have any direct physical ailments that can hold you back, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for you to obtain your goal.

What you need to do is assess where your skills set in the different categories, and then formulate a training plan to build on those skill sets that you are weak at. Develop a set of drills to shoot regularly that related to your week points. Choose from any material that you find relevant out of any books you have on the game. Start your training based on that material and keep a record of how you successfully complete each drill that you work on. Because that process will allow you to measure your skill level and how you are improving.

You basically need to take the same kind of approach that is applied in other professional sports, where athletes keep records of all their training efforts. They constantly measure how they are performing. Because there is a fundamental difference between practicing and training. Practicing is about repeating what it is that you know, irregardless of whether what you know is right or wrong. Training is about assessing what you know and making necessary adjustments on that knowledge to improve your performance, and to learn new things to add to your base of knowledge that will help to improve your performance.

Nearly every pool player I know in my area that gets on a table to practice does so by NOT defining a goal for how far they want to improve, by NOT defining a goal for their "practice" session, by NOT keeping a record of their efforts at the table so they can know how they compare to their last practice session. And yet they nearly all make the same complaint about how their game is not improving to their satisfaction.

And all I can think is "Duh....It's no wonder!" No defined goals, no effort to measure your skills levels or to keep a record of how your progressing.

You got to have a means of measuring yourself to know where you are at, and how far you have to go to reach your goal. Whatever that goal may be.

If you ever want to talk to me in private about my approach to training send me a PM and we can arrange a time to talk.

Pursue your dream and don't let anyone else's expressed doubts slow you down. This is your dream NOT their's.

David "Glamour Dave" Nienow
 
OTB said:
I'm no way a AA player or even close, I have the benifit of owning a billiards store and all, but I have never really given the game the respect of time/practice that it deserves. I have been in a league off and on and been to a few tournaments at most but just never really gave it my all.
I'm sitting here thinking MY GOD!! my livellyhood is the pool buisness, what am I doing..... I'm not happy with my pool shooting ability. I know I need to practice more and get the drive to better my game, I'm just trying figure out how. I have 5-6 hours a day I can practice but just dont........... As the heading for this thread says, Can I at 42 bring my game up to the level (AA) to compete at the upper tournament level, or is my age and ability going to hinder me from advancing. :help:

NOTE: I HATE HANDICAP TOURNAMENTS, IF I GET MY ASS HANDED TO ME SO BE IT,.. THERE BETTER THAN ME.....I JUST WANT TO HAND THEM THERE ASS ONCE AND AWHILE TOO............OTB
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@OTB
Seems if you re asking if you re *perhaps* handicapped caused by your age. I would say definitley not. Usualy, if we see this from biological points, you haven t reached that level yet :-). Physically you should be in normal good shape-that for sure. And if we re talking of the physically/mentally connection-well, it s just about how much you invest (time towards practice etc). It s all about building muscle-memory for everything we wanna learn. The more repetition you do, the more muscle memory will be built-that s a fact. Muscle-memory is also nothin else than executing orders from our brain (executing "learned" processes) (synapses, built myeling etc. ). And the studied docs are saying today, that you can *produce* Myelin til 50-55 years. But this is still a very *fresh* science-and i know several guys who improved in the age from 40 to more than 50 years old. A good friend started to run 100er runs in straight pool when he was over 50 years old. I personally played my highest run with the age of 46 - and this after a long 10 years break,

so you see- it s just about your attitude. To practice the right way, and how much time you are able to spend-and at least: the total willing to make it happen.

At least from my side: i have no idea about those ratings. So i m really not able to rate the skill-level " AA ".

But for sure you could still learn a lot and improve a lot- that s sure form my point of view.

lg from overseas,

Ingo
 
Can this be done: Maybe

Will you do it: Don't think so

Here's why:
I don't think you can talk yourself into being passionate about something. It's the passion that fuels guys to practice for hours on end. This forum is full of guys like you (myself included) that would love to become great players later in life. To get where you want to go you have to have some talent and awful lot of passion. Put in a couple of 40 hour weeks on the practice table and then see if you are still interested.

From your initial post it really didn't sound like you are that crazy about pool, instead you are more interested in the competition. Don't get me wrong I love the competition part of the game but to put in the amount of practice that you need to get there you really need to have a love for the game (sounds corny but I think it's true).

Maybe I'm wrong. I hope so. Either way, keep us posted it might get interesting.

P.S. I'm going to be in your neck of the woods this weekend visiting family. Maybe we could meet up and hit a few. PM me if interested.
 
It's not about age. It's about health and physical ability (and nerves). People can play excellent pool at an advanced age - and you're a very long way from an advanced age!
 
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TATE said:
It's not about age. It's about health and physical ability (and nerves). People can play excellent pool at an advanced age - and you're a very long way from an advanced age!
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True that, Bill Stroud is like 70, and he's playing great pool!
 
Just do it!

I don't have stories or advice's for you. Just a phrase an old man (AAA player) told me: "Be what you are and follow your dreams. To become a pro player is more about mental than physical. If you are a good shooter doesn't make you a winner."
I wish you to fulfill you dream. It's not easy, but you can!

PS: I am a 34, father of an 8 month old angel! ...very hard to train myself sometimes, but the fight is not over.
 
I think all are in agreement that your age is not a factor.
I agree with those who said that reaching your goal may be possible, but its very hard and few would make it. Those few who would make it, usually show more passion than you showed in your first post.
Example: my sister is an olympic level athlete (in her prime). She would never wonder about making it, or even question if it was possible, she just made it happen, she willed it to happen, she lived and breathed her sport, until she was a world beater. Failure (or second place) is not an option for people like that.
However, my sister is a rare breed, she (and others like her) did not lead a balanced life. She moved away from her family and friends to pursue her passion and she delayed having kids until she was 40.

I guess I'm saying, definately do pursue your dream and see how far you can go!, but dont worry too much if you dont make it. If you dont it just means you're like the 99% of us (me too) who are human and have a more well balanced life! :thumbup:
 
I hope 40+ players can make it because I have a dream of competing with the best. As a matter of fact, I consider myself one of the best already,I just have to make it happen.
Good luck on your quest, I hope to play you in the finals one day at a large event. You will be getting second however. :thumbup:
 
bankshotbo said:
I hope 40+ players can make it because I have a dream of competing with the best. As a matter of fact, I consider myself one of the best already,I just have to make it happen.
Good luck on your quest, I hope to play you in the finals in the Losers Bracket one day at a large event. You will be getting second however. :thumbup:
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Here, let me fix that for you:

Because I knocked both ya'll out already for king of the hill! Muhahaha.
 
bankshotbo said:
OH man.... at least now I know whose tires I need to slash before the event even happens.:rolleyes:
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hahaha. Man, atleast now I know who will be coughing up some of the dough when I don't make it in time to play and in that case, Take first for us! By all means! lol
 
When I use the term "World Beater"I should explane, I mean compete on the local level, mini tour., come down to Derby and win a match or two, I'm not exspecting to go after the top 25 in the world. I can hold my own now, with a spot. I just want to bring my game 2-3 levels higher and the question was ....is it possible with age. My health is great,low bloog pressure, eyes are good, no back issues, hearing sux..lol I could lose 50 pounds which the wife is working on...lol..I will keep posting my results after each tournament and league night to draw attention to my mistakes and my advances as I take this journey. If I feel like gambling with a world beater or AA player, whats the worst that can happen....I just ask for a spot so large it makes them laugh....lol:rotflmao1:

My goal is to be a consistent 7 APA, 9.5 BCA/ACS by Nov. 2012
 
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