We have to follow the suit of the other sports that have boomed and become large industries.
Golf
- Similar to pool in some respects.
- Have to go to a specific place to play it.
- Cost. I've never been golfing myself, it seems like an expensive sport but people generally make a day (or large chunk) out of it.
- Golf courses enforce a strict dress code.
- Country clubs have other things to do there other than the golf, so the rest of the family can do something while there. Resorts often have a golf course on them along with a spa, fine dining, etc.
- Use of technology. People are using state of the art computer software to be able to scientifically examine every nuance of their stroke. This needs to happen with pool. It has to change from being viewed as a game where you just push balls around on a table to being a game viewed as physically demanding in terms of strict body mechanics and motion.
- The production value when it's televised is tremendous. Use of high end camera equipment, use of depth of field (where subject is in focus and background is blurry [people eat f-ing eat that S up]), etc. Also much like pool, people are watching professional tournaments to watch their favorite players play in hopes of learning things about their form, body mechanics, how they played shots, etc. When you watch golf on TV, you get to see the player’s entire stroke form. I don't want to watch pool on TV to see a close-up of the players face.
- Most importantly, the courses are made harder when there's a professional tournament. This needs to happen with pool. Playing on 10' tables is a start, but I personally would like to see it moved to a 12' with snooker (or appreciably tougher) pockets. This is what I feel creates the excitement of snooker, you never know when the player is going to miss.
- The game is the same for NOVICES (not amateurs), and professionals alike. Everyone is trying to get the lowest score. In pool, the professional game is mostly 9/10 ball, where novices are only accustomed to 8 ball. At my school we've had a couple pool tournaments where the announcement was emailed school-wide. The roster filled up in 30 minutes. People showed up expecting to play 8 ball and much to their surprise it was a 9 ball tournament. Half the people playing didn't even know what 9 ball was.
- Charity tournaments. The public needs to know that golfers aren't expressionless, soulless, golfing machines that take their prize money and run. This could be pool's way to get bigger name, and even non-pool related sponsors, to sponsor their events. With bigger sponsors, comes bigger advertising. Since these companies are sponsoring you for advertising, they want to make sure this event is seen by as many people as possible.
- Women's events focus on the player’s skill, not looks.
Bowling
- Have to go to a specific place to play it.
- These places often have deals on certain nights of the week where lane time can be had for very cheap.
- Televised sport with good camera work and production value. Again, showing the players form and mechanics as opposed to what their facial expression is.
- Bowling alleys are brightly lit and clean establishments where you can take your entire family out for fun.
Snooker
- One of the only successful cue sports.
- Big production value, great use of camera equipment.
- Snooker clubs are similar to golf country clubs where you must be a member to go and play, I feel it brings a sense of exclusivity, positive elitism, and camaraderie.
- Big events with big sponsors.
There are many areas that are mentioned here where pool is lacking. Unfortunately, a pool hall is portrayed in movies and media as a dark, dingy, seedy establishment where only the lower classes of society go to drink, smoke, and gamble their problems away. Going along with the perception of pool as an activity filled with hustlers and gamblers, we need to have televised charity events that improve the public’s perception of pool. When professional pool is actually aired on TV, it’s done by incompetent cameramen and technical directors who don’t seem to know which camera to use to show the true beauty of pool. Snooker and European production crews (Mosconi Cup) on the other hand seem to know how to do this quite well. They use cameras mounted on wheeled TRIPODS with telephoto lenses, and have FANTASTICALLY lit arenas. These not only stay out of the player’s way and field of view, it accentuates the shallow depth of field effect which makes for an enjoyable viewing experience. I watched one of the men’s events of the Mohegan Sun tournament where Mika was down on a shot, the camera man tried to get a “cool” shot of the ball going into the pocket with his WIDE ANGLE lens. The wide angle lens forced him to get nearly a foot away from the pocket with his camera, where then Mika stood up and said to the camera man, “Come on man, I can’t play this shot with you standing right there”. The shot the camera man had before was terrible anyway, and very shaky. I also firmly believe (for now) the professional game needs to be 8 ball. For the reasons I stated above. A large majority of the non-pool playing public at least know how 8 ball is played. After more events are aired on TV, we can introduce them to the many other games that can be played on a pool table.
When casual players do end up at a pool hall, they are met with the steep prices of table time. Around my area, there are seldom deals on table time, but when there is the place is packed. The only real pool hall never has deals during prime hours on table time. It’s only in the mornings on Mon-Thurs, when people are at work. I’ve never even HEARD of a single place that offers frequent players perks or memberships. I feel like this would spark interest in people to play more often if they’re met with the incentive of cheaper table time. With the economy the way it is, young adults especially are looking to go out and do a group activity that won't break the bank. This is why barboxes are so popular. The seemly cheap cost for a game of pool attracts people to play. A bar I frequent has a constant line of quarters on the table. I have several groups of friends that have a specific night of the week that's dedicated to bowling, since that's when the bowling alley offers a deal. The argument of the room-owner trying to make a living as well comes up. Hopefully the larger volume of patrons will help with that. I'm no room owner, but it seems that bowling alleys even have a higher operating cost than pool halls do. They easily consume larger amounts of electricity with the pin resetting machines as well as the ball returns. A lot of high end bowling alleys are even popping up all over the place with a very posh, upscale type atmosphere where dress code is enforced.
This was sorta quickly thrown together and I'm getting tired of writing but I'll probably go back and revise some things and add stuff.
Golf
- Similar to pool in some respects.
- Have to go to a specific place to play it.
- Cost. I've never been golfing myself, it seems like an expensive sport but people generally make a day (or large chunk) out of it.
- Golf courses enforce a strict dress code.
- Country clubs have other things to do there other than the golf, so the rest of the family can do something while there. Resorts often have a golf course on them along with a spa, fine dining, etc.
- Use of technology. People are using state of the art computer software to be able to scientifically examine every nuance of their stroke. This needs to happen with pool. It has to change from being viewed as a game where you just push balls around on a table to being a game viewed as physically demanding in terms of strict body mechanics and motion.
- The production value when it's televised is tremendous. Use of high end camera equipment, use of depth of field (where subject is in focus and background is blurry [people eat f-ing eat that S up]), etc. Also much like pool, people are watching professional tournaments to watch their favorite players play in hopes of learning things about their form, body mechanics, how they played shots, etc. When you watch golf on TV, you get to see the player’s entire stroke form. I don't want to watch pool on TV to see a close-up of the players face.
- Most importantly, the courses are made harder when there's a professional tournament. This needs to happen with pool. Playing on 10' tables is a start, but I personally would like to see it moved to a 12' with snooker (or appreciably tougher) pockets. This is what I feel creates the excitement of snooker, you never know when the player is going to miss.
- The game is the same for NOVICES (not amateurs), and professionals alike. Everyone is trying to get the lowest score. In pool, the professional game is mostly 9/10 ball, where novices are only accustomed to 8 ball. At my school we've had a couple pool tournaments where the announcement was emailed school-wide. The roster filled up in 30 minutes. People showed up expecting to play 8 ball and much to their surprise it was a 9 ball tournament. Half the people playing didn't even know what 9 ball was.
- Charity tournaments. The public needs to know that golfers aren't expressionless, soulless, golfing machines that take their prize money and run. This could be pool's way to get bigger name, and even non-pool related sponsors, to sponsor their events. With bigger sponsors, comes bigger advertising. Since these companies are sponsoring you for advertising, they want to make sure this event is seen by as many people as possible.
- Women's events focus on the player’s skill, not looks.
Bowling
- Have to go to a specific place to play it.
- These places often have deals on certain nights of the week where lane time can be had for very cheap.
- Televised sport with good camera work and production value. Again, showing the players form and mechanics as opposed to what their facial expression is.
- Bowling alleys are brightly lit and clean establishments where you can take your entire family out for fun.
Snooker
- One of the only successful cue sports.
- Big production value, great use of camera equipment.
- Snooker clubs are similar to golf country clubs where you must be a member to go and play, I feel it brings a sense of exclusivity, positive elitism, and camaraderie.
- Big events with big sponsors.
There are many areas that are mentioned here where pool is lacking. Unfortunately, a pool hall is portrayed in movies and media as a dark, dingy, seedy establishment where only the lower classes of society go to drink, smoke, and gamble their problems away. Going along with the perception of pool as an activity filled with hustlers and gamblers, we need to have televised charity events that improve the public’s perception of pool. When professional pool is actually aired on TV, it’s done by incompetent cameramen and technical directors who don’t seem to know which camera to use to show the true beauty of pool. Snooker and European production crews (Mosconi Cup) on the other hand seem to know how to do this quite well. They use cameras mounted on wheeled TRIPODS with telephoto lenses, and have FANTASTICALLY lit arenas. These not only stay out of the player’s way and field of view, it accentuates the shallow depth of field effect which makes for an enjoyable viewing experience. I watched one of the men’s events of the Mohegan Sun tournament where Mika was down on a shot, the camera man tried to get a “cool” shot of the ball going into the pocket with his WIDE ANGLE lens. The wide angle lens forced him to get nearly a foot away from the pocket with his camera, where then Mika stood up and said to the camera man, “Come on man, I can’t play this shot with you standing right there”. The shot the camera man had before was terrible anyway, and very shaky. I also firmly believe (for now) the professional game needs to be 8 ball. For the reasons I stated above. A large majority of the non-pool playing public at least know how 8 ball is played. After more events are aired on TV, we can introduce them to the many other games that can be played on a pool table.
When casual players do end up at a pool hall, they are met with the steep prices of table time. Around my area, there are seldom deals on table time, but when there is the place is packed. The only real pool hall never has deals during prime hours on table time. It’s only in the mornings on Mon-Thurs, when people are at work. I’ve never even HEARD of a single place that offers frequent players perks or memberships. I feel like this would spark interest in people to play more often if they’re met with the incentive of cheaper table time. With the economy the way it is, young adults especially are looking to go out and do a group activity that won't break the bank. This is why barboxes are so popular. The seemly cheap cost for a game of pool attracts people to play. A bar I frequent has a constant line of quarters on the table. I have several groups of friends that have a specific night of the week that's dedicated to bowling, since that's when the bowling alley offers a deal. The argument of the room-owner trying to make a living as well comes up. Hopefully the larger volume of patrons will help with that. I'm no room owner, but it seems that bowling alleys even have a higher operating cost than pool halls do. They easily consume larger amounts of electricity with the pin resetting machines as well as the ball returns. A lot of high end bowling alleys are even popping up all over the place with a very posh, upscale type atmosphere where dress code is enforced.
This was sorta quickly thrown together and I'm getting tired of writing but I'll probably go back and revise some things and add stuff.
Last edited:
