If he dedicated himself 100% to pool and didn't get disinterested? His natural talent and mind is just incredible. I know there's a lot of players you could say would be world-beaters if they dedicated themselves 100& and practiced as much as Shane but to me there's something special about Corey.
Could Corey Deuel have been one of the all-time greats?
- Thread starter Magyar19
- Start date
I don't think he is washed up be any means
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Seems like Corey could have done great things at the USBTC with the
Magic Rack playing 9 ball. He invented the soft break that Shane and Dennis were using.
I think this is a very fair question. I also think there is some truth to this. He has a tremendous amount of natural talent and creativity to boot. I think it is lack of interest perhaps that has made him less of a formidable player today. If he put in the same focus and training as Shane does he would be right up there with Shane. I think Corey has a bit more of the Efren level of creativity over Shane.
I think he lost a little love for the game when they made rule changes to counteract what he had worked so hard on to perfect. IMO, he's still one of the true top-tier players in the game.
The short answer is: Yes!!!
Maniac
I have to agree with The Maniac!
No, he would have been better.
Shane puts in a massive amount of effort into the game, as much if not more then any other pro today and that is why he is as good as he is. Corey puts very little effort into the game and still at times gets hot and can win a major event (he made the US Open finals only what, 2 years ago?) Corey is as good as he is today because of pure natural talent that few pros today can match. If you took that natural talent and combined it with the work ethic of SVB then you would have a player that truly dominate this sport.
Corey had it all, he had the creative mind, he had the gigantic stroke, he had the champions heart, the only thing he lacked was the will to put the effort in to be the player he should have been.
People often ask what is wrong with professional pool and wonder why people complain about the state of it, guys like Corey Deuel are one big reason for me, pool lost out on a Federer type of show because in the case of Corey the sport was simply not lucrative enough to get him to commit to it. The reality is that Golf and Tennis might never have had a Tiger Wood or a Rory McElroy, a Roger Federer or an Agassi if it was not for the beneifts those sports bring their elite competitors driving those players towards greatness. In the case of Corey the pool world missed out because Corey failed to see the point of truly comitting that insane natural talent 110%.
Should
I do not want to be misunderstood,I know Efren is the best but had Corey applied himself as Efren did who knows.When I attended the US Open on an annual basis I always sat VIP at the tv table.When you are that close it gives you a real feel for the game.Some of the things I saw Corey do with a cue ball were in a class by themselves.He said golf was not a distraction but I believe it was, along with several other things.He will always be one of my favorite players to watch.I wish he would have gone on to dominate the game like I thought he was going to after winning the US Open.
I do not want to be misunderstood,I know Efren is the best but had Corey applied himself as Efren did who knows.When I attended the US Open on an annual basis I always sat VIP at the tv table.When you are that close it gives you a real feel for the game.Some of the things I saw Corey do with a cue ball were in a class by themselves.He said golf was not a distraction but I believe it was, along with several other things.He will always be one of my favorite players to watch.I wish he would have gone on to dominate the game like I thought he was going to after winning the US Open.
Pure natural talent?
Coupled with endless hours in the pool room being mentored by champions from the time he was 14.
Hardened by years on the road with Alex Pagulayan.
1998-2002 when Corey was all about pool and dedicated, I seen the show for hours a day, every day... Make no mistake, he was the best player on the planet at that time and IMO the greatest player that has ever lived. If you seen the things I did you would agree.
The question could Corey be an all time great?? The answer is he is an all time great one of best ever to play the game. If he rededicates himself to the game there is no doubt in my mind that he would give shane a run 4 the numb 1 spot in America an put him back in line with bustamante, orcullo an all the other top players in the world
Corey, like every other top tier player, put the time and effort in, and had enough ability to become a champion.
He like so many others before him, discover one day, that the reward for 100% dedication is not enough to warrant the effort.
So he now puts in, only the time he wants, to achieve his goals.
It must be extremely difficult, for a guy as young as he was, to be at the top, and realize there is no where else to go.
Would anyone be able to go get a 8 to 5 job, at anything, after the kind of life he had lived by age 25?
Fame and making large amounts of money in short time frames must be fantastic while it is happening.
It must also be a terrific stumbling block when it's over.
Someone told me he was trying to get his card to be a pro golfer, I wish him all the best.
He like so many others before him, discover one day, that the reward for 100% dedication is not enough to warrant the effort.
So he now puts in, only the time he wants, to achieve his goals.
It must be extremely difficult, for a guy as young as he was, to be at the top, and realize there is no where else to go.
Would anyone be able to go get a 8 to 5 job, at anything, after the kind of life he had lived by age 25?
Fame and making large amounts of money in short time frames must be fantastic while it is happening.
It must also be a terrific stumbling block when it's over.
Someone told me he was trying to get his card to be a pro golfer, I wish him all the best.
Agreed 100%! Anytime I'm at a live event I always watch him play (if he's there of course), as well as anytime he's on a streaming table - I'll pay for a stream to watch him play. To me his stroke is still one of the best in the game, and here is a good example of that:
http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_strokeofgenius/aug08index.php
-Brian
Didn't he single-handedly take the game of 9ball, and kill it because of his insight into the soft break?
If it weren't for him, 99.9% of the pool players would still be blasting the break as hard as they possibly could.
If he stays dedicated and focused, he joins the ranks of Alien pool players that have special superpowers.
If he gets lazy, he loses his Alien membership and becomes a mere mortal.
It's nice to see him looking rededicated in recent months.
No way to tell what type of mark he could have made on the pool world, if he stayed hungry his entire career.
A hungry Corey = a legendary, all time great.
If it weren't for him, 99.9% of the pool players would still be blasting the break as hard as they possibly could.
If he stays dedicated and focused, he joins the ranks of Alien pool players that have special superpowers.
If he gets lazy, he loses his Alien membership and becomes a mere mortal.
It's nice to see him looking rededicated in recent months.
No way to tell what type of mark he could have made on the pool world, if he stayed hungry his entire career.
A hungry Corey = a legendary, all time great.
VERY well said!....To reach the pinnacle at anything is tough enough, then to not be able to make a living at it has to be frustrating.
Good luck with the golf thing!
everybody and their brother is a scratch golfer on their home course! To do what the pros do with a golf ball, on different courses weekly, is just about out of the reach of most mortals! Not to mention most of those guys started playing at 5 years old.G.
VERY well said!....To reach the pinnacle at anything is tough enough, then to not be able to make a living at it has to be frustrating.
Good luck with the golf thing!
G.
I knew a guy who has won an event on the PGA Tour. I worked at a local course where he practiced regularly at while he was on the Nationwide Tour. He kept his handicap for a year and was a +6 at that time. Guys who play scratch have a long way to go before becoming Tour quality players.
For the record, approximately how many wins is "a lot"? (minimum lets say)
nvm i'm not here to start any beefs
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