Pool Is One Of The Hardest Games

[Island Drive]

I don’t know why so many on here and in the poolrooms get so upset with themselves because they can’t run 100+ in 14.1, 4 or 5 racks of 9 ball in a few years in such an easy game as pool. Pool is not easy. IMO pool is one of the hardest games to become a top player in. There are so many things you need to know and be able to do perfectly compared to most other sports and games. This is one thing I’ll never understand about pool. Most people seem to think pool should be a piece of cake to get good at in a very short time, and that is the farthest thing from the truth. Just getting the basics down perfectly takes a lot of time and practice. I’ve played and watched just about every major and semi-major sport and can not think of one that you have to do so many things perfectly right. Johnnyt

Actually JT its Theeeeeeee hardest, game of all because we deal with such finite amounts All the time. It's one of the main reasons most don't keep at it, plus, as I've said before :grin-square: pool is Waaaaaaaaay to difficult for the average mind, they don't have the patience, or the time or willingness to learn, because its takes allot of work. Most real pool players have a mindset that's no different than an artist or a musician, Mad Max is a good example of ones ''artistic'' mind.

 

[(((Satori)))]

Your comparison made me wonder how Mike Bells racing career improved after the late seventies. Ya think he's still racing and winning like Efren did in his fifties?

That is a great point. Can pool be considered one of the toughest sports if men can be competitive in their senior years?

It's not easy to reach an elite level of any activity but to use that as a reason to claim that pool is one of the hardest sports is incorrect.

 

[Black-Balled]

You never had an argument to begin with. You were just ignorant and that's a fact, but I guess that wouldn't stop someone like you from trying to argue anyway.

I wasn't arguing though. I was just pointing out your ignorance and now I'll move on.

But you did go half tilt on the man for his 'triple flip' comment. I think he prob knows an actual triple flip has not been done. It was overstatement, a common type of written and spoken communication, used to reinforce one's point. Not as effective as intended, obviously, but easily recognized.

His point, as I took it, is that the dangers associated with freestyle riding make it inherently dangerous, therefore meaning harder, in his opinion.

Not sure I agree with the premise, but I think I can follow the reasoning.

In response to the freestyle's difficulty, those guys did not wake up yesterday and decide the wanted to do that stuff.

 

[(((Satori)))]

But you did go half tilt on the man for his 'triple flip' comment. I think he prob knows an actual triple flip has not been done. It was overstatement, a common type of written and spoken communication, used to reinforce one's point. Not as effective as intended, obviously, but easily recognized.

His point, as I took it, is that the dangers associated with freestyle riding make it inherently dangerous, therefore meaning harder, in his opinion.

Not sure I agree with the premise, but I think I can follow the reasoning.

In response to the freestyle's difficulty, those guys did not wake up yesterday and decide the wanted to do that stuff.

I don't think he knows that or that I wasn't even referring to freestyle motocross in the first place. I think he simply wanted to say that anyone who competes in a dangerous sport is stupid and they lack the ability to play good pool.

Another ignorant remark imo.

 

[SeabrookMiglla]

i dont think pool is hard to win a game at, but to win at it consistently for long periods of time is difficult. to keep up a high level of play requires a lot of practice and fine tuning.

 

[one stroke]

But you did go half tilt on the man for his 'triple flip' comment. I think he prob knows an actual triple flip has not been done. It was overstatement, a common type of written and spoken communication, used to reinforce one's point. Not as effective as intended, obviously, but easily recognized.

His point, as I took it, is that the dangers associated with freestyle riding make it inherently dangerous, therefore meaning harder, in his opinion.

Not sure I agree with the premise, but I think I can follow the reasoning.

In response to the freestyle's difficulty, those guys did not wake up yesterday and decide the wanted to do that stuff.

Dare devil sports requires a totally different mind set than 99% of all other sports it should not even be compared in this argument
It's really in a class of its own because it does not require athletic ability its strictly hand eye ..people would like to compare it to golf but its not even in the same planet as golf
Maybe lawn golf :embarrassed2:


1

 

[KRJ]

Actually JT its Theeeeeeee hardest, game of all because we deal with such finite amounts All the time. It's one of the main reasons most don't keep at it, plus, as I've said before :grin-square: pool is Waaaaaaaaay to difficult for the average mind, they don't have the patience, or the time or willingness to learn, because its takes allot of work. Most real pool players have a mindset that's no different than an artist or a musician, Mad Max is a good example of ones ''artistic'' mind.

lol. that's just plain silly. Actually, most don't keep up with baseball, football, and hockey, because of the difficulty level. Any teenagers playing pro ball?

Heck, you could take SVB and train him with the best baseball coaches on the planet, and he is still is not hitting a 95 splitter or slider, or striking out Miguel Cabrera... He would not even make our local HS team with a year of professional training.

But I bet I can teach Cal Ripken to run a few racks.... You think there is a reason why pool players play for peanuts, and baseball, football, and hockey and golf play for MILLIONS. If Earl could play pro tennis, he'd give up pool in a heart beat.

 

[boogeyman]

Definition: Natural talent is an innate or inborn gift for a specific activity, either allowing one to demonstrate some immediate skill without practice, or to gain skill rapidly with minimal practice.

I like your definition, Johnnyt.
I believe pool (or any other endeavor) is only difficult for those that don't have innate eye-hand coordination (that's most people).
For most top level pros they obtained one or the other of what Johnnyt describes above in bold.

If you ask any top-tier pro if the game is easy they will most likely say 'yes."
That's because to them the game IS easy.
He or she can control the cue ball naturally well (eye-hand coordination),
they have good alignment from the start (s/he found his or her own natural vision center from the start),
and they have a desire to take these two attributes and improve.

It's no secret about getting good at something.
Yes, it does take A LOT of practice to become an expert at something,
but if one has natural ability then the countenance of that "something" becomes friendlier (and easier).

 

[(((Satori)))]

Dare devil sports requires a totally different mind set than 99% of all other sports it should not even be compared in this argument
It's really in a class of its own because it does not require athletic ability its strictly hand eye ..people would like to compare it to golf but its not even in the same planet as golf
Maybe lawn golf :embarrassed2:


1

If you could somehow take the danger out of supercross it is still a tougher sport than pool. It's tougher to learn, it's physically more demanding, and the difficulty of achieving an elite level is not even close.

 

[JoeW]

I was a competition diver as a kid, even won a few titles. I have played tennis and golf reasonably well. Of all the sports I have played, pool is by far the most difficult and the most enjoyable. Pool requires exquisite control of mind and body that other sports do not require.

Diving (my favorite sport after pool) requires control of the body's fine and gross motor skills. Once mastered it is matter of muscle memory. With pool the subconscious mind and its ability to control fine motor skills must be mastered, an extremely difficult task more on the order of eastern meditational philosophies.

I do not know what the most difficult sports would be, high diving, which I did for years, requires motor control and mastery of fear, not much more. Pool may or may not be the most difficult sport but it definitely up near the top.

 

[JoeW]

Sports like football and baseball have been commercialized. They have mass appeal because they have sponsors making money. A one hour football game requires four hours of television time (three hours of commercials).

Someone told me that baseball is one of the few games without a clock. Theoretically a baseball game could last forever, plenty of time for commercials.

I am 70 years old and took up baseball six months ago. It is not difficult and in fact I find it boring and will be quitting the team soon. Of course old men's slow pitch softball is not comparable to pro baseball. The principles are the same, natural skill and muscle memory, that's all.

 

[j_zippel]

Triple flips

What is silly is SJDINPHX talking about the stupidity of the riders doing triple flips. It shows his ignorance.

Probably the only guy doing that could do a triple flip on a bike is Travis Pastrana, and he probably sucks at playing pool. I agree, comparing to "dirt biking"
makes me squint and shake my head with a confused look on my face.

 

[j_zippel]

At the end of the day, Pool is definately not the most difficult 'sport'

 

[(((Satori)))]

Probably the only guy doing that could do a triple flip on a bike is Travis Pastrana, and he probably sucks at playing pool. I agree, comparing to "dirt biking" is makes me squint and shake my head with a confused look on my face.

Pestrana has excelled at a variety of sports and I would not bet against him being able to pick up the game of pool too. When it comes to gifted athletes he's up there mentally and physically.

 

[one stroke]

I was a competition diver as a kid, even won a few titles. I have played tennis and golf reasonably well. Of all the sports I have played, pool is by far the most difficult and the most enjoyable. Pool requires exquisite control of mind and body that other sports do not require.

Diving (my favorite sport after pool) requires control of the body's fine and gross motor skills. Once mastered it is matter of muscle memory. With pool the subconscious mind and its ability to control fine motor skills must be mastered, an extremely difficult task more on the order of eastern meditational philosophies.

I do not know what the most difficult sports would be, high diving, which I did for years, requires motor control and mastery of fear, not much more. Pool may or may not be the most difficult sport but it definitely up near the top.

No it's not near the top ,, Go to the SBX and see how many kids are smoking adults three times their age
To reach that level in any other sport would require countless yrs of coaching most pool players are self taught for the most part
Not to mention all the athletic ability needed with eye hand ,, pool .. Grab stick aim shoot
How hard can it be

1

 

[KRJ]

I am 70 years old and took up baseball six months ago. It is not difficult and in fact I find it boring and will be quitting the team soon. Of course old men's slow pitch softball is not comparable to pro baseball. The principles are the same, natural skill and muscle memory, that's all.

Nope, baseball and softball are NOT the same.... hitting a ball tossed at you underhand, at a very slow rate of speed, with the intent of allowing you to hit the ball... nobody strikes out in slo pitch softball, versus someone throwing the ball with great speed and movement with the sole intention of not allowing you to hit the ball, or at the very least not allowing you to put a good swing on it, are as different as bumper pool and snooker.

 

[JoeW]

I rode motorcycles for over 30 years, including off track stuff. Again we are talking about coordination, muscle memory, and mastering fear. Not much more. To be among the most difficult sports there needs to be a mental component that is constantly engaged with the physical.

Mastery of one's fear is but one skill / emotional component, physical coordination is but one skill. They all need to be brought together.

I think that when we are younger we are overly impressed by mastery of fear. Once mastered the activities that require it are seen as bordering on stupid. My last high dive was from about 85 feet and my pregnant wife with a belly the size of a bowling ball was sitting near the water falls. I looked at her and thought, "If I die that kid won't have a father -- enough of this."

 

[APA BRIAN]

No such thing as a natural talent in pool. Nobody just picks up a cue and starts running out. Sure, some people learn faster and retain information better than others, but that doesn't mean they have a pool gene.

Pool is not tough. It just takes time and dedication. For some, less than others.

Have you ever heard Allen Hopkins talk about his game? He certainly believes he was born to play. Of course there are people that are natural at it. Just like anything else.

 

[KRJ]

No it's not near the top ,, Go to the SBX and see how many kids are smoking adults three times their age
To reach that level in any other sport would require countless yrs of coaching most pool players are self taught for the most part
Not to mention all the athletic ability needed with eye hand ,, pool .. Grab stick aim shoot
How hard can it be

1

Finally, someone with some common sense Pool has the same difficulty as bowling, the difference, just like pool leagues, many bowlers don't get better because of a lack of interest, lack of effort, lack of cash or just lack of time. Those that play the most, seem to be the best, meanwhile in other sports, at a certain point, you can practice the most, but you just don't have the talent, speed, or strength to compete against the best players.

You can train till you bleed, but if you can't throw a ball very far or can't run very fast, you NEVER will. Yeah, you can increase a little through technique, but guess what, slow guys will always be slow guys, they just might become smarter base runners, but become base stealers, NEVER, EVER, NEVER

 

[JoeW]

And you can teach any kid to ride a bike, hit a baseball, or shoot a pool shot in about ten minutes. None of that says anything about what it takes to master the sport.

I think pro players have fewer coaches because of the required mental components that must be learned through trial and error with one's own head. The basic requirements are not difficult ,mastery is another matter. The idea that pro players do not have ongoing coaches says much about the mental game.