I feel that a key aspect of progressing past the "banger" level involves developing your "pool IQ" to a certain level of appreciation and
understanding of the game, even if one's (read:my) execution can't always keep up.
For example, where a banger might only see a simple straight in shot, a real pool player sees:
decision making - shot selection, strategy
position play - not only positioning for the next ball, but also being on the correct side, as well as avoiding potentially cueing on the rail or over other balls, etc.
cue ball control - stop/draw/follow/kill shots, throw, etc.
object ball control - pocket speed, etc.
I feel that players have to progress to a certain point before they can truly appreciate the ludicrous levels of execution and consistency required of elite players.
I remember watching a match on ESPN with my brother and dad.
The commentators suggested the player would be playing a simple safety, but he instead elected to shoot what looked like an easy pot into the side pocket.
I leapt out of my seat with my hands on my head reacting to the gutsy shot. After sinking the ball, he traveled three rails and between
two other object balls to gently break the next ball out of a cluster and get position for the subsequent runout.
Needless to say, they were confused by my reaction until the commentators explained what had just happened.
Anyway, my less long-winded explanation is that there's a certain baseline level of comprehension (not necessarily competence), where
I personally draw the line between player and banger. I tend to see it as more of a difference in knowledge rather than skill.
