Pool Myths Explained

Went to the end of the thread, so , this might have been covered.
Big myth is 'to improve your play, you must PLAY better players'.!
The only thing you will learn is how to play off!
This myth was started by: wait for it....BETTER PLAYERS!
You will learn more by WATCHING better players than by getting pounded by them....and it FREE!
 
JoeyA said:
Just a little more fodder for the thread.

So do you think that TWISTING THE WRIST when using Side Spin, can add more side spin to the cue ball?

JoeyA

P.S. Great suggestions so far. Roll on Main Forum.
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More than what?
Usual?
Normal?

Tough question to answer, BUT, yes.

randyg
 
PoolBum said:
I'm sure everyone's heard the story that PoolBum once broke and ran 27 racks of 9-ball on a 10-foot table, but that's a myth. It was actually 32 racks on a snooker table.
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The exalted ruler of North Korea did that too, using alternate break!
 
JB Cases said:
Myth: Players in XYZ era were better.
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This is also very true that it's a myth. Today's players are the best ever at the current games.

During the US Open commentary, I think it was Pat Fleming discussing this. He said he goes back and watches the old tapes and it was his observation that today's players are a lot better at rotation games than the old time players (for example a Balsis , Mizerak, or Crane). He thought the old time champions could adapt to the current conditions and become top players now, but as far as where they were versus a Shane or Dennis, they were not in that league.
 
Gunn_Slinger said:
Went to the end of the thread, so , this might have been covered.
Big myth is 'to improve your play, you must PLAY better players'.!
The only thing you will learn is how to play off!
This myth was started by: wait for it....BETTER PLAYERS!
You will learn more by WATCHING better players than by getting pounded by them....and it FREE!
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Perhaps. But I think lots of players are nervous if they play truly superior players only occasionally. So the more you do it, the better your nerves should be in such matches.
 
JoeyInCali said:
I think so too.
Efren at 12 years old already beat a top 10 player in the Philippines.
Parica at 15 years old already impressed Grady in Japan. Parica was running 15 ball rotation by the time he hit 13 according to him.
I don't know how old Varner was when he started. He did start a little later I think. He might be the only exception among the hall of famers.

Even great boxers usually start out young ( Louis, Robinson, Ali, Leonard, Duran, Tyson among them ). One exception I can think of was Dwight Braxton who took up boxing while in the can in NJ.

There is some great value in learning a skill while really young .
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Varner was 5.
 
Cornerman said:
Varner was 5.
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What took him so long to win major titles ? :eek::thumbup:
Did he have to wait for Hal Mix ?

Current pro Rodrigo Geronimo started late by Philippine standards .
He did not start playing till he was in his late teens.
 
Gunn_Slinger said:
Went to the end of the thread, so , this might have been covered.
Big myth is 'to improve your play, you must PLAY better players'.!
The only thing you will learn is how to play off!
This myth was started by: wait for it....BETTER PLAYERS!
You will learn more by WATCHING better players than by getting pounded by them....and it FREE!
Click to expand...

I disagree. I think that you can learn a lot by playing better players. Not necessarily more than you can learn by observing them but certainly quite a bit.

And I don't think you can become a good player without playing better players UNLESS you really lock yourself in a basement and go over every aspect of pool relentlessly. But in social situations you will be forced to continually play better players in order to advance as a player.

When you play a better player you get the chance to see how they respond to situations you put them in, you get to see how they trap YOU. You get to be in the moment just feet away while they show you what to do. That makes a better impression than being a spectator IMO.
 
bdorman said:
But you and your opponent both played on the same table, so you both had the same chance of bad rolls because of bad equipment. The "win" stills comes down to 99% skill.

Don't get me wrong, I'm as willing to blame a loss on bad luck as the next guy. But I know it's just to appease my own ego.
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I think bad rolls are being misrepresented in this thread. I've seen people talk about a bad roll on their own shot, which isn't necessarily a bad roll, but wrong speed, angle, etc.

And others talk about a bad roll as in bad equipment, uneven table, etc.

The bad rolls I complain about are when I'm hill hill with my opponent, he misses the 7 badly, the cueball proceeds to go 3 rails and stop a half roll from freedom, instead leaving me hooked behind the 9.

When I think of a bad roll, that's it. Not where I did something wrong or the table got me.
 
JB Cases said:
I disagree. I think that you can learn a lot by playing better players. Not necessarily more than you can learn by observing them but certainly quite a bit.

And I don't think you can become a good player without playing better players UNLESS you really lock yourself in a basement and go over every aspect of pool relentlessly. But in social situations you will be forced to continually play better players in order to advance as a player.

When you play a better player you get the chance to see how they respond to situations you put them in, you get to see how they trap YOU. You get to be in the moment just feet away while they show you what to do. That makes a better impression than being a spectator IMO.
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Couldn't you get all of the positive benefits just by "watching" better players play?
 
Diamond69 said:
I think bad rolls are being misrepresented in this thread. I've seen people talk about a bad roll on their own shot, which isn't necessarily a bad roll, but wrong speed, angle, etc.

And others talk about a bad roll as in bad equipment, uneven table, etc.

The bad rolls I complain about are when I'm hill hill with my opponent, he misses the 7 badly, the cueball proceeds to go 3 rails and stop a half roll from freedom, instead leaving me hooked behind the 9.

When I think of a bad roll, that's it. Not where I did something wrong or the table got me.
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That, indeed, is frustrating, but here's how I look at it when it happens to me. Why was my opponent at the table? Because I missed sometime, whether it was the 6, 5, or broke dry, or 2 racks ago, I missed allowing him to the table leading to the "roll."
 
the Professor said:
Couldn't you get all of the positive benefits just by "watching" better players play?
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I love the game of 1 pocket! I have sat and watched many top players play both live and on video. I can honestly say I learned more playing a 4 hour session with Danny Smith than all the "watching" put together. If the better player is willing enough to share the "hows" and "whys" and "WTFs?!" (Danny is great at that) then I don't think watching holds a candle to playing.
 
Watching better players might help you pick up patterns and other physical skills, but getting in the box is a whole different animal and you'll learn how to be mentally tough and bear down on every shot or get severely punished. You can't learn that from practicing or watching from the sidelines.
 
Pros have secret aiming systems?

victorl said:
Watching better players might help you pick up patterns and other physical skills, but getting in the box is a whole different animal and you'll learn how to be mentally tough and bear down on every shot or get severely punished. You can't learn that from practicing or watching from the sidelines.
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And if you play a lesser player, give a spot so you will be forced to play your best.
 
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Waitress Myth
The waitress always arrives with your drink while you are down on the shot and shooting the double hill nine ball. Actually, it's about a 50% chance.

Bridge Myth
People who borrow the bridge from your table never return it. Actually, it is only nearly never.

Miscue Myth
When you miscue, it is the tip's fault. Actually, it is opponent's fault.
 
I think there are a lot of myths surrounding ball "skids" as well. Everyone has an explanation for it, old balls, bad stroke, dirty table, static electricity, etc., but I believe that Bob Jewett dispelled all that with an article about how chalk spots are the main culprit.
I see a lot of players, myself included, who shoot with speed (firm) and spin (touch of outside) to avoid skidding, and it seems to help, but that might be a myth as well.
 
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