The most naturally talented pool players that you have ever known?

Yes, that is my idea of a naturally talented pool player (A player that can see the lines without really thinking about it, make the shots and get good shapes, has a great stroke, and learns all of this by himself within a short amount of time). That is the type of player with great natural talent for the game. A lot of players play good, but you can just tell by watching them play, that they just did not have any natural talent. In my opinion, you can see that in their stroke.

HawaiianEye said:
When people think or say "naturally talented", it may bring different ideas to different people.

When I think of naturally talented, I think of somebody who could do something "correctly" or "almost correctly" from the very first time they tried it. Lots of people can stand like somebody without too much trouble. Lots of people can pick up a cue and maybe hit a ball in a somewhat presentable manner if they have played other sports. But those things are not necessarily "talent" in my book...those are fundamentals. You can argue talent comes from fundamentals, but not too many people argue fundamentals come from talent. Look at the way Keith McCready holds his cue and stands. His fundamentals aren't the greatest (according to what the masses will tell you), but he sure can play pool.

I think the BIG differential (in my mind) is the people who "can see the line and angles" and "stroke" the ball (somewhat) from the very beginning. It is easier to fix the fundamentals of a guy who can make balls and run racks, than it is to fix the guy who can stand straight and maneuver a cue back and forth in his hand, but can't make a ball or get position.

I can't count the number of times people (and many people I didn't even know) have told me that "you are the most talented natural player I've ever seen". I am not saying that to "toot my own horn", I'm just repeating what I've been told. I think the reason is because I learned to play pool at a very young age and I may see angles and how to get out of situations that other people can't see or figure out. That doesn't mean I'm smarter or a better player than anybody, it just may mean that I "see" the game better and therefore get out when a lot of people wouldn't expect someone to get out.

I'm quite sure there are lots of people who may "see" the game better than others, but do not pursue pool as something serious and therefore never become world class players because they found better things to do.

Aloha.
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Oh my, that is a very sad story. Very sad when really great natural talents quit the game way too early.

Stones said:
Mid 80's, when I ran my first pool room in Houston, I use to give free lessons to the ladies. One evening, a pretty young lady, a chemical engineer, walked in and asked me for lessons. Told me all her male co-workers went out one night during the week and played pool and she wanted to join them.

I have never seen anyone pick up the game that fast. Everything I showed her she could execute in no time flat. Just a natural!

She started dating one of my regulars who I considered a scum bag when it came to the way he treated women. All sweet and nice at the beginning but then turned into an control freak A-hole. I asked her to stay away from him but to no avail.

Six months later, I talked her into entering a ladies pro level tourney. She made it to the semi's on the winner's side (guaranteed 5/6th) when her boyfriend decided to pick a fight with her.

She packed up her gear, crying her eyes out, and told me she was done. She didn't even pick up her prize money.

Never saw her again.


Stones
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I imagine that Ron Swanson is referring to the great natural talent of the snooker players in the UK, which I imagine there are a lot of great naturally talented snooker players in the UK. But that is going way off subject I guess.

liakos said:
Ok ok, we all know you UK people are the brightest and best at everything from playing pool to your great "jihadi John" who cuts people's heads off for isis!

Anyway, stay on topic, POOL!
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justinb386 said:
I imagine that Ron Swanson is referring to the great natural talent of the snooker players in the UK, which I imagine there are a lot of great naturally talented snooker players in the UK. But that is going way off subject I guess.
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Not really. If you want to see raw, natural talent go on to become seasoned pro, you must start young.

No one can become a snooker pro by first playing in their late teens, no matter how talented they are. Starting early is far more important than coaching ever will be.
 
I believe it's Shane Van Boening, he is just now turned 30 years old, he has about 15 more years of good pool, and I mean really good, look what is under his belt so far, and believe me he will take much more than that in the future.

I think most players mature and get better at pool on that age, around 30-35 is the persons best pool, but this is just my opinion, they correct themselves and play better at that age.

I remember Efren and Earl Strickland playing so great at the age of 35, both of them, remember the zigzag match where efren defeated earl in the finals in Reno, it was hill-hill and both were at the age of 34 Earl and 37 Efren.

Same goes for their match up on the color of money, they played awesome pool, and both were at that age aswell.

So now to think about SVB and what he has done and he is still 30, I think the next 5 years will be brilliant for SVB, he will get better at the game.
 
Natural Talent

There is a difference between natural talent and practicing thousands of hours to get the talent.

I have watched a lot of matches in the last 35 years and the most talented players I have seen were:

Keith McCready
David Rhodes
Leo Newberry

We all know Keith McCready who could make anything he could see and had the confidence to do so.

David Rhodes never practiced but had world class speed at will. He had so much natural ability that if he ever took the game seriously he would of won world titles. People who have seen him play will agree with me.

Leo Newberry also never practiced but could cut a ball backwards and run out from anywhere. RIP Leo.

All three of these players were a little different in how they perceived the world which I think what made them so naturally talented.
 
ALEX PAGULAYAN!!!!!
The time he puts in practice is way less than any other professional pool player out there. but yet he can compete against any of them...he will gamble against any of the so called best Straight pool player, best bank pool player, best 9-ball player, best 10-ball player, best 1 pocket player, best straight pool player, best 8-ball player, .....etc... If he was to dedicate 80% of his time playing and practicing pool... I say ...WATCH OUT!!!! I believe this is the year that he is going to do that. That's right folks. you heard it here first... Watch out for Alex "the Lion" Pagulayan!!!
 
Marcopolo said:
ALEX PAGULAYAN!!!!!
The time he puts in practice is way less than any other professional pool player out there. but yet he can compete against any of them...he will gamble against any of the so called best Straight pool player, best bank pool player, best 9-ball player, best 10-ball player, best 1 pocket player, best straight pool player, best 8-ball player, .....etc... If he was to dedicate 80% of his time playing and practicing pool... I say ...WATCH OUT!!!! I believe this is the year that he is going to do that. That's right folks. you heard it here first... Watch out for Alex "the Lion" Pagulayan!!!
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Who is Alex Pagulayan? :confused:

as a matter of fact..Who is Marco Polo?...was he the first guy in history to
get an order of Chinese food to take out?
:)
 
I don't know how old he was when he started playing but Tony Watson was incredible when he was still in his teens. I still think Tony has one of the best looking strokes in the game
 
TWOFORPOOL said:
There is a difference between natural talent and practicing thousands of hours to get the talent.

I have watched a lot of matches in the last 35 years and the most talented players I have seen were:

Keith McCready
David Rhodes
Leo Newberry

We all know Keith McCready who could make anything he could see and had the confidence to do so.

David Rhodes never practiced but had world class speed at will. He had so much natural ability that if he ever took the game seriously he would of won world titles. People who have seen him play will agree with me.

Leo Newberry also never practiced but could cut a ball backwards and run out from anywhere. RIP Leo.

All three of these players were a little different in how they perceived the world which I think what made them so naturally talented.
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Can't believe that it took almost 6 pages of posts before Keith McCready's name appeared. Keith was the most natural player you could ever imagine. He was suspended from school in his very early teens (13-16) for having thousands in his pockets and school officials didn't believe he won the $ gambling at pool. So ended his schooling and so began a reign of terror through the pool rooms of America. No lessons just natural talent and the heart of a born gambler.
 
John Schmidt

No doubt, "Schmitty" is at the top of that list.

JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
No doubt, "Schmitty" is at the top of that list.

JoeyA
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I just went and scanned the rest of the posts and see that no one had mentioned John's name. Natural talent imo, is the ability to play at an extremely high level without putting in enormous amounts of time in practice.

John can abstain from playing pool for months at a time and get into decent stroke in a matter of hours. He probably practices less than any other professional level pool player that I have ever known. I think that it natural ability.

In New Orleans, we had a guy we called Jim Fish. Jim Fish could take off from pool for months and let him practice for two or three days and WATCH OUT....Jim Fish didn't play at John Schmidt's level but he played SCARY GOOD 9 ball in our part of the world.

With all of that being said, I believe "REAL TALENT" as detailed in Dr. Rotella's book "Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect" is the BEST TALENT, in any sport.

JoeyA
 
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The players with the most natural talent are the players that show up for the tournament and never hit a ball. They sit around waiting for the tournament to start and they step up to the table and play. I'm sure there is one in every poolroom. There are a couple in my home room. Nobody really knows how good they are. They are not pros. Just guys with jobs and families that play pool.
 
when I hear "natural talent" I think of Mario Celeti from Akron. He was a joy to watch when he played. Alex Pagulayan has huge amounts of natural talent
 
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