Aiming for pro within 5 years. Realistic?

[2strong4u]

That's pretty funny Mark the OP original question was could he make pro in 5 yrs and trade matches in 5 yrs with Johnny Morra
If you come on this site and ask the question expect a honest answer and the honest answer to that is highly unlikely now you might have a list of world beater pro's who took the game up at 23 but I don't and I would as well as many here would like to see that list of guys playing JMs speed in that time
The difference between what's real and what's fantasy is reality
There's nothing wrong with someone pointing out which is which

1

There are lots of guys out there that compete with the Johnny Morra's of the world. In 2012 I had him beat in 9 ball at DCC, missed one ball the whole set. Lost by 2 games.

The problem with going pro is there is only sufficient money for the top 10 or so in the country to make it viable. Lot's of guys calling themselves pro that don't make 10k a year off the game. It's a crazy game and getting crazier all the time. Just enjoy the game and realize the limited rewards it currently offers.

 

[Jimbojim]

Well, I have watched Sylvain Grenier compete this weekend at the Quebec Provincials and he's probably the best tutor you could get and since he has his own Academy, it makes it easier to get some tutelage from him. That being said, to achieve a Pro level status (I'm talking about Hewitt or Grenier Pro level not the other ones we have) You will have to sacrifice a lot of things, almost all of your free time will be towards practicing pool. You girlfriend might be supporting the idea now but that's not to say she would never feel negliged one day.

For some of the naysayers, sometimes just achieving that caliber is enough to fulfill the dream. I certainly would like to become a Pro one day but would never try to make a living out of it....I just want to be able to play at that level.

Sam, are you ranked in the FQSB yet? What class are you?

 

[one stroke]

There are lots of guys out there that compete with the Johnny Morra's of the world. In 2012 I had him beat in 9 ball at DCC, missed one ball the whole set. Lost by 2 games.

The problem with going pro is there is only sufficient money for the top 10 or so in the country to make it viable. Lot's of guys calling themselves pro that don't make 10k a year off the game. It's a crazy game and getting crazier all the time. Just enjoy the game and realize the limited rewards it currently offers.

Sure in a short race ,,iv lost by 2-3 games to a lot of pro's ,, but thiers not a long line to get to him in a long set for big cash ,, JM was playing 2 k sets at 14 turned pro at 16 traveling around the world playing also a very short list ,,


1

 

[SamLambert]

Well, I have watched Sylvain Grenier compete this weekend at the Quebec Provincials and he's probably the best tutor you could get and since he has his own Academy, it makes it easier to get some tutelage from him. That being said, to achieve a Pro level status (I'm talking about Hewitt or Grenier Pro level not the other ones we have) You will have to sacrifice a lot of things, almost all of your free time will be towards practicing pool. You girlfriend might be supporting the idea now but that's not to say she would never feel negliged one day.

For some of the naysayers, sometimes just achieving that caliber is enough to fulfill the dream. I certainly would like to become a Pro one day but would never try to make a living out of it....I just want to be able to play at that level.

Sam, are you ranked in the FQSB yet? What class are you?

I have yet to participate in a tournament since I was just recently evaluated. First tournament is this weekend. Second one also actually. Class B

what is still missing and extremely important in my opinion is a of the OP running through some fundaments drills or playing 6 racks of pool, three 9-ball and 3 8-ball. Cause if we are just going to go by text then based on how I played last night I think that i'm going to pay my entry into the US Open.

We need a video to see where he is so that we can judge his progress most accurately, we need a youtube channel to follow.

https://progresstoprospeed.wordpress.com/

 

[Jimbojim]

I have yet to participate in a tournament since I was just recently evaluated. First tournament is this weekend. Second one also actually. Class B

Welcome aboard! I started in B, lost a few tournaments and then dropped to C while my ranking was still temporary and worked my way up to AA. I was literally a hair from being a AAA before I went back to school in September las year. If you learn from Sylvain Grenier, your game will improve miles ahead of the other B's!

 

[boyraks]

This could be the best advice on this thread. I say amen.

 

[boyraks]

But if a brother and sister children of pool hall owners can rise to skill levels in their own way by training and being around the right people-then that is proof that it can happen of the environment is right. The Ko brothers are another example.
Efren Reyes is also a good example.

 

[(((Satori)))]

I'm curious... I know your long term goal is to be pro in 5 years.



Have you planned out mid term goals and short term goals? Have you thought out a plan of action to take you there?

 

[SamLambert]

I'm curious... I know your long term goal is to be pro in 5 years.



Have you planned out mid term goals and short term goals? Have you thought out a plan of action to take you there?

Well, I did make some logical goals to get there :

A : 1 year
AA : 2 years
AAA : 3 years
SP : 4 years
Pro : 5 years

So I have to progress by one "rank" per year.

I do have some medium term goals also. Being able to jump and make the ball reliably within a year for example (obviously, not jumping as in jumping with my legs, that part I can manage already!). I don't have a big plan laid out, but do have some things I aim for.

EDIT : Clarified a bit my definition of jumping reliably further down.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

Your kicking game may need a year or two, but if you cannot jump reliably within 3 months, that is a problem.

Well, I did make some logical goals to get there :

A : 1 year
AA : 2 years
AAA : 3 years
SP : 4 years
Pro : 5 years

So I have to progress by one "rank" per year.

I do have some medium term goals also. Being able to jump reliably within a year for example (obviously, not jumping as in jumping with my legs, that part I can manage already!). I don't have a big plan laid out, but do have some things I aim for.

 

[SamLambert]

Your kicking game may need a year or two, but if you cannot jump reliably within 3 months, that is a problem.

The truth is I have absolutely no idea how long it takes to get very good at jumping. Haven't practiced it much yet, only enough to be able to touch the ball when in bad position.

Jumping reliably is arbitrary a bit I guess. I am already able to jump and touch the ball, but making it is another story. Kicking taking a year or two doesn't surprise me, again, it's not too hard to hit the ball, and sometimes easy depending on the kick. But making something useful out of it is another story once again.

Eventually I might decide that I want to up my jump shot game and practice enough to be able to make balls more often, but I think that for now, I have more important things to practice. Maybe at that point I will have become good enough generally at the game that learning to make balls with a jump shot will be much easier.

 

[kidpool85]

Moving through the ranks 1 class per year is realistic until you get to about the AAA level and that is where moving up the ranks becomes very tough . But once you get to AA or AAA then you can maybe make a more accurate goal.

 

[one stroke]

Well, I did make some logical goals to get there :

A : 1 year
AA : 2 years
AAA : 3 years
SP : 4 years
Pro : 5 years

So I have to progress by one "rank" per year.

I do have some medium term goals also. Being able to jump and make the ball reliably within a year for example (obviously, not jumping as in jumping with my legs, that part I can manage already!). I don't have a big plan laid out, but do have some things I aim for.

EDIT : Clarified a bit my definition of jumping reliably further down.

I know ratings are much different from one place or another my brother moved to Wash state yrs ago and they made him a A player he's c-b player here
A players in my area are capable of running multiple racks have a strong safety and kicking game and are capable of beating pro players from time to time
I don't know if I ever have see a player make B in one yr from the first time they picked up a cue and the jump from B-A is probably the hardest jump in pool

Some where here there is a test to rate your game against the Ghost and get a rating you Video tape it and post it and you get a rating
Then you have a number to track your improvement

1

 

[Icon of Sin]

Moving through the ranks 1 class per year is realistic until you get to about the AAA level and that is where moving up the ranks becomes very tough . But once you get to AA or AAA then you can maybe make a more accurate goal.

Plus how will he acutally know if he is AA or AAA or SP? What tyoe of competition are you able to get into where you are that has other players of those calibers in it regularly?

 

[SamLambert]

Plus how will he acutally know if he is AA or AAA or SP? What tyoe of competition are you able to get into where you are that has other players of those calibers in it regularly?

We have ranked tournaments in Quebec, easy to know which class you belong to

These tournaments are also very popular here, so it is relatively easy to play against opponents of those calibers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Banks]

I know ratings are much different from one place or another my brother moved to Wash state yrs ago and they made him a A player he's c-b player here
A players in my area are capable of running multiple racks have a strong safety and kicking game and are capable of beating pro players from time to time
I don't know if I ever have see a player make B in one yr from the first time they picked up a cue and the jump from B-A is probably the hardest jump in pool

Some where here there is a test to rate your game against the Ghost and get a rating you Video tape it and post it and you get a rating
Then you have a number to track your improvement

1

The bca in the northwest uses a pretty skewed rating system. What you'd normally consider an A would probably be a better A or master here. Their general guidelines for rating new players say that if you're even an apa 6, you should start as an A. Is he going to the regional in a couple weeks?

 

[kidpool85]

http://www.webillard.com/

 

[prad]

So, I recently started playing the incredible game that is pocket billiards (july) and quickly developped a great interest forthe game.

I am not aiming for anything lower than pro-level skill and was wondering what would be a realistic target to aim for? The pro who owns the pool hall where I play became one after 4 years, so I'm figuring it is very much possible to do, but then he told me it was before there were rating systems in place and so he was ranked as such arbitrarily.

After asking another one who became one just this year, it took him just a little over 5 years.

So, everything points toward it being very much possible, albeit very hard and not without a lot of hard practive and lots of tournaments.

Since I started, I have been playing/practicing about 30-35 hours a week on average.

What's your take on this? Am I looking at this the wrong way? Input from others is always interesting to hear.

Sam

EDIT : I should mention that although I said "pro", I didn't really mean it in the literal sense. In Quebec we use a bit a different system, and being a pro instead refers to someone who is good enough to participate in major events without being squashed like a bug.

EDIT2 : So, I made a blog. Will be updated about every month with a quick summary and a new video.

Any suggestions will be appreciated!

https://progresstoprospeed.wordpress.com/

Here is this guy doing the same thing but for golf :- http://thedanplan.com/

 

[one stroke]

The bca in the northwest uses a pretty skewed rating system. What you'd normally consider an A would probably be a better A or master here. Their general guidelines for rating new players say that if you're even an apa 6, you should start as an A. Is he going to the regional in a couple weeks?

That's the reason Fargo is useful you can come up with a number no matter where you play ,, here in the Mid Atlantic and NE the pool of players is several times larger
Than what you have thier or what the OP has in his area

Other than the Fargo system theirs the Ghost test they have here I'm not sure if it's the same as Allan Hopkins but im sure thier similar and that would be a gauge based on pro level here in the USA

1

 

[Icon of Sin]

We have ranked tournaments in Quebec, easy to know which class you belong to

These tournaments are also very popular here, so it is relatively easy to play against opponents of those calibers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, well that's pretty nice.