The bangers are getting better

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Is it just me or are the bangers getting better with time? Seems like 20 yrs ago there were less people running racks than there are now. At least around these parts. Is it the smaller tables everyone is switching to, APA? Who knows. And then to top it off more and more the “banger” isn’t the one you should worry about, it’s the banger’s girl who is the stone cold killer!

 

[MitchAlsup]

Probably jus the pendulum swinging back and forth.....

 

[kling&allen]

Good pool information is a lot easier to access now (Dr. Dave, etc) instead of having to rely on a handful of books. Also the Flynn effect, people (generally) are more skilled and better at everything today.

 

[iusedtoberich]

Absoluelty NOT. Bangers still are just as likely to miscue a straight in shot as 20 years ago. Pool is a hard game to pick up. It doesn't matter if Efren is holding your hand. I'd go as far as saying there are less bangers turned into players as 20 years ago.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Is it just me or are the bangers getting better with time? Seems like 20 yrs ago there were less people running racks than there are now. At least around these parts. Is it the smaller tables everyone is switching to, APA? Who knows. And then to top it off more and more the “banger” isn’t the one you should worry about, it’s the banger’s girl who is the stone cold killer!

Banger all discovered Dr. Dave on U-Tube.

Most who contribute on AZB are just banger compared to Alex, Efrin, SVB, etc.

 

[iusedtoberich]

Good pool information is a lot easier to access now (Dr. Dave, etc) instead of having to rely on a handful of books. Also the Flynn effect, people (generally) are more skilled and better at everything today.

Huh? Have you tried to hire anyone recently? People can't even write an email with a capital letter and a period when enquiring about a job.

 

[Fatboy]

I haven’t been around pool much last few years. But yes makes sense to me the bangers are getting better faster these days.

It used to take years to learn about pool, I was just talking with a champion my age about this last night. How much of what he knows (more than me) and what I know took us years to learn-now it’s a click away.

So on day 1 everyone sucks at pool, but after 6 months now a average non gifted player should play much stronger than 30 years ago. Your still a banger 6 months in-unless your gifted. But it makes perfect sense that players should improve much faster than before.

Chess is being played at its highest level in history now, backgammon, golf the standard of play is much higher now as well. Actually in pretty much everything across the board. Baseball pick a sport or game where people are worse than in the past, hard ti find. The internet woke up everyone and modern equipment in some cases like pool help make it easier.

So yeah I’d expect the bangers to become players faster.

Fatboy <———did it the hard way

 

[michael4]

.... the “banger” isn’t the one you should worry about, it’s the banger’s girl who is the stone cold killer!

^^^ killer looking maybe, but on the table? Cant really agree with that......

 

[westcoast]

I think it also depends how one defines banger. If somebody runs racks- even on a 7 footer- they aren’t really a banger in my opinion. Definitely not a world beater, but above banger level

 

[kling&allen]

Huh? Have you tried to hire anyone recently? People can't even write an email with a capital letter and a period when enquiring about a job.

Google the research if you like. There are losers everywhere (and anytime), but for any quantifiable metric things are improved. It's easy for someone to apply for 2000 jobs now so the bad candidates have more visibility.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

I think it also depends how one defines banger. If somebody runs racks- even on a 7 footer- they aren’t really a banger in my opinion. Definitely not a world beater, but above banger level

Sorry maybe I said it wrong. I’ve always considered a banger to be that person slightly above average. You know, stereotypically, the one that’s loud and obnoxious talking about how good they are. Then when you say “let’s play” they always want a spot. Maybe the average player has gotten better.

 

[Banger]

I was trying to keep it a secret.

 

[kling&allen]

Sorry maybe I said it wrong. I’ve always considered a banger to be that person slightly above average. You know, stereotypically, the one that’s loud and obnoxious talking about how good they are. Then when you say “let’s play” they always want a spot. Maybe the average player has gotten better.

Perhaps with fewer pool players the remainder are also more dedicated to the sport because they actually like it.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Perhaps with fewer pool players the remainder are also more dedicated to the sport because they actually like it.

Well in this county’s APA there are 175 teams or so. That’s 8 ball and around 75 9 ball teams. Pool is booming near Chicago. And there are a lot of high ranked 7+ players around. Plus I’ve heard from a few players our handicaps are lower because of it.

One guy from the bar I play in went to an APA singles tournament in Vegas. Opted to play one point above his SL and still placed 17th. He takes his shot seriously. So I don’t think he’s a bagger. He said when he got back our 3’s are 4’s in Vegas.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

Ever think your just getting hustled?
Refer to this for instruction on how to spot and what to do when you think your gettn hustled
And one day it just might be you doing the hustling yourself

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Ever think your just getting hustled?
Refer to this for instruction on how to spot and what to do when you think your gettn hustled
And one day it just might be you doing the hustling yourself

That U-Tube was 45 minutes of waisted time. I post like couple of weeks ago it was .

 

[tomatoshooter]

6 months ago I would struggle against weaker opponents, they brought my game down to their level. So I practiced. And practiced. And practiced some more. And the damn bangers have learned to shoot much better in the past 6 months.

 

[Justaneng]

Anecdotal:

In 3 years of TAP/APA/bar pool in college in the mid 2000’s I never saw a break and run, and this is on 7-foot Valley bar boxes. I was an SL-4 and made it a good 3-4 rounds in the winners bracket at the regional TAP tournament one year and had a winning record overall.

15 years pass, but I get my own table and start really practicing (thanks Covid), becoming significantly better than I was in the mid 2000’s. I join the local APA (a few states away), and I end up holding as an SL-4 for a few sessions instead of jumping up right away, despite playing significantly better than when I was a solid 4 in the mid-2000’s.. It was like everyone jumped a skill level from 2006 to 2022. I start seeing break and runs on Diamonds, and the mid range skill levels are a threat to run out on an open table - which I wasn’t seeing in the 2000’s.

 

[pt109]

I haven’t been around pool much last few years. But yes makes sense to me the bangers are getting better faster these days.

It used to take years to learn about pool, I was just talking with a champion my age about this last night. How much of what he knows (more than me) and what I know took us years to learn-now it’s a click away.

So on day 1 everyone sucks at pool, but after 6 months now a average non gifted player should play much stronger than 30 years ago. Your still a banger 6 months in-unless your gifted. But it makes perfect sense that players should improve much faster than before.

Chess is being played at its highest level in history now, backgammon, golf the standard of play is much higher now as well. Actually in pretty much everything across the board. Baseball pick a sport or game where people are worse than in the past, hard ti find. The internet woke up everyone and modern equipment in some cases like pool help make it easier.

So yeah I’d expect the bangers to become players faster.

Fatboy <———did it the hard way

Ronnie Allen was watching a one pocket tournament years ago…he said “See the shot that kid just played..took me ten years to learn.”
……it was pioneers like Ronnie that upped the game.

 

[tableroll]

Is it just me or are the bangers getting better with time? Seems like 20 yrs ago there were less people running racks than there are now. At least around these parts. Is it the smaller tables everyone is switching to, APA? Who knows. And then to top it off more and more the “banger” isn’t the one you should worry about, it’s the banger’s girl who is the stone cold killer!

Teaching oneself with Tube videos. Self teaching is easier than ever and it is showing up everywhere. Good for the game.