The Game has NEVER been played at the level it's being played at now. To think otherwise, is wishful thinking. Of course, it's the nature of all sports for the game to progress, but many have blinders on when thinking about pool's yesteryear. Some of our past greats would have been able to keep up with the demands of today's game, but others would not have (think fitness level). We could debate which players but the physical demands alone, have grown tremendously. The problem when it comes to comparing the older players to today's is -- we can actually compare them and the video doesn't lie.
I've watched a lot of pool and I've never seen anyone cue the ball like our current crop. Just Filler and Gorst alone are doing things I've never seen. It's actually quite unbelievable to me how much the standard has been raised in just 20 years. In all the talk about the Filipino invasion, and rightfully so, I think we sometimes miss one of the huge demarcation points in the advancement of the game, and that's the arrival of Darren Appleton. I think he really ushered in an era of precision pool that really changed the game for every one that has followed him.
I've watched a lot of pool and I've never seen anyone cue the ball like our current crop. Just Filler and Gorst alone are doing things I've never seen. It's actually quite unbelievable to me how much the standard has been raised in just 20 years. In all the talk about the Filipino invasion, and rightfully so, I think we sometimes miss one of the huge demarcation points in the advancement of the game, and that's the arrival of Darren Appleton. I think he really ushered in an era of precision pool that really changed the game for every one that has followed him.