I feel that I would play fine, after playing for 5-6 months or so, but I am definitely not very competitive at that level right now. I have not played (except a few times), over the last 5-6 years.When you say your rating is locked in, are you saying you don't have a chance of winning because you are rated higher than what you're capable of performing at? I suppose it would go down in time, but there are benefits other than just winning. I am 68 years old, have had about 10 different retina tear surgeries in my eyes, but I keep going. I haven't had any tears in my eyes for about 2 years now, as that was a phase I was going through. I do have plenty of floaters that bug me, but now I got used to them and just see right through them almost as if they're not there. With aging, we lose most everything gradually as time goes on, it's just a fact of life. I enjoy the camaraderie of playing team sports, it gives you a sense of belonging.
I expect that complicates the process...you'd have to get St. Louis involved, I suspect. If they made it too easy and simple, it would be abused, because, well...people suck. And then that makes it more difficult for those who it genuinely applies to.Yes... I played in Vegas several times, in the earlier 2000s...
Nice story James.For me, the only benefit was spending time with friends. The sister of one of the guys on my team used to stop in to see him on league nights before she went out with her friends. She was a good shooter herself and played a few sessions with us. We have been married for almost 14 years now.
If you want real competition, you will find it in one of the other league formats imo. Also, in the other leagues, you can play on teams with your fiends regardless of your skill levels. In APA that is not the case if you and your friends are advanced players. The APA league model is to split up teams and create more teams as the skill levels of the players increase. Rarely does an area have enough highly skilled players to support a masters league. Maybe things have changed in the last 20 years though.
In any case, it was a net positive for my non-pool life, and a net negative for my pool life.
Any benefits of not joining an APA league?I just want to play and improve, not interested in "meeting" new friends. Can anyone explain their reasons for joining.
The rest of us won't have to listen to you bitch about it for the next 40 years.Any benefits of not joining an APA league?
Love the APA champions that won't bet water is wet. Legends in their own mind....beating a bunch of newbs and housewives is not a test.APA League to improve your game will be exactly what you make of it. A few teams will have 1 maybe 2 players dedicated to getting better, absorbing and sharing all the knowledge they can find.
Then you will have near Fargo 700/APA 7s that just have 30 experience playing, can't explain anything to you, and they are usually the biggest pre-Madonna assholes and find any reason to cry when they miss position or you beat them.
It won't take you long to find and gravitate towards the players you are looking for. Honestly, just talk to the league owner/operator, they will help accelerate your end goal.
As a type 2 diabetic with heart problems (10 prescription pills daily), I no longer drink alcohol. My wife and I eat out on league nights before heading to the bar to play pool, so we don't buy food at the bar.Do you at least buy food at the venue if they serve it? If everyone just drinks water and soda, the place won't last long.
My League Operator told me that I had to present them with a note/letter from my doctor saying I had issues with performing day-to-day activities before they would consider lowering my skill level. This was shortly after my stroke.Short of that, I thought there was a way to appeal your Skill Level due to medical issues...I'm not certain I recall how a Vegas-locked Skill Level would be treated. Sorry they aren't working with you more...
Because I had forever heard that one could get their skill level lowered by the League Operator if ever a medical emergency arose preventing one from being able to play equitable to their current skill level. It just wasn't so.After such a long time playing league it's surprising you are not cognizant of the difficulties involved of getting ones handicap lowered and the reasons why.
No disrespect intended.
I played in APA a few years. Quite a few of the older players in masters division talked about how their skill level was "locked" and they couldn't get it lowered even though "insert old player problems".Because I had forever heard that one could get their skill level lowered by the League Operator if ever a medical emergency arose preventing one from being able to play equitable to their current skill level. It just wasn't so.
No disrespect taken.
As far as I knew, it had to be done at the national office.Because I had forever heard that one could get their skill level lowered by the League Operator if ever a medical emergency arose preventing one from being able to play equitable to their current skill level. It just wasn't so.
No disrespect taken.
I never heard of that, but it seems that it would be difficult. I am a 100% rated disabled veteran. Getting "letters" from doctors is difficult, at best.I played in APA a few years. Quite a few of the older players in masters division talked about how their skill level was "locked" and they couldn't get it lowered even though "insert old player problems".
Seemed such a common thing I assumed it was the same everywhere and common knowledge.
With all those years in league did you meet others that had their SL lowered or was this just something you had heard?
Do you have a masters division available? No handicaps to worry about.
I joined an APA 8 Ball Pool League but have really been turned off by how they have handicapped me. It was my first time on the APA, and also playing League 9 ball, so I guess I went in without a handicap as my opponent did that evening. I smoked him pretty good, but he is only a hc2 right now and I am a 6, so it should be no surprise the 1st week's win. My beef right now is that I am a 6 hc when I think I should be a 5 hc being beaten by lower opponents. There has been talk that the league officer has connections to the president and has some say in how people are handicapped. Personally, being a six right now, doesn't seem to fit my production so far?
1st column is my hc going into match,
2nd column is win/loss and opponent's hc,
3rd column is point results of match
MY HC ___ W/L ___ RESULTS
0 _____ W0 _____ 19-1
6 _____ L5 _____ 16-4
5 _____ W5 _____ 13-7
6 _____ L4 _____ 16-5
6 _____ L5 _____ 14-6
6 _____ W5 _____ 13-7