SJM at 2025 Mosconi Cup: Way too Late Thoughts

[sjm]

You said that several times. Who are these coaches and where are these development programs? I've just seen pool players going to pool rooms and play. I've never been at a tournament and seen a player with an Entourage a coach trainer or whatever.

Among them are Ruijsink, Lely and Eckert, but there are many others. As you note, they do not typically travel with their students. Then again, Lely was present when his student Pijus Labutis won the 10ball at Derby City this January.

 

[middleofnowhere]

Among them are Ruijsink, Lely and Eckert, but there are many others. As you note, they do not typically travel with their students. Then again, Lely was present when his student Pijus Labutis won the 10ball at Derby City this January.

Good instructors are few and far between. Any decent player can instruct a beginner and actually bring them pretty far. Training in advance player is a whole different thing. Those instructors really would be few and far between.

The ability to play also does not make a good instructor. I used to have a world champion player came in my poolroom every day and gave lessons off and on and I'm going to tell you they were terrible. In fact I used to lose customers cuz ultimately he'd end up borrowing money from them and trying to pay it off with lessons.

 

[markjames]

usa will never again be competitive against europe in the mosconi cup

if it is the big party that makes all the money so they can fund the whole tour, it won’t change or go away

 

[Island Drive]

lol....

 

[mjantti]

could be. appleton, melling and mark gray (gray was top ranked in eurotour many years) possibly had an influence, also watching snooker on eurosport may have had an influence. i think fundamentals in general got better already in the late 90's though, also for american players, so it's probably been gradual

I am probably generalizing a lot, but all over Europe, if there are pool rooms, it is highly likely to find a 12’ snooker table or more. The reason is that Eurosport has broadcasted snooker world pro tour for decades and there are a lot or recretional players who play snooker exclusively. It is common that a young player if showing cuesport interest and skills will usually choose between snooker and pool, but never quits the other. I know a lot of pro level pool players who have played several snooker tournaments and find practicing snooker a refreshing change into practice routire. And eventually will also find developing more snooker style mechanics effective on a pool table as well. For instance Mika Immonen started his career in snooker.

Oh and there are hardly any other size than 12’ snooker tables around. And 99% of players are playing, learning and practicing snooker on it. I have hardly ever seen any other game played, no ”golf” etc. The snooker culture is far far away from the gambling culture. The cornerstone of snooker culture is highly structured practice programs, lots of solo practice like endless lineup variations etc. that truly develop your game. There is so little money in amateur level snooker the players really love the game and not the money that they could win one day. Edit: I also think that the same game developing mentality is carried over to the pool table. I have hardly seen American players posting videos of doing drills over and over again.

 

[maha]

to be great at pool you need to have the abilities of an athlete. and those that do that have it, the top exceptional ones go on to sports where there is money to be made and able to get famous.

in europe big money is not available as easily in sports as the u.s., so pool money gets closer to sports money and is easier to make.
thus more elite top athletes may gravitate to pool where in the u.s. it is mostly a dead end economically.

so pool is not profitable in our country for someone that can play other sports.