i disagree.. you're probably right about the creep, but your take is too sweeping here
World Top 200 Players by Fargo Rating (April2026)
- Thread starter spartan
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i disagree.. you're probably right about the creep, but your take is too sweeping here
What are you smoking? I want some.
Edit: Shane is a way more refined player today than he was over a decade ago. He's made many improvements on his wobbly stroke and has been even more accurate in the past 5-10 years. Shane today would give 2007 Shane the 6 or 7 ball. The knowledge and shot repertoire he has gained in his arsenal is enough to beat young Shane.
Also, one reason Shane was dominating everything and everyone back then is because there weren't as many elite players as there are in today's era of pro pool. Less competition and fewer elite players, so it was easier for him to be the stand out. Today, he is no longer the biggest shark in the smallest pond.
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Homegrown babyNo, I want some of what you have
Have you seriously not noticed the difference in Shane's stroke from 19 years ago to today? It is more refined and accurate.
I believe you misunderstood my sarcasm
Scrunge19
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A 20 point increase would equate to a 20% improvement under the Fargo system where a 100 point difference equals twice as good.
A 20% increase in skill seems borderline impossible for someone of Shane’s current skill level or age.
That was a 2% increase per year with increasingly stiff competition. He practices a lot.
And also guys play their whole lives and never get 2% better, let alone 2% per year for 10 consecutive years. We all know them.
That is the norm for amateur players though. Shane is not normal. He's probably put in more hours on the table throughout his career than any other pro. I doubt he puts in 8 hours a day in 2026 but he definitely used to in the past. Borderline 'tism if you ask me
no disrespect
Agreed 100%. Shane plays as well as he ever has, and probably better than he did a decade ago.
The rules have evolved in a way that he cannot dominate with his break the way he did when he had his greatest success (meaning 2014-16), but by adding features to his game and becoming more refined tactically, he has managed to keep up with the much higher grade of pros we find in today's game. Assuming their careers are still going when they are 42, I really doubt either Josh or Fedor will still be a Top 5 player in the world based on Fargo, as Shane is at present. Of course, we shall see.
Those who fail to appreciate just how difficult it is to stay at or near the top of the pro game year after year when the game has exploded internationally simply aren't giving Shane enough credit. He's a modern marvel. Only a few have ever had his staying power.
Do you think the other TOP pros do the same as Shane? I do.That is the norm for amateur players though. Shane is not normal. He's probably put in more hours on the table throughout his career than any other pro. I doubt he puts in 8 hours a day in 2026 but he definitely used to in the past. Borderline 'tism if you ask me
We are mostly Americans and followed him from his splash onto the scene. He was the first player that had a livestream crew near him a lot (JCIN/TAR), that would relay how much he practiced, especially the break.
I personally think many of the top pros play as much as Shane does.
Nowadays? I'm not sure. I don't know how much other pros practice in this era. But back then, Shane and Orcollo practiced the most I would think.
In the new era, it might be Yapp, I've heard he has an insane work ethic and practices crazy hours.
That is the norm for amateur players though. Shane is not normal. He's probably put in more hours on the table throughout his career than any other pro. I doubt he puts in 8 hours a day in 2026 but he definitely used to in the past. Borderline 'tism if you ask me
i don't think it's disrespectful when he said so himself. on frost's podcast he said he thinks he has autism, iirc in response to his break practice routine or amount of practice.
every other commentator and fellow pro player says they see him practicing more than others. i think it's fair to say he is the top player most dedicated to practice. lest we forget, he's won two world championships in the last 4 years, been in another USO final. what was it last year he lost the shootout to kazakis in semifinal, world 10b or 8b? either way, he is still at the very top
Yes, at least among American players, Shane was his generation's greatest workaholic. Back in the 1980s, I was told by an insider that, if play and practice were added up, both Sigel and Strickland tended to spend nearly 100 hours a week on the pool table. Shane followed in their footsteps for sure.That is the norm for amateur players though. Shane is not normal. He's probably put in more hours on the table throughout his career than any other pro. I doubt he puts in 8 hours a day in 2026 but he definitely used to in the past. Borderline 'tism if you ask me
I love the old story about Reyes, told to me by Mike LeBron. Per Mike, when they would go to the poolroom together in New Jersey to practice, during the walk from their parking space to the entrance of the pool room, Efren was already screwing his cue together.
In today's game, Gorst and Filler are known practice room workaholics, too.
It sure seems to me that the truly great ones just can't wait to practice and, once they start, it is hard to get them to stop.
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Why you gotta come at /DCP like that?
In his last long 10ball race with Fedor, SVB was demolished by a score of 120-78. Maybe he needs a race to 200 to find his form.
You are mistaken. Shane's most dominant rotation pool was played form 2014-16, and 10ball was never the game in the years you cite. In truth, 10ball was a fringe game until at least 2021. Actually, Shane dominated even more with his 9ball break than with his 10ball break. In the days to which you refer, 9ball had one on the spot, 4 1/2" pockets and no break box. Yes, 9ball was a very different game back then and nobody broke the balls as effectively as Shane, not even JL Chang, who had at least as good a 10ball break as Shane.
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