What’s the Most Frustrating Aspect of Being an Aging Pool Player?

ChrisinNC said:

Many days/nights, for no explainable reason, my nerves aren’t right and I just simply can't seem to deliver my cue straight back and straight through consistently. Due to that, I’m capable of missing absolutely any given shot at any time, no matter how easy. I never experienced anything like that in my younger years. Very strange and frustrating.

It often takes me 2 or even 3 hours of playing before I start feeling any confidence in my stroke. My best tournament play generally occurs when I get knocked in the loser's bracket early, then manage to survive numerous matches in the 1-loss bracket, eventually finding my stroke and confidence.

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I had the same problem, and I beat it.

The fact that you gain confidence in your stroke and start shooting better by fighting your way back up through the loser's bracket indicates that your issue is probably not due to physical impairment.

Instead of starting with the drill in the thread I linked to you might want to try one that Tor Lowry had in his 2 hour freebie on youtube - no longer available - but here is the drill on another site:

https://www.cuedrills.com/drills/stroke-drills/tor-lowry-stroke-drill/

The key is to stay relaxed and focused and that is easier to do with this drill because there is no pressure of making a shot. In your case I would simplify it to just piling up the balls at one end of the table and just shooting the same shot over and over for a while.

After you gain confidence you can switch to the full drill but shoot a hundred or so shots first. If jumping to the full drill puts you in the ditch, revert to the simplified version, rinse and repeat. The idea is to achieve a mindlessness muscle memory stroke that you no longer have to think about.

Take your time, make sure your grip stays relaxed at all times, stay down until the ball goes in, make sure you don't change grip mid stroke when hitting the ball (that was part of my problem), make sure your arm is the only thing moving (no shoulder/upper body action!) and do extra warm up strokes at first.

It is a real good idea to standardize your pre shot routine and perform it with each and every shot.

My main issue was a circular problem where I had lost confidence in my stroke and so I was getting down on shots while wondering if it was going to work, which in turn was causing me to doubt my stroke and so on...

I have pretty much conquered that but I had to be, and still am, very tenacious about it. The only way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good one.

Johnny Rosato said:

I'd have to guess erectile dysfunction. I hear it's awful.

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Unless your married and your wife has ZERO libido. Then it's not so bad. :grin:

It's better than being able to get an erection and your wife has zero libido. :sorry:

Maniac

ChrisinNC said:

Many days/nights, for no explainable reason, my nerves aren’t right and I just simply can't seem to deliver my cue straight back and straight through consistently. Due to that, I’m capable of missing absolutely any given shot at any time, no matter how easy.

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Protractor says this happened to him. He said he beat it.

Protractor obviously has never had problems with rising/lowering of blood sugar levels, which is why I sometimes have the same issues as you. When it happens...ain't no fixin' it. Not immediately anyway.

Maniac

chainsaw said:

WOW I beat stage 4 cancer twice. Hey and consider yourself lucky you made it into your 60's and enjoy every waking moment you have weather it is pool or anything else your doing in life. I look at it as thankful I can still experience the frustrations. Smile my friend count your blessings even when they don't go your way. Your still here and at least not pushing daisy's. Be thank full your above dirt.

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Great post. This is how I feel about life. Every day is a blessing.

Then again....I don't take pool as serious as a lot of people on this forum do. For some, it seems an obsession that they MUST shoot excellent pool for life to be worthwhile. Me....I just enjoy it whether I'm shooting my best or not. Pool is not high on my list of priorities.

Maniac

Probably sharking myself, that everytime i stroke the ball i can hear the velcro on my diaper unhinging making quite a racket , which throws my focus for a loop

FTR, here is a list of my current health issues/medications:

Atrial Fibrillation (treated daily with prescription medications)

Thickened and enlarged heart (treated daily with prescription medications)

Diabetes Type 2 (treated daily with a prescription medication)

High cholesterol (treated daily with a prescription medication)

Enlarged prostate (treated daily with a prescription medication)

Poor eyesight/Glaucoma (wearing glasses with progressive lenses)

Shoulder injuries (two surgeries with one of them causing a 15% range-of-motion loss in my right shoulder)

Neck/vertebrae (although not medically diagnosed, I had a work-related injury back in 1988 that has caused my neck to deteriorate over the years, and coupled with my right shoulder injury, not allowing me to crane my neck up adequately to get a good look down my cue)

I'm on eight prescription medications. After suffering a mild heart attack several years ago I am thankful to be alive. One of my medications causes poor hindsight, while another causes periodic dizziness.

I can tell you with absolute certainty that these health issues/medications have caused my pool abilities to deteriorate somewhat, and probably will worsen as the years go by.

That said....it's all good and I'm just happy to be alive and to spend time with my family and friends.

Maniac

scsuxci said:

Probably sharking myself, that everytime i stroke the ball i can hear the velcro on my diaper unhinging making quite a racket , which throws my focus for a loop

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Use Depends. They're slip-on. :thumbup:

I only know this because I was a caregiver for my dad during the last year of his life. :wink:

Maniac (seriously, not there.... yet)

Maniac, that sounds like my medical record. Except I've walked away from two heart attacks. But I still ride motorcycles too fast and shoot pool, well poorly. Having a great time doing both.

This is a very good thread and appropriate to me at 73. Diminishing skills defines my play the last several years. I do play on a senior league, 60 or older to play, and that makes it easier. We're all going downhill. It's frustrating to not play as well as I used to, but I keep playing. What's the alternative? You can't just quit. I'll never enjoy losing but I can always enjoy the game. I think the only remedy is practice and I enjoy that also.

Buzzard II said:

Maniac, that sounds like my medical record. Except I've walked away from two heart attacks. But I still ride motorcycles too fast and shoot pool, well poorly. Having a great time doing both.

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I still have and ride my motorcycle, have a bass boat and love to fish, enjoy our ATV's down at the hunting cabin on our private acreage. I also target shoot, reload, and gunsmith.

So you can see why pool is not a do-or-die endeavor.

Stay well, my friend!

Maniac

river83466 said:

This is a very good thread and appropriate to me at 73. Diminishing skills defines my play the last several years. I do play on a senior league, 60 or older to play, and that makes it easier. We're all going downhill. It's frustrating to not play as well as I used to, but I keep playing. What's the alternative? You can't just quit. I'll never enjoy losing but I can always enjoy the game. I think the only remedy is practice and I enjoy that also.

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Great first post!

Greenies sent your way.

Maniac

I enjoy it when I know I shouldn't shoot the shot. But often when I do, it goes in with good ball speed and position. So I shoot the next shot with similar feelings, and again it goes! After awhile, I'm shooting the last ball needed in the hole. I can't see the pockets as well as I used too , but I still know where they are.

Forgot something in my page one post. That is, it's very frustrating to he spending so much time in medical offices. This takes a lot of time away from other aspects of life. And that is time I know my wife and I don't have a lot of left with both of us well into our 70's.

My Balls need more cleaning!

Goldbond is like crack for the balls!

Maniac said:

Protractor says this happened to him. He said he beat it.

Protractor obviously has never had problems with rising/lowering of blood sugar levels, which is why I sometimes have the same issues as you. When it happens...ain't no fixin' it. Not immediately anyway.

Maniac

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You are correct, but that takes work on my part. My dad and his sister had/have type II diabetes due to weight gain in mid/late life and didn't take countermeasures. 10 years ago I was starting to get a dad bod even though I've never been married or had kids, so I got back on the bicycle and started riding up mountains, lifting weight, doing yoga and am back in form and feeling good. Will be 68 next month.

A thirty-something body building buddy of mine has had type I since his teenage years. He now looks like he could break a log in half like a twig but if his blood sugar gets out of whack he goes in the weeds (he does the shots). He now has a service dog that senses that and alerts him.

I'm still as hooked on pool as I was when I was 20 so staying in shape and sharp helps with that along with my other vices of motorcycling, skiing, camping, fishing, hiking in the mountains and playing guitar and drums.

I live in the Villages, Fl and it is a large retirement community. It is a mecca for pool players. We have some very great players down here. Over 600 members in our billiards club. Over 200 9ft. tables. As most of us are gaining in years, I have notice that some have the ability to hang on to what they have. We have a gentleman who ran 100 balls in straight pool at 85 yrs. old. Myself I have difficulty maintaining focus. Can run a rack or two, but then start just wacking balls. Don't know why, in younger years could one stroke long shots in, now they are an adventure. But I tell everyone keep playing, it's the love of the game. You can take my cue out of my cold dead arms

Protractor said:

I'm still as hooked on pool as I was when I was 20 so staying in shape and sharp helps with that along with my other vices of motorcycling, skiing, camping, fishing, hiking in the mountains and playing guitar and drums.

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It sounds like you have a great life.

I wish you many more years of it. Enjoy!

Maniac

Maniac said:

It sounds like you have a great life.

I wish you many more years of it. Enjoy!

Maniac

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Thank you!

That is the plan

Oh my gawd, there have been some pretty depressing stories on this thread. Maybe this will counter all that.

I'm 62 years old and my game is hitting its' stride. Of course I was never a great player to begin with - was probably considered a strong B player at one time. Now that I'm retired, I have more time to devote to my hobby.

I have NO aches and pains. My focus is still sharp. This wasn't always the case. At age 50 I started noticing minor aches and pains. I thought my advanced age was catching up to me. Then one day I went on a hike with a friend who was 15 years older than I. After 6 miles, I looked, and felt, like hammered s#!t, while my friend looked fresh as a daisy. I knew right then that I needed to get in better shape. Through exercise, I started feeling more energetic. The aches and pains went away. My pool game has benefitted from it.

My recommendation, keep your body in good physical condition. Because of the mind-body connection, your focus will be better also.