What is “the better player”?

Wags

Wags

2 pocket-one pocket table
Silver Member
There seems to be a belief in the pool world that a long race will decide the better player. What criteria is used to decide what “better player” means?

Let’s try to break it down in no particular order of importance.
Shot-making
Position play
Safety play
Kicking ability
Breaking ability
Banking ability
Pattern play
Stamina
Mental Process
Stress/Anxiety

If these are the top 10 characteristics of “the better player”, they now need to be assigned a percentage of importance for your version of “better player”. The top will get 100 points and the bottom 10 points.

Please post your list by order of importance so I can track where you place the most importance. Please post it something like this, the most important on top, the least important on bottom. Here is mine.

Shot-making
Position play
Breaking ability
Pattern play
Safety play
Kicking ability
Banking ability
Mental Process
Handling Stress/Anxiety
Stamina

I’ll try to compile the results once a day so we can find out what AZ’ers believe is the better player. Please, no explanations needed. That can be done in separate threads if you want to voice opinions of importance. It will just be easier for me that way.

I'll compile in the next post down.

Thanks, have some fun with this.
 
Wags

Wags

2 pocket-one pocket table
Silver Member
Compiled results

Shot-making
560​
Position play
500​
Mental Process
350​
Pattern play
350​
Safety play
330​
Breaking ability
310​
Handling Stress/Anxiety
270​
Kicking ability
240​
Stamina
200​
Banking ability
190​
 
Last edited:
chevybob20

chevybob20

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
1 Shot-making
2 Position play
3 Handling Stress/Anxiety
4 Mental Process
5 Safety play
6 Pattern play
7 Kicking ability
8 Breaking ability
9 Banking ability
10 Stamina
 
R

ronscuba

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
thommy said:
Yeah, they lost me with the list:rolleyes:

longer sets give the better player a chance to win. Whomever wins is the best player:p

nuff sed,
or
"duh, ralph"
Click to expand...

Keeping with a current popular thread topic, maybe sharking should be added to the list.
 
B

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
your percentages of importance will be different for each player
everyone has their strengths and weknesses
its the whole being greater than the sum
how you you put your package together determines who is the better player
the final judge
who wins is the better player
 
J

JCMn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I find it interesting that several so far have stamina listed last, when that seems to be a major factor for the "long race" of which this thread is talking about. My list coming (still need to think where stamina should fall).
 
J

JCMn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Shot-making
Position play
Breaking ability (may be lower depending on the game. More important in 8,9,10 ball)
Safety play
Stamina
Stress/Anxiety
Pattern play
Mental Process
Banking ability
Kicking ability
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JCMn said:
I find it interesting that several so far have stamina listed last, when that seems to be a major factor for the "long race" of which this thread is talking about. My list coming (still need to think where stamina should fall).
Click to expand...
Seems pretty obvious to me- I am in pretty good shape but haven't played any serious pool for a while.

All things equal, who are you gonna bet on: the guy who has been playing pool for the last year or the guy who has been jogging for a year?
 
Okie

Okie

Seeker
Silver Member
Stamina
Mental Process
Handling Stress/Anxiety
Shot-making
Position play
Breaking ability
Pattern play
Kicking ability
Banking ability
Safety play
 
PGHteacher

PGHteacher

John Fischer
Silver Member
Shot-making
Position play
Pattern play
Safety play
Kicking ability
Banking ability
Breaking ability
Mental Process
Handling Stress/Anxiety
Stamina

Or; depending on the length of definition

Mental Process
Shot-making
Position play
Pattern play
Safety play
Kicking ability
Banking ability
Breaking ability
Handling Stress/Anxiety
Stamina

I personally would need more clear definitions for some of these AND need to explain my answers, there are too many variables.
 
Aaron_S

Aaron_S

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I doubt many will agree, but here's my take. Shotmaking shouldn't be above #4. Position and safety play should both be top 3 since controlling whitey is the most difficult aspect of the game. I'd throw mental in the top 3 as well - it's much bigger to be smart enough to duck and skilled enough to do it effectively than it is to be a great shotmaker who occasionally makes the miracle shot. Show me a guy who is even money to make an impossible shot, and I'll show you a guy who goes down in flames 50% of the time. Order doesn't really matter, IMO, after the first 5 or so. Get your mind and cueball under control and the rest will come.

Aaron
 
J

JCMn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I took stamina to mean being able to maintain a high level of play consistently throughout the entire long match. I guess it depends on definition of the attributes as someone else mentioned earlier.


Black-Balled said:
Seems pretty obvious to me- I am in pretty good shape but haven't played any serious pool for a while.

All things equal, who are you gonna bet on: the guy who has been playing pool for the last year or the guy who has been jogging for a year?
Click to expand...
 
Q

quadrary

Custom Leather Cue Cases
Silver Member
Aaron_S said:
I doubt many will agree, but here's my take. Shotmaking shouldn't be above #4. Position and safety play should both be top 3 since controlling whitey is the most difficult aspect of the game. I'd throw mental in the top 3 as well - it's much bigger to be smart enough to duck and skilled enough to do it effectively than it is to be a great shotmaker who occasionally makes the miracle shot. Show me a guy who is even money to make an impossible shot, and I'll show you a guy who goes down in flames 50% of the time. Order doesn't really matter, IMO, after the first 5 or so. Get your mind and cueball under control and the rest will come.

Aaron
Click to expand...

i couldnt agree more if you have great cueball control there are no hard shots. Shotmakung ability is a backup for weak position play.
 
genomachino

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Whoever gets the cash...........

Wags said:
There seems to be a belief in the pool world that a long race will decide the better player. What criteria is used to decide what “better player” means?

Let’s try to break it down in no particular order of importance.
Shot-making
Position play
Safety play
Kicking ability
Breaking ability
Banking ability
Pattern play
Stamina
Mental Process
Stress/Anxiety

If these are the top 10 characteristics of “the better player”, they now need to be assigned a percentage of importance for your version of “better player”. The top will get 100 points and the bottom 10 points.

Please post your list by order of importance so I can track where you place the most importance. Please post it something like this, the most important on top, the least important on bottom. Here is mine.

Shot-making
Position play
Breaking ability
Pattern play
Safety play
Kicking ability
Banking ability
Mental Process
Handling Stress/Anxiety
Stamina

I’ll try to compile the results once a day so we can find out what AZ’ers believe is the better player. Please, no explanations needed. That can be done in separate threads if you want to voice opinions of importance. It will just be easier for me that way.

I'll compile in the next post down.

Thanks, have some fun with this.
Click to expand...

Sometimes one player might be considered the better player but just can't seem to win. The better player is the one that can get the job done when it counts.

Includes every aspect of the game. no part of the game is more important than the other because if anything causes you to miss the games over usually.

pool is a package deal.............
 
A

americanfighter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I really don't think you can make difinate ranking on those. The importance can greatly fluxuate depending on the circumstance. For instance position play and safety become much more important in a game like 9 ball. Also if you are in a high pressure situation (like the last game in the tournament) then I don't care how good your other areas are if you aren't mentally tough and cave under pressure you aren't going to win. The importance varies depending on the situation.


The "better player" player in my mind is someone who can balance those areas to a level necessary for the game they are playing and the opponet. But there are things that you don't really need like banking.
 
cleary

cleary

Honestly, I'm a liar.
Silver Member
The one that puts it all together better. Every player's game has gears. The better player will hit his high gear quicker and more often.
 
P

poolplyr

Banned
Better player

Depends. If we are talking gambling it's a 3 part answer:
Heart
Money
Game

If you don't have all 3 you will never consistently make money gambling.
 
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