Can you be too smart to play good pool?
- Thread starter John Brumback
- Start date
Capere occasionem, Mon Ami. This thread was resolved a long time ago. It just hasn't disappeared yet. :smile:
Aha, getting a little highbrow, are we?
Well, I'm not going for it....
Ignorance is bliss? Or the street version....What you don't know won't hurt you?
...well, I'm not going for it...
..You can ignore physics all you want....but physics will not ignore you.
regards anyway
pt....loves the Tramp
Here's why you SHOULD be smart to play good pool. Because pool is a game studied between shots. It is not a reactive game. You play the smart shot.
Do you see the top players making stupid decisions? Efren? Earl? The further down on the food chain of pool, the stupid-er the decision are.
Do you see the top players making stupid decisions? Efren? Earl? The further down on the food chain of pool, the stupid-er the decision are.
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Sure. Just look at how badly Bob Jewett played against this unknown banger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1AQ21-oBmU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1AQ21-oBmU
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This game is not complicated unless you want to make it complicated.
It's so simple.....a caveman could do it.John B.
A true statement. There's a line to the object ball, then a line to the pocket. And, make sure you have a good next shot.
Then there's cue attitude, english, drag-draw that actually follows, cloth and rail speed, temperature, humidity...........
But, you get the point. Don't over-analyze it.
All the best,
WW
It turns out Tonto was more of a smart-ass than a dumb-ass:
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It's a fine line. Conscious thought is a detriment to peak performance flow states. Imbeciles are often good players because they're too dumb to overthink it. Some smart guys get trapped overthinking it. The guy you really have too watch for is the really smart guy that plays jam up. He's too smart to overthink it & that makes him very dangerous compared to all the others. YMMV.
I don't think being smart is worth much except when you are matching up, or maybe trying to crunch numbers to see if you should go to a distant tournament (which the correct answer will almost always be no unfortunately). As we know though, being able to match up better means a lot so being smart certainly helps a pool player since you can't win anything in tournaments.
I often notice the most dangerous people are the ones that have no fricking clue they are in a bad game. They just mindlessly play as if they are supposed to win and often will in those cases. So id say attitude and confidence are the most important, and over analyzing and overthinking can be the worst things to do.
Confidently go about your business at the table and let the skills you've developed naturally come out, without reminding yourself of anything, and I think you got a good system going for some great play.
I often notice the most dangerous people are the ones that have no fricking clue they are in a bad game. They just mindlessly play as if they are supposed to win and often will in those cases. So id say attitude and confidence are the most important, and over analyzing and overthinking can be the worst things to do.
Confidently go about your business at the table and let the skills you've developed naturally come out, without reminding yourself of anything, and I think you got a good system going for some great play.
LOL! Funny.
I teach doctors for a living. Generally they are probably in the top 2% in learning ability for anything. Being a doctor requires being a life long student. Every doctor is primarily a student first. That's aptitude, determination, and dedication, not smart. I never met a doctor that thinks he is smarter than 99% of people because he is a doctor. I have met a few that actually were smarter than 99% but it had nothing to do with them being a doctor.
Some people have limited teaching abilities. :wink:
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I think so. I also think that it pays to be dumb,or at least act like it.
I even came up with a saying for it,that I tell some people when I'm trying to help them.
" your too smart to learn " and the other one..." your too smart to ever play good pool"
I have never in my life seen or heard that you even have to know how to read or write to play high level pool.
I've seen it my whole life. People that can't read or people that can't walk and chew gum at the same time can play world class pool. ( yeah I know,they just practiced more than you did,well duh!! is what I say to that)
I have come to the conclusion that being or acting too smart will KEEP YOU from ever getting good at this simple game of knocking balls into a hole with a wooden stick.
This game is not complicated unless you want to make it complicated.
It's so simple.....a caveman could do it.
PS: I've just been reading so much hogwash on here that I just can't help myself from trying to save some pool players from alot of the Bull shit that will keep them from ever getting good at this ever so simple game.
...........................................
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In that case please tell the doctors you teach that they should listen to their patients and respect what their patients tell them about their own bodies and their own condition, even if they disagree. I've had to deal with a few doctors in my life who refused to do this, and each time they've been wrong about the situation.
Bob Jewett played some nice 14.1 there. Just think, if instructors could really play! LOL Nice match Mr. Jewett. :thumbup:
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Ive found some interesting stuff
John,
I can sure understand what you mean. When I was young I played pretty well and had never had a lesson. The short story is that I stopped playing for some things going on in my life from time to time. Each time I came back Id go to the table to see if I still had it. Once I figured I still had it I would go back into hibernation for awhile cause I was real busy trying to make things work. The last time I came back the bug bit me pretty good and I was 45 but this time I felt something was different. I didnt have it like I thought I used to so I spent some time working with that until I figured I had it again.
I think it comes down to depth perception and a persons inability to understand it because they get in a hurry and think their eyes are supposed to be perfectly ready when they get down or they forget how to look and size things up.
Thats what I try to guide people to understand. I dont diss anyone's method that is working for them but it would be easy to take the approach of a purist and thats what I think I am because I understand perfectly what you are saying.
Robert Byrne wrote some interesting things about form and style playing pool that go against the conventions taught today. One night I saw a fellow running out and he had the worst looking stroke set up Id ever seen and one of best one pocket men Ive seen had the worst stance. So its hard to substitute time at the table and there is no fix in a box type of thing to eliminate that. I think Ive got something entirely wholesome to a persons game that will help them and not harm them that will lead up to them understanding the site picture and the process of what some people find naturally like you and I and tons of other people. What I dislike is over complication, its just not needed. Some the best help I ever got was from a man that played banks on your speed. He had a way of explaining things that was so simple and easy to understand that just him saying it was all you needed to hear. I watched two fellows playing a thousand a set one day and neither one of them had 3 brain cells between them but they sure knew how to play some pool.
Some people just dont seem to connect to the process and thats what I try to help them with. I figure if I do that they are customers for life and thats what I want to be known for. My stuff is good, its affordable and I ll help anyone I can if they ask.I just enjoy the game and company. For me that's what its about.
John,
I can sure understand what you mean. When I was young I played pretty well and had never had a lesson. The short story is that I stopped playing for some things going on in my life from time to time. Each time I came back Id go to the table to see if I still had it. Once I figured I still had it I would go back into hibernation for awhile cause I was real busy trying to make things work. The last time I came back the bug bit me pretty good and I was 45 but this time I felt something was different. I didnt have it like I thought I used to so I spent some time working with that until I figured I had it again.
I think it comes down to depth perception and a persons inability to understand it because they get in a hurry and think their eyes are supposed to be perfectly ready when they get down or they forget how to look and size things up.
Thats what I try to guide people to understand. I dont diss anyone's method that is working for them but it would be easy to take the approach of a purist and thats what I think I am because I understand perfectly what you are saying.
Robert Byrne wrote some interesting things about form and style playing pool that go against the conventions taught today. One night I saw a fellow running out and he had the worst looking stroke set up Id ever seen and one of best one pocket men Ive seen had the worst stance. So its hard to substitute time at the table and there is no fix in a box type of thing to eliminate that. I think Ive got something entirely wholesome to a persons game that will help them and not harm them that will lead up to them understanding the site picture and the process of what some people find naturally like you and I and tons of other people. What I dislike is over complication, its just not needed. Some the best help I ever got was from a man that played banks on your speed. He had a way of explaining things that was so simple and easy to understand that just him saying it was all you needed to hear. I watched two fellows playing a thousand a set one day and neither one of them had 3 brain cells between them but they sure knew how to play some pool.
Some people just dont seem to connect to the process and thats what I try to help them with. I figure if I do that they are customers for life and thats what I want to be known for. My stuff is good, its affordable and I ll help anyone I can if they ask.I just enjoy the game and company. For me that's what its about.
I think so. I also think that it pays to be dumb,or at least act like it.
I even came up with a saying for it,that I tell some people when I'm trying to help them.
" your too smart to learn " and the other one..." your too smart to ever play good pool"
I have never in my life seen or heard that you even have to know how to read or write to play high level pool.
I've seen it my whole life. People that can't read or people that can't walk and chew gum at the same time can play world class pool. ( yeah I know,they just practiced more than you did,well duh!! is what I say to that)
I have come to the conclusion that being or acting too smart will KEEP YOU from ever getting good at this simple game of knocking balls into a hole with a wooden stick.
This game is not complicated unless you want to make it complicated.
It's so simple.....a caveman could do it.
PS: I've just been reading so much hogwash on here that I just can't help myself from trying to save some pool players from alot of the Bull shit that will keep them from ever getting good at this ever so simple game.
That and the fact most of 'em won't bet a quarter and never play really good players. They live in their little comfort bubble and rarely,if ever, venture out.