What’s the Most Frustrating Aspect of Being an Aging Pool Player?
- Thread starter ChrisinNC
- Start date
Cataracts, arthritis, all that and whatever.
You just have to do what you can do. Personally, I hate the young whippersnappers thinking they can out move me and then still be able to come with some moves and runs to shut them up, lol.
Lou Figueroa
The Pleasure
of Small Moves
You just have to do what you can do. Personally, I hate the young whippersnappers thinking they can out move me and then still be able to come with some moves and runs to shut them up, lol.
Lou Figueroa
The Pleasure
of Small Moves
At 80 years old I know I am luckier than most. Never a champion, but a very good player for over 60 years and I can still bring it, although some days are better than others.
Tomorrow I will play in the monthly one pocket at Hard Times, Sacramento. We usually get 30+ players and it starts at 1pm and goes 10+ hours. I have made it to the hot seat match in the last two and finished 2nd in both of them. While waiting for the one loss side to catch up there is usually an hour or two wait, and that is what kills me. I stiffen up and my concentration just is not quite there anymore. I am pretty much worthless the next day too, but I still love it and do not mind paying the price.
Tomorrow I will play in the monthly one pocket at Hard Times, Sacramento. We usually get 30+ players and it starts at 1pm and goes 10+ hours. I have made it to the hot seat match in the last two and finished 2nd in both of them. While waiting for the one loss side to catch up there is usually an hour or two wait, and that is what kills me. I stiffen up and my concentration just is not quite there anymore. I am pretty much worthless the next day too, but I still love it and do not mind paying the price.
Impressive! I don't think there's many that have you beat other than maybe Cool Cat Ray, but I don't believe Ray plays in any tournaments at all anymore. I guess that would be kind of anticlimactic after what he's accomplished.
Age?
Age means very little compared to "health".
I know several late 50's to mid 60's year old players that can hang with most anyone but, each and every one of them are "healthy".
Having said that, I know several players that are even better but, they can't stay at the table long enough to matter due to health issues.....some of them can't get to the table at all and most of them are in the 40's.
Again, age is not the deal breaker for most...
Jeff
Age means very little compared to "health".
I know several late 50's to mid 60's year old players that can hang with most anyone but, each and every one of them are "healthy".
Having said that, I know several players that are even better but, they can't stay at the table long enough to matter due to health issues.....some of them can't get to the table at all and most of them are in the 40's.
Again, age is not the deal breaker for most...
Jeff
i started playing 18 months ago, and im almost 63. i do the best i can with fat fingers, cant rub my chin on the cue stick like the younger guys, and on long shots sometimes its tough to see the angle. i only play on 7 foot tables, 9 footers are too big for me.
i have watched videos, taken lessons, and have played every day for 18 months. i play alone 99 percent of the time, because its just easier for me. i dont like bars, i do have a pub that i go to twice a week to play on their tables, but i still play alone.
when i do play someone, i do really well. at this age, i dont have too many friends, i have settled into my routine, family, gym, pool. i have no desires to play touraments, or league, i just play pool. i really love the game, and i dont see my self stopping.
tonight for the first time i broke and ran two racks of 9 ball
pretty happy about that.
physically, i still lift heavy weights, as i have for 40 years. so im still very strong and in shape, most days doing two workouts, weights then come back and hit the treadmill.
i have watched videos, taken lessons, and have played every day for 18 months. i play alone 99 percent of the time, because its just easier for me. i dont like bars, i do have a pub that i go to twice a week to play on their tables, but i still play alone.
when i do play someone, i do really well. at this age, i dont have too many friends, i have settled into my routine, family, gym, pool. i have no desires to play touraments, or league, i just play pool. i really love the game, and i dont see my self stopping.
tonight for the first time i broke and ran two racks of 9 ball
pretty happy about that. physically, i still lift heavy weights, as i have for 40 years. so im still very strong and in shape, most days doing two workouts, weights then come back and hit the treadmill.
In my case, it's definitely none of the above. At age 66 I am not willing to put in the time and effort to be a top player. I play pretty good, Fargorate 628. That's with being unpracticed, nervous in tournament matches, and usually tired and not very focused. I spend very little time practicing and don't play competitively much. Still I can hold my own and that's good enough to be competitive and fun.
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Somehow I like this thread. So many old farts like me, most of whom spent a lifetime at pool. I tend to agree pretty much with Tate. Long ago I lost my motivation to practice, even with a beautiful Diamond in my house. Lack of motivation coupled with lack of pratice is the perfect formula to lose whatever "speed" you ever had. And it's no fun to play when you're out of stroke.
Up until about seven or eight years ago, I would go on binges, practicing every day for hours trying to once again find "dead stroke" nirvana. I cannot forget the exhilaration of being in complete control on a pool table. I had my moments on the green, keeping some pretty fair players in their chair. Better to be a "has been" than a "never was"!
I'm 75 and quite content with my lot in life. At this point every day is a gift, and I don't want to waste them. So many of my friends and peers are gone, with only the memories of our time spent together left to contemplate. I take a potpourri of pills daily and am still very active for my age. 30 minutes of exercise daily does wonders for my state of mind; walking, stretching, calisthenics, weights, all of that.
Most people guess my age at 10-12 years younger and I'm proud to tell them my real age. I last played good maybe 15 years ago when I owned my last hall and gambled nearly every day. I played a few leagues as recently as four or five years ago and was still one of the better players. Now I'm pretty much toast and couldn't beat Tom Thumb, but I have no complaints.
Up until about seven or eight years ago, I would go on binges, practicing every day for hours trying to once again find "dead stroke" nirvana. I cannot forget the exhilaration of being in complete control on a pool table. I had my moments on the green, keeping some pretty fair players in their chair. Better to be a "has been" than a "never was"!
I'm 75 and quite content with my lot in life. At this point every day is a gift, and I don't want to waste them. So many of my friends and peers are gone, with only the memories of our time spent together left to contemplate. I take a potpourri of pills daily and am still very active for my age. 30 minutes of exercise daily does wonders for my state of mind; walking, stretching, calisthenics, weights, all of that.
Most people guess my age at 10-12 years younger and I'm proud to tell them my real age. I last played good maybe 15 years ago when I owned my last hall and gambled nearly every day. I played a few leagues as recently as four or five years ago and was still one of the better players. Now I'm pretty much toast and couldn't beat Tom Thumb, but I have no complaints.
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How about missing incredibly easy, short shots that you would never think you could possibly ever miss in a lifetime, or screwing up an incredibly no brainer easy positioning, which leads to a harder shot, which you then of course miss.
Also, how about double hitting the cue ball, and I’m not talking about a situation where the cue ball is close to the object ball or accidentally touching the cue ball with your tip just before starting your final stroke. I’m talking about literally double hitting the cue ball on your stroke through the ball - the equivalent of the yips in golf. Doesn’t happen often but when it does, it’s frightful, and usually you are the only one that knows you’ve committed the foul.
Also, how about double hitting the cue ball, and I’m not talking about a situation where the cue ball is close to the object ball or accidentally touching the cue ball with your tip just before starting your final stroke. I’m talking about literally double hitting the cue ball on your stroke through the ball - the equivalent of the yips in golf. Doesn’t happen often but when it does, it’s frightful, and usually you are the only one that knows you’ve committed the foul.
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Arthritis:frown:
randyg
randyg
I could give you some heavy weight at this. :thumbup:
Maniac
PPN member since 2002 (paid professional napper)
Very well said!!!
Excellent reply, thanks, Tate.
My story: I'm in my 60's, was never a pool player except rare, recreational, non-serious play throughout my life. Now, I'd like to get good at it. I'm struggling. I don't think it's my age, I think it's that I'm going at it in a disorganized, chaotic way, without that which I quoted above. (I have a table at home now, a Gold Crown I, and a couple of good cues. And that's it!)
Twenty-plus years ago I resolved to learn to play classical guitar. I got pretty goo d at it, after about four years of obsessive work, but all done within a structure that my top-notch instructor had established for me. His philosophy was that no one can teach you to play the guitar, they can only teach you to teach yourself. This involved lots of technique - how to sit hold the instrument, hand use and position, and so on; even how to avoid repetitive stress disorders. All of involved lots of repetition. But, an important point: practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent. If you practice sloppily, or practice poor technique, that's how you will play.
I am searching for a structure. How to practice, what to practice. I haven't found anything resembling a "method" yet, as in a guitar method, a book describing the structure for learning and practicing. Barnes' books are the closest things so far.
But before I spend hours and hours practicing poor technique, I have to find the correct thing to practice, and develop a structure for doing so.
Sorry for the long tangent, but I was inspired by Tate's reply.
jv
p.s. haven't found an instructor yet, either.
Watson's putting woes started waaaaay before then. Some of it had to do with his drinking problem but his mastery of the short stick started to fade while he was still on regular tour. He used to hammer short putts cause he didn't fear the comeback putts. That changed in his 40's.
Jviss you might look into this for a program/ methodology
https://www.americancuesports.org/pat-program.html
Or this:https://billiarduniversity.org/testing/exams/
There is a sticky for this too on the main page.
As far as instructors go, if you post your general location
I'm confident someone can point you in a good direction.
https://www.americancuesports.org/pat-program.html
Or this:https://billiarduniversity.org/testing/exams/
There is a sticky for this too on the main page.
As far as instructors go, if you post your general location
I'm confident someone can point you in a good direction.
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I have not lost my motivation to practice for hours at a time if I could. I have not lost my interest in competing. My health is good, eyesight good, in shape, but at 66 my back just cannot take hours and hours of play on a continual basis. Could be arthritis, maybe a dic issue, but it is what it is and I just do as much as I can and still live comfortably - but I still love the game enough to play 3 or 4 hours a day if my back could take it- now I play maybe 6 hours a week at most- not enough to get where I know I could be. it sucks to retire and NOT be able to devote time to some things that you want because of aging - but I am glad that I did not sacrifice my business and family life for this game- THAT is not a good trade off IMO. I would rather be healthy, wealthy, and wise now than be the pool player I always dreamed that I could be.