Good Afternoon. Question for you guys(and ladies). At 61 years of age with good health and ok vision(wear glasses) and a truly average(at best) ability, is it still possible to become a competitor on 7 ft tables(very few 9 ftrs anywhere close)? Certainly don't mean Pro level but good regional player. Or has that ship sailed due to Father Time? Thanks,Whiteoak
Old Player question
- Thread starter whiteoak
- Start date
Why not?
randyg
randyg
I can't speak for them, but I've played a few guys who were up there in digits who still played the game quite well. By up there in digits, I'm talking 80 and up.
Bucky Bell is up there, guessing mid to late 70s now, maybe older. I saw him playing at our local tourney just a few years back. He was always a favorite to win. I stopped going to the Friday night tourney that long ago, don't know if he still goes or not. Bucky was still offering lessons about 5 years ago. He would only play for money too. I'm thinking the lessons would be cheaper than playing him straight up.
Bucky Bell is up there, guessing mid to late 70s now, maybe older. I saw him playing at our local tourney just a few years back. He was always a favorite to win. I stopped going to the Friday night tourney that long ago, don't know if he still goes or not. Bucky was still offering lessons about 5 years ago. He would only play for money too. I'm thinking the lessons would be cheaper than playing him straight up.
Most of the older players that still play good, played very
good when they were younger.
That said, you can still progress both mentally and physically if your late to the party.
good when they were younger.
That said, you can still progress both mentally and physically if your late to the party.
Agree with Randy, plus 61 isn't really old.
Quick story - 1980's, Nashville, bar box scene. Road players everywhere, always action. When the bars closed, there was one little crappy 24-hour diner in the seedy part of town, ghetto really, with 2 valley coin ops.
Mr B was an unassuming, kind, gentle black man in his 70's. When he walked, his pace was slow and deliberate, yet smooth. He shot standing STRAIGHT UP, because his back wouldn't allow him to bend.
This lil diner was HIS domain. Hookers, pimps and the occasional trucker would frequent the place at 3:00 am, but Mr B was alway on the pool side, patiently waiting. 2 bar boxes, 2 small diner tables and 6 or chairs. That was it.
He knew that some roadie, either down on his luck or jacked up from a night of winning, would walk through that door any minute now, wide eyed and looking for action.
In a non-threatening, friendly way he would kindly ask - wanna play some 8-ball for $20 a rack?
If you responded with "9-ball", or "rack of 9 and rack of 6", or any other variable, he'd politely decline. He played 8 ball. On THIS table. For ANY amount, but not under $20.
To the untrained eye, his cue was off the wall. No, not with an ivory ferrule. His stroke was so smooth, so effortless, I often wondered how the cue ball moved so far. His stroke was slo-mo, like time stopped.
Then you see it happen - he escaped your locked-up trap with a kick-bank-carom shot that you still wonder how he saw. He never looked. The table just talked to him.
Wait - another kick-carom, then later another 3-rail bank-carom. WTH is going on here, you might ask. Then again, he's out. Again. And again.
Just a typical night getting beat by Mr B.
It happened to everyone, including all the big names.
Mr B was a legend, and I'm blessed to have spend time with him.
RIP, you old Master.
-von
Quick story - 1980's, Nashville, bar box scene. Road players everywhere, always action. When the bars closed, there was one little crappy 24-hour diner in the seedy part of town, ghetto really, with 2 valley coin ops.
Mr B was an unassuming, kind, gentle black man in his 70's. When he walked, his pace was slow and deliberate, yet smooth. He shot standing STRAIGHT UP, because his back wouldn't allow him to bend.
This lil diner was HIS domain. Hookers, pimps and the occasional trucker would frequent the place at 3:00 am, but Mr B was alway on the pool side, patiently waiting. 2 bar boxes, 2 small diner tables and 6 or chairs. That was it.
He knew that some roadie, either down on his luck or jacked up from a night of winning, would walk through that door any minute now, wide eyed and looking for action.
In a non-threatening, friendly way he would kindly ask - wanna play some 8-ball for $20 a rack?
If you responded with "9-ball", or "rack of 9 and rack of 6", or any other variable, he'd politely decline. He played 8 ball. On THIS table. For ANY amount, but not under $20.
To the untrained eye, his cue was off the wall. No, not with an ivory ferrule. His stroke was so smooth, so effortless, I often wondered how the cue ball moved so far. His stroke was slo-mo, like time stopped.
Then you see it happen - he escaped your locked-up trap with a kick-bank-carom shot that you still wonder how he saw. He never looked. The table just talked to him.
Wait - another kick-carom, then later another 3-rail bank-carom. WTH is going on here, you might ask. Then again, he's out. Again. And again.
Just a typical night getting beat by Mr B.
It happened to everyone, including all the big names.
Mr B was a legend, and I'm blessed to have spend time with him.
RIP, you old Master.
-von
If you have to ask....Nope, sorry. You should move to Sarasota and drive very slowly.
I don't see any reason why not. I know guys who started playing after retirement who became solid players and contribute to their league teams' successes. But I don't know any "A"-level players who are threats to place in regional or state-wide tournaments who started playing that late in life.
have you been competing at something else?
I am not a particularly gifted athlete. I bounced around between a handful of things that required decent hand/eye coordination over the years but I competed most of the time.
If you are a respectable tennis player, golf player, bowler, or something similar for your age group I would say that you can become a very respectable pool player. Joe Villalpando has almost became a specialist in training retirees when it comes to his live lessons and I'm sure his students can win local tounaments. One might make a decent run at a one-pocket or straight pool tournament in larger venues but a lot of things tend to handicap older players. Medications that don't have major side effects can have minor ones that hurt pool players. Combining multiple medications with little or no acknowledged side effects can add up. Finally, our bodies aren't running as well. Almost every system in our body is a little less optimum when compared to our twenty or twenty-five year old body.
In short, you are giving other players a pretty good spot competing against the field at sixty-one. You can still win but you will have to pick your spots. I haven't looked but the Fargo Ratings will probably verify what I am saying, it is a younger person's game but so is almost anything else.
You can have fun, score some victories, and enjoy the challenge of pool. Rotation games aren't likely to be your best areas to compete in but you don't know until you try.
Are you a chess player by any chance? That is one of the few games that doesn't require athletic ability that can help your pool game. Seeing patterns and playing them well is huge.
Hu
I am not a particularly gifted athlete. I bounced around between a handful of things that required decent hand/eye coordination over the years but I competed most of the time.
If you are a respectable tennis player, golf player, bowler, or something similar for your age group I would say that you can become a very respectable pool player. Joe Villalpando has almost became a specialist in training retirees when it comes to his live lessons and I'm sure his students can win local tounaments. One might make a decent run at a one-pocket or straight pool tournament in larger venues but a lot of things tend to handicap older players. Medications that don't have major side effects can have minor ones that hurt pool players. Combining multiple medications with little or no acknowledged side effects can add up. Finally, our bodies aren't running as well. Almost every system in our body is a little less optimum when compared to our twenty or twenty-five year old body.
In short, you are giving other players a pretty good spot competing against the field at sixty-one. You can still win but you will have to pick your spots. I haven't looked but the Fargo Ratings will probably verify what I am saying, it is a younger person's game but so is almost anything else.
You can have fun, score some victories, and enjoy the challenge of pool. Rotation games aren't likely to be your best areas to compete in but you don't know until you try.
Are you a chess player by any chance? That is one of the few games that doesn't require athletic ability that can help your pool game. Seeing patterns and playing them well is huge.
Hu
Are you brand new to pool or have you been playing for a while?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKdBhPg01VA
The man who beat Shane Van Boening at DCC 9 ball was 60 years old. Same guy cashed vs a Mosconi Cup team member in one pocket in 2019.
If you are brand new it will be difficult because of the time at the table needed to get to a respectable level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKdBhPg01VA
The man who beat Shane Van Boening at DCC 9 ball was 60 years old. Same guy cashed vs a Mosconi Cup team member in one pocket in 2019.
If you are brand new it will be difficult because of the time at the table needed to get to a respectable level.
That’s funny. I was scratching my head until I clicked the link.
Depends on what your starting point is.
If you've never picked up a cue, no.
If you're a decent player to strat with and are willing to put in the time, maybe.
Lou Figueroa
No,not new.I played quite a lot 10 years ago.Had a table in the basement and could run out an easy layout(sometimes). Have been away from pool for about 10 yrs. Thanks
"Become a competitor?" Depends on the definition of competitor, I think. Want to win, occasionally, in local tournaments on 7' tables? I see no reason why not. I met a guy who started playing at 70, no prior experience, who kicks ass on Tuesday nights.
Grandslam
Registered
Why not?
I am 70 and compete in 2 APA Leagues. I love to play and compete, win some lose some. I am competitive on the 7 foot tables when I go to 9 foot my eyes just not that good so I play on the 7 foot tables in the leagues. I'm a APA 5. Since I am not afraid to lose its all good love shooting against the young guys win or lose its competing. Not ever going to play SVB but that's not the point. If you enjoy yourself go for it what ever the top skill level you achieve so be it. If you play pool because you love it there is no losing.
I am 70 and compete in 2 APA Leagues. I love to play and compete, win some lose some. I am competitive on the 7 foot tables when I go to 9 foot my eyes just not that good so I play on the 7 foot tables in the leagues. I'm a APA 5. Since I am not afraid to lose its all good love shooting against the young guys win or lose its competing. Not ever going to play SVB but that's not the point. If you enjoy yourself go for it what ever the top skill level you achieve so be it. If you play pool because you love it there is no losing.
Of course. Why not? Go for it.
Hu,Good Afternoon.I am a pretty good tennis player and used to be a good softball player and long distance runner(marathons) but not much chess.Thanks for the reply. whiteoak
Nah,Guess I will just stay in Tn. and drive wildly.
A regional level competitive player would be an A+ to win events that attract higher level players. I would guess by "competitor" you mean "have a chance to win over 20%" or something similar, not just "I can get past round 1".
I got to say if you just started to play at 61, you would need to be lucky in talent for the game to beat players at that higher level.
Of course it's possible, but if a random guy came to me out of no-where and asked that, I'd say the chances are under 25% it will happen.
I can "compete" OK in my area as a B+, I win some local tournaments, I can cash in some regional tours, but I am not what I would call a competitor, just maybe in the top 50% of players. Really depends on what your idea is and what your area is like.
With correct learning and dedication, someone older can easily beat up on the average pool player you see holding a cue. Most players that post here are in the top ranks of "local dudes" so when they walk into some random pool hall they are confident they can hold their own at least with anyone in the place. If being competitive means you can pretty much be sure to keep some bar table for the night and get free drinks, that is pretty easy to do at any age, just need the correct training.
^^^ this is a little harsh, but there is a good message there.....the ones who make it (at any age) are the ones who are HUNGRY for it, they will find the time to practice and compete.
The ones who "wonder if" they can make, are usually the ones who kinda want it, but not willing to do what it takes to win.....
The answer to your question is "yes, if you want it bad enough"
But on the other hand, there is no shame in being a recreational pool player, that is 90% of us here, because we have jobs, families, etc...
Best of luck...….