How much weight could you give up?

My 20 year old self wasnt shooting pool yet but I probably still couldnt beat him such is the level of my suck. :banghead::banghead:

I know that my 66 year old self today could beat my 20 year old self very easily - and as a 20 year old I played a fair amount of pool and was better than half the pool hall regulars. Even in the 1990s I usually placed high in local tournaments and won my share as well. Today I think that the influx of foreign players over the past many years has raised the bar here in the U.S. as to what "a good player really looks like".
I think that there are more very high level players in top competition that play at a higher level then, say a 1990 U.S Open nine ball tournament. I have tried to focus on every aspect of my game to keep up with the raised bar of how well a "good" player should play today. Thus my 20 year old self has no chance against myself as a senior citizen. Unfortunately, the 14.1 game is not as popular as it was in the 1960s- if it were, and we had several top level 14.1 tournaments each year paying great prize money- we would be seeing a lot of records broken and some super high level 14.1. I think the proliferation of the Diamond tables with their tougher pocket configuration has forced players to be more accurate, consistent, and in possession of super stroking techniques. Older Brunswicks, Olhausens, and Gandys were a lot more forgiving on pocket size - generally. I do not think that today's cueing equipment makes as big a difference as some do- but that is just my opinion. I think it is more that the tables and table speed forces you to refine that stroke or be left behind.

336Robin said:

In order to give up weight it's a mindset thing, you have to be of a right mind
and can't make bad decisions. You would have to practice it often but if you were able
to give weight, wouldn't that also be the right way to play all of the time?

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Also need to be a good prop man. Always try to give up less than they really need. My 20yr old self could probably give my 59yr old self the seven playing 9b. Didn't even know what 1p was back then. Nobody played it much, it was all 9b all-the-time.

My best vs today?

My best hustled pool with the greatest of ease and played every road player that came through the door, even. Well, except for home field advantage which is no small thing in my opinion. They toted sticks with a hinge, I played off the wall.

Hard to measure my pool play, snooker a little easier. A ball hit square center of the pocket on a snooker table popped out leaving me three balls shy of a perfect score. Wouldn't have popped out except a lack of confidence caused me to load up spin instead of a twelve foot shot. My high run was six balls, banks, on a snooker table in normal play. I had done that several times but was stuck on six balls after being hung on four balls before that. Funny, I don't remember five balls, must have blown past that number. I moved away from snooker tables and my snooker play was ended.

The player I was at my peak could have given the player I am today the sun, the moon, and a few stars and still trounced the player of today. I put in more hours most weeks then than I put in during a year now. Bought an old bar table to bang around on so the hours may go up. It happens to have modestly tight pockets too, 4.25" and about 4.75" or a bit less. Those side pockets play tighter than a preacher for some reason!

Hu

I play way better now than I ever did. A lot of practice and study. I am probably a 100 Fargorate points over my very best "young"self. Also, switching to 9 and 10 ball sharpened up my game considerably over 14.1, which was the game when I first started.

fjk said:

I'm at work but I can't concentrate on work with this whole Coronavirus stuff going on.

Last night I was trying to escape through pool. I realize I truly play bad. I mean I really suck. I was thinking about the difference between my 20 year old self and my current self. I'm pretty sure my 20 year old self could give me the wild 7, 8, 9 and the breaks. Maybe even some games on the wire too.

How much could you give you?

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I match up even with players that have fargos between 730ish and 750ish and win my share for the cheese.

When I was younger, anyone above 650ish would have ran me over.

It's not that I'm in better shape. Oh no, not in the least but, I am however a much, much smarter player today.

As a matter of fact, I'm more confident today than I was in my youth....by far.


Jeff

Not much more.......a dozen yrs ago I weighed 220lbs
The last 3 yrs, it’s been 150-55 so not much to spare.

But with pool, I much rather receive rather than give.
Spotting games is just awful if the opponent gets lucky.

When you get the spot, it’s easier to not become distracted.
Spotting balls in a single game is the worst type handicap.

not a player; have no use for the action. In fact, I improved considerably when I went cold turkey on peanuts.

I'd like to give up 12 lbs.....

...……

yeah, that was bad..

70's me I would give the orange crush...
80's me, I don't have to like it...
90's me, I might need 7 out...
00's me, " " call 6.7..
10's me, he can give me the 8
now me....I'm kind of blind and shakey, and a little tired!:wink:

td

Assume we're talkig nine ball here -

I think present day SJM could spot the twenty year old SJM the eight.

The thirty year old SJM could probably play present day SJM even.

The forty year old SJM could probably give present day SJM the seven.

The fifty year old SJM could probably give present day SJM the seven.

The sixty year old SJM could probably give present day SJM the last two.

Wow, this exercise is getting kind of depressing.

In a Derby City format, I would easily beat my 20 year old self at banks or one-pocket. 9-ball would be a completely different story.

Considering that I almost never have the opportunity to play it anymore, I would lose at snooker badly to my 20 year old self.

When I was 17 I peaked as a kid, ran 83 in straight pool, not super explosive but very few unforced errors, ran a lot of tables. But those were on bigger pockets against weaker opponents. I could play safe and get ball in hand a lot, etc. I'd bet I was around 650 FR at that age. I could probably gamble and win against guys a little better on my home table but didn't have the confidence and experience to win in bigger tournaments or against a field of strong players.

My today game probably gives that player that 7/8 or 3 games to 11.

I have a lot of respect for the competitor I was back then. I was playing more (10 hours a day for 5 years) and was really in stroke all the time, but I was limited by my knowledge and tools. I feel like back then I always gave 100% of my potential but my potential was lower. Today I may not always be able to bring my best but my game is so much more developed that even when I'm at 75% it's pretty strong. If you keep working long enough you just end up playing better.

Of course it will all erode at some point so I'll enjoy it while I can. Respect paid to those of you who have had your romp in the field in days past. I'll catch up with y'all soon and hope to be as gracious and positive about it as you.

Im about 130lbs overweight. So none.

When I was young & cocky, and relied mostly on muscle memory, I was on my way to becoming a ‘hundred ball runner’ when my elbow gave out (hitting500/1000 balls-a-day). Now that my elbow has healed, I have learned so much in the years since about all my previous flaws that I am mentally frozen with constant decisions. I am actually begging an old girlfriend to come over and quiz/berate me while I play. Much like the secret to ‘keeping your head down’ is hiring someone to stand behind you with a hammer.

fjk said:

I'm at work but I can't concentrate on work with this whole Coronavirus stuff going on.

Last night I was trying to escape through pool. I realize I truly play bad. I mean I really suck. I was thinking about the difference between my 20 year old self and my current self. I'm pretty sure my 20 year old self could give me the wild 7, 8, 9 and the breaks. Maybe even some games on the wire too.

How much could you give you?

Click to expand...

I am 39, and I think my very strongest playing days were in my late teenage years.

My 17-19 year old self could probably give me the 7 out, playing 9 ball, and could probably easily beat me with that spot.

I was full of confidence and full of positive energy back in those days, and could get out from everywhere.

I would give most players in my local pool hall the 6 or 7 out, playing 9 ball, just to get a game.

I think I am a smarter player, and honestly I win more matches (8 ball, 9 ball, and one pocket) because I play smarter (pattern play, strategy, safety play, cue ball control, etc.) than my opponents, not because of my skill of pocketing balls.

So playing 8 ball and one pocket, I am pretty close to where I have always been. So I would make myself play even.

Playing 9 ball however, I would be able to give myself the 7 or the 8, but probably just the 8.

Ken