Who said I was trying to be funny?
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50 and over tournaments
- Thread starter gypsy_soul
- Start date
Dang you sound just like me
Except they have been full awhile to with waiting lists.
Back in the 60s 70s 80s even- you had to either not work at all or stay out late almost every night and play pool constantly to get really good at the game. Now, with the training and video/internet insights available to everyone at any age, you can start out on the right foot early and really accelerate the learning curve without having to sacrifice the rest of your life.
if you are relatively healthy and past 50 there is no excuse today for anyone not to be able to ramp up very quickly in pool if you seek out the correct training and incorporate that training into meaningful practice and competition.
Having the time now since retirement to ingest the correct training and insights into this game; at 68 I am the best player of my lifetime to date, and I was a very capable player going back the past 40 years.
What I do witness with many seniors, though, the factors that keep them from improving their game are: 1. the presence of one or multiple physical health factors that inhibit serious time at the table, 2. unhealthy life styles that make table time unproductive such as weight gain, alcohol abuse, lack of exercise. 3. the unwillingness to admit their shortcomings and seek out the correct ways to construct a stroke and all the resulting benefits that would result from admitting to themselves that they were not doing things correctly - unwillingness to change.
I see lots of seniors show up at various venues regularly to play and most just continue to do the same wrong things over and over at the table, then when they lose they use their age as the biggest excuse for their performance- I don't buy it most of the time.
Of course, long grinding sessions become much more difficult with age, but any reasonably healthy older person should be able to play at their top speed for at least a few hours a day.
if you are relatively healthy and past 50 there is no excuse today for anyone not to be able to ramp up very quickly in pool if you seek out the correct training and incorporate that training into meaningful practice and competition.
Having the time now since retirement to ingest the correct training and insights into this game; at 68 I am the best player of my lifetime to date, and I was a very capable player going back the past 40 years.
What I do witness with many seniors, though, the factors that keep them from improving their game are: 1. the presence of one or multiple physical health factors that inhibit serious time at the table, 2. unhealthy life styles that make table time unproductive such as weight gain, alcohol abuse, lack of exercise. 3. the unwillingness to admit their shortcomings and seek out the correct ways to construct a stroke and all the resulting benefits that would result from admitting to themselves that they were not doing things correctly - unwillingness to change.
I see lots of seniors show up at various venues regularly to play and most just continue to do the same wrong things over and over at the table, then when they lose they use their age as the biggest excuse for their performance- I don't buy it most of the time.
Of course, long grinding sessions become much more difficult with age, but any reasonably healthy older person should be able to play at their top speed for at least a few hours a day.
It's very odd that SBE seniors, or any "senior" thing would be 50+, that seems way too young. I would have done 60+ I turned 50 this year, and I think I am playing my best now and in the past few years than I did ever before. It's a bit like automatically putting women as lower ranked players without considering the skill. Many 50+ players can beat the younger ones, just limit the damn things by skill and that is it. Old, young, boobs, no boobs, fat, thin, just play with those in the same skill category never mind what sex you are or how wrinkly you are.
Why don't we divide up divisions by height or weight? I mean those factors affect play much more than just age or sex. Tall players can reach shots easier, skinnier players can stretch out more to play shots, those are actual skill affecting things. Lets setup up a fat short guy tournament, make it an even field of ability so none of those 6' guys that can reach shots are robbing the heightfully challenged. At 5'6" I have to put up with all those taller guys reaching the shots and having long powerful easy strokes, while I need to use my stubby arms to poke at the shots and stand on tip toes to shoot past mid table, it's horrible. We are separating players for not the right reasons.
I am not sure what the seniors tour Grady did age limit was back in the 90s, Maybe 55+?
Why don't we divide up divisions by height or weight? I mean those factors affect play much more than just age or sex. Tall players can reach shots easier, skinnier players can stretch out more to play shots, those are actual skill affecting things. Lets setup up a fat short guy tournament, make it an even field of ability so none of those 6' guys that can reach shots are robbing the heightfully challenged. At 5'6" I have to put up with all those taller guys reaching the shots and having long powerful easy strokes, while I need to use my stubby arms to poke at the shots and stand on tip toes to shoot past mid table, it's horrible. We are separating players for not the right reasons.
I am not sure what the seniors tour Grady did age limit was back in the 90s, Maybe 55+?
I can think of 5 or 6 Top Players in AZ that were still kicking butt past 60, or more.
Not sure if it's the one you're referring to, but there was a seniors tournament at the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi Mississippi in the late '90's, 1999? Mizerak was the host.
Grady had a Seniors tour, sponsored by Taco Bell, about the same time. Don't know if this one you mentioned was part of that but the timeline seems right.
I need a tournament for the players that can’t see.. can’t pee ..can’t chew…can’t screw..hearing stinks..memory shrinks. And starts a little after lunch and ends around 2pm as it’s happy hour (2 hour nap). I guess it would be be seniors plus. 50 to me is a minor.
There is a pool hall here where the owner set up the Diamond tables like 2 inches higher than normal (and diamonds normally are pretty high) because he is tall and doesnt want to learn down as much.
For the players like me that are 5'8 routine shots on every other table in town are unreachable there. It puts the shorter players at a BIG disadvantage because we miss shots all the time because of the reach.
...just fun'n the future for over 50
FOR AMERICAN CITIZEN (WHICH QUALIFY UNDER RULES GOVERNING AMERICAN-BREDS) WOMAN AND MEN FIFTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE STARTED FOR A CLAIMING PRICE OF $10,000 AND POTTED 100 or LESS IN 2021 OR CLAIMING PRICE $16,000 WITH (1) 90 POT COMPLETION. Fifty Year Olds, 5.7 hgt. or less; Older, 5.8. max Non-winners Of A Race Since December 20, 2021 Allowed 1". A Race Since November 20, 2021 0 Allowance. Claiming Price $16,000.
FOR AMERICAN CITIZEN (WHICH QUALIFY UNDER RULES GOVERNING AMERICAN-BREDS) WOMAN AND MEN FIFTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE STARTED FOR A CLAIMING PRICE OF $10,000 AND POTTED 100 or LESS IN 2021 OR CLAIMING PRICE $16,000 WITH (1) 90 POT COMPLETION. Fifty Year Olds, 5.7 hgt. or less; Older, 5.8. max Non-winners Of A Race Since December 20, 2021 Allowed 1". A Race Since November 20, 2021 0 Allowance. Claiming Price $16,000.
That is interesting, an owner that setups up a pool hall based on how he personally would be using it. Is there a sign when you walk in "must be this tall to play"? LOL
No but there is a no hustling sign over the money table and the whole setup is designed so the owner can hustle people.
At 63, I am the old guy on my APA team. The rest are guys in their 20s and 30s. A running joke with us is that when a song plays on the jukebox, I have usually seen the band and will tell them what year and where I saw them. Examples - Stevie Ray Vaughan, Montreal, 1983; Boston, Hanover NH, 1980; Eric Clapton, Orlando FL, 2006; BB King, Manchester NH, 2001...
We had the coolest cars and saw all the good bands....
We had the coolest cars and saw all the good bands....
The 50+ player isn't that young in pool. Souquet, Kiamco, Archer and Bustamante are all over 50 and they are still tough outs. Mike LeBron and Buddy Hall both won the US Open 9-ball when in their fifties. Bring your "A" game if you want to top the heap in the 50+ division of any event.