A couple of questions

J

justintrent

Registered
I know there are many rating systems for players but I just cannot seem to find a concensus about what it takes to be playing on a pro level.

Considering both terrible and optimum playing conditions, what would be an average string in 9 ball for a pro player whether it be balls or racks? Perhaps it would be better to ask from a ghost game perspective always having position on the one to take out the very minimal luck aspects in the break. How would those numbers change going from a 9 footer to an 8 or 7 foot barbox? Is there another way to accurately rate a player?

I ask these questions not because I think of myself as playing on a pro level or anywhere near it, instead because I think of myself as a young and natural player with an appreciation for the game and goals set high.

One more question: What are the pocket sizes on the diamond and gold crown tables that we so often see the pros playing tournaments on?

Sorry if this has been beat up already but I couldn't find anything and would like to have your opinions anyways.

Thanks for any responses.
 
justintrent said:
I know there are many rating systems for players but I just cannot seem to find a concensus about what it takes to be playing on a pro level....
One more question: What are the pocket sizes on the diamond and gold crown tables that we so often see the pros playing tournaments on? ...
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Roughly, you should be able to beat the ghost at nine ball pretty regularly. If you play straight pool, you should be able to run 100 every practice session. See for yourself whether table size makes a difference. The pros normally only play the big tournaments on nine-foot tables.

As for the tables, pro-cut Diamonds allow two balls just into the jaws but not to the drop. GCs are generally set up with more variation depending on what is requested.

Go to a pro tournament. (If you live near New Jersey, get yourself to the 14.1 World Championships which end this Saturday.) See how they play up close and personal. Enter your local tournaments to see who you can actually beat.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Roughly, you should be able to beat the ghost at nine ball pretty regularly. ...
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There are pros and there are pros. I recall one tournament in which Efren ran out from the break over 60% of the time when he made a ball on the break. (That's without ball in hand which you get against the ghost after the break.)
 
Ghost Rating System

It's interesting to see this thread because I was just thinking about a rating system based on the ghost. My idea is that if you can run a certain number of racks in a row with ball in hand after the break using a set number of balls on the table, then that is your rating. For example, if you can set up a rack of five balls, break them and run out in rotation with ball in hand after the break five times in a row, then you are a 5. If you can do it with seven balls you are a 7. The top rating could either be 10 or 15, depending on how difficult it would be for a pro to run 10 or higher five times in a row. If five is too easy a number to run out in a row we could make it ten. Obviously this doesn't take into account safety play, but it does demand both shot making ability and position play.

I know when I was trying to do the progressive drill where you put three balls on the table and run them out in rotation I had difficulty doing even that. (I'm a little bit better than that now, I think!) :)
 
Besides local tournaments, I mainly use the Hopkins Cue Skills challenge and the ghost to judge my progress. (You can find the Hopkins rules on this forum)
 
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