Pathetic Shark
Banned
A lack of quality coaching, yes.
Actually, I'd say 99.99% of British players have never seen a coach in their lives, and 99.99% of British players cue straighter than 99.99% of American players.
Coaching per se doesn't cut it.
A few Instructors from Asia and Europe
- Thread starter Johnnyt
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A lack of quality coaching, yes.
Actually, I'd say 99.99% of British players have never seen a coach in their lives, and 99.99% of British players cue straighter than 99.99% of American players.
Coaching per se doesn't cut it.
Agree with your last point.
While I don't agree with your 99.99% assessment, I'll use it to make the following point. If I'm a young player growing up in the UK, and am surrounded by players that cue the ball well. It's almost inevitable that I will also learn how to cue the ball well. We are creatures of our own habitat
Sometimes ego gets in the way of reality.
American players have long been successful as gun-slingers, solitary road warriors, fighting the fight individually, with very little support.
American pro players need COACHES and disciplined taskmasters but the old saying "You can bring a horse to water but you can't make him drink" has never been more appropriate.
It is primarily the Mosconi Cup where the Europeans regularly thrash the American players, so it is that event which USA players must learn how to play.
I believe some serious coaching is needed and I believe that talented sport psychologist(s) are desperately needed. Mosconi Cup is definitely a TEAM SPORT, something that our American players haven't completely wrapped their minds around. In previous years, Europe just didn't have the rotational game skills to compete in this short format but have been students of it, taking many whippings from the Americans and now they have the upper hand. Time to play catch-up and it is doable with the right mindset but that is left up to the players themselves.
JoeyA
American players have long been successful as gun-slingers, solitary road warriors, fighting the fight individually, with very little support.
American pro players need COACHES and disciplined taskmasters but the old saying "You can bring a horse to water but you can't make him drink" has never been more appropriate.
It is primarily the Mosconi Cup where the Europeans regularly thrash the American players, so it is that event which USA players must learn how to play.
I believe some serious coaching is needed and I believe that talented sport psychologist(s) are desperately needed. Mosconi Cup is definitely a TEAM SPORT, something that our American players haven't completely wrapped their minds around. In previous years, Europe just didn't have the rotational game skills to compete in this short format but have been students of it, taking many whippings from the Americans and now they have the upper hand. Time to play catch-up and it is doable with the right mindset but that is left up to the players themselves.
JoeyA
Again....I'm talking about the younger players that might take to a proven coach of many champions. I also know most of the older pros won't go to any coach/instructor. A lot of American pros watched Accu-Stat videos and copied the style of one of their hero's. That's why when you walk into a busy room of players in the U.S., you see all kinds of stances. Go into a Chinese poolroom and they all look like there in formation. Johnnyt
Coaches
A professional sports team has a slew of coaches. We need a collection of quality coaches like a swing coach, a safety coach, a jump coach, a sports psychologist, and a strategy coach. We also need players and fans that support the idea of coaches training players rather than all that I hear bad mouthing instructors.
In the military you always fell to your level of training, not rising to your expectations. Competing is not training. Disciplined, exacting training working on techniques and cue movement skills will bring results. Mark Wilson is doing just that. Given time with his young players he will develop them to a high standard.
Watch Scott Lee and Randy G. run a class and you see players training and learning a proper stroke. How many good players, who learned on their own, are willing to put their ego in check, and go through a rigorous training program?
We have the quality instructors right here in the US. What we need are players willing to submit to the mental and physical training required to compete on the world stage.
Don't misunderstand me. I have the deepest respect for our team. Going to another country and playing in their house with a raucous crowd is beyond tough. Add a stronger belief in fundamentals that the Europeans have and a few bad rolls and we got beat. It is easy to criticize from the sidelines. Pool, like life, isn't a game of the first one down, but rather a game of last one standing.
Why not add Scott Lee and Randy G., or another qualified instructor, to our team to better coach players in proper swing fundamentals. And as Joey A. suggested a sports psychologist. And while we are at it how about Shawn Putnam as the jump coach, Danny D. as the strategy coach, a nutritionist, and physical trainer. Please realize that I'm just putting these names out there as ideas and you can fill in your own team of quality coaches.
It's time we started to train for the Mosconi Cup and bring it back to America where it belongs.
A professional sports team has a slew of coaches. We need a collection of quality coaches like a swing coach, a safety coach, a jump coach, a sports psychologist, and a strategy coach. We also need players and fans that support the idea of coaches training players rather than all that I hear bad mouthing instructors.
In the military you always fell to your level of training, not rising to your expectations. Competing is not training. Disciplined, exacting training working on techniques and cue movement skills will bring results. Mark Wilson is doing just that. Given time with his young players he will develop them to a high standard.
Watch Scott Lee and Randy G. run a class and you see players training and learning a proper stroke. How many good players, who learned on their own, are willing to put their ego in check, and go through a rigorous training program?
We have the quality instructors right here in the US. What we need are players willing to submit to the mental and physical training required to compete on the world stage.
Don't misunderstand me. I have the deepest respect for our team. Going to another country and playing in their house with a raucous crowd is beyond tough. Add a stronger belief in fundamentals that the Europeans have and a few bad rolls and we got beat. It is easy to criticize from the sidelines. Pool, like life, isn't a game of the first one down, but rather a game of last one standing.
Why not add Scott Lee and Randy G., or another qualified instructor, to our team to better coach players in proper swing fundamentals. And as Joey A. suggested a sports psychologist. And while we are at it how about Shawn Putnam as the jump coach, Danny D. as the strategy coach, a nutritionist, and physical trainer. Please realize that I'm just putting these names out there as ideas and you can fill in your own team of quality coaches.
It's time we started to train for the Mosconi Cup and bring it back to America where it belongs.
Pathetic Shark
Banned
True, but loads of British kids started after getting cheaply made 6x3 tables for Xmas, following the snooker boom of the early 80s. Tens of thousands learnt how to cue a ball on their own, in their bedrooms, without seeing anyone. Virtually all have very similar technique today. In short, you have loads of different styles, the good, the bad and the downright ugly in spades.
Pathetic Shark
Banned
Yikes!
It's amazing to me how we talk about America getting back into it.
We need 16 coaches and a shaman to win. We need team camaraderie. We need to have them live together Big Brother style playing a robo-stroking perfection for a year.
The Europeans put in legitimate hard work on their own, year in, and year out. They don't train for a year together. They don't play in Scotch doubles tournaments on the weekend.
Hell, two out of the 5 live in the US and only see some of their teammates a few times a year.
The Americans see each other at almost every major stop in the states on a monthly basis.
We don't train individually the same way. Until the players take their own game as seriously as the Europeans, it's not going to matter.
Live and let live...
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1 statement - 1 question:
The two living in the US and playing for Europe is a problem in my opinion. Not saying they should play for the US, but I AM saying they shouldn't be playing for Europe if they aren't living there. Topic for another thread.
Do you honestly think SVB, work ethic and all, doesn't take his game as serious (if not more so) than any one of the European players on that team?
+1 Good post
In soccer and major team sports, there is difference between club coaching and national team coaching. MC captain is like a national team coach not club (eg. Man U, Golden State Warriors) coach. Club coaches have the players with them almost whole year so can instil and implement long term training programs etc. National team coaches do not have that luxury only having few weeks of year with the players . By and large , national coaches scout select best players based on their existing skills/ capabilities. National coaches really do not have time to teach and change players fundamentals. A lot of suggestions about fundamentals training can be done by a club coach or an academy coach not a national coach.
MC captain main job is to find a way to win in limited time he has with players , he has to (1) instil winning mindset/self belief/ discipline /mental models (2) formulate better team tactics / strategies. A lot of that does not involve technical fundamentals training.
His job is not to train Americans to play with better fundamental techniques -if he does so during his tenure , it is a bonus.
He has to work with whatever technical weaknesses players already have and maximise their strengths. He has to work fast, he cannot imagine that he has 10 year contract.
That is why a less technical guy like Johan Ruijsink can be most successful captain in MC history
I will never understand the, they live in the US so they shouldn't be able to play for Europe. Until they become American citizens it is a useless argument. If they are still playing for Europe if they gain American citizenship then I would accept some of that argument.
In terms of the SVB question, I was speaking more in an American generalization, than directly at the Mosconi Cup participants. SVB is one of the hardest training players in the world.
-Ben