Age or hunger?

[Cdryden]

Weird title I know but lately I have been asking myself why, in pool, do some people slow down.

Most would say it's a young man's game (or womens). They say that as a person gets older they can't hack it. But I see no reason why this game should be considered a young mans game. You don't have to be a athlete to play the game.
Granted that a persons eye's and back tends to go as they get older but I doubt this is the case as much as people think.

I think that more often than not people suffer the same fate as pro boxers, once they reach their goal, they loose that hunger to be the best. I think that if a person can maintain that fire, the desire that drives them, their career will last almost as long as their bodies.

Let me pick on CJ for a sec, mainly just because he is more likely than most top level players to reply here. CJ at one time was at the top of the pool world, he could hold his own with just about anybody who played the game at that time. CJ is still in good shape for a man his age. His knowledge of the game has only increased with time. I'm not sure about eye sight but I will assume even if he is having problems that it can likely be corrected with Lasik or other measures.
So why isn't he on top still? I know some will say that there isn't any money in it anymore and I agree that that is a valid reason, but if there was would CJ be able to raise to the top again?

Please don't be offended CJ, none of this is a personal attack, just a curiosity. I personally believe that a person who is driven to succeed can be carried a long way on desire alone.

I know that there are several players in their 50's and older who still play great but I would expect to see more placing in the money at big events.

So besides the money, do you think that some players are suffering from the effects of age or a lack of desire?

 

[prad]

I think there is a lot that goes into why a players "slow down", its a combination of various factors including aging and lack of motivation ("hunger").
I would say when a top player gets old one of the reason why hunger dies, is cuz they have been there and done that. What else is to be done ?
For you and I pool is a just a game that we enjoy, but to a top player pool has to be something more than that. It's their "job"

After a long time of doing your "job" at a top level don't you think its time to relax a little bit and focus on other things that needs to be done ?

IMO at some point of time every one passes their "prime" and it's not the same anymore. Top players of the past has nothing to prove, they have had their battles and glory moments.

 

[boogeyman]

Well, my opinion is there up to this point, most people just don't take care of themselves. So by the time people reach their late 30s they start to "slow down." Eyesight, back, energy flags. This in turn becomes aggravating and under these "conditions" who has the will to play?

I DO think (and hope) that the pool player is doing better for himself/herself these days. Getting better nutrition, sufficient sleep, little to no drugs (that includes alcohol) light exercise and the like. I see it in a few of the players, but if you were to follow any player who played over the last two weeks at Steinway, chances are you would find a player, eating fast food, drinking, smoking (Hatchetman), not sleeping enough, not AT LEAST stretching at night, or simply allowing the pool tournament to take over their entire 24-hour day.

It IS possible to do the right things while playing in a pool tourney. It just takes knowledge and discipline.

In view of all that, and to contribute to your posting, Cdryden, I think it comes down to not age, per se, but the many years of abuse and forgetting to take care of one's body, which in turn leads to various ailments. This in turn, cause one to lose interest in a hobby that requires, standing, walking, bending, and concentration.

I agree however, that pool, could be played at a very high level if one simply paid attention to health. I also agree that one does NOT have to be an athlete to play pool, however, I do say that pool is a sport.

 

[Mole Eye]

If a person's health stays good, there's no reason why a player should slow down, other than motivation. Jose Parica is a good example. At the Ginky Memorial they were talking about how he retired for several years and came back because he overheard someone say Reyes was the best Filipino player ever. That motivated him again, and he's still a force. I also remember another fellow that owned a local pool room who, at the age of 79, played a money match for 28 hours straight, and very few people ever beat him for the cash. As long as the eyesight and health is there, it's just a matter of if you want to put in the time.

 

[RRfireblade]

Its nothing unique to pool. You get older, your life gets more complex, your time/focus and attention gets split even more and so on.

It's not an age thing, it's a life thing.

 

[NYC cue dude]

Competitive pool (tournaments)

Requires ungodly amounts of stamina and focus/concentration. Both of these elements deteriorate as people get older. There is also a high level of "killer instinct" required that I believe is associated with testosterone in male players that also dissipates with age. Tournament pool requires standing and sitting around for up to 16 hours a day. There is no set time for eating and the stress associated with top players attacks and wears down the human body.

Because you casually play the game, doesn't mean that competitive pool isn't an athletic undertaking. It just means you haven't experienced all that it entails.