Age vs Experience

What's the old saying?

Wisdom comes with age... but sometimes age comes alone, lol.

I think it's really a matter of how you approach the game. Some guys can spend thousands of hours playing but are not paying attention. Their progress will be slow. Other guys are paying attention, to their mechanics and the behavior of the balls. Those guys will go further much faster.

It's a funny game... and the little things many guys are not paying attention to are what often matter most.

Lou Figueroa
 
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MitchAlsup said:
Do you mean that things work better in theory than in practice ?!?
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It was meant to provoke thought. You can interpret this any way you want.

As for me, there is an underlying truth, which takes into account the outliers that throw conventional wisdom on its head.
 
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iusedtoberich said:
I don't think anyone learns to play pool when they are already grown and have day jobs. No time for that then. It's a teenage sport. Kids get hooked, and spend every waking moment in a pool hall that they can get away with. If they get the pool bug as a teen, it will carry over once they have day jobs and they will gamble with their day job money.

If they don't get the bug as a teen, it won't happen as an adult. Very rare in my experinece. And it certainly won't happen with pro player level players. ALL those guys (and gals) were addicted as kids or teens.
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Definitely disagree with this. When you are young you have all sorts of opportunity for competition. As you get older all you have is your balls and your word.

I am thankful for my day job and I am happy competing against myself and the table to get better than I was last night or last week or last month. I even have my little yum-yum hooked. We play for the “Champions Chain” every weekend. We have fun, but it is definitely serious.

And shoot, we used to reminisce but didn’t get a table and get serious until our 30’s. My wife knows where I’m at, the kids can hang with us, and there is no better way to spend an evening; livin’ is easy.
 
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bbb said:
filler knew how to play onepocket and he and tony played even ...no spot
filler had been playing on that table for weeks
tony tried to out shoot filler which was the wrong strategy
and filler didnt miss a ball
had tony given filler no shots for 10-15 minutes or more at a time
he may not have looked so sharp
regardless thats a one case example
age and experience keeps players past their 9 ball prime still tough to beat in onepocket
jmho
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I feel the same way about SVB. If he played Fedor and was able to pick the table, cloth, cue ball, lighting and room conditions, Fedor would have his hands Full.
 
I've concluded the thing most players lose as they age -- isn't their eyes, their coordination, or their overall health, it's simply their passion. Keep your health and your passion and you can continue to put in the necessary hours it takes to stay competitive.

The most technically demanding cue sport surely is snooker and a 47 year old may still be the best in the world.
 
bbb said:
filler knew how to play onepocket and he and tony played even ...no spot
filler had been playing on that table for weeks
tony tried to out shoot filler which was the wrong strategy
and filler didnt miss a ball
had tony given filler no shots for 10-15 minutes or more at a time
he may not have looked so sharp
regardless thats a one case example
age and experience keeps players past their 9 ball prime still tough to beat in onepocket
jmho
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And they played bank pool for a good while before.

Tony let filler manage him that whole trip.
 
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I'm surprised stamina hasn't been mentioned very often.

When I was 60, I could play nonstop pool all night and watch the sun rise and still was ready for more (my opponents seemed to always have to go "home". Now, at age 70, I am starting to tucker out after 6 or 8 racks. I fully understand that my health issues (heart) have a lot to do with it, but we all know that the older we get the less our bodies can withstand the grind of all day playing. Can you imagine trying to work your way through the B side of a tournament playing mostly 20-something year olds? That's go to be tough for any player in his/her 40's. The mental/physical grind is going to affect your decision-making, your shot-making, and your overall give-a-shit mentality after a while.
 
Maniac said:
I'm surprised stamina hasn't been mentioned very often.

When I was 60, I could play nonstop pool all night and watch the sun rise and still was ready for more (my opponents seemed to always have to go "home". Now, at age 70, I am starting to tucker out after 6 or 8 racks. I fully understand that my health issues (heart) have a lot to do with it, but we all know that the older we get the less our bodies can withstand the grind of all day playing. Can you imagine trying to work your way through the B side of a tournament playing mostly 20-something year olds? That's go to be tough for any player in his/her 40's. The mental/physical grind is going to affect your decision-making, your shot-making, and your overall give-a-shit mentality after a while.
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Dan Harrington, poker world champion and author had just about the best line on diminishing stamina in advanced age:

"I have the energy of a 21 year old ... for about 3 hours a day."
 
Maniac said:
I'm surprised stamina hasn't been mentioned very often.

When I was 60, I could play nonstop pool all night and watch the sun rise and still was ready for more (my opponents seemed to always have to go "home". Now, at age 70, I am starting to tucker out after 6 or 8 racks. I fully understand that my health issues (heart) have a lot to do with it, but we all know that the older we get the less our bodies can withstand the grind of all day playing. Can you imagine trying to work your way through the B side of a tournament playing mostly 20-something year olds? That's go to be tough for any player in his/her 40's. The mental/physical grind is going to affect your decision-making, your shot-making, and your overall give-a-shit mentality after a while.
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60 to 70 is one thing, especially if it's health related but take someone like Mika. He's in great shape for someone probably close to 50. I bet stamina isn't much of an issue for him. But...do you think he still has the passion to play 8 hour sessions everyday, which is pretty much what the top-tier are doing day in and day out?
 
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