Aging and Pool
- Thread starter lunchmoney
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hemicudas said:
It looks to me that you could take more pride in what you look like now instead of just saying look what 40 years can do.
I am now going on 55, Had back surgery have a chronic condition that I wont go int.I'm not really overwight still have dark brown hair and try to take care of my appearance.I also shoot better pool now then when i was a kid.
If my focus is not on the game then I stay away from the table untill I am ready to give it my best.I find this to work the best for me.
Gotchas???
Well, Mike,,,,"Gotchas" varried from room to room but in Jackson Miss. a "Gotcha" was being able to walk around the table behind your opponent, with the butt of a house cue placed on the flood, between his legs and at any point during his run of balls you were allowed to raise the butt of the cue at the speed of sound. Frequently the scream would be audible prior to impact causing many miscues and resulting in you receiving ball/balls in hand.
And, Bob,,,,,,,,,the photos were done tongue-n-cheek,,,,,,really. Ask Lunchmoney, he knows.
whiteoak said:
Well, Mike,,,,"Gotchas" varried from room to room but in Jackson Miss. a "Gotcha" was being able to walk around the table behind your opponent, with the butt of a house cue placed on the flood, between his legs and at any point during his run of balls you were allowed to raise the butt of the cue at the speed of sound. Frequently the scream would be audible prior to impact causing many miscues and resulting in you receiving ball/balls in hand.
And, Bob,,,,,,,,,the photos were done tongue-n-cheek,,,,,,really. Ask Lunchmoney, he knows.
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I am definitely past the 50 mark...sometimes I shoot pretty good, sometimes I just shoot. Most of my remarks are already taken...not as important as it use to be to win, lack of concentration, don't need the lunch money...whatever. One thing you can count on, though, is I still want to win when I get to the table.
I grew up playing snooker and had many century runs...not a real issue if the table got spread. I don't get around a snooker table anymore, but I doubt that I could run 20 points now.
The aging factor doesn't affect us all. Here is a pic of me and my good friend Lewis Alexander Goff, Jr. (aka, Jr, Lefty or the Florida Kid) He is in his 80's now, but he can still really play 1 hole real well. Certainly not quite as good as back when Billiards Digest called him "the consumate gambler", but that is another story.
I grew up playing snooker and had many century runs...not a real issue if the table got spread. I don't get around a snooker table anymore, but I doubt that I could run 20 points now.
The aging factor doesn't affect us all. Here is a pic of me and my good friend Lewis Alexander Goff, Jr. (aka, Jr, Lefty or the Florida Kid) He is in his 80's now, but he can still really play 1 hole real well. Certainly not quite as good as back when Billiards Digest called him "the consumate gambler", but that is another story.
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Mike Segal once made a statement something like this:
"Once you hit 30 (something ???,perhaps 35) in pool, you are over the hill."or on the decline ,or word's to that nature.I'm not entirley sure what his quote was,however, it was a meaning simuliar to the one above.
By saying this he didn't mean that you can't play great pool anymore. He just meant that you are passed your prime and on the decline.Although Efren Reyes can still win, he's also made quotes that he's not half as good as he used to be.Nick Varner also played some good pool in his 40's.
With that new(kevin Trudeau) 8 ball league that has ressurrected Mike Segal, Rempe and many more of the oldtimers, I'll be intrested to see if Mike Segal is prophetic with his own words.Let's see how they matchup against the younger guys with huge cash on the line. Will they experience sighting problems,a case of the yips, fatigue, a loss of focus and concentration?
Personally I think the younger players IN GENERAL are much stronger than the over 40 crowd, however, there are allways exceptions to the rule in every sport.Allthough Wu at 16 just won the world pool championships, I'm sure there are still a lot of bettors out there who would lay a bet on (a near 50 year old ??) Efren Reyes taking him out in a money match.
I know this much....Scorpion Johnny would! ...
RJ
"Once you hit 30 (something ???,perhaps 35) in pool, you are over the hill."or on the decline ,or word's to that nature.I'm not entirley sure what his quote was,however, it was a meaning simuliar to the one above.
By saying this he didn't mean that you can't play great pool anymore. He just meant that you are passed your prime and on the decline.Although Efren Reyes can still win, he's also made quotes that he's not half as good as he used to be.Nick Varner also played some good pool in his 40's.
With that new(kevin Trudeau) 8 ball league that has ressurrected Mike Segal, Rempe and many more of the oldtimers, I'll be intrested to see if Mike Segal is prophetic with his own words.Let's see how they matchup against the younger guys with huge cash on the line. Will they experience sighting problems,a case of the yips, fatigue, a loss of focus and concentration?
Personally I think the younger players IN GENERAL are much stronger than the over 40 crowd, however, there are allways exceptions to the rule in every sport.Allthough Wu at 16 just won the world pool championships, I'm sure there are still a lot of bettors out there who would lay a bet on (a near 50 year old ??) Efren Reyes taking him out in a money match.
I know this much....Scorpion Johnny would! ...
RJ
You said it
Lunch, You already answered your own question...The drop-off in our game when we age is the result of any or all of the four reasons that you stated: Vision, Stamina, Aches & Pains, and Desire/Will to Win....Unfortunately, I suffer from all four of them. Ghost
lunchmoney said:
Lunch, You already answered your own question...The drop-off in our game when we age is the result of any or all of the four reasons that you stated: Vision, Stamina, Aches & Pains, and Desire/Will to Win....Unfortunately, I suffer from all four of them. Ghost
There is no set age of decline I started at age 30 and been playing 22 years. In my 40's i played my best.
I think it is desire/attitude that players find the changing agent,With self analysis. Playing 8 hours a day to 8 hours a month to 8 hours a year. The fire diminishes at some time. Eye sight/physical limitations is the second cause of the decline.
I think it is desire/attitude that players find the changing agent,With self analysis. Playing 8 hours a day to 8 hours a month to 8 hours a year. The fire diminishes at some time. Eye sight/physical limitations is the second cause of the decline.
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drivermaker
Banned
sharandrew said:
Well hell yes, you had no where to go but up. But were you as good in your 40's as you would have been in your 20's if you had started in your early teens? And the answer is....F*#K NO!!
Aging and pool
Regarding aging and pool skills, I think eyesight is paramount to good shot making. If you can't see where to aim, you cannot expect to pocket the ball and stay on a run. I had my cataracts removed at age 63 and both eyes went to 20-20 vision. My shot making skills improved dramatically.
Everything else becomes "cause & effect" related. If your back hurts, your playing level will decrease over time on the table. If you are out of shape, your stamina will not hold up to the same level as a younger player. Yes, without a doubt the older a pool player gets, the more his overall game suffers. That is why we have the Senior Tour. Yesterday, I played Terry Osborne nine ball bank pool. Terry is 57 years old and clearly one of the top players in Arizona. I am an "8" rated player and Terry is a "10". He beat me six games to one. And though they were all close games and possibly could have gone differently depending upon rolls, Terry clearly out played me. If he were thirty years younger, I doubt he would have played any better.
Age is but a number. Mosconi and Greenleaf played a match when they were well both over eighty years old. Doubt there were many young players who could have stayed with them.
Age is but a number. Get yours cataracts removed first and stay with the proven formula: practice, practice and more practice. Then top shelf competition to ensure that you know enough to be compatitive, If you don't know how to make the shots and your competitor does, age is meaningless to the outcome.
Cross Side Larry
Regarding aging and pool skills, I think eyesight is paramount to good shot making. If you can't see where to aim, you cannot expect to pocket the ball and stay on a run. I had my cataracts removed at age 63 and both eyes went to 20-20 vision. My shot making skills improved dramatically.
Everything else becomes "cause & effect" related. If your back hurts, your playing level will decrease over time on the table. If you are out of shape, your stamina will not hold up to the same level as a younger player. Yes, without a doubt the older a pool player gets, the more his overall game suffers. That is why we have the Senior Tour. Yesterday, I played Terry Osborne nine ball bank pool. Terry is 57 years old and clearly one of the top players in Arizona. I am an "8" rated player and Terry is a "10". He beat me six games to one. And though they were all close games and possibly could have gone differently depending upon rolls, Terry clearly out played me. If he were thirty years younger, I doubt he would have played any better.
Age is but a number. Mosconi and Greenleaf played a match when they were well both over eighty years old. Doubt there were many young players who could have stayed with them.
Age is but a number. Get yours cataracts removed first and stay with the proven formula: practice, practice and more practice. Then top shelf competition to ensure that you know enough to be compatitive, If you don't know how to make the shots and your competitor does, age is meaningless to the outcome.
Cross Side Larry
I thought Mosconi was 80 when he died? And it looks like Ralph Greenleaf was only 50 when he passed away.
Since Greenleaf died in 1950 the latest and oldest Mosconi could have been was 37. Unless you mean they played someone else and not each other. Either way the way over eighty remark isn't even close.
Since Greenleaf died in 1950 the latest and oldest Mosconi could have been was 37. Unless you mean they played someone else and not each other. Either way the way over eighty remark isn't even close.
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Since Greenleaf died in 1950 the latest and oldest Mosconi could have been was 37. Unless you mean they played someone else and not each other. Either way the way over eighty remark isn't even close.[/QUOTE]
I saw what looked to be a round robin event with Mosconi,Fats,Crane and I cant think of the last guys name.They must of all been in their 70s.Watching that match, I sure would not play any of them.In a shortened time frame match,I think even at their late age they would still beat most of the young guns today.It really was amazing to watch.It was like watching a Rembrandt painting.True masters of the game.Having said all that, you can see the age does matter.When they missed a shot it was because of eyesight or they could not fully extend and get down on the shot.In every sport age does matter.
I saw what looked to be a round robin event with Mosconi,Fats,Crane and I cant think of the last guys name.They must of all been in their 70s.Watching that match, I sure would not play any of them.In a shortened time frame match,I think even at their late age they would still beat most of the young guns today.It really was amazing to watch.It was like watching a Rembrandt painting.True masters of the game.Having said all that, you can see the age does matter.When they missed a shot it was because of eyesight or they could not fully extend and get down on the shot.In every sport age does matter.