Aiming for pro within 5 years. Realistic?

one stroke said:
Sure in a short race ,,iv lost by 2-3 games to a lot of pro's ,, but thiers not a long line to get to him in a long set for big cash ,, JM was playing 2 k sets at 14 turned pro at 16 traveling around the world playing also a very short list ,,


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JM was not playing 2k sets at 14 and did not turn pro at 16. He turned pro when he was 20
 
SamLambert said:
Well, I did make some logical goals to get there :

A : 1 year
AA : 2 years
AAA : 3 years
SP : 4 years
Pro : 5 years

So I have to progress by one "rank" per year.

I do have some medium term goals also. Being able to jump and make the ball reliably within a year for example (obviously, not jumping as in jumping with my legs, that part I can manage already!). I don't have a big plan laid out, but do have some things I aim for.

EDIT : Clarified a bit my definition of jumping reliably further down.
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Nobody progresses in a linear fashion. You have periods where you break through and then for no reason your game reverts.

To go from good B to A level there are a lot of bad habits to break. You start passing on the shots that get you into trouble. You start beating some guys you used to break even with. Still you need the 7 out from the better local players.

To go to AA and higher it's mostly an equation of effort divided by natural ability. If you have some insane natural talent you will progress quicker. Most people it involves playing 20 to 40 hours a week with very good instruction at an early age. Playing out 1 night a week and a weekly tournament against regular players just won't achieve results.
 
Jimbojim said:
Well, I have watched Sylvain Grenier compete this weekend at the Quebec Provincials and he's probably the best tutor you could get and since he has his own Academy, it makes it easier to get some tutelage from him. That being said, to achieve a Pro level status (I'm talking about Hewitt or Grenier Pro level not the other ones we have) You will have to sacrifice a lot of things, almost all of your free time will be towards practicing pool. You girlfriend might be supporting the idea now but that's not to say she would never feel negliged one day.

For some of the naysayers, sometimes just achieving that caliber is enough to fulfill the dream. I certainly would like to become a Pro one day but would never try to make a living out of it....I just want to be able to play at that level.

Sam, are you ranked in the FQSB yet? What class are you?
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Grenier is a very solid player and looks to do everything correctly. He would be a fantastic resource for anyone.

When a van full of those Canadians come to your regional tour expect them to take 75% of the payouts. They all can play technically sound pool. It's a very impressive group.
 
2strong4u said:
Grenier is a very solid player and looks to do everything correctly. He would be a fantastic resource for anyone.

When a van full of those Canadians come to your regional tour expect them to take 75% of the payouts. They all can play technically sound pool. It's a very impressive group.
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I take about 4 lessons per month with Grenier and I practice about 30 hours a week. I think if I keep this up, I have good odds of achieving what I'm looking for.
 
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SamLambert said:
RunoutJJ said:
Get Dr. Daves DVD's. They are a true test to your skill level.
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I just sent him a message. Not sure which DVD set I should buy based on what I'm looking for in an instructional video. The "Video Encyclopedia of Pool Shots" series are looking pretty good.

EDIT : Had a brain fart and wrote about HAPS instead of VEPS
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For the benefit of others interested, the following document includes brief descriptions of each series, and provides detailed advice concerning how to choose among them:

Dr. Dave Billiards Product Info and Purchasing Advice

I hope you enjoy and benefit from my stuff,
Dave
 
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