Aiming for pro within 5 years. Realistic?

no you cannot, in the same manner that anybody starting in their 20's would not make mlb, nba, nfl.....etc.....

furthermore,


1. you have not even put in the research and reading to even be in a position to be asking the question yet alone comprehend what you're asking

2. I think you have the wrong idea of "pro".....this ain't the nba, if you want to earn a living at this, you need be in the upper echelon of the world's best, and many of them are still struggling financially and go years without a decent salary

3. To my knowledge, your goal under your circumstances has never been accomplished before
 
throne4 said:
So does that mean that every pro athlete in all sports have to come out of their mothers belly with there destiny??? That doesn't make any sense at all. Talent and dedication that's what it takes to have a chance, one doesn't have to have a cue in one hand and there mouth on their mothers tit to make it happen
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The question was is aiming for pro in 5 yrs realistic ,, ,, and the answer is no
Is it possible the answer is yes ,,


1
 
It's not impossible but why not start with a smaller goal and go up from there?
With a job and a girlfriend, getting to a decent A level in 4-5 years is much more realistic, and even that will require a lot of talent, dedication and sacrifice.

Not saying becoming a pro can't be done, but I'd say dedicate a few years to get to an A level first and if you make it, you'll have a realistic idea of how hard it is to improve from there, then you can decide if it's worth it to go on and if really want it.
 
Sam,

If you want to be at a touring pro level, the time you put in per week at the table needs to be doubled, at a minimum. Besides dedicated focused practice, you will need to get your self into action and tournaments for "seasoning" You will need to learn how to handle adversity, all the while knowing that if you don't cash in the tourney -- or win the next set you may not have enough money to eat. That pressure is something that you will have to learn to deal with, and it has broken down many a player.

I would suggest you going a different path, you can make a comfortable living, developing a trick and fancy shot regime. Basically you become a paid entertainer, and the money is just as green -- without the mental and physical demands of going on the road.

Something to consider.



SamLambert said:
So, I recently started playing the incredible game that is pocket billiards (july) and quickly developped a great interest forthe game.

I am not aiming for anything lower than pro and was wondering what would be a realistic target to aim for? The pro who owns the pool hall where I play became one after 4 years, so I'm figuring it is very much possible to do, but then he told me it was before there were rating systems in place and so he was ranked as such arbitrarily.

After asking another one who became one just this year, it took him just a little over 5 years.

So, everything points toward it being very much possible, albeit very hard and not without a lot of hard practive and lots of tournaments.

Since I started, I have been playing/practicing about 30-35 hours a week on average.

What's your take on this? Am I looking at this the wrong way? Input from others is always interesting to hear.

Sam
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victorl said:
It's not impossible but why not start with a smaller goal and go up from there?
With a job and a girlfriend, getting to a decent A level in 4-5 years is much more realistic, and even that will require a lot of talent, dedication and sacrifice.

Not saying becoming a pro can't be done, but I'd say dedicate a few years to get to an A level first and if you make it, you'll have a realistic idea of how hard it is to improve from there, then you can decide if it's worth it to go on and if really want it.
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Sage advice
 
Play 30 games of 10 ball ghost and find your rating (9 feet table) like here http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/ratings.html#10-ball
When you reach pro level in that drill more than 50% of the time, in a 9 feet table with pockets not bigger than 4.5'', you will only be in the right direction to reach some day a real pro level of play. It will take several more years to really get consistent pro level, you will need a lot of competition experience, work on you mental part of the game (gambling little money sometimes can help with your game under pressure), etc.
Don't give up, be conscious that once you get a pretty decent level, it's very very difficult to increase it. Even more, a lot, and I mean really a lot of players (most of them) that have been playing for years and years, get stuck in B-A or even C level.
Play a lot of straight pool too, IMO anyone that cannot reach 100 balls is no relevant in the pool world, a consistent pro can make them regularly... when you get the 100 balls you will really see how much effort you made to reach that level, and you will apreciate how good are the guys that can make 200's or 300's, and then you will see the thruth, it's almost impossible to make it in 5 years...

One more thing, and the best advice I can give to you: with a good instructor it will take half the time if you have the talent needed.
 
Eurotroll said:
Play 30 games of 10 ball ghost and find your rating (9 feet table) like here http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/ratings.html#10-ball
When you reach pro level in that drill more than 50% of the time, in a 9 feet table with pockets not bigger than 4.5'', you will only be in the right direction to reach some day a real pro level of play. It will take several more years to really get consistent pro level, you will need a lot of competition experience, work on you mental part of the game (gambling little money sometimes can help with your game under pressure), etc.
Don't give up, be conscious that once you get a pretty decent level, it's very very difficult to increase it. Even more, a lot, and I mean really a lot of players (most of them) that have been playing for years and years, get stuck in B-A or even C level.
Play a lot of straight pool too, IMO anyone that cannot reach 100 balls is no relevant in the pool world, a consistent pro can make them regularly... when you get the 100 balls you will really see how much effort you made to reach that level, and you will apreciate how good are the guys that can make 200's or 300's, and then you will see the thruth, it's almost impossible to make it in 5 years...

One more thing, and the best advice I can give to you: with a good instructor it will take half the time if you have the talent needed.
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Your thread speaks volumes.

While running 100 balls is quite difficult running two to three hundred is only 2-3 times as hard;)
 
Go for it! You're still young, do all you can to capture your dream. Good luck, pro pool definitely has room for a fresh, passionate player.
 
Stop spending time feeding trolls, and just go hit balls for 40 hours a week on the practice table (not including tournaments or money games). Then in 5 years you will have your 10,400 hours in and that should be what is required for you to hit the level you are looking for. Good luck! You can do it sir.
 
SamLambert said:
Thanks for the advice! Yeah the money in pool is pretty bad. I should have mentioned on the initial post that my goal was along the lines of playing at a pro level rather than making a living out of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Pool has many games. It is difficult to be a pro at them ALL. The guys you named are not considered "PRO" at 9 ball, 10 ball, one pocket, straight pool. Additionally, with out pro level "Competition" and "Coaching" your success will be limited.

What lessons have you had? What books and video lessons have you utilized? I assume you are looking at being pro 9 ball/10 ball and those rotation games the break/racking is of the most importance. Everyone can run out, everyone can not rack and make a ball on the break consistently! Thus, Corey Dueul has emerged to greatness.

The best one pocket players took years learning game strategy after already taking years developing a pro level stroke. SVB did not take up straight pool despite all the talent he has until just recently. I do not recall SVB playing straight pool in his early years. Same with Johnny Archer. Neither of them are top tier straight pool players and they would not be considered pro straight pool players.

below is my list of Who i consider Pro:

One pocket: Frost, Alex pagulayan, Efren Reyes,
Straight pool: Thorston, Appleton, John Schmidt, Danny Harriman
9 ball/10 ball: SVB, Orcollo, Appleton, neils Fiejen, Ralf Souquet, Thorston,

alot of great players have been left off the list above. Plus, the list is rather small and biased as it excludes a lot of chinese/taiwanese players that would populate the 9 ball/10 ball section.

I suggest you take a trip to DERBY where the pro players will be and test your progress and pick their brains for more insight into what it takes to become "PRO". You may find that relocation may be a job requirement to reach your goal.

KD
 
Kid Dynomite said:
SVB ...Johnny Archer. Neither of them are top tier straight pool players and they would not be considered pro straight pool players. ...
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While not raised on 14.1, both of those guys certainly play it at a pro level.

Johnny won a significant 14.1 event over 20 years ago. In the World 14.1 Tournament, he has finished tied for 9th or better half a dozen times, with a top finish of tied for 3rd. He has run 200 balls.

In his brief time with 14.1, Shane has finished T9, 2nd, and T5 in the World event. He has run over 300 balls.
 
hey sam

it's been two months
you've been bit by the pool bug, good for you, it's a great game, great way to pass the time

i, like you, was bit by the pool bug about 4 years ago, i was 22 years old

i started playing 8 or more hours a day 5 days a week, sometimes 12-15 hours a day if i got to the pool room early enough
bought and read all the pool instructional book i could get my hands on, bought and watched all the instructional video i could, saw all the top pro matches on youtube, just in 9 ball to start with but eventually everything else too, 10ball, one pocket, banks, 14.1, 8ball, even 3 cushion and snooker

i quickly became a pretty sporty player, saw improvement so fast many people didn't believe it when i told them i had only started a few months prior
everyone would say i could be a pro someday if i dedicated myself to it, it would take years but i had natural ability, i was smart, i was in shape, i had stamina, desire, dedication, solid fundamentals, what's to stop me?

well you say the money's not important, but it is, not the money you won't make from pool, but the money you're going to put into this endeavor
that 100 a month for the table time and 30 an hour for the instruction is just the beginning
join a gym because you better stay in shape if you're gonna play 80 hours of pool a week
eat right, no cheap fast food because you need energy to practice for hours and hours
a good cue costs money, books and dvds cost money
tournaments cost money, gambling is gonna cost money
travelling to find tourneys or action once you're the top dog in your area costs money

enough about the money, prepare to be alone for most of this journey
your friends aren't going to have your dedication to pool, they won't practice long hours with you, for most people pool is just a hobby
your girl says she wants to go on this journey with you, that's not gonna last, she has no idea what this will require, and neither do you, not yet
you're gonna work 40 hours a week, and the rest of the time will be spent playing pool, eating, working out and sleeping
see how i left out time with your girl, because there will be no time, it's the sacrifice you're making to get to pro level, also there will be no time with family or friends unless they all visit you in the pool room, which will cut into your practice time so you won't want that

so your day basically goes like this
wake up, shower, eat breakfast, go to work, eat lunch, get out of work, go to the gym, eat dinner, practice, sleep
and your days off
wake up, shower, eat breakfast, practice, eat lunch, go to the gym, back to more practice, sleep

prepare for it to get boring and very tedious, working on the same drills week in and week out, perfecting every aspect of your physical game
and then there's the mental game, the game that you need when playing better players or people trying to shark you, or when you're having an off day, because there will be many

and prepare for when you hit a plateau, because it happens too, the speed at which you're improving right now won't last
soon you won't see the improvements anymore, they'll be so minute you might think you've hit a wall, but they're what separates shortstop from pro, millimeters
and pool is a game of precision, a game of millimeters
and what separates pro from top pro is the mental game

so prepare for frustration because the other thing that happens is you can play a match and do nothing wrong and still lose
prepare for bad rolls and bad sportsmanship
and this is all for one game like 9ball, nevermind trying to reach pro status in all pocket billiard games

it's a tough and lonely road, very few take it because of all the time and money you have to put into it, and not alot of money you can get out of it even if you become the top player in the world
and that's another reason most players who achieve greatness have starting young in common, because life is easier when you don't have a job, bills, responsibilities, a significant other who wants to see you

so take this journey for a year or two and see how you like it, see if it's worth it

and as far as realistic?
of course it's realistic, but it takes hard work and too much sacrifice for very little reward in my opinion
plus say you get to pro level, there's still a hundred guys that could beat you at any given time, in some tournaments one mistake or one bad roll is all it takes to lose
shane van boening has won 3 US bar table 9 ball championships in a row and 4 total, his best game on a barbox is 8 ball, he has 0 US bar table 8 ball championship titles
that's how hard it is to win at this game at that level
one mistake, one bad roll, one dry break can be the difference between tournament winner and one spot away from getting in the money

so do i have what it takes to be a pro?...maybe, maybe not
would i ever pursue it?...hell no, i'm happy with pool as a hobby
i have my few and far between moments of stringing racks together, playing pinpoint position, dead stroke moments and that's enough for me
the pros can have the trophies
 
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to be a pro will require a tremendous amount of time, exposure, patience and dedication. you WILL also have to make sacrifices if you want pool to be your profession. 5 years may or may not be enough - depends really on you. i wish you the best of luck.
 
I would worry 10 times more about my position play than pocketing balls after less than a year. Learn to control that white ball and the pocketing will become a snap. Also, planning 3 balls ahead is a must for running out. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
I would worry 10 times more about my position play than pocketing balls after less than a year. Learn to control that white ball and the pocketing will become a snap. Also, planning 3 balls ahead is a must for running out. Johnnyt
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Indeed, every banger can knock in balls. What always amazes me is the superb position play and control of the speed that the pros have. That takes years to master.
 
SamLambert said:
I believe almost anyone can be at the international pro level given enough practice.
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I haven't read the whole thread so maybe somebody else has already said this, but you can't be pro level without the talent and only a small percentage have enough talent. Per the above I know you don't believe that, and there are plenty of others who disagree as well (none of the pros disagree with this though which should be pretty telling).

Just about anybody could be an A player with enough practice and dedication. Many or maybe even most could even be a short stop with enough effort and dedication. But very few could be truly pro level, and certainly not competitive on the international level as you are dreaming of. Not going to happen for most, I don't care if you practice for 12 hours a day for the next 20 years. Being a pro requires having the talent and also a ton of practice/dedication. If you are missing either one it just won't ever happen, and most people simply just don't have the former, and are unwilling to do the latter.

IMO if you do have the talent you should be at least a really solid A player within six months to a year if you are playing 15+ hours a week (and that doesn't guarantee you can ever reach the pro level, it just keeps the dream from being squashed right there). Like someone else recommended, I would keep your job and just play on the side (easy to do with no family and at your age to keep working full time and still put in 15-30 hours a week playing) and see how fast you progress and where you are in about a year or so. There is no money in pool anyway so this makes the most sense any way you cut it.
 
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Poolplaya9 said:
I haven't read the whole thread so maybe somebody else has already said this, but you can't be pro level without the talent and only a small percentage have enough talent. Per the above I know you don't believe that, and there are plenty of others who disagree as well (none of the pros disagree with this though which should be pretty telling).

Just about anybody could be an A player with enough practice and dedication. Many or maybe even most could even be a short stop with enough effort and dedication. But very few could be truly pro level, and certainly not competitive on the international level as you are dreaming of. Not going to happen for most, I don't care if you practice for 12 hours a day for the next 20 years. Being a pro requires having the talent and also a ton of practice/dedication. If you are missing either one it just won't ever happen, and most people simply just don't have the former, and are unwilling to do the latter.

IMO if you do have the talent you should be at least a really solid A player within six months to a year if you are playing 15+ hours a week (and that doesn't guarantee you can ever reach the pro level, it just keeps the dream from being squashed right there). Like someone else recommended, I would keep your job and just play on the side (easy to do with no family and at your age to keep working full time and still put in 15-30 hours a week playing) and see how fast you progress and where you are in about a year or so. There is no money in pool anyway so this makes the most sense any way you cut it.
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This is very true. Some people are born to play pool. Others not so much. How many here have been playing as long or longer than sub? Quite a few I'd imagine.
 
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