Benefits of joining an APA league?
- Thread starter BD23
- Start date
But it doesn’t have to be about travel expenses and payouts. How about it’s just a night out. Weekly dues are what 10$ plus a few beers so you’ve spent less then 30$. Can’t go to the movies or bowling for that. That what league is for most people. A night out
xX-Wizard-Xx
Well-known member
just go gamble if you want to get better ... i quit apa after a couple years .... bar tables are awful
dquarasr
Registered
I've played for decades, very casually, even though I have my own table. When I started I didn't know jack. I was self-taught and probably learned bad habits. I could never sniff at a break-and-run. My only experience was playing by myself, or with my neighbor, maybe once a month or so.
When I moved four years ago, I joined the APA at my local hall just 5 minutes from me. Per APA rules, I started as a 3 in both 8 and 9. I quickly moved up to a 4. Over the last year I've moved up to 5 in 9, and 6 in 8. (I suspect I'm on the cusp of moving to a 6 in 9 as well since I played pretty well my last few matches, but that's on hold since I am not going to do APA this session except as a call-me-in-emergencies backup guy on the roster.)
APA? The good: it provides a good social setting for playing. Various skill levels, from god-awful 3's who have been 3's for decades, to newbies wanting to learn, to mid-tier players who are knowledgeable but don't have the time to put in the work to become 7-9 level players, to highly skilled players with Fargos of 550-650 or even better. Because I've progressed, and consider myself a student of the game, it is fun to coach lower-level players. Providing sound advice is also good for the giver, because it reinforces what we should already know. I've also gotten a LOT of assistance from other 6 to 9 skill levels, including fundamentals, and also even on the strategy, controlling emotions, and the mental aspects of the game. I've been able to hook up with some good formal coaching, too.
Playing matches, even if low-consequence, can help when a player's game breaks down. It's important to learn how to deal with the pressure of competition. APA provides that without having to invest a significant amount of $$. APA matches are relatively inexpensive.
The bad: sometimes the matchups are strange. Play a 7 one match, a 2 another. While they both have their challenges and good points, and we can learn from either, I find I learn more playing better players.
I am retired, so starting a match at 7pm that ends at 12a or 12:30a is not a problem for me, but it can be boring waiting around for your next match. So I keep score to stay involved.
Since APA is definitely a social league, the amount of alcohol consumed by many players, at least where I play, is staggering (see what I did there? LOL) You may consider that a + or a -. More LOL.
Since APA is designed as an amateur league, as a player moves up in skill level, he/she gets squeezed out of teams because of the skill level cap. This is the time when many players move on to other leagues, such as APA Masters or even other sanctioning bodies. This is the first session since I joined in 2019 that I will not be a "regular" on an APA team. I joined a BCA straight pool league. (I'm excited! My first match is in a few hours. Wish me luck!)
The ugly: 1) obvious sandbaggers who scheme the APA system to get to Vegas. 2) the team drama. This is the part of the APA, again, at least in my experience at my location, I dislike the most. Players not showing up. Being the only one from a roster of eight people at the 7pm start time. Being the only one left for the last two matches to keep score. Having to chase down players to collect their weekly match dues.
The key to enjoying APA, in my view, is finding that sweet spot on a good, cohesive team. This can be a challenge.
When I moved four years ago, I joined the APA at my local hall just 5 minutes from me. Per APA rules, I started as a 3 in both 8 and 9. I quickly moved up to a 4. Over the last year I've moved up to 5 in 9, and 6 in 8. (I suspect I'm on the cusp of moving to a 6 in 9 as well since I played pretty well my last few matches, but that's on hold since I am not going to do APA this session except as a call-me-in-emergencies backup guy on the roster.)
APA? The good: it provides a good social setting for playing. Various skill levels, from god-awful 3's who have been 3's for decades, to newbies wanting to learn, to mid-tier players who are knowledgeable but don't have the time to put in the work to become 7-9 level players, to highly skilled players with Fargos of 550-650 or even better. Because I've progressed, and consider myself a student of the game, it is fun to coach lower-level players. Providing sound advice is also good for the giver, because it reinforces what we should already know. I've also gotten a LOT of assistance from other 6 to 9 skill levels, including fundamentals, and also even on the strategy, controlling emotions, and the mental aspects of the game. I've been able to hook up with some good formal coaching, too.
Playing matches, even if low-consequence, can help when a player's game breaks down. It's important to learn how to deal with the pressure of competition. APA provides that without having to invest a significant amount of $$. APA matches are relatively inexpensive.
The bad: sometimes the matchups are strange. Play a 7 one match, a 2 another. While they both have their challenges and good points, and we can learn from either, I find I learn more playing better players.
I am retired, so starting a match at 7pm that ends at 12a or 12:30a is not a problem for me, but it can be boring waiting around for your next match. So I keep score to stay involved.
Since APA is definitely a social league, the amount of alcohol consumed by many players, at least where I play, is staggering (see what I did there? LOL) You may consider that a + or a -. More LOL.
Since APA is designed as an amateur league, as a player moves up in skill level, he/she gets squeezed out of teams because of the skill level cap. This is the time when many players move on to other leagues, such as APA Masters or even other sanctioning bodies. This is the first session since I joined in 2019 that I will not be a "regular" on an APA team. I joined a BCA straight pool league. (I'm excited! My first match is in a few hours. Wish me luck!)
The ugly: 1) obvious sandbaggers who scheme the APA system to get to Vegas. 2) the team drama. This is the part of the APA, again, at least in my experience at my location, I dislike the most. Players not showing up. Being the only one from a roster of eight people at the 7pm start time. Being the only one left for the last two matches to keep score. Having to chase down players to collect their weekly match dues.
The key to enjoying APA, in my view, is finding that sweet spot on a good, cohesive team. This can be a challenge.
The sponsorship is not just from the APA, but the equipment makers, which are not part of the APA. APA does sponsor a few pros but not many. I'm not a fan of APA leagues, but as much for the rules and rampant sandbagging as anything else. My favorite one is USAPL or BCA. For sponsorship I was not just thinking of US pros, probably because compared to the rest of the world there are not as many that would be known enough to be worth sponsoring. However, there are a ton of junior players and others that do get a bit of help and since the travel and other fees are all on the players to handle, even a few thousand a year is something tangible. Pechaur specifically sends dozens of high end cues and other cues for raffle prizes and as equipment for kids to use.
I understand the frustration. Personally, one of the biggest rooms in our area is still not only open but thrives because of leagues. The majority are APA. There are much better uses of time for an aspiring player to get better than playing in the APA. The APA isn't geared towards the serious player but they have had some really good players in the system to play in their singles events the last few years even banning a few of them. This room also is the top action room in my area so there is room enough for both.
As far as professional pool paying out as golf, it's still just economics. More viewership equals more money which would bring the bigger sponsorship dollars. How do we create the influx of viewership? By creating a product that people want to watch. Matchroom is trying to do this by using 9 ball as the product. The real secret is to sell the players themselves. I want to watch Fedor play or SVB play. That is the real product.
I’ll stay at the Pineapple Open for now. After all you are so good that out of a thousand people at SBX you can’t find anyone to play. Thousands at a Vegas tournament and no one will play you. That’s my sign. You are too good for me.
I can however get you directions to the Pro arena at SBX, someone there might play. I’m sure you are not to sheepish to ge there.
Short version: The APA is not for you. At least it is not ideal for accomplishing what you want as others have said.
Can you get better? Sure. Any matches/play will work toward that.
However, it's sitting around for 4-5 hours only to play 1 short race. Figure, if you're at least a SL6, then you get to play to 5 wins which is the longest match.
In the meantime, you will be subjected to the visual programming / reinforcement of a lot of BAD play. Your team will not like it very much if you are a "loner" that doesn't help with scorekeeping or hang around. Thus, you will have to watch very often SL3's drive balls into rails for 10 innings per rack. The drunkards also doesn't make anything better. There's also all the annoying disputes over rules and procedures.
For the same money, you can just play tournaments. You will probably average the same amount of racks played even if you lose early. But the whole time you are invested will be playing time, not watching others play and bad play at that.
If you want to be thinner, hang with people who exercise and eat well. If you want to get fat, hang out with fat people. Just like anything in life, environment matters. If you want to get good, always put yourself around good play. APA is not that.
1) APA is pool.
2) APA is time and money, ahem, consuming.
The two are not mutually exclusive.
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RE: Professional aspirations.
No beginner will ever ascend to the professional ranks without practicing 8-hours/day, every day for years. Period.
This is yet another similarity between pool and golf. It's simply unrealistic unless you can foresee yourself dedicating your life for the unspecified number of years ahead. However, should you embark, no need to relocate to a warmer climate. Otherwise, just play to have fun and push yourself.
One of the lesser-mentioned reasons why so many pros are in their early-twenties is because they've had the ability to dedicate the requisite time, with very few 'real-life' responsibilities for years, prior. That's just a fact.
Posted from my van, down by the river.
2) APA is time and money, ahem, consuming.
The two are not mutually exclusive.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
RE: Professional aspirations.
No beginner will ever ascend to the professional ranks without practicing 8-hours/day, every day for years. Period.
This is yet another similarity between pool and golf. It's simply unrealistic unless you can foresee yourself dedicating your life for the unspecified number of years ahead. However, should you embark, no need to relocate to a warmer climate. Otherwise, just play to have fun and push yourself.
One of the lesser-mentioned reasons why so many pros are in their early-twenties is because they've had the ability to dedicate the requisite time, with very few 'real-life' responsibilities for years, prior. That's just a fact.
Posted from my van, down by the river.
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I just started playing pool again after a 10 year hiatus, its been 3 months since I started again, I was a SL6 when I left, no team wants me because of my OLD SL, Do I miss the competition? Yeah, The APA is not designed for teams to stay together, I don't find APA operators helpful in putting new teams together and I don't know about an APA masters league in my area, I have been watching a lot of pool to help with my pattern play, it has helped a lot, I watched some of the Vegas Finals in the APA and was stunned at how poorly a SL6 played early in the match, missed shots by a mile, plain dumb pattern play, after several "innings" it was like a light switch turned on and all the sudden that guy couldn't miss, it was a really close match but the SL6 did just enough to beat that SL3, I guess he was lucky he could just pull out a win in the end.
Didn't SVB play league? I know quite a few of his immediate family members did.
As far as joining the APA, I say go for it because you won't know until you try it. In my area the BCA is getting pretty big but that's because the local LO is a bitch and does anything she can to undermine the APA, add to that a handful of high visibility players do the same so when new people come in all they hear is APA sucks BCA awesome when IN FACT I wouldn't trust the BCA LO as far as I can throw her and the APA LO is a younger, educated, very nice, young lady. Kind of disgusting actually and it's why I no longer play.
From a "player's" perspective:
I've been shooting pool with the APA for over twenty plus years (also did TAP, BCA and Illinois Eight Ball) and what I've experienced is that they all have their pros and cons...so, it's what you do with what you have. In the area where I live the closet activity/bar/business that has league pool or tables for that matter is the local American Legion. They have two Diamond tables with five eight ball teams (you get a bye every fifth week...I like that).
We start at 6:30 pm and usually get out by 10:30 pm. We have a full roster (8 people) and of course not everyone plays but everyone shows up because we have fun! We tell jokes and rag on each other, enjoy good drink and food (usually pizza) and just enjoy each other's company. I took over Captainship of this team three sessions ago with only two original team members remaining (the others joined APA nine ball). After rebuilding the team (mostly older gentlemen over 60 years of age), I am happy to say we won our division last session and successfully made it through Tri-Cups. Some of these guys have never been this far and so they are motivated and enthusiastic.
We are competitive but we don't let it consume us and if one loses the other guy picks us up. These guys have learned a lot about pool table management and have honed their skills and made improvements (despite playing for many years) in shot making and pattern selection. In fact, this enthusiasm has carried over to occasional nites (other than league nite) to the homes of guys that own tables and we have a blast.
Every once in a while, they tell me this is the most fun they've ever had and do not feel any pressure to win. To me, this is what pool is about and none of us have any delusions of turning pro. To close, the APA has given us a reason to shoot enjoyable (win or lose) pool and most importantly enjoy each other company.
I've been shooting pool with the APA for over twenty plus years (also did TAP, BCA and Illinois Eight Ball) and what I've experienced is that they all have their pros and cons...so, it's what you do with what you have. In the area where I live the closet activity/bar/business that has league pool or tables for that matter is the local American Legion. They have two Diamond tables with five eight ball teams (you get a bye every fifth week...I like that).
We start at 6:30 pm and usually get out by 10:30 pm. We have a full roster (8 people) and of course not everyone plays but everyone shows up because we have fun! We tell jokes and rag on each other, enjoy good drink and food (usually pizza) and just enjoy each other's company. I took over Captainship of this team three sessions ago with only two original team members remaining (the others joined APA nine ball). After rebuilding the team (mostly older gentlemen over 60 years of age), I am happy to say we won our division last session and successfully made it through Tri-Cups. Some of these guys have never been this far and so they are motivated and enthusiastic.
We are competitive but we don't let it consume us and if one loses the other guy picks us up. These guys have learned a lot about pool table management and have honed their skills and made improvements (despite playing for many years) in shot making and pattern selection. In fact, this enthusiasm has carried over to occasional nites (other than league nite) to the homes of guys that own tables and we have a blast.
Every once in a while, they tell me this is the most fun they've ever had and do not feel any pressure to win. To me, this is what pool is about and none of us have any delusions of turning pro. To close, the APA has given us a reason to shoot enjoyable (win or lose) pool and most importantly enjoy each other company.
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