My post that you quoted also included a $1000 bet for an all around. It's understandable how I got confused.
Could you be a pro player?
- Thread starter benturner
- Start date
My post that you quoted also included a $1000 bet for an all around. It's understandable how I got confused.
I think confidence is a great thing, but I think people tend to be over-confident in their chances. Realistically, I don't think I could be a pro- no matter how much I practiced.
I think CJ Wiley hit it on the head- besides natural ability and committed practice- you also have to have the ability to focus and concentrate, the "killer instinct", and the confidence. It is the rare person that has all of those traits- so most people therefore could not be pros
I think CJ Wiley hit it on the head- besides natural ability and committed practice- you also have to have the ability to focus and concentrate, the "killer instinct", and the confidence. It is the rare person that has all of those traits- so most people therefore could not be pros
Anyone "could" reach a pro level of pool, however.....
What we see in a pro match is a reflection of each player's preparation. This preparation is not only done on the pool table, but in many other facets of their life. When competing full time{for example} I practiced an hour or two a day, but also did martial arts and other physical training like mountain biking, tennis, golf, etc. Also mediation and studied Silva, NLP and other disciplines like zen, archery and anapana for focus, concentration and the ability to "go into the zone". Also (through this outside training) was around many great teachers that all shared a positive and motivating mental approach.
Anyone "could" reach a pro level of pool, however they would have to be willing to strengthen ALL their weaknesses.....and this is no small order.
'The Game is the Teacher'
What we see in a pro match is a reflection of each player's preparation. This preparation is not only done on the pool table, but in many other facets of their life. When competing full time{for example} I practiced an hour or two a day, but also did martial arts and other physical training like mountain biking, tennis, golf, etc. Also mediation and studied Silva, NLP and other disciplines like zen, archery and anapana for focus, concentration and the ability to "go into the zone". Also (through this outside training) was around many great teachers that all shared a positive and motivating mental approach.
Anyone "could" reach a pro level of pool, however they would have to be willing to strengthen ALL their weaknesses.....and this is no small order.
'The Game is the Teacher'
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@ luxury: I hope you laying it on thick with irony.
If your serious you are most likely off the charts narcissistic!
Could i be a pro player? If i practiced 8hrs a day for 2 years - technically maybe...
But i do not have the mindset for playing pool at that level, I`m not a person who is motivated by being the best, i hate gambling and there is nothing i hate more than the alpha male attitudes that so often go hand in hand with sports.
If your serious you are most likely off the charts narcissistic!
Could i be a pro player? If i practiced 8hrs a day for 2 years - technically maybe...
But i do not have the mindset for playing pool at that level, I`m not a person who is motivated by being the best, i hate gambling and there is nothing i hate more than the alpha male attitudes that so often go hand in hand with sports.
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Well since you hate gambling then I can't prove you wrong.
people that hate gambling at skill related games typically aren't very talented.
Well since you hate gambling then I can't prove you wrong.
No they are clever and have figured out that the odds are always against you, if you play/bet for a long enough time you`re going to come out on the loosing side.
It`s got nothing to do with skill or no skill, it`s the concept of gambling I don`t like.
Vegas was not built on winners you know...
I believe I would have a good shot at becoming a pro if my game progresses as much in 2 years as it has in the last 6 months.
Would I if I could? No way! I would never try to support myself just on pool. I enjoy working then playing pool on my own time. I'd love to be pro speed though.
Would I if I could? No way! I would never try to support myself just on pool. I enjoy working then playing pool on my own time. I'd love to be pro speed though.
How many pros can actually make a living without having to worry about their future?
I believe that no person on Earth who TRULY puts in 8 dedicated hours a day trying to master any skill will fail to master it. The only exception is if they are physically incapable.
When I said two years I am speaking of myself and where I think I am currently at. Of course I don't think two years is enough to go from zero to pro speed. But who knows what would happen if you locked a total beginner and Efren in a room for two years?
No one knows because it has never been done and probably won't ever be done.
Prepared to be embarrassed. I said that people that don't like to gamble at SKILL RELATED GAMES usually aren't very talented.
Clearly I'm talking about gambling at pool, bowling, darts Etc. What made you think I was thinking of Vegas Casinos???
Loosing ??? You are losing. One "o"
Sometimes, I like to wear my underwear and stare into the mirror just to remind myself of how awesome I am...
Your post wreaks of insecurity...just sayin'
Like Steve Wynn said about Vegas and the casino business
That's true, and the player would need guidance. Without a vereran overseeing the progress they may start incorporating some bad habits. This would not only waste time, but would be potentially destructive to improving at all.
All of us that reached a high level of performance did so with the help of some mentors. They may not have even been pool players, my biggest mentors were martial artists and golfers....and {of course} some pool playing champions too.
We can't become a champion by ourselves, this is not possible without some outside influence. I modeled my game by watching many of the top players of the era before me, and they, arguably were the best of all time. Every top player I've ever been around has similar stories of a special "mentor". There's no amount of practice that will replace this essential component. imho
Steve Wynn said about Vegas and the casino business "we're all standing on each other's shoulders to grow" and that's how it works when businesses, sports or personal skills are evolving to be "the best of the best." 'The Game is our Teacher'
That's true, and the player would need guidance. Without a vereran overseeing the progress they may start incorporating some bad habits. This would not only waste time, but would be potentially destructive to improving at all.
All of us that reached a high level of performance did so with the help of some mentors. They may not have even been pool players, my biggest mentors were martial artists and golfers....and {of course} some pool playing champions too.
We can't become a champion by ourselves, this is not possible without some outside influence. I modeled my game by watching many of the top players of the era before me, and they, arguably were the best of all time. Every top player I've ever been around has similar stories of a special "mentor". There's no amount of practice that will replace this essential component. imho
Steve Wynn said about Vegas and the casino business "we're all standing on each other's shoulders to grow" and that's how it works when businesses, sports or personal skills are evolving to be "the best of the best." 'The Game is our Teacher'
Lol if anything I'm overconfident. Not insecure at all.
Here is my all around bet for $10,000
Some of these would win by a decibal meter from crowd participation. No friends in the audience.
Bonus ball
Tennis
Karaoke
Batting cage
Driving range
Pitching (speed)
Basketball (horse)
Football distance throwing
Poker
Good looks (25%)
Badminton
Volleyball
Pinball
Yoyo
IQ
Mma
Magic
Guitar
Arm wrestling
Penis length
Most ejaculations in a 10 minute period
Do I still seem insecure to you?
I'm one of those golden boys. I never talk like this in public but this is the beauty of the forums. People can get stuff off of their chest.
Yup...so much confidence that you seek validation on an internet forum.
It's okay, Golden Boy. I understand. How else is anyone ever supposed to know how awesome you are???
PS: Did you really just mention your penis?
I may be a good example for you to study.
I started to play pool at about 4 years of age.
At 14 in the summer I began to play 13 hours a day. I played in the student union at SMU. I had several mentors that were better players that would show me things.
At 16 I was playing better that all those that had helped me. I knew it was time to look elsewhere.
I found a few other pool rooms in Dallas with better players. I learned to gamble. I liked it. I improved to the extent that I was the best player in Dallas.
I wanted to learn more. I started to travel to other cities. I played many players and sometimes a player would help me for awhile.
Then I would move on.
At 17 when Eddy Taylor asked if I would go on the road with him I jumped at the chance. I learned a lot. After that trip I returned to Dallas and played and gambled every day for almost two years. I only got better.
U J Pucket asked me to go on the road with him so I went. I learned a lot more. He was one of the best hustlers that ever lived. He could find money in a wasteland.
After that trip I started to travel across the US alone using different names wherever I went. People just gave me their money. I thought it was heaven.
Many of the players were much older than I was. Sometimes in the pool rooms I would see older players or hustlers hanging around. They had no money. They had no home. Sometimes they slept on the flour. Some did drugs. I just stepped over them to get to the table to play and gamble.
I did see them however and begin to think about what was going to happen to me when I was there age.
As I played better and got to be well known it became harder to get a game that I could win at. The soft games were all gone and the tournaments really paid little or nothing.
I could get a job (horrors) and make small money or I could come up with a bright idea.
Timing was on my side and I saw an opportunity to start a cue making business with my friend Dan Janes. We started Joss Cues and business went well.
I still played a little pool but it was no longer my main focus.
For the next 45 years I seldom played but made a lot of money making pool cues. The business was very good to me.
A couple of years ago my eyesight began to get really bad so I stopped making cues. I thought I would go through the rest of my life not being able to drive let alone play pool or make cues.
I still wanted to play pool but my eye doctor said no chance.
This year technology caught up with me and I was able to have a string of eye surgeries that has restored my eyesight. The first thing I did was to start to play pool seriously.
I play 6 to 8 hours a day and at 72 continue to improve.
Throughout my life I have played and beaten and some times lost to the best players around. Hall, Siegel, Miz, Hopkins, Henderson, Watson, Mathews, and many others.
I didn't play in tournaments because the odds of breaking even, let alone making money, were simply no good.
So now. You want to become professional pool player? My advice, depending on your age would be to move to England and learn to play Snooker. If you were very good you could make a living. If you were great you could become rich and famous.
As much as it hurts me to say it "you will never be able to make a good living and provide for a family playing pool in the US."
The best you could do to hold on to your dream would be to do like I and many other players have done. Find a pool related idea or business that will keep you in touch with pool and provide a living.
Pool is the Greatest game ever invented and when you play at your highest level there is no feeling like it. I still remember great shots that I made under pressure 50 years ago. You will too if you pursue it to the highest limits.
Bill S.
I started to play pool at about 4 years of age.
At 14 in the summer I began to play 13 hours a day. I played in the student union at SMU. I had several mentors that were better players that would show me things.
At 16 I was playing better that all those that had helped me. I knew it was time to look elsewhere.
I found a few other pool rooms in Dallas with better players. I learned to gamble. I liked it. I improved to the extent that I was the best player in Dallas.
I wanted to learn more. I started to travel to other cities. I played many players and sometimes a player would help me for awhile.
Then I would move on.
At 17 when Eddy Taylor asked if I would go on the road with him I jumped at the chance. I learned a lot. After that trip I returned to Dallas and played and gambled every day for almost two years. I only got better.
U J Pucket asked me to go on the road with him so I went. I learned a lot more. He was one of the best hustlers that ever lived. He could find money in a wasteland.
After that trip I started to travel across the US alone using different names wherever I went. People just gave me their money. I thought it was heaven.
Many of the players were much older than I was. Sometimes in the pool rooms I would see older players or hustlers hanging around. They had no money. They had no home. Sometimes they slept on the flour. Some did drugs. I just stepped over them to get to the table to play and gamble.
I did see them however and begin to think about what was going to happen to me when I was there age.
As I played better and got to be well known it became harder to get a game that I could win at. The soft games were all gone and the tournaments really paid little or nothing.
I could get a job (horrors) and make small money or I could come up with a bright idea.
Timing was on my side and I saw an opportunity to start a cue making business with my friend Dan Janes. We started Joss Cues and business went well.
I still played a little pool but it was no longer my main focus.
For the next 45 years I seldom played but made a lot of money making pool cues. The business was very good to me.
A couple of years ago my eyesight began to get really bad so I stopped making cues. I thought I would go through the rest of my life not being able to drive let alone play pool or make cues.
I still wanted to play pool but my eye doctor said no chance.
This year technology caught up with me and I was able to have a string of eye surgeries that has restored my eyesight. The first thing I did was to start to play pool seriously.
I play 6 to 8 hours a day and at 72 continue to improve.
Throughout my life I have played and beaten and some times lost to the best players around. Hall, Siegel, Miz, Hopkins, Henderson, Watson, Mathews, and many others.
I didn't play in tournaments because the odds of breaking even, let alone making money, were simply no good.
So now. You want to become professional pool player? My advice, depending on your age would be to move to England and learn to play Snooker. If you were very good you could make a living. If you were great you could become rich and famous.
As much as it hurts me to say it "you will never be able to make a good living and provide for a family playing pool in the US."
The best you could do to hold on to your dream would be to do like I and many other players have done. Find a pool related idea or business that will keep you in touch with pool and provide a living.
Pool is the Greatest game ever invented and when you play at your highest level there is no feeling like it. I still remember great shots that I made under pressure 50 years ago. You will too if you pursue it to the highest limits.
Bill S.
I think there's a lot of guys here kidding themselves. Wouldn't it be great if 10,000 hours would do it? You're really not giving these professionals as much credit as they deserve. Aside from their thousands of hours at the table, these guys have/had a drive that exceeds anything most of us can comprehend. They have natural abilities that most of us can't comprehend.
I'm saying this about being a top professional. There are certainly people here at this site that could "play" professionally. But what's that really mean? I'd venture to say that regardless of the time and coaching available, there's less than a handful here (aside from those that post here who are already professionals) that could become a top 25 professional.
Golf is the same way. Kick a tree and you'll get dozens of local kids who can hit a drive well over 300 yards and go out and shoot 60 something every day on the local courses. Some of those kids even make it to some secondary state or regional professional tour. But almost none of them ever end up on TV on Saturday and Sunday.
I don't know whether the number is 1 in 10,000 or 1 in 100,000 but the % of people who even come close to having the mental disposition/toughness to play under the pressure of professional tournament is extremely small. Then throw in physical attributes, work ethic, etc. and the number gets even smaller.
I'm saying this about being a top professional. There are certainly people here at this site that could "play" professionally. But what's that really mean? I'd venture to say that regardless of the time and coaching available, there's less than a handful here (aside from those that post here who are already professionals) that could become a top 25 professional.
Golf is the same way. Kick a tree and you'll get dozens of local kids who can hit a drive well over 300 yards and go out and shoot 60 something every day on the local courses. Some of those kids even make it to some secondary state or regional professional tour. But almost none of them ever end up on TV on Saturday and Sunday.
I don't know whether the number is 1 in 10,000 or 1 in 100,000 but the % of people who even come close to having the mental disposition/toughness to play under the pressure of professional tournament is extremely small. Then throw in physical attributes, work ethic, etc. and the number gets even smaller.
If I had CJ for a teacher for those 2 years - then sure - but there is no gold at the end of that rainbow so I'll stick to my day job. Although I will say that if all you did was _practice_ for those 2 years then you might be missing critical mental skills required to win as a pro. Some people seem to be born with that killer instinct so maybe for them this wouldn't be a hurdle but I know for me it would be.
I wonder if the original poster is aware of the guy who was putting 10,000 hours into playing golf in order to prove you could go from zero skill to pro in that many hours. - http://thedanplan.com/ - looks like he is about half way through his journey and shooting high 70s to low 80s. Golf is a good sport to try this in because you get a definitive score you can use to gauge your progress.
One thing I have noticed from pro books and stories is that they played frequently and under pressure but they were also somehow running up against top competition. Either they were in a location that had pro players or they traveled and played everyone and anyone. If you judged your progress by wins / losses and only played weak players for those two years you would not wind up as a pro.
More importantly - if you spent two years playing pool 8 hours a day would you enjoy it? Turning a favorite hobby into work is a good way to ruin that hobby.
Craig
I wonder if the original poster is aware of the guy who was putting 10,000 hours into playing golf in order to prove you could go from zero skill to pro in that many hours. - http://thedanplan.com/ - looks like he is about half way through his journey and shooting high 70s to low 80s. Golf is a good sport to try this in because you get a definitive score you can use to gauge your progress.
One thing I have noticed from pro books and stories is that they played frequently and under pressure but they were also somehow running up against top competition. Either they were in a location that had pro players or they traveled and played everyone and anyone. If you judged your progress by wins / losses and only played weak players for those two years you would not wind up as a pro.
More importantly - if you spent two years playing pool 8 hours a day would you enjoy it? Turning a favorite hobby into work is a good way to ruin that hobby.
Craig
Now why do you have to go and blow a fairytale with reality? Let me take it another step and say, the majority could play 12 hours a day for 20 years and never reach pro speed.
Good post Bill.