did all of the pros grow up in pool?

ddadams

ddadams

Absolutely love this cue.
Silver Member
I'm wondering... I haven't seen anything on any of the top players who may have picked up a cue in their late teens.

Any of them that you know of? It seems like in any sport there are very few if any late starters that make it. Wondering if it's even something that has happened in pool.

I know personally several very good local players that didn't start til 16-17 but that's the oldest I know of and they aren't professional by any means.
 
John Schmidt didn't start playing until he was 18 I believe, and he may not have really started playing seriously until he was 20 or 21.
 
I didn't start until two years ago when I was 58.

I figure in another 20 years I'll be ready for the pro circuit.

Correct about John Schmidt. Prior to pool his life was golf (college golf scholarship, etc).
 
Probably helps out immensely to start early, but it's not necessary. Steve Nash didn't play basketball until he was in his late teens, although he did play soccer so it probably helped out with the hand-eye coordination. Only problem when you start late is that life gets in the way. Kind of hard to shoot pool for 10 hours a day if you have a job or college classes.
 
Schmidt didn't pick up a cue until 18, was introduced to straight pool when he was 20 by Bobby Hunter, ran over a 100 within 2 months and over 200 by the time he was 23. I guess you could say he picked up pool pretty quick...
 
Most of the top players were playing at a young age of about 12. A lot of them had family that owned poolrooms or a Father or relative that played pool at a high level. All of them had someone to mentor them at a young age also. Johnnyt
 
Rodney Morris started at 16

Scott Frost was 16/17

Ginky was like 17/18

Jennifer Baretta was 28 or 29. Nobody in the elite on the male's side like her, but she proved it can be done.
 
Probably a lot of the Philippine pros grew up in the pool hall and was already playing A speed by age 15..
 
Ray Martin, three time World straight pool champion in the 70s. I just started reading his book. He didn't start playing seriously until he was 29, and won his first world championship at 35.
 
hmmm, might be wrong here but I think Mike LeBron was late. Jay (probably knows)"billiard encyclopedia" Helfert:)

Chrippa
 
ddadams said:
I'm wondering... I haven't seen anything on any of the top players who may have picked up a cue in their late teens.

Any of them that you know of? It seems like in any sport there are very few if any late starters that make it. Wondering if it's even something that has happened in pool.

I know personally several very good local players that didn't start til 16-17 but that's the oldest I know of and they aren't professional by any means.
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I didn't start playing seriously until I was about 23/24 but then I am crap
 
Chrippa said:
hmmm, might be wrong here but I think Mike LeBron was late. Jay (probably knows)"billiard encyclopedia" Helfert:)

Chrippa
Click to expand...

No, he started young too. People think he started late because he won the US Open in his 50's. He was a champion player in Puerto Rico growing up, then stopped playing the game for 30 years, before resuming it in his 40's/50's on the US Pro Tour at the time.

I read an article on this a few years back, can't find it now. It was a Billiards Digest piece I believe from the 90's.
 
I thought Mike D. started in his later teens. I've been told by about 5-10 people now, that kid has more natural talent than any one they've ever seen. Most say if he would just practice on a serious schedule he could be unreal good.

I'm not sure how true that is, but I trust the words of the people who have told me that.
 
jhanso18 said:
I thought Mike D. started in his later teens. I've been told by about 5-10 people now, that kid has more natural talent than any one they've ever seen. Most say if he would just practice on a serious schedule he could be unreal good.

I'm not sure how true that is, but I trust the words of the people who have told me that.
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I assume you mean Mike Dechaine, but no, I looked up his bio and he started playing at 11. But, Mike Davis is actually a good example of a late starter. He was in his early twenties when he got a job as a cook in a bar/pool hall. He started banging balls around after work and eventually got really good. No one ever showed him how to play, which is why he developed his strange stroke.
 
I started in the late 30 (almost 31) and I ´m the champion in my house(no one else plays pool in my house):eek:
 
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