Does it stop being fun?

I got back into pool a dozen years ago as a way to kill time when traveling for work. I was several states from home for weeks at a time and a coworker and I would play for hours and hours most nights. When we were back home we played weekly at local pool halls/bars but it was never much fun. I invested in a home table and now enjoy it much more. I control who is there, the music, the food, the drink and the equipment.

Is that an option for you?
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Wow, really like that light over your table! I need one of those to set off my room housing my restored Centennial. Complements your way. If you want to see pics of my work, check out ,ask the mechanics part of the forum. I'm not to hip on getting pics posted , but someone took pity and posted them for me,,again,really like those lights
 
Getting ready to push 70 , and getting out to play is not the fun it once was,,but when I'm playing pool, it's always better than not playing pool, that's real close to an old adage ,Hmmm Good luck to you and Happy Birthday.
 
Nothing can substitute for a local pool room and a circle of friends who can be counted on to show up on a regular basis. These are places of refuge and serve many functions beyond a game of pool. If you know these places, you know what "pool" is, or should be, and how much is being lost. If you think a bar with valleys is pool, then you really can't understand.
But, if it's all you have, then you accept it and not be whiner about it. Just play or drift off into the sunset
 
Very similar to my home setup. I have forgone the "home" decor route and have my walls covered in things that you may find on a bar/pool room wall. Concert posters, record albums, motorcycle paraphenalia, jerseys I have worn in past sports endeavors and things like that. Plus I have a lot of things on my pool room's walls and tables that are a reflection of things I have done in my past years (work, sports, hobbies, etc.). All with my wife's blessings!

I bet you are enjoying your pool room as much as we enjoy ours!

Maniac

"I bet you are enjoying your pool room as much as we enjoy ours!"

It has become the most enjoyable part of my home. I too did some personalization to one of the walls as the photo shows.

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I too am in my seventies. To overcome the problem of getting to a pool room I bought a table for my home. Not seeing the balls well led me to buy glasses from William Curran. Not having to drive to a pool room I can now play without the backache I usually get from driving. I now play whenever I want to and whenever my body allows me. Usually play an hour or so in the morning and an hour or so at night. Nice to get out of bed and shoot a few racks when I want.

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beautiful room
would love to play there one day
 
I think, for me, pool stopped being fun last week. Playing on a 9' table meant a 90 miles round trip for me, most of it on a 2 lane jammed up freeway...just going to the hall puts me in a foul mood. Then (turned 78 today) the physical problems of old age limits me to only a couple of hours of table time before pain & tiredness stops me.
It saddens me...but yeah, I think I'm done...it's just not fun anymore.
Sorry to hear this news. If I were in your shoes and also, could not install my own table, I would probably throw in the towel as well. Right now my home will not accommodate a table - but I fortunately have close access to some 9 footers. If that one access point should go away; then either I put an addition on to my home, ( basements not too popular in Fl.); or do a total of 70 miles roundtrip to play on 9 footers.

I am traveling 115 miles each way once a month just to play in a tournament with 9 footers in a decent room - South West Florida is not a tournament hotspot for 9 footers here in Fl. The 7 footers are gaining hold in most rooms, not just new rooms either, some existing rooms are ripping out their big tables for new Diamond 7 footers- see it everywhere.

No knock on 7 foot table players - just not much enjoyment for me. If I get in your situation, and installing my own table does not become a viable option; I'll say goodbye to the game as well; maybe I will go fishing instead.

I really do feel for you! My gut tells me that unless something drastic comes along to incite a change in direction; within 10 years rooms will no longer install new 9 foot tables here in the U.S.
 
An alternative perspective:

I was SO into track driving. I'd drive laps on my favorite tracks (Sebring International Raceway at the forefront) in my head falling asleep at night. I'd daydream about being on track. I SO looked forward to my next event.

After 20+ years of driving on tracks, including over 100 days instructing in HPDE (High Performance Driver Education), my mortality staring me in the face, I no longer looked forward to it. It started slowly: I'd skip the last session of the day, happy to put the race car on the trailer and drive it (and myself) home in one piece. Then I'd see a registration for the next event open up, and I'd think "I don't think I'll go." And so on.

Eventually, I'd register for an event, and not really want to go. I'd be at the track, not wanting to go out. I'd be just fine after I secured the race harness on, and put on my helmet and HANS device, and in line to go out. And I'd have a blast while on track. But the longing had left me.

After a half-dozen of these "I can take it or leave it" events, I finally decided I Was Done. And I made the difficult decision no longer to participate. I was no longer looking forward to it; in fact, I started to dread it.

OK, I'll admit, playing pool is not of the same caliber of "If I screw up I could die" consequence, however, I can definitely relate your experience regarding pool to my experience with driving a race car on track. When it no longer was fun, and something I looked forward to, I realized it was time. Time to move on.

I was very much at peace with the decision. I attended an event where my son, also an accomplished driver and wrencher participated, and it did not feel the same. I felt like an outsider. That cemented that I had made the right decision. I no longer felt as though I belonged, and it no longer extracted any joy from it.

Here's the question to ask yourself: "Can I derive ANY joy from this activity?" If the answer is an unequivocal "NO", then you have your justification to accept your decision and be at peace with it. If there is any hesitation in responding "NO", you should give it another chance. Take a break, revisit it in one, two, maybe three months, before you make your final decision.

Regardless of what you decide, we (I) respect your decision. Only YOU know what is best for you. And once you decide, be at peace with the decision.

I sincerely wish you best of luck in reconciling your feelings on this topic.

All the best, Doug
 
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Not whining, just saying you cannot know the real beauty of a pool room if your experience is in bars.
Sorry... didnt mean you specifically. Just players in general.

My point was If all a person has is a lemon, it doesn't pay to bitch because you dont have an orange.
 
Pool itself stopped being “fun” for me a while back.

I still enjoy betting on pool, being around pool, AZB, rail bird stuff, Derby. So it’s not a total loss. I still enjoy cues.

Playing a game I can’t get better at, just ain’t my bag. I have to play something I can improve at. So I moved on from pool. I miss dabbing a ball perfectly, making the 9 on the snap from the hill in a expensive set. I miss the pre-internet adventure of the yellow pages in a new town. But that’s all done.

So move forward and make the best with what’s left.

Best
Fatboy
It's really soul searching time when you admit to yourself you are as good as you will ever be at this game, or maybe just slightly over the hump.

I played an event this weekend and was defeated by a 20 something year old who picked up his first cue less than three years ago. He looked to me better than I have ever been.

You find yourself asking what the hell am I even doing here?
 
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It's really soul searching time when you admit to yourself you are as good as you will ever be at this game, or maybe just slightly over the hump.

I played an event this weekend and was defeated by a 20 something year old who picked up his first cue less than three years ago. He looked to me better than I have ever been.

You find yourself asking what the fuck am I even doing here?
A 20 yr old hasn't had many of the stressors of life impact them yet. Wait till they have bills, rent, 50hr work week, marriage, etc. Then see if he can still beat you.
 
I think, for me, pool stopped being fun last week. Playing on a 9' table meant a 90 miles round trip for me, most of it on a 2 lane jammed up freeway...just going to the hall puts me in a foul mood. Then (turned 78 today) the physical problems of old age limits me to only a couple of hours of table time before pain & tiredness stops me.
It saddens me...but yeah, I think I'm done...it's just not fun anymore.
Call all four of these places (image below) and between them they'll be able to tell where just about every 9-footer is located within an easy, say 25 miles or less drive from your home --a list that will include any and all possible and nearby Elks, Moose, VFW, American Legion, Masonic, etc. plus all the home 9-footers they've installed/refelt-ed over the years. You'll likely discover many more than could presently know about.

Given the Covid status, some of the home table players wouldn't welcome a new bool buddy, but many will. And of the existing aforementioned fraternal and military (even non-military service-related) -- are always appreciating (and seeking) new dues-paying member inductees. Costs you less than a dollar a week for all the pool you can play on these lodges'/halls' tables. You could end up with plenty of new pool situations and new friends who enjoy the company of knowledgeable new players. I did exactly all of this when I lived in a very rural area of Vermont.

Linn County Oregon billiards suplliers.JPG
 
Happy Belated Birthday !
I feel your pain my one way drive to play on a 4 1/2 x 9 is closer to 270 miles round trip also on a 2 lane highway where I have to watch out for deer elk and a occasional black bear or antelope .
Sounds like most players in Montana. Drive hundreds of miles on 2 laners for a big tournament with the deer, elk or Griz. And every little town seems to have a Friday or Saturday night weekly bar tournament. I have hauled around the same big table for 45 years from AZ to MT and from MT to AZ and again from AZ to MT. Respect all the Montana players who travel to play especially in the winter. Lots of love of the game and fun times for them.
 
A 20 yr old hasn't had many of the stressors of life impact them yet. Wait till they have bills, rent, 50hr work week, marriage, etc. Then see if he can still beat you.
That’s so true.

20 years old clear mind, bullet proof. Hard to beat.

I peaked at 44-45 playing pool.

I knocked in 10-12 balls a couple weeks ago, first time in 18 months I hit a ball in a 9’ table. Saw 2 OB’s one good one and a shadow of another ball. Which one do I aim at? Game over…
 
That’s so true.

20 years old clear mind, bullet proof. Hard to beat.

I peaked at 44-45 playing pool.

I knocked in 10-12 balls a couple weeks ago, first time in 18 months I hit a ball in a 9’ table. Saw 2 OB’s one good one and a shadow of another ball. Which one do I aim at? Game over…
I see so many youngsters who want to get up and play a set for $$$ or $$$$ or even $$$$$ and nothing to fall back on if they lose.
Their hands don't shake and they shoot really straight.

But once you get to 40, 45, and up you see it here all the time, where is that one kid who was really good. No clue.
 

I think, for me, pool stopped being fun last week. Playing on a 9' table meant a 90 miles round trip for me, most of it on a 2 lane jammed up freeway...just going to the hall puts me in a foul mood. Then (turned 78 today) the physical problems of old age limits me to only a couple of hours of table time before pain & tiredness stops me.
It saddens me...but yeah, I think I'm done...it's just not fun anymore.
Happy Birthday man. That sucks to hear your in pain. For what it's worth if you can make room for a table at home I think you will like it. Movement is good and pool is good for that. 90 miles is a long haul and that would take the fun out of it for me too. Benefit to a home table also is if you lock up and get sore you can just go rest up or watch some TV and get back it when you feel like it without dealing with driving ,all the noise, and drunk idiots at the bar. Also don't worry about banging up nice cue's. It's a win win in my book. Anyway hope you find something you enjoy if it isn't pool. Best of luck with your health.

Cheers
Brent
 
After I graduated and didn't have easy (more importantly, free) access to pool tables, I ended up losing interest in pool. This went on for over 20+ years until I finally purchased my first house and made a pool table one of the first things I purchased. Since then I play at least 5-6 times a week in typically 1 hour sessions.
 
Well as soon as my Cigar is done I heading to play Pool.

If no one is their to play One Pocket with, I will work on some of my weak shot.

Monday at Noon the room becomes Cougar Country, ladies club.🤥
 
With reference to Montana, I can't help but recall all the small towns in West Texas/New Mexico where we ran into 9 footers in places like stores, barbershops, etc. Pool tables always seemed to share space with dominoes, too. Did such exist in Montana and are dying out? Never been up there, but I always figured cowboy watering holes to have real pool tables. Hard for me to imagine a real cowboy shooting on a barbox.
 
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