Gerry said:
good points, but I can't agree that golf is tougher mentally. In golf you have 1 ball, and 1 hole to concern yourself with. Obviously the other variables come into play like weather, turf, terrain etc. In pool (especially 14.1) you have 15 balls AND the cueball, table conditions, conditions IN the pool room (smoke, loud music, stupid people etc.) I'm no mathematician, but calculate those variables and compare to see where there is more thought to get the job done. Good thread though.
Gerry
Yes Gerry, fair enough but......a few points....
1 ball and 1 hole (about 72 times) in a round of golf, sure....but 14 clubs from which to select the right one for each and every shot after taking into account whether the ball is above or below your feet, whether the target is uphill or down hill, upwind, downwind or crosswind, at what windspeed, whether the terrain allows you options of running the ball on to the green or throwing it all the way to the flag, whether you are going to play a low or high trajectory shot, whether there is a water or other hazard or out of bounds area play safe away from or to 'take-on' for risk and reward.
In 9 ball pool the "green" is always the same size and you have 6 pockets to chose from each time the ball needs to be holed, not just 1 choice like in golf........ and all 6 pockets which you have to choose from each time you are trying to hole the ball are always in the same position and always on a flat surface. You are playing with one club of one size/length (except the break and the odd jump shot) with which you can quite easily repeat the same stroke for the same result.
In pool you are playing one person at a time and you know you are definitely going to get a head to head opportunity with rivals for the title. In stroke play golf you are generally playing the course not the man and quite often you will be beaten by someone who you may not have even seen strike a single ball in the competition, let alone have played alongside so you may need to guess what he is up to.
In pool every shot is played off the same surface, in golf within the same round you may have to play shots off closely mown dry or wet turf, ankle high dry or wet grass, knee high dry or wet grass, clumps of grass in front of or behind the ball through the striking area, dry or wet sand (deep or shallow) and your swing or stance may be physically impeded by terrain or obstructions in a myriad of diferent ways.
Personally I could not imagine ever having to put as much thought into 18 frames of 9 ball as into 18 holes of golf on a Championship standard course. I would like to think that the necesary thought patterns in both games come to me in the main naturally and instinctively as I have never had lessons at either.
That being understood, mental toughness is of course not just about the extent of thought that requires to go into shot selections etc and I can certainly see where a form of mental toughness peculiar to pool tournaments specifically has evolved.
Thanks for your thought provoking contribution to this. I agree it's a good thread and think it would also be great to hear views from some others with solid pool and golf experience at tournament level.
