Fat Men and Pool -- What's the deal?

You have to choose your sport!

I have substantial mass and a low center of gravity. :D :D :D

This is excellent conformation for sports where you need to be well anchored and stabilized. It is great for benchrest rifle competition and pool, not so good for run and gun style pistol competition, that's why I mostly shot steel. :rolleyes:

Hu
 
I'm a big fella, 6'1 370, but I carry it well. You'd never guess I weight that much. My friend is an EMT and I asked him what he thought I weighed and he said about 280. Last medical exam I had, in April of this year, the Dr. told me that my goal weight for my height would be 183lbs. They did a full exam including shooting that pulse through you that checks fat percentage, muscle weight etc... and my muscle weight was 202lbs. I then proceeded to ask him how in the fkk I was supposed to get down to 183. He then gave me a goal weight of 230.

Either way, I was once down in the 220-230 area and I was playing lights out, moving around the table better, more endurance etc... Now that I'm bigger I don't play long matches anymore and find that my back starts getting sore. Recently, with the problems here at home with my wife, I've dropped about 20lbs in the past month so I should say that I'm about 350 or so now.
MULLY
 
9BallPaul said:
Hanging out recently at a Denver pool hall and asked about a kid I had followed as a teenager, and later when he turned pro. Was told that he'd recently tipped in at 400-plus pounds. I looked up his picture on AZB, and apparently this is true.

Gleason, Fats, Fat Marty (Omaha Fats), Mizerak, the list seems endless. And I've got to admit, a fat man who can move well around a pool table acquires a certain grace that's nearly unatainable in any other sporting endeavor -- at least for the fat man.

Anyway, I've recently lost about 40 pounds since prowling the permiter of my home table. Seems to me my game's getting better, but I'm wondering, do I need to pack on the pounds to further improve?

Just to make sure this thread is PC, I should note that I can't think of a single fat woman who can play. Helena Thornfeld and Julie Kelly are as as chunky as anyone who comes to mind, and neither approaches obesity.
'
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the more round (like the balls) you become the more you'll understand how they react!!!!!

chow down!
 
JCIN said:
Fat guys rule. Obviously.

Except when we get belly hooked. That sucks.
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The belly hook is a sad event. I'm a fat man and can attest to it first hand. As I see it, fat guys only have a couple advantages.

By virtue of their heavier upper bodies, they develop an upright stance. Maybe form isn't necessarily an advantage, but I have a big stroke and I credit my high stance for it.

Secondly, fat guys may want to be active, competitive and really demonstrate their mastery of sports. But at 300lbs, my tennis game is impossibly poor, and I can't last more than a set or so. Forget basketball or soccer. Jogging? Yea right. But I can play pool for 8 hours. My break cue only weighs 19oz but there is 300 pounds of ass swinging it. What I am saying is that fat guys play pool because we can. And perhaps, we play it well because we crave to be competitors. I compensate for my lack of mobility by mastering a game that requires less movement.

So to the author of this thread, I say don't put the weight on to be a better player, just keep playing despite having other options as a thinner man. Put your time in and practice like it may be your only chance in life to be the best at something.
 
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frankncali said:
Big gets in the way trust me :mad: :rolleyes:

Years ago in Dothan Al I played for 39 hours straight. It was about 12 years ago and I was only about 26. Now At 38 and bigger I dont have that kind of endurance at all.
I know its now or never. Hopefully by this time next year things will be different. I wish anyone that needs to lose some weight all the best in the world doing it. It just isnt easy.

I do believe that dropping weight would help by pool game. There are a few guys that I have spoken to in the pool world that have done so and there comments have always been interesting.
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You mean that's not you in your avatar?
 
I know several large, let's call them plus size guys who shoot great pool. One of them I just cannot get a handle on. He seems to come out on top every time we play. It's really beginning to piss me off. The one time I beat him in a tourney situation I won the whole shooting match. I think it's a mental thing now with me, so it won't be long until he's road kill under my wheels.

I personally am on a mission to lose 20 by the last week in August. I want to get back down in the 205 range. So far I'm at 223, from a starting point of 235 on Memorial Day.

So yeah fat guys can play.


What get's me is the gimps. You get a guy with a limp or a cane at the table, and watch out. There are more semi cripple great players than fat great players in my neck of the woods.


:cool:
 
Congrats to all who have been losing, or are now thinking about losing weight. Think of it this way....it'll help keep you at the table in the short and long term.

When I practice I often do it alone. I will spend a solid 8 hours at the table. The only time I stop shooting is when I am racking or going to the bathroom. Playing pool doesn't seem to be much exercise till you're on your feet for 8 hours walking the table and bending over a coupla hundred times.

When I was into powerlifting I was 5'10" 230lbs solid (had a 30" waistline too). I actually found it awkward to stroke when I was at my biggest because my arms were a little over 21" at that time. Sounds like I'm tooting my horn, but I am fairly skinny now. If anyone would like some tips on getting into shape just ask.
 
Drawman623 said:
By virtue of their heavier upper bodies, they develop an upright stance. Maybe form isn't necessarily an advantage, but I have a big stroke and I credit my high stance for it.
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Interesting comment about high stance.

I can't think of a top snooker player who was fat, probably because they get right down on the cue. One current player, Stephen Lee, seems to have chunked up a bit and has been zooming down the rankings.
 
chin0 said:
I am a big guy, and I don't play well. Not because of the weight lol. I'm 5'8 240lbs (Was 250lbs before I started training) By the end of the year, I have to loose 60+lbs for a wedding in december. Right now, I just got a personal trainer at my gym (Gold's Gym) and in a week and one day of training. I got on the scale and I have already dropped 12lbs. That is of course with hardcore dieting and not your usualy stroll around the gym. Its worst than bootcamp. But I am loving it and enjoying it. Running and walking for 45min five days a week. Lifting weights 4 days a week and shoot pool everyday for around 4 hours a day. Dieting right, no more than 1800 calories a day. One small cheat meal a week. 12 pounds, POW!!!! Easy but hard work. It pays off.

I don't know if being fat has anything to do with being a good player, but I know many bigger size guys want to find activity to at very minimum move around. What better than a sport that is graceful at its peak? Let's shoot some!

Some say you revolve around beer, liquor and nachos. I don't drink, so no liquor, if I drink pop, I drink diet, and I even cut that down. So mine revolve around a protien bar and a big bottle of water. lol

Happy shooting! :)

Chino
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Awesome to hear about your diet decision. I cut all sodas out of my diet cold turkey last October and started exercising. I promptly lost 17 pounds in 21 days. I wish you all the best in your diet plan. You can do it Chino!
 
the only other sport where fat guys rule is darts, must be a pub thing get pissed and play darts or pool.
 
Pool is a game, people with athletic skills, great hand eye coordination, but non-athletic bodies, over weight or short, can play with the best of them. I've always considered it a great game, for the underdog in life. Many short and over-weight people have proven me right.

__________________________

http://tommcgonaglerightoncue.com
 
9BallPaul said:
It's worth pointing out that Babe Ruth would probably be considered fat by today's standards. And it's questionable whether Ruth could have competed in today's game without winnowing his body.

All the fatties seem to be in the past. Are there any left?
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Take a look at Tiger Wood now. He is beginning to look like Mike Tyson he is getting in such a powerful shape. It has to be an advantage to be in shape no matter what sport you play. I used to look at Miz and comment "Someday you are going to go to a tournament and he will be sitting there in a wheel chair trying to sign an autograph". You can't live your life in that condition. What is the deal with people. I would never profess to tell someone how to live their lives but human beings are the only creatures who do things intentionally not in their own best interest. You want sometimes to just go up to someone and tell them they don't have to look like that and live their lives as a fat blob. They can't be happy regardless what they may say. Some of our most beloved players are strokes waiting to happen. And please don't flame me you know I am right. Some of these guys need an intervention if they have friends who really care about them.
 
A team mate recently lost 130 lbs by playing a lot of pool. His wife divorced him. :happydance:


I have a set of Amos and Andy tapes. In one of the episodes. King Fish's wife complains to him that his friends are a bunch of bums with no accomplishments. He says that ain't true. He seen Andy shoot 10 balls in the side pocket and his stomach never touched the table.
 
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macguy said:
Take a look at Tiger Wood now. He is beginning to look like Mike Tyson he is getting in such a powerful shape. It has to be an advantage to be in shape no matter what sport you play. I used to look at Miz and comment "Someday you are going to go to a tournament and he will be sitting there in a wheel chair trying to sign an autograph". You can't live your life in that condition. What is the deal with people. I would never profess to tell someone how to live their lives but human beings are the only creatures who do things intentionally not in their own best interest. You want sometimes to just go up to someone and tell them they don't have to look like that and live their lives as a fat blob. They can't be happy regardless what they may say. Some of our most beloved players are strokes waiting to happen. And please don't flame me you know I am right. Some of these guys need an intervention if they have friends who really care about them.
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You're right...

I remember a quote from Jim Rempe, "You never see any old fat people, do you?"

I'm a bit overweight...(About 190, I should be 170), and I've cut out soda, stopped eating out, except for Subway, and started walking 2 miles a day. I've dropped about 10 pounds in the past 3 weeks...
 
As a fat guy I can tell you it hurts your game, I've been too heavy for a long while then I had a prolonged illness and was inactive for quite some time and it got worse, now I am needing to lose some weight.

When I was younger I could get away with it but as I age the weight becomes a real burden, stamina goes, joints hurt, there is no advantage to being fat, look at Buddy Hall, no disrespect but he is nearly broken down by his weight, skinny players have longer careers.
 
I think fat people are limited in terms of being able to compete in sports... they aren't going to be able to do a lot of high level soccer or basketball. Pool is one of those things between a game and a sport where the plus-size guy can feel like he's playing a competitive sport, but he's not going to actually run around and pass out.

Pretty much all guys have some urge to be competitive at something, and for some of them it's not enough to be the king of penspinning or forum posting... so something like pool attracts a lot of big dudes. It's cooler than zippo tricks, darts, or bowling at least.

Congrats to chino for the wedding! (unless he meant someone else's wedding). And congrats to anyone else who has dropped significant weight.

Most people would be embarrassed to say this but I'd love to go to some biggest-loser style fat camp where they focus all day on nothing but losing weight. It's prolly the only way I'll ever do it, with someone basically chasing me around and hounding me like the gunny in full metal jacket.
 
CreeDo said:
I
Most people would be embarrassed to say this but I'd love to go to some biggest-loser style fat camp where they focus all day on nothing but losing weight. It's prolly the only way I'll ever do it, with someone basically chasing me around and hounding me like the gunny in full metal jacket.
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That is not really the way. You need to get selfish. You can't do it because someone bugs you about it or makes you do it. It has to be a completely selfish undertaking. You have to do it for yourself, no one else, because you care about yourself. It is the only way. Once that switch flips and you look in the mirror and say, "Fu$k this, I am tired of this and I am going to do something about it". Until that day comes it won't happen. It will always just be wishful thinking. It starts with finding out what your daily calorie usage to maintain a healthy weight is. Once you know this number you can take comfort in knowing you will not gain another ounce because you will never exceed this number again. Then from there it is just cutting back.

Cutting back as little as 500 calories a day will take a pound off a week. Time is going to pass whether you do it of not so there is no need to feel you have to be in a hurry. In a year you can easily lose 50 pounds and not even know it is happening. Sort of the same way the weight snuck on in the first place. Because you are doing it for yourself and no one else there is never a feeling of resentment just satisfaction. Even the AMA recently came out with a study that no matter how you look at it, calorie counting is the only thing that works. It is easy to understand for anyone. All they have to do is not lie to themselves.
 
I quit playing pool for about 4 years. In that 4 year span I went from my ideal weight of 205 ( im 6'1 so 205 is a good weight for me ) to now being 257. My game is no where near where it was just 4 years ago. I know a little of it has to do with being out of practice, but now I cant practice anywhere near as long as I used to.

My biggest problem is I am having a hard time dropping the weight. I drink a lot of soda and when I try to stop I get such bad headaches from caffeine withdrawals I start right back. I also work in front of my computer 10 hours a day so exercise is not really a word in my vocabulary.

I am going to make it though, 1 way or another I am going to get back down to 205.
 
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