Help rebuild pool - invite a non-playing friend to play

Shaft

Shaft

Hooked and Improving
Silver Member
My brother and I were meeting for coffee on Saturday mornings to shoot bull and discuss politics. One day, I suggested we have our coffee at a 24/7 pool hall I go to.

Although I was not trying to "create a convert," after 5 weeks, I think he has "caught the bug," wanting to buy his own cue, etc.

Then it occurred to me, why can't all of us do this, and do it more often? The potential impact is staggering. The benefits would be great.

More players means:
* More halls open
* Fewer halls close
* Fewer "Vikings" go out of business
* More access to better equipment
* Better TV coverage
Etc., etc....

In 2011, I pledge to bring at least one other non-playing friend to a pool room at least 5 times.

Who else will take this pledge?
 
I'm gonna try and do this very thing, as well.

You are on to something here.
 
Shaft said:
My brother and I were meeting for coffee on Saturday mornings to shoot bull and discuss politics. One day, I suggested we have our coffee at a 24/7 pool hall I go to.

Although I was not trying to "create a convert," after 5 weeks, I think he has "caught the bug," wanting to buy his own cue, etc.

Then it occurred to me, why can't all of us do this, and do it more often? The potential impact is staggering. The benefits would be great.

More players means:
* More halls open
* Fewer halls close
* Fewer "Vikings" go out of business
* More access to better equipment
* Better TV coverage
Etc., etc....

In 2011, I pledge to bring at least one other non-playing friend to a pool room at least 5 times.

Who else will take this pledge?
Click to expand...


That is a great idea. I think that bringing new players into the game is the way for the sport to conitinue to grow.

I believe that many of the league systems have been doing that for years but for some reason people are more focused on the system and not the long term benefit of the game.

We should all look for as many avenues as possible to support our great game. Support those trying to make a living off it, introduce new players to it, Go see a pro event when it is in your area, support the sponsors of those events etc....

The only way to grow this game is to get more people to try it and hope that those same people catch the bug and keep playing.

Merry Christmas to all AZ members

Leagueguy
 
I'm always working on recruiting new players for my APA team. I need lower ranks all the time, and it's the best way to get them :)

Which, I kinda like about APA, it forces me to bring new players into pool, which is good!

Brian
 
INVITE a non-playing friend to play pool

LeagueGuy,
ADDENDUM: after seeing those posts about food,drink,table abuse, etc., I agree it is the managements problem (with a little help from us) to police. My point though was that NEW players
DON'T KNOW much of what has been posted and NEW players (league or not) MUST be instructed on those subjects as well as courtesy and consideration of the players around you.


I certainly agree with all you've said! New players are what "grow" pool and leagues can help A LOT !!!

What happened at a bar/pool hall with no food service is an example of what kind of problems can happen with a new team: APA league playing on Sunday (8 players per team there=16), 1 drinks beer, 3 drink soft drinks, 3 drink water even one (weight lifter) brought a gallon plastic jug of water, the rest...drink nothing!
Remember...this is A BAR 1st, Pool hall 2nd !
Then 6 of the players order food, bring it in (along with a couple outside vendor soft drinks-not allowed!), eat and then leave the MESS on the table for the management to clean up!

I imagine you know what comes next....the owner said NO MORE LEAGUES, period!!! So, even new players (ignorant!) can ruin things, including sitting on tables, smoking over tables, etc..

The moral of this story is: YES we need more new players, but if WE don't educate them (other than how to shoot) on how to conduct themselves, we may be "winning the battle, and losing the war" !
I.M.H.O.
 
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This is a great thread and I really appreciate the OP's opening up this idea right before the holidays! With that in mind, but not to redirect this thread, I have one more suggestion to make. When I am out practicing I frequently see other new pool players shooting. It becomes very apparent that they really do not understand how to play pool. On many occasions I have gone over to them and asked if they would like a couple quick suggestions to help them learn to play better. Almost every time they are happy to get some quick pointers and are very appreciative of my efforts to teach them. I have also had pool room owners thank me for taking a moment to show them some things. I always show them fundamental things and keep it quick and easy to understand. One thing I always show them is to hit the point on the OB opposite the pocket they are shooting at. This one simple aiming technique seems to be the one thing they can readily understand. Helping out new players is something we should all be willing to do, after all they are out and playing so why not take a moment and help them enjoy the game we all love so much!
 
Quesports said:
On many occasions I have gone over to them and asked if they would like a couple quick suggestions to help them learn to play better.
Click to expand...

Of course, there is also the flip side to this... I have been approached by people offering to "help" at pool before and it didn't take long for them to start to attempt to hustle me. Thankfully I know how to hustle and how to spot a hustler so even tho I wasn't shooting well as I was out of pool for a while I knew exactly what they were doing and refused to fall for it. But I've seen this happen quite a bit and have done by best to thwart those involved when I see it (assuming I was at my home pool hall where I was known and I knew those involved so I didn't have to worry about getting my face knocked in).

Brian
 
nancewayne said:
LeagueGuy,

I certainly agree with all you've said! New players are what "grow" pool and leagues can help A LOT !!!

What happened at a bar/pool hall with no food service is an example of what kind of problems can happen with a new team: APA league playing on Sunday (8 players per team there=16), 1 drinks beer, 3 drink soft drinks, 3 drink water even one (weight lifter) brought a gallon plastic jug of water, the rest...drink nothing!
Remember...this is A BAR 1st, Pool hall 2nd !
Then 6 of the players order food, bring it in (along with a couple outside vendor soft drinks-not allowed!), eat and then leave the MESS on the table for the management to clean up!

I imagine you know what comes next....the owner said NO MORE LEAGUES, period!!! So, even new players (ignorant!) can ruin things, including sitting on tables, smoking over tables, etc..

The moral of this story is: YES we need more new players, but if WE don't educate them (other than how to shoot) on how to conduct themselves, we may be "winning the battle, and losing the war" !
I.M.H.O.
Click to expand...

While we certainly can do our part to educate our friends, policing food and drink policies is really the province of the staff at the room. If they handle it correctly, they'll make their point and hopefully make a friend as well.
 
justadub said:
While we certainly can do our part to educate our friends, policing food and drink policies is really the province of the staff at the room. If they handle it correctly, they'll make their point and hopefully make a friend as well.
Click to expand...

They can't see everything... At my old local room in Charlotte, NC it was very common for regulars to shame people who tried to sneak in outside food. Especially when they left a mess. I remember one night someone brought in some Taco Bell and left wrappers on a table. For the rest of the night, where ever that person had moved too, the wrappers ended up in front of his spot until he finally threw them away.

If it's a busy night and there isn't a wait staff that walks around, it's hard for the bartender to see everything going on.

Think of it as the same way that you yell at people who you see sitting on the tables, smoking over the table, putting drinks on the tables, etc... At least I HOPE you call those people out and don't leave it up to the staff there to say something IF they see it....

Brian
 
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btoneill said:
They can't see everything... At my old local room in Charlotte, NC it was very common for regulars to shame people who tried to sneak in outside food. Especially when they left a mess. I remember one night someone brought in some Taco Bell and left wrappers on a table. For the rest of the night, where ever that person had moved too, the wrappers ended up in front of his spot until he finally threw them away.

If it's a busy night and there isn't a wait staff that walks around, it's hard for the bartender to see everything going on.

Think of it as the same way that you yell at people who you see sitting on the tables, smoking over the table, putting drinks on the tables, etc... At least I HOPE you call those people out and don't leave it up to the staff there to say something IF they see it....

Brian
Click to expand...

I suppose I would, if it ever were the case. I'm coming to realize that I'm in a sheltered part of the world, where much of the stuff posted here doesn't often occur. :p

My regular room has clearly marked signs about "No Outside Food or Drink" and I've never seen anyone trying to sneak it in. It would become quite apparent, quite quickly. I've no doubt folks have their flasks and such, but they're certainly not brazen enough to use them out in plain sight.

Another place where I play openly allows you to bring in outside food, as they don't sell food. If it comes with a softdrink (i.e. fast food, fountain style) they don't give you any grief.

As for misuse of the tables, I'm most certainly in the speaking up mode. Since we don't have smoking here, thats one big problem we don't have to police. Again, I can't say that I remember seeing anyone put a drink on a table, save for once in a bar, and the staff saw it and corrected it.

So I suppose we're just lucky here. Or perhaps more civilized, at least in this respect. (Though certainly not in all respects, heh. :p )
 
btoneill said:
Of course, there is also the flip side to this... I have been approached by people offering to "help" at pool before and it didn't take long for them to start to attempt to hustle me. Thankfully I know how to hustle and how to spot a hustler so even tho I wasn't shooting well as I was out of pool for a while I knew exactly what they were doing and refused to fall for it. But I've seen this happen quite a bit and have done by best to thwart those involved when I see it (assuming I was at my home pool hall where I was known and I knew those involved so I didn't have to worry about getting my face knocked in).

Brian
Click to expand...

Hey Brian, I agree and have seen just about every hustle there is in pool. I've been playing since 1966, those were the days when nobody gave away info for free.. There was no one giving lessons and the only way you got any help was ask, play or figure it out on your own..
Dan
 
justadub said:
I suppose I would, if it ever were the case. I'm coming to realize that I'm in a sheltered part of the world, where much of the stuff posted here doesn't often occur. :p

My regular room has clearly marked signs about "No Outside Food or Drink" and I've never seen anyone trying to sneak it in. It would become quite apparent, quite quickly. I've no doubt folks have their flasks and such, but they're certainly not brazen enough to use them out in plain sight.

Another place where I play openly allows you to bring in outside food, as they don't sell food. If it comes with a softdrink (i.e. fast food, fountain style) they don't give you any grief.

As for misuse of the tables, I'm most certainly in the speaking up mode. Since we don't have smoking here, thats one big problem we don't have to police. Again, I can't say that I remember seeing anyone put a drink on a table, save for once in a bar, and the staff saw it and corrected it.

So I suppose we're just lucky here. Or perhaps more civilized, at least in this respect. (Though certainly not in all respects, heh. :p )
Click to expand...

Justadub,

I must live in the same part of the world as you. In our league, the places where we play all have signs posted about no outside food and drink and our L.O. goes one step further reminding us at all meetings to support the venues that support the leagues.

If we ever did have a problem like the one mentioned, I am sure the players would take care of it themselves.

Leagueguy
 
Most of the people who I point toward our Community Pool Room have ZERO interest in Tournament Play, Leagues, and are just looking to have fun. They are 99% RETIRED.

Few are competitive to the point that they will spend one on one time with themselves, and practice.

Think the only way Pool will grow is with the younger generation getting hooked on Pool, but in the year 2010, Pool has too much competition that is offering INSTANT GRATIFICATION, and INSTANT GRATIFICATION is what the younger generation wants!


Plus I do not know a way to motivate the kids of 2010, to stop playing XBox, and other Electronic Gizmos, and pick up a Pool stick and start playing Pool with some fire in their bellies.

JMHO.
 
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I was once told that pool players have huge egos, and for the most part I think that is often true.

One way to make the sport grow is to not have an elitist attitude about it. That goes for conversations regarding league affiliations, cue and pool hall preference, player rating etc...

I feel that negative and/or elitist talk about a subject often leads to negative feelings on the part of the person you are talking to. This is a sure way to make someone runaway from the thing you are trying to get them to embrace.

When I'm at a bar and someone shows me some interest in the game then I try to foster that further. When I'm practicing my drills and the college kid on the table next to me (happened last week) asks about my cue and comments on my play then I take up the spot of being an ambassador for the sport. If someone new asks me about my cue I don't say it's worth $XXX.00. I give them some info and say the great thing about pool is that you can spend as little or as much money as you want to participate, etc...

At the heart of it all I try to be both imformative and friendly. I wish more people had been that way to me when I was starting out...

Good thread-

J.
 
Another idea is to re-introduce people to pool. What about those guys you used to play league with, but never see anymore? Give them a call, maybe they will realize how much they missed the sport and start playing again.
 
It seems every time I invite some one to go to a tournament with me
they act like I am trying to hustle them. I also have to be careful
because I dont want a crowd in my house playing on my table.
If my table were in a building out of my house it would be different.
 
Help rebuild pool- invite...

petey..be careful is a good phrase...
You've got to watch those visiting "poolplayers" like a hawk, when they're at your house, whatever isn't tied down is fair game (to take) ! Even chalk can "take a walk" !!! (I guess there ARE exceptions re: "poolplayers") !~


peteypooldude said:
It seems every time I invite some one to go to a tournament with me
they act like I am trying to hustle them. I also have to be careful
because I dont want a crowd in my house playing on my table.
If my table were in a building out of my house it would be different.
Click to expand...
 
Shaft said:
My brother and I were meeting for coffee on Saturday mornings to shoot bull and discuss politics. One day, I suggested we have our coffee at a 24/7 pool hall I go to.

Although I was not trying to "create a convert," after 5 weeks, I think he has "caught the bug," wanting to buy his own cue, etc.

Then it occurred to me, why can't all of us do this, and do it more often? The potential impact is staggering. The benefits would be great.

More players means:
* More halls open
* Fewer halls close
* Fewer "Vikings" go out of business
* More access to better equipment
* Better TV coverage
Etc., etc....

In 2011, I pledge to bring at least one other non-playing friend to a pool room at least 5 times.

Who else will take this pledge?
Click to expand...
Sounds like a good idea.......
 
That is a great suggestion!

We need some fresh blood to help our sport flourish. It's always a good idea for someone unbeknowst to pool, to explore and play with someone who is a bit of a player themselves instead of turning into bangers with no respect for tables or equipment.

Count me in.... I'll be bring my fresh meat errrr friends.
 
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