Help with Pool Experiment, part B

[David Marcus]

I would like to test a theory with the help of my fellow AZers. My theory is based on the premise that ranking a player as an A,B or C is at the very best subjective depending on where your own playing level is and just as importantly how you "perceive" your own playing level to be.
I would also submit that depending on where in the country or in the world that you play weighs in to your "regional ranking" system. Is an C player in Chicago the same as a C player in the South or Europe or Asia?
Thirdly,the question is whether you can accurately judge a players level simply by watching a brief sample of them playing or in this case practicing?
I'll be very curious to hear what each of you think. Please watch the video below and post on this thread the level of player you think you are watching. Please try to stick to straight whole letter grades for the sake of this exercise.
Thanks in advance for your assistance in this experiment.

http://youtu.be/uuDZmITYovg

 

[Pidge]

D. On a good day maybe pushing a C.

 

[RiverCity]

Are you seriously still fishing for someone who will say youre an A player? Thats the only conclusion that I can come up with for repeatedly posting these videos asking someone to rate them.
What speed do you rate this video David?

Chuck

 

[Charlie Hustle]

Hasn't this sh!t been done already? Multiple times...

 

[3andstop]

Watching a low to mid C player, who... if they stopped banging rails with 9 ball and played straight pool, might greatly improve the delivery of their cue through their too fast and jerky forward stroke.

But that's just my opinion and feeling about 9 ball as a game to learn pool. :thumbup:

 

[owll]

c/d player....low apa 4 (maybe 3)

 

[owll]

I would like to test a theory with the help of my fellow AZers. My theory is based on the premise that ranking a player as an A,B or C is at the very best subjective depending on where your own playing level is and just as importantly how you "perceive" your own playing level to be.

'a' players run out pretty consistently on open tables, probably better than 80%.

high 'b's run several balls as good as 'a's but tend to mess up shape or miss a shot or so a rack..run out open racks probably 35-60% area.

c players almost never run out open racks.

d players are usually new and inexperienced (bangers on a bar table)

 

[zpele]

Either a d player or someone trying to hide their speed. The video shows very sloppy play.

 

[hang-the-9]

I would like to test a theory with the help of my fellow AZers. My theory is based on the premise that ranking a player as an A,B or C is at the very best subjective depending on where your own playing level is and just as importantly how you "perceive" your own playing level to be.
I would also submit that depending on where in the country or in the world that you play weighs in to your "regional ranking" system. Is an C player in Chicago the same as a C player in the South or Europe or Asia?
Thirdly,the question is whether you can accurately judge a players level simply by watching a brief sample of them playing or in this case practicing?
I'll be very curious to hear what each of you think. Please watch the video below and post on this thread the level of player you think you are watching. Please try to stick to straight whole letter grades for the sake of this exercise.
Thanks in advance for your assistance in this experiment.

http://youtu.be/uuDZmITYovg

Player rankings are not really subjective unless that is how people look at it. There is a very simple way to judge things, average number of balls run, mixed in with a bit of extras like position play / table knowledge / safes. A B player that can pocket 5 balls on average but has a better safe game than another one that can pocket 5 balls but never plays safe and goes for tough low % shots with no reward would be a B+.

The only time you get into trouble with rankings is if you start with a ranking based on a player. You say Joe is the worst player we have so he is a D, Bill is the best so he is an A. Joe can actually run 4-5 balls at a time and Bill can play even with Strickland when he gets in stroke because where they play is a high-level area for pool skill. You need to start with a universal ranking. A D is a beginner that can do 1-2 balls at a time with ball in hand, and A can run a rack out almost all the time with ball in hand and go from there filling in the middle ranges.

 

[hang-the-9]

Either a d player or someone trying to hide their speed. The video shows very sloppy play.

The video is not of a D, the player shows skill with stoking the cue and is very smooth. C player at the least, maybe more if they were playing badly to try to emulate a worse player. A D player would be using wrong bridges, trying to play with a half open bridge, the stick would be waving a lot with no aim while doing practice stokes, sending the object ball a diamond from the pocket, no speed control for 90% of shots.

I think of myself as a B-B+, I can run out a rack but often fail with a pretty simple miss or hook myself by a fraction of an inch on position, this is pretty much my game here http://youtu.be/W6KKnuZWiWE?t=7m17s if you want to see what I think of as a B - B+ player. You can see in the first rack I make a nice cut on the 7 then miss basically a hanger on the 8 to run the rack. Not consistent enough for an A.

 

["Q" Protectors]

D. On a good day maybe pushing a C.

What he said. I consider myself a B player and I'd drill you. (no offense) :smile:

 

[fastone371]

I say pretty much same as everyone else. It looks like you are just trying to pocket balls and not worrying or attempting cue ball position whatsoever.

 

[dr_dave]

... ranking a player as an A,B or C is at the very best subjective depending on where your own playing level is and just as importantly how you "perceive" your own playing level to be.

FYI, there are several good player rating systems that don't rely on subjective evaluations. They are available here:

player rating systems resource page

I personally prefer the Billiard University (BU) rating system since it objectively tests a wide range of skills.

In a league, tournament, or tour format, the Fargo handicapping and rating system is the best way to go.

Also, if standard definitions are used for the A-D rating system, then there is less subjectivity in any evaluation.

For, comparisons of the various rating systems out there can be found here:

ratings comparison chart

Enjoy,
Dave

 

[Allen Brown]

Hes really an A player. He just wants to see how bad he has to play to be a lower ranked player and find out what ranking this speed is. You can tell by his previous videos he is much better than this video. His jacket might be getting in the way, on purpose, in this video.

Thanks for posting David. Shoot em straight and hook all of the fish that you can.

 

[Charlie Hustle]

Hes really an A player. He just wants to see how bad he has to play to be a lower ranked player and find out what ranking this speed is. You can tell by his previous videos he is much better than this video. His jacket might be getting in the way, on purpose, in this video.

Thanks for posting David. Shoot em straight and hook all of the fish that you can.

Yea he played better in previous videos. You can tell on this video from his bridge and from certain position plays, he knows what he is doing. But obviously he is stalling and rushing certain shots. Like others have said, WTF is the point of these stalling videos?? Are you bored? Are you trying to get action? Etc...

 

[Allen Brown]

Yea he played better in previous videos. You can tell on this video from his bridge and from certain position plays, he knows what he is doing. But obviously he is stalling and rushing certain shots. Like others have said, WTF is the point of these stalling videos?? Are you bored? Are you trying to get action? Etc...

I think hes bored. But he might be wanting to take down a big tournament. US Open???
Hes a world beater, but i would still give him the last 3 and the breaks.

PS. I talk a big game.....maybe i can back it up. I dont know.

 

[JohnnyP]

Send out for some J.T.S. Brown.

 

[Charlie Hustle]

To the previous two people above this post, nice post. :thumbup: