Dave...I would agree with you, up to a point. Let's look at the numbers. It's generally accepted here in the U.S.A. that there are appx. 4,000,000 "regular" poolplayers (defined as someone who plays at least a couple of times per month). Take 1% of that number, and you get 40,000. Let's call them the "serious" enthusiasts, whether they play league (probably the better players, regardless of what league), play tournaments, gamble, or any mix of the three. I would consider many of us here in this catagory (probably playing at least weekly, if not daily...and searching out information on how to better ourselves). Out of that 40,000 perhaps 2%-3% are what we could define as "open speed" players (again, defined as someone with the skill to play pretty much even up with anyone except the top 'elite' level players). It doesn't matter if they are known or unknown...they can flat out play! For those players, the huge majority came up through the ranks, learned what they know any way they could, from whoever they could, whenever they could. They have, by-in-large, spent many YEARS accumulating this knowledge, and developing their own sense of style and stroke. For THEM, they can do whatever they do, by rote, simply from tons of trial and error. Correct 'fundamentals' (from the perspective of instructors like myself) don't enter into the equation for these players, as they figured things out on their own, based on their own perceptions (players like Earl, Keith, and many, many others). Now, let's add another group of about 5% that are either skeptical, think their "process" is fine, hard-headed, or just play good, but not at 'open speed' (so that's another 2000). That said, there is still a gigantic group out there (4,000,000 - 3200 = 3,996,800) of serious players, for which solid fundamentals can be a great boon in improving their personal games. Those are the folks that most of the instructors I know are reaching out to...and it doesn't even include the casual players, who are estimated at something like FORTY MILLION, just in this country. Nobody is trying to "force-feed" 'correct fundamentals' down anybody's throat. Most folks actually search us out, one way or another, when they have gotten tired of struggling to improve themselves, or exhausted other methods. JMO
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
What really ARE fundamentals? I think fundamentals are blown out of proportion.
Look at guys like Earl with jacked-up bridges and cocked back-hands. Guys like Keith McCready with wicked side-arm action. Guys like Mike Sigel who jump up on every shot or fire their arm through the shot. Guys like Hopkins who don't even have a backstroke or pause for that matter. Or, people like Grady whose tips are set over 5" away from the CB. Bustamante with loopy strokes and 20000" bridge-lengths.
I think the auto-answer that people like to point out is the: "These guys are freaks of nature and shouldn't be copied... they're gifted phenoms."
Yeah, that's true...but.... almost EVERY top elite player I've watched has some aspect of their fundamentals that are not "standard" or would be considered "poor" for that matter.
I think what's most important is to be consistent. If you stroke as crooked as a boomerang but you do it exactly the same each time - you can run out. Obviously, perfect fundamentals make for great consistency with less effort. But, crap fundamentals can make for great consistency as well if you're that type of player.
