I've been a regular of many pool halls in the past. I move around quite a bit and have been a regular at many halls. I've found that there is almost no one that I can have a good discussion about pool with. Allow me to clarify, I don't mean about a game on TV last week, or last weeks league, or the time some guy played for big money. I'm talking about things like, cuemakers and thier cues, physics (deflection, throw), players/makers/history of years past.
For example I was talking to a guy who owns nearly 30 cues, I thought he would be a great guy to talk to about cue makers of then and now. I start talking about southwest, richard black, tim scruggs, and things go great. Then I hear from him that Tim Scruggs is retired because he's sick, didn't know who Jerry franklin was, and hears that Richard Black isn't making cues anymore either. First I know his info is both out of date and limited. He only knows about cues he owns. No big deal really, but when I talk to him about Samsara, Cognoscenti, Hercek, or Searing, he doesn't know any of them. Well I can't expect everyone to know about all the different cue makers out there, but when you own 30 cues... well. It turns out only 5-6 are custom, the rest production.
Another example is when I'm talking to probably the best player at my currently most frequent hall. I talk about throw and he doesn't know it by name, but does know the concept. He says if you cut a ball soft, you need to aim thin. This in principle is correct. I know you don't need to know physics to play great pool. It's just that when I talk to him about deflection and/or squirt he's not sure what I'm talking about. I supposed he's been playing long enough that he unconsciously compensates without knowing.
So, I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone know people at your hall where you can have a good meaningful conversation about cues, makers, history, physics, etc. The stuff beyond "pool small talk"? I think this is why I love this forum, there's a wealth of knowledge here that is difficult to find at your local hall.
For example I was talking to a guy who owns nearly 30 cues, I thought he would be a great guy to talk to about cue makers of then and now. I start talking about southwest, richard black, tim scruggs, and things go great. Then I hear from him that Tim Scruggs is retired because he's sick, didn't know who Jerry franklin was, and hears that Richard Black isn't making cues anymore either. First I know his info is both out of date and limited. He only knows about cues he owns. No big deal really, but when I talk to him about Samsara, Cognoscenti, Hercek, or Searing, he doesn't know any of them. Well I can't expect everyone to know about all the different cue makers out there, but when you own 30 cues... well. It turns out only 5-6 are custom, the rest production.
Another example is when I'm talking to probably the best player at my currently most frequent hall. I talk about throw and he doesn't know it by name, but does know the concept. He says if you cut a ball soft, you need to aim thin. This in principle is correct. I know you don't need to know physics to play great pool. It's just that when I talk to him about deflection and/or squirt he's not sure what I'm talking about. I supposed he's been playing long enough that he unconsciously compensates without knowing.
So, I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone know people at your hall where you can have a good meaningful conversation about cues, makers, history, physics, etc. The stuff beyond "pool small talk"? I think this is why I love this forum, there's a wealth of knowledge here that is difficult to find at your local hall.
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