How To Get A Really Good Player

Natural talent is extremely overrated. There's ridiculous amounts of value in having to learn/understand a then practice to perfection what "naturals" would potentially take for granted.

I've always claimed I have no natural talent regarding pool. Not that I'm a world beater by any stretch. I fought and clawed for everything that gets labelled as 'talent' by casual viewers these days. What I do have is an analytical mind. I have practiced enough that I know what to expect if I make alterations from the norm.
 
yes but no natural talent/ eye hand coordination, means you are limited to only get as good as practice lets you.
can never get to top speed to compete.
but most are not looking for that.
 
The_JV said:
Natural talent is extremely overrated. There's ridiculous amounts of value in having to learn/understand a then practice to perfection what "naturals" would potentially take for granted.

I've always claimed I have no natural talent regarding pool. Not that I'm a world beater by any stretch. I fought and clawed for everything that gets labelled as 'talent' by casual viewers these days. What I do have is an analytical mind. I have practiced enough that I know what to expect if I make alterations from the norm.
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I think my primary "natural talent" if I have any is being stubborn as a mule. To put it politely, I am persistent. I will never hit a major league fast ball consistently so I picked a game where the ball I am hitting holds still.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
I have a cue case with a couple big pockets. Things in those pockets I haven't used in ten years and lint from the nineties!

I find it fun and somehow liberating to leave the case with two cues in it at home. Go back fifty years and stick a BRAD tool and a bit of sandpaper in my watch/telephone pocket, a little cash in anudder pocket and I am ready to get it on!

House cues are the best I have ever seen generally speaking. I started to buy an assortment of the slide on tips many years ago. Taking a few of them in a pocket would let me do a serious upgrade to most bad tips too. Slip on tips are pretty much standard on house cues many places anyway.

Hu
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Nothing better than a good one piece cue! But you already know that.
 
garczar said:
I bet Keith just laughs at all the tech-obsessed loonies playing today.
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Often Keith would have to borrow a cue from a spectator prior to shooting a money game. He would try out a few different ones and just pick the one he liked. Then he would play with that cue and never miss a beat, or a ball!

People didn't mind loaning him their cue, since it was worth a 5-10% jelly if he won. And that was most of the time!
 
jay helfert said:
Often Keith would have to borrow a cue from a spectator prior to shooting a money game. He would try out a few different ones and just pick the one he liked. Then he would play with that cue and never miss a beat, or a ball!

People didn't mind loaning him their cue, since it was worth a 5-10% jelly if he won. And that was most of the time!
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That's the exact opposite of most of them I have come across, when they are done they leave your cue in a corner , for you to find, never got a jelly roll and most times never got a thank you. One guy told me , you know how I am ! Yeah , you're right, I knew better.
Giving jelly made me a lot of money in my life, people brought me all kinds of deals and propositions to make money from , some I passed on , but you can't win if you aren't in the game!.
 
The_JV said:
Natural talent is extremely overrated. ...
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It depends on what you want to label "natural talent." A study of students found that the trait that best correlated with success in school was the tendency to fight against adversity and setbacks. Stick-to-it-iveness. Is that part of talent?
 
ShootingArts said:
I have a cue case with a couple big pockets. Things in those pockets I haven't used in ten years and lint from the nineties!

I find it fun and somehow liberating to leave the case with two cues in it at home. Go back fifty years and stick a BRAD tool and a bit of sandpaper in my watch/telephone pocket, a little cash in anudder pocket and I am ready to get it on!

House cues are the best I have ever seen generally speaking. I started to buy an assortment of the slide on tips many years ago. Taking a few of them in a pocket would let me do a serious upgrade to most bad tips too. Slip on tips are pretty much standard on house cues many places anyway.

Hu
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That's a great idea!!
Would've made things easier in some of those places back then. That's for sure.
 
The_JV said:
Natural talent is extremely overrated. There's ridiculous amounts of value in having to learn/understand a then practice to perfection what "naturals" would potentially take for granted.

I've always claimed I have no natural talent regarding pool. Not that I'm a world beater by any stretch. I fought and clawed for everything that gets labelled as 'talent' by casual viewers these days. What I do have is an analytical mind. I have practiced enough that I know what to expect if I make alterations from the norm.
Click to expand...
Excellent!!!
 
maha said:
yes but no natural talent/ eye hand coordination, means you are limited to only get as good as practice lets you.
can never get to top speed to compete.
but most are not looking for that.
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I don't believe hand eye has anything to do with talent. You can have good hand eye and still suck. My belief is that a natural has a ceiling they can't go above. A non natural has no such limitation.
 
book collector said:
That's the exact opposite of most of them I have come across, when they are done they leave your cue in a corner , for you to find, never got a jelly roll and most times never got a thank you. One guy told me , you know how I am ! Yeah , you're right, I knew better.
Giving jelly made me a lot of money in my life, people brought me all kinds of deals and propositions to make money from , some I passed on , but you can't win if you aren't in the game!.
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I won't mention who, but a very well known bad gambling player borrowed mine once and tried to hock it when he got down while I was in the bathroom!!🤣
 
Bob Jewett said:
It depends on what you want to label "natural talent." A study of students found that the trait that best correlated with success in school was the tendency to fight against adversity and setbacks. Stick-to-it-iveness. Is that part of talent?
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Good question.
 
thats mental talent and works for some things. natural athletic talent works for sports. and without it you are held back. and if you dont think that will stop you at some level then you are dreaming.
 
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Bob Jewett said:
It depends on what you want to label "natural talent." A study of students found that the trait that best correlated with success in school was the tendency to fight against adversity and setbacks. Stick-to-it-iveness. Is that part of talent?
Click to expand...
no thats not talent
thats a personality trait
and yes found in many successful people
from AI
Talent is a natural ability or skill that someone possesses, often without deliberate effort or training. It is a unique combination of innate abilities, knowledge, and experiences that enables an individual to perform a specific task or activity with exceptional ease and effectiveness.

Talent can manifest in various areas, such as:

  • Artistic talent: Music, dance, painting, or other creative pursuits
  • Intellectual talent: Mathematics, science, languages, or problem-solving
  • Athletic talent: Sports, physical skills, or coordination
  • Social talent: Communication, leadership, or interpersonal skills
While talent can be a valuable asset, it is not the only factor that determines success. Effort, dedication, and practice are also essential in developing and refining one's talents.
 
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