How to save professional pool...no, really.

[Boxcar]

What professional pool needs is what we in golf call a Playing Ability Test (PAT). In golf, an aspiring young golfer must play 36 holes of golf on a rated course in one day and beat "the number," the number being determined by the course rating plus a chosen number of strokes. The PGA has a list of courses in each state which can be used to conduct The PAT. Back home the courses were fair tests of a player's skills and the number was usually around 76. If you beat the number of 152 for your 36 hole day's work, you can qualify.

To get this thing started in pool, the Godfathers would need to get together and establish the standards a player must meet or exceed to qualify. Maybe a 6-pack in a certain amount of time...and a 100-ball 14.1 run....and back to back 15 ball rotation runs...you get the picture. Trials could be conducted in selected rooms in various areas which are easily accessed by the largest number of candidates.

Again, the qualifying standards would need to be established by a board of very experienced and very accomplished mature players (the Godfathers). If an association of professional pool players was established, the management and elected president of the group (perhaps the PPPA of A) would regularly meet with the Godfathers and plan for the future, i.e., venues, tournaments by name, Pro-Ams, Celebrity-Ams, you get the picture. A tour, if managed by real leadership, can become self sustaining. If it becomes self sustaining, it can make its own rules. In point, MR and Predator will need you more than you need them.

 

[hang-the-9]

Not sure how this will help, who cares if some weaker players enter the "pro" events because they are open. It won't get viewers for TV since the general TV public has no idea what good play is and a B player seems as good to them as a Pro. To Joe Public a "good" player shoots banks or jumps every other shot and does a 3 rail kick to make the 8 ball.

Plus we now have a pretty wide-spread skill rating in Fargo that is a very good test of average skill. Many local tournaments use it to limit entries or set entry cost.

What we need is advertising and sponsors outside of the industry to gain money for a real pro tour under one organization with a regular season and ability for someone outside of the top 10 world ranked players to make a living at it without side hustles. Once there is a pro tour again they can have lesser qualifier tournaments and tours like AA and AAA baseball do to bring up new players to the majors. Having a decently high entry fee will also keep out the riffraff a bit so to speak. When the US Open was a $300 something entry a lot of players could consider spending the money on it, when it's $500 and then $1,000, not too many will toss that kind of money away on a tournament they know they can't cash in or even get past the first round of.

 

[measureman]

Tournaments always need dead money players to round out the field and fatten the purse.
And why not?
A lot of lower players are willing to blow the entry fee just for the chance to compete and rub elbows with the big boys.

 

[jasonlaus]

I'm gonna go get drunk, that's gonna do as much good as this discussion

 

[MitchAlsup]

What professional pool needs is what we in golf call a Playing Ability Test (PAT). In golf, an aspiring young golfer must play 36 holes of golf on a rated course in one day and beat "the number," the number being determined by the course rating plus a chosen number of strokes. The PGA has a list of courses in each state which can be used to conduct The PAT. Back home the courses were fair tests of a player's skills and the number was usually around 76. If you beat the number of 152 for your 36 hole day's work, you can qualify.

Ok, I will bite::

To qualify for a professional pool tournament; the entrant must run a 6-pack on a 9 foot table with 4.25" pockets and Simonis 760 cloth.

 

[hang-the-9]

Tournaments always need dead money players to round out the field and fatten the purse.
And why not?
A lot of lower players are willing to blow the entry fee just for the chance to compete and rub elbows with the big boys.

They would not if there was an actual pro tour with a well-funded organization behind it. MasterCard or Verizon don't care if some players put in an extra $5,000 in entry fees to waste, but they do care that their product is represented by someone not seen as a degenerate drunk hustler LOL Although most reality shows are basically built on people like that, so maybe it's a bonus for pool

 

[Island Drive]

Tournaments always need dead money players to round out the field and fatten the purse.
And why not?
A lot of lower players are willing to blow the entry fee just for the chance to compete and rub elbows with the big boys.

Most all pros went thru this scenario to improve.

 

[Vahmurka]

What professional pool needs is what we in golf call a Playing Ability Test (PAT). In golf, an aspiring young golfer must play 36 holes of golf on a rated course in one day and beat "the number," the number being determined by the course rating plus a chosen number of strokes.

For the reference, PAT in pool has been around for many years.

PAT Pool & Billiard

PAT Start for novice players, and PAT 1, 2, and 3 respectively for upper levels. 3rd being for aspiring pros and ready pro players.
Apparently it's been quite a while since last records were submitted. And while one could see some notable names on the PAT3 list, it's easy to notice that being great in standard shots and drills does not necessarily convert into being a top performer in the heat of a competition

 

[Boxcar]

Ok, I will bite::

To qualify for a professional pool tournament; the entrant must run a 6-pack on a 9 foot table with 4.25" pockets and Simonis 760 cloth.

I'm sorry I wasn't more clear. My idea is to form a Professional Pool Players Association. In order to qualify for membership, a candidate must be able to prove a certain level of expertise. In order to prove this expertise, he must pass a battery of tests. When he passes the tests, he will qualify to be a member of the Players association. The PGA of America, founded in 1916, has a motto, "Serving the players and growing the game." In order to be a member in good standing of the PGA of America, a candidate must pass a PAT, or playing ability test. If you are good enough to pass the test, you become a member. Basically, it separates the men from the boys. Virtually all of the club pros and their assistants are members of the PGA of America.

The founder of The PGA was a man named Rodman Wanamaker. He had a vision, and because of the dedication of countless men and women who love the game of golf, his dream has come true. In 2019, the PGA of America gave a total of over 204 million dollars to charity. That would have never happened without Mr. Wanamakers dream.

I believe pool can have a similar dream and I think that an established, wisely governed association of imminently qualified professional players and an advisory board of the elders of the sport could make it happen. It won't happen overnight, but the PGA, as we know it today, didn't happen overnight either.

If a Player is a member of the PPPA of A (the Professional Pool Players of America), he would have the same privileges and the same responsibilities as his peers and he would be a member of an elite group of professionals who set the standards of performance and prestige that the rest of the lovers of the sport would want to follow.

Think it over and see if you and the many other dedicated patrons of the game can make it happen. It's just a dream now.

Respectfully,

Boxcar

 

[Woodshaft]

I feel that Matchroom, CSI, Predator, etc are doing a fine job taking pro pool forward.
That said, Covid really hurt (and is still hurting) the ability for the top Asians to participate in the big International tourneys.
I take fargorate's current lists of the world's "Top Players" with a big grain of salt knowing that they're missing soooo many big name Asian pros--- especially on the women's side.

 

[Boxcar]

I feel that Matchroom, CSI, Predator, etc are doing a fine job taking pro pool forward.
That said, Covid really hurt (and is still hurting) the ability for the top Asians to participate in the big International tourneys.
I take fargorate's current lists of the world's "Top Players" with a big grain of salt knowing that they're missing soooo many big name Asian pros--- especially on the women's side.

JAM's thread on the hardships of life as a pro player has me believing that MR and Predator aren't doing nearly as much for professional players as they are doing for themselves.

 

[Woodshaft]

JAM's thread on the hardships of life as a pro player has me believing that MR and Predator aren't doing nearly as much for professional players as they are doing for themselves.

Possibly, but the players yearly income potential is definitely higher due to these events.
It is all so fresh, I feel the big promoters/sponsors will listen to the players/fans and adapt.
It's still fresh, but at least an effort is being made.

 

[Boxcar]

Possibly, but the players yearly income potential is definitely higher due to these events.
It is all so fresh, I feel the big promoters/sponsors will listen to the players/fans and adapt.
It's still fresh, but at least an effort is being made.

I'm not being argumentative, but the earnings charts suggest that most of the pros could make more money if they worked at Mickey D's.
With inflation and all the uncertainty in the world today, if a man wants to get married and have a family and a few creature comforts, he needs to get a real job. Remember, there is strength in numbers. Right now, it looks like Pool is "every man for himself."

 

[Stew boo]

I see all these threads on how to "fix" pool or save it. What's wrong with it? I like the fact that pool isn't very popular, I can walk into a pool room and not have to wait on a table. I like the fact that it's played in run down establishments with nutty characters. I like the fact that it has a reputation for gambling. Whats the point of trying to make it more popular and appeal to the masses? In my opinion pool is the greatest game on earth and there's no reason to change anything about it.

 

[Woodshaft]

I'm not being argumentative, but the earnings charts suggest that most of the pros could make more money if they worked at Mickey D's.
With inflation and all the uncertainty in the world today, if a man wants to get married and have a family and a few creature comforts, he needs to get a real job. Remember, there is strength in numbers. Right now, it looks like Pool is "every man for himself."

I'm not either. But the boys at the top are now making more than they were thanks to these events.
But you are correct, making an actual sustainable living playing pool is really tuff.
The travel expenses are brutal.

 

[Boxcar]

Stew boo,

Pool is very local and very personal. It's where you go to BS with your buds, and choke down 1 or 8 adult beverages. I was aiming this thread toward the "professionals" and the difficulties they face just trying to make a living.

 

[Woodshaft]

Our planet has about 7 billion people on it.
American pool (8,9,10 ball) isn't played by many people under 21.
And until it is-- which I don't think will happen-- it will continue to be more of a recreational sport than anything.
I feel a lot of people's expectations of this niche sport/hobby are just too high.

 

[dendweller]

I'm not being argumentative, but the earnings charts suggest that most of the pros could make more money if they worked at Mickey D's.
With inflation and all the uncertainty in the world today, if a man wants to get married and have a family and a few creature comforts, he needs to get a real job. Remember, there is strength in numbers. Right now, it looks like Pool is "every man for himself."

I'm trying to remember when it wasn't that way.

 

[dendweller]

For the reference, PAT in pool has been around for many years.

PAT Pool & Billiard

PAT Start for novice players, and PAT 1, 2, and 3 respectively for upper levels. 3rd being for aspiring pros and ready pro players.
Apparently it's been quite a while since last records were submitted. And while one could see some notable names on the PAT3 list, it's easy to notice that being great in standard shots and drills does not necessarily convert into being a top performer in the heat of a competition

I believe the PAT in golf is part of becoming a pga pro, not a tour player. For that you go through q school, korn ferry, then the pga tour.

Unfortunately, becoming a pga pro doesn't mean you'll actually play much golf.

 

[Boxcar]

Let's take the casual player out of the equation and concentrate more on the playing pro and the obstacles he faces trying to survive.

About 1.6% of college football players make it to the NFL. And only a handful of them make it REALLY big. The NFL Players Association, in large part, is responsible for improving players' salaries. Remember, there is strength in numbers. Golf is a bit like pool. There are no salaries. If a player is going to make it big in golf, he has to win tournaments. No guarantees. The same is roughly true about pro pool players.

One of the main difficulties with any professional endeavor is the vacuum of leadership and organization. There are many who want to be professional pool players. A significant problem for them is the vacuum of leadership and organization. I believe that one solution to the dilemma in pool is the foundation of a Professional Pool Players Association.