I Used To Play Real Good....

Thinking about this a bit more...

I am sure that from time to time I have told someone that I used to play real good.

But for the most part I don't say that. And most people I know who 'used to be real good.' don't say it either. I think for the same reason.

Being competitive is one thing that makes someone get good at this game. I don't know very many people that are able to win money at pool without being very competitive. So I think most people who genuinely used to be real good, are very competitive as well.

When I'm playing someone, I don't want to have any excuses. And I don't want them to see me as a shell of my former self. I want them to reckon with me AS I AM and AS I PLAY NOW. After we play for a while and determine who won or lost, then have a beer together, I might enjoy revisiting some past glories. Now, I think that I play as good now as I ever have, but that realization is fairly new. For a long time I thought my best playing days were behind me. But now I beat people I would have never beaten as a younger player.

On the other hand, people who are more sociable than competitive will want to fit in a little better so they are more likely to say they used to be real good. In reality, they were probably good at certain aspects of the game or could run racks in practice, but didn't really match up too well for the cash or in tournaments.

~rc
 
It's difficult enough for new players to break into the 'circle' of pool hall members in the first place.

For some reason (unknown to me anyway) there is always a group of players that keep their distance from the 'strangers'. I'm guessing it is from a scar from the past that itches when they see one or maybe they just lack the social skills to be able to welcome someone NEW to the pool hall.

I suspect it is just that they don't want to be associated with unknown players that may play like Cs.

There is a social stratus amongst players. I see very few of the A-level local players befriending any of the newer lower skilled players and IMO that is very bad.

If it weren't for the 75% of players signing up to play in these local weekly or monthly tournaments, there certainly wouldn't be much for the A-level players to divide amongst themselves would there?

The bangers, C players and average B players make up the 75% of the non-cashing part of these tournaments and I would say most of them at one time have told me that they 'use to play better'.

I welcome all the players I can and always try to remember to thank them for entering the tournament and testing their skills. I enjoy listening to their sometimes nervous stories about past glory days.

We all want to be a bigger part of what we care about. Some of us just have to work harder to get there.
 
Tom In Cincy said:
It's difficult enough for new players to break into the 'circle' of pool hall members in the first place.

For some reason (unknown to me anyway) there is always a group of players that keep their distance from the 'strangers'. I'm guessing it is from a scar from the past that itches when they see one or maybe they just lack the social skills to be able to welcome someone NEW to the pool hall.

.
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Great point. And another reason I support league play. I know a lot of "good" players look down on the leagues, but I see it as a great opportunity for new and lower skilled players to learn and observe some of the better players in action. And most high ranked players are more than happy to help out their team members.

Steve
 
Brando in "On the Waterfront"...........

You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley.


Conversation between Marcy and Al on "Married With Children".......

Marcy: Oh, it's too bad some men don't know how to give up their sports gracefully instead of lingering on like big babies.

Al: Yeah, doggone it. If we could only be comfortable with our age like you darn gals. You know, I mean, in the morning you go into the bathroom, a little blush, a little mascara and voila. You got an old woman scared of rain. Then you try and clean and jerk your breasts into a bra, ease some exercise pants over that front and back belly, go down to the market and flirt with the bag boy. I guess what I'm trying to say is it's just pretty pathetic when we guys try to cling to our youth.

:grin-square:
 
Fast Lenny, you know how it goes. As time accumulates between the events and the telling, some details of the actual accounts go fuzzy and one's memory of convenience fills in the gaps. This usually results in a more romanticized version that is far kinder and more flattering to the story teller than actual history would bear witness to.

BTW, as I remember it, I used to play SS speed. ;)
 
I played shortstop speed in the '80s. Then i quit playing from '91 until 2008 when i decided to play again. So tell me when between '91 and '08 did they start making the balls that look a little fuzzy ? I have my local room clean them, but the edges still look fuzzy! Funny thing though they only look that way from about six feet away. So anyway i don't play that good anymore but i still run a rack of 9 ball now and then if i can stay close to the balls.:D
 
The magic words to any hustlers ears are "I put myself though college playing pool" Johnnyt
 
Years ago I made a lot of money when I was on the table missing balls and playing bad patterns while I'm telling then how good I used to play. There was always one that would step up to the plate to call my bluff. $$$$$
 
dabarbr said:
Years ago I made a lot of money when I was on the table missing balls and playing bad patterns while I'm telling then how good I used to play. There was always one that would step up to the plate to call my bluff. $$$$$
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You have a point there. I should have added you could get burnt if it was another hustler. Johnnyt
 
...fish...

anyways. i know an older guy thats been out of the game for about 6 years and is just getting back into it. the knowledge he has is amazing and his cue ball is great. the only thing he says he lost is his ability to pocket balls as well as he used to. then theres another guy in my pool room who "says" hes been out of the game for a while and used to play top speed. hes a fish. no effin doubt about it. he talks and talks and talks and sucks and sucks and sucks. has an excuse for every shot. meanwhile when the other guy misses a ball it doesnt bother him. he knows how well he played and he has no one to impress. i hate listening to fish whine. aggravating as hell.
 
I made up my mind when I was younger and heard that saying all the time that I would never say that when I got older. Stuck to it too.

Here is a few thoughts that play into that statement.

People that are 55 or older didn't have the amount of people playing pool that are playing nowadays. When they beat everyone, or a majority of the people, they were probably a good B level (rated a 6) player. You knew everyone's speed of play then, now you don't know who you are going to match up with.

Look at the amount of people that picked up pool since the start of league play.

Wait till you hit 40+ and your eyes start going weak. Sometimes all you have to remember is past history. Everyone is a legend in their own mind. :wink:
 
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klockdoc said:
I made up my mind when I was younger and heard that saying all the time that I would never say that when I got older. Stuck to it too.

Here is a few thoughts that play into that statement.

People that are 55 or older didn't have the amount of people playing pool that are playing nowadays. When they beat everyone, or a majority of the people, they were probably a good B level (rated a 6) player. You knew everyone's speed of play then, now you don't know who you are going to match up with.

Look at the amount of people that picked up pool since the start of league play.

Wait till you hit 40+ and your eyes start going weak. Sometimes all you have to remember is past history. Everyone is a legend in their own mind. :wink:
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Thanks for that line! Rep to you sir!
 
I played this game when I was a teenager sometimes everyday. Then touched a cue maybe once a year for about 30 years maybe. You know never took it serious at all just something to do. Now I am in my fifties and so close to sixty I can step on it and I have never ever played as good as I play now. I love it and can't get enough of it. I practice every day I read more about it, take lessons and most of all listen to any and all tips from people, watch videos etc.etc. Some opinions I take to heart others I throw out because what works for one person does not work for another. I am getting older and getting better.
 
klockdoc said:
I made up my mind when I was younger and heard that saying all the time that I would never say that when I got older. Stuck to it too.

Here is a few thoughts that play into that statement.

People that are 55 or older didn't have the amount of people playing pool that are playing nowadays. When they beat everyone, or a majority of the people, they were probably a good B level (rated a 6) player. You knew everyone's speed of play then, now you don't know who you are going to match up with.

Look at the amount of people that picked up pool since the start of league play.

Wait till you hit 40+ and your eyes start going weak. Sometimes all you have to remember is past history. Everyone is a legend in their own mind. :wink:
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This may sound stupid but I am very curious to know if it makes much of a difference if you have great vision or not so good vision.

The reason why I ask this is because I myself don't have the best vision. My left eye is not very good at all but my right eye is 20 20 I believe. My right eye ( the good one) is my dominant eye so maybe that's why.

Some shots I feel that I don't see that well but it isn't a problem for me making them consistently.
 
donny mills said:
This may sound stupid but I am very curious to know if it makes much of a difference if you have great vision or not so good vision.

The reason why I ask this is because I myself don't have the best vision. My left eye is not very good at all but my right eye is 20 20 I believe. My right eye ( the good one) is my dominant eye so maybe that's why.

Some shots I feel that I don't see that well but it isn't a problem for me making them consistently.
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I also have wondered how important perfect sight was for this game. I'm an older buy that has played all my life and still have food eye sight. I just need glasses for reading.

The only trouble I have these days is with long cut shots on balls like the six and eight that are next to the rail, especially if the lighting is not so good over the table.

I have always heard from older gents that they used to play real good until their eyes started to fail. I think for a good player your eyes really need to be bad not make most shots. It seems to me that with fair vision most shots are still workable. I hope I never have to find out the hard way.
 
You can tell if someone USED to play real good. It's all in how they approach the ball and come into the shot. How they bridge / hold the cue. You never lose those things even if you haven't played in 30 years.

What gets me is someone will say how great they used to play and they look like Joe Cocker or Michael J. Fox when at the table. Yeah right, used to play good LOL.
 
SpiderWebComm said:
You can tell if someone USED to play real good. It's all in how they approach the ball and come into the shot. How they bridge / hold the cue. You never lose those things even if you haven't played in 30 years.

What gets me is someone will say how great they used to play and they look like Joe Cocker or Michael J. Fox when at the table. Yeah right, used to play good LOL.
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Haha, have you ever seen me hold a cue?, I do not know how to! :grin-square::p:embarrassed2:
 
Fast Lenny said:
Haha, have you ever seen me hold a cue?, I do not know how to! :grin-square::p:embarrassed2:
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You look fine at the table, Len. So you have the monkey-thumb going on... big deal. I'm tellin' ya... you should get a sponsor to put a logo on that thing.
 
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