True the players play, but mentally preparing your team and setting the lineup to give your team the best chance to win is an undervalued skill. Maybe it's just me, but I have felt that Europe cares more about winning than the US.
If I was Mark Wilson... (mosconi strategy)
- Thread starter drv4
- Start date
True the players play, but mentally preparing your team and setting the lineup to give your team the best chance to win is an undervalued skill. Maybe it's just me, but I have felt that Europe cares more about winning than the US.
"mentally preparing" the players??
You mean that (again) world champions don't know how to mentally prepare for a tournament?? How on earth did they do that on their own then to collect the points to be selected for playing in the mosconi cup in the first place??
He could give them a group lesson like the one he put on in Chicago.
In the interview with Rodney Morris and Dechaine on the APA Facebook page, Rodney said when the team got together to practice this week, Mark Wilson taught him something new that he never knew that helped him straighten out his stroke. That's coming from a pro. He said he wish he had learned it earlier in his career.
So no, some captains are not for show. You think Johan Ruisnik didn't play a major role in Europe dominating us for so many years?
he shouldn't be on the team if he needs his stroke straightened by mark wilson a week prior to.
it sounds like something he'll use as an instructor, not as a player.
do you think ruisnik would have the same record had he coached the us?
it's really unforgivable that mark punished rather than rewarded oscar for having a job, running a tour, and trying to start a family while continuing to raise his game above half the team's.
None of the above. Let them practice their defense and kicking, which is the area in which we fail year after year, in particular in the last two years.
I'd much rather have a teacher/educator with a plan, than a hard core pool player running the show. The great players have tried for decades to create a pro tour without results. Their past is the proof.
I am inclined to agree.
Man up, make it happen.
Easier said than done, but get out there and go, go, go.
Maybe we need to start up a 'bonus if you win' fund. Coach gets more.
Lol
It is his 3rd year so Mark Wilson's contract may be up for discussion :grin:
No
Example is Jurgen Klinsmann
Getting money to show, and play....guaranteed is a bonus. Having a points/incentive to attend events to gain points to be in the player group is unique (other than the Camel Pro Tour) for the US on the pro level.
I dont get your point.
For the team to know a buncha hacks is rooting for them to the level of a couple hundred each might be the ticket to get the extra step or 6 out of em.
Ditto...........
Shaka
Registered
----First Day Lineup---
1)Team
2)Doubles
3)Singles
4)Doubles (All players to have played once in matches 2 - 4)
5)Singles (Cannot be the same player as Match 3
Mark should come out swinging strong and front load the matches every day. Gamble for early lead and hang on with expectation of added pressure on Europe for the late day matches. Get Shane in the tournament early when the score is neutral and he is not chasing. I would put Shane in #2 and #3 with bonus table time in #1. USA cant win without Shane so keep him hot.
The rest of the spots to fill are very subjective.
Fargo says Mike Dechaine and Justin Bergman are next best players. I am leaning towards Justin should be Shane's partner in #2. Mike and Rodney for #4 (somehow I picture them having good chemistry and play styles) and Skylar for #5.
One of America's strength is their bravado when they are winning and no opponent wants to see that and I am sure its distracting and off-putting. However, that American excitement can also be a weakness when they are not winning and makes it difficult to comeback.
May not be able to do anything anything about Europe's perceived greater talent but need to crack their steely composure with front runner pressure.
FYI - Go Europe.
1)Team
2)Doubles
3)Singles
4)Doubles (All players to have played once in matches 2 - 4)
5)Singles (Cannot be the same player as Match 3
Mark should come out swinging strong and front load the matches every day. Gamble for early lead and hang on with expectation of added pressure on Europe for the late day matches. Get Shane in the tournament early when the score is neutral and he is not chasing. I would put Shane in #2 and #3 with bonus table time in #1. USA cant win without Shane so keep him hot.
The rest of the spots to fill are very subjective.
Fargo says Mike Dechaine and Justin Bergman are next best players. I am leaning towards Justin should be Shane's partner in #2. Mike and Rodney for #4 (somehow I picture them having good chemistry and play styles) and Skylar for #5.
One of America's strength is their bravado when they are winning and no opponent wants to see that and I am sure its distracting and off-putting. However, that American excitement can also be a weakness when they are not winning and makes it difficult to comeback.
May not be able to do anything anything about Europe's perceived greater talent but need to crack their steely composure with front runner pressure.
FYI - Go Europe.
In order for the USA to be in the match, Shane HAS to get out of the gate strong. If he does then we'll have a shot. He sets the tempo and mood of the team, period. I don't pretend to know how this is to be accomplished but somehow he has to come through. He is a notorious slow starter and this has led to the recent disasters in this competition. Come on Shane make it happen........
I chimed in early and said I didn't think there was really that much that Mark could do to effect the outcome. I didn't really have time to expound on that so I will now.
I'm not sure why but I think many of you place way too much importance on the coach for the Mosconi Cup. Many of you look at this one-off event as something more than it is. What this is -- is an All-star exhibition. The U.S. Mosconi Cup team is not a national team in the sense that they spend any significant time training together. They have a couple of days that they spend together. That's it. A few days out of a lifetime of playing pool.
Mark Wilson is doing a great job promoting this event and representing our sport and our country. That's really the best thing he can do for this team. When it comes to the actual play on the table what can he really do in a week that's going to change the outcome of this match?
When it comes to the Europeans, everybody loves to paint this picture of these guys all coming together and training throughout the year, feeding each other cross-armed -- wedding cake style, and huddling up while listening to the strategic planning of their great coach. Who then leads them into battle and ultimately victory. We always acted like the key to their success was their previous coach (whose name escapes me at the moment) but they plugged in Marcus Chamat last year and didn't skip a beat. Was Marcus by chance studying his entire life for the chance to pick who would play in which slot?
This may sound harsh but I'm just being realistic. If Mark somehow missed the flight and couldn't make it the Mosconi do you really think that would dramatically alter the U.S.'s chances? I do not.
What this event comes down to every single year is a battle over which team has better technique. Whose techniques and fundamentals will hold up better under fire. This year's team should hold up better than previous ones but we still need at least the 7 when it comes to fundamentals in comparison to the Europeans and there's nothing Mark can do about that.
I'm not sure why but I think many of you place way too much importance on the coach for the Mosconi Cup. Many of you look at this one-off event as something more than it is. What this is -- is an All-star exhibition. The U.S. Mosconi Cup team is not a national team in the sense that they spend any significant time training together. They have a couple of days that they spend together. That's it. A few days out of a lifetime of playing pool.
Mark Wilson is doing a great job promoting this event and representing our sport and our country. That's really the best thing he can do for this team. When it comes to the actual play on the table what can he really do in a week that's going to change the outcome of this match?
When it comes to the Europeans, everybody loves to paint this picture of these guys all coming together and training throughout the year, feeding each other cross-armed -- wedding cake style, and huddling up while listening to the strategic planning of their great coach. Who then leads them into battle and ultimately victory. We always acted like the key to their success was their previous coach (whose name escapes me at the moment) but they plugged in Marcus Chamat last year and didn't skip a beat. Was Marcus by chance studying his entire life for the chance to pick who would play in which slot?
This may sound harsh but I'm just being realistic. If Mark somehow missed the flight and couldn't make it the Mosconi do you really think that would dramatically alter the U.S.'s chances? I do not.
What this event comes down to every single year is a battle over which team has better technique. Whose techniques and fundamentals will hold up better under fire. This year's team should hold up better than previous ones but we still need at least the 7 when it comes to fundamentals in comparison to the Europeans and there's nothing Mark can do about that.
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Basement, I agree with a lot of what you say, it's very logically thought out and a sound position. The US dominated the cup in the beginning because they were simply more talented. Europe has dominated recently because they are more talented.
Mark has done more for pool than nearly anybody on this planet. My initial post was giving suggestions I've thought could be implemented in a week of training. I finally feel that this year we have our best team assembled, while Europe defintely added a star in Shaw, but he replaced Boyes who has been really really good in his Mosconi cup play.
I'm not trying to insinuate that Mark has some huge bearing on the cup's outcome, but in any team sport a coach will have some affect. Mark's biggest contributions will be getting the team on the same page mentally and optimizing his lineups from day to day. I think the US has its best chance since 2011 to win. Appleton hasn't been playing great, Mark Gray is a great player but seems to be Europe's Dechaine when it comes to Mosconi. I really like Bergman and Sky, and Morris has tons of experience.