Is it too late for someone my age to become great at pool?

[housecue]

First, just want to say hello everyone. I discover pool 2 yrs ago when I was 30. I immediately fell in love with the game and have play almost daily. My game has improved alot since then but I still suck compare to everyone here. I tried playing against the Ghost and I lost to 4 ball ghost with score of 6-7. Watching the pros running racks so effortlessly seems out of this world, but at the same time very inspiring. I hope to one day be able to do the same, but I have to wonder if it is even possible at my age. Whenever I read about the pros, one common theme I notice is most started playing when they were around ten yrs old, and practically grew up in the poolhall. So is it impossible for me since I started so late?

PS: By the way, I chose the handle "housecue" because that's what I play with. haha

 

[jay helfert]

First, just want to say hello everyone. I discover pool 2 yrs ago when I was 30. I immediately fell in love with the game and have play almost daily. My game has improved alot since then but I still suck compare to everyone here. I tried playing against the Ghost and I lost to 4 ball ghost with score of 6-7. Watching the pros running racks so effortlessly seems out of this world, but at the same time very inspiring. I hope to one day be able to do the same, but I have to wonder if it is even possible at my age. Whenever I read about the pros, one common theme I notice is most started playing when they were around ten yrs old, and practically grew up in the poolhall. So is it impossible for me since I started so late?

PS: By the way, I chose the handle "housecue" because that's what I play with. haha

Anything's possible if you put your mind to it. I usually say it takes about three years of obsession to learn to play pool well. The first year you learn how to pocket balls and see the angles. The second year you learn about controlling the cue ball. The third year you refine both. After that, it becomes more a mental thing to be a winning player.

Playing "almost daily" is not what I'm talking about when I call it obsession. I'm talking about playing pool nearly every waking minute, with breaks for food etc. Try playing twelve to sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. That's obsession! You do that and you may be ready for the top players by age 34 or 35.

Tim Hall is an example of an obsessed pool player at a later age. He couldn't beat anybody five years ago, and now he plays with the best players and wins matches. He belongs out there now! Ask him how much pool he's played the last five years. I bet it's a lot more than 40 hours a week. More like 80 hours a week or more.

Nothing wrong with a house cue either if you've got a good one. After a while, you'll want to invest in a good playing two piece though.
Plan to spend three to five hundred for your first cue. There are many good cues available. You can find them listed on here. But don't buy a cue without playing with it first. You must find one that feels good to you.

 

[selftaut]

Welcome to the forum housecue! to answer your question you are never to old to start playing pool. To become a pro might be a stretch but not out of the question. To become that good it has to consume you 24/7 , which for most of us is not reality. Work, kids, mortgage, car payments, college, etc..etc.. will keep most of us to the recreation level, but thats ok we love it.

 

[housecue]

Playing "almost daily" is not what I'm talking about when I call it obsession. I'm talking about playing pool nearly every waking minute, with breaks for food etc. Try playing twelve to sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. That's obsession! You do that and you may be ready for the top players by age 34 or 35.

Tim Hall is an example of an obsessed pool player at a later age. He couldn't beat anybody five years ago, and now he plays with the best players and wins matches. He belongs out there now! Ask him how much pool he's played the last five years. I bet it's a lot more than 40 hours a week. More like 80 hours a week or more.

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Oh believe me, I wish I have the free time to play pool 24/7 but I can't since I have a business to run. But I do practice every chance I get. I enjoy the whole process of learning the game.

thxs for sharing the story of Tim Hall, good to hear that someone actually did it.

 

[housecue]

Welcome to the forum housecue! to answer your question you are never to old to start playing pool. To become a pro might be a stretch but not out of the question. To become that good it has to consume you 24/7 , which for most of us is not reality. Work, kids, mortgage, car payments, college, etc..etc.. will keep most of us to the recreation level, but thats ok we love it.

Thanks for the welcome. Yea, you are right, I know it might be a stretch to become a pro, but I love pushing myself and wether I succeed or not isn't as important as how much fun I am having learning the game.

 

[JAM]

Thanks for the welcome. Yea, you are right, I know it might be a stretch to become a pro, but I love pushing myself and wether I succeed or not isn't as important as how much fun I am having learning the game.

Mike Lebron a/k/a "Spanish Mike" won the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship at the age of 54. It's never too late to do something if you REALLY want it bad enough.

According to Mike Lebron, by his own admission, he took up pool late in life. He wanted it bad enough that he, in fact, proceeded to win multiple chamipionship titles thereafter.

Today, he is in his seventies and travels around the world attending many pool tournaments, competing in some of them. He's a pool player at heart and always will be!

JAM

 

[jay helfert]

Oh believe me, I wish I have the free time to play pool 24/7 but I can't since I have a business to run. But I do practice every chance I get. I enjoy the whole process of learning the game.

thxs for sharing the story of Tim Hall, good to hear that someone actually did it.

And this is why younger players get very good at pool. No family and no job, just pool all day long. Once you get good, you never really lose it. It just takes practice like a golfer or tennis player to maintain your skill level.

 

[housecue]

Mike Lebron a/k/a "Spanish Mike" won the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship at the age of 54. It's never too late to do something if you REALLY want it bad enough.

According to Mike Lebron, by his own admission, he took up pool late in life. He wanted it bad enough that he, in fact, proceeded to win multiple chamipionship titles thereafter.

Today, he is in his seventies and travels around the world attending many pool tournaments, competing in some of them. He's a pool player at heart and always will be!

JAM

That's awesome. That is one thing I love about pool, it is a game that doesn't require alot of physical fitness to play, which mean we can play it til the day we die.

 

[housecue]

And this is why younger players get very good at pool. No family and no job, just pool all day long. Once you get good, you never really lose it. It just takes practice like a golfer or tennis player to maintain your skill level.

Maybe I should just sell my business and live off of the money for however long I can and sleep in a cardboard box behind the poolhall to make the money go farther, and become a true pool junkie. But then again, my mom would probably have a heartattack.

 

[gobrian77]

I hope it's possible for an old fart to become decent if he starts at a later age- I'm just getting serious about pool and I recently turned 41.

 

[jay helfert]

Maybe I should just sell my business and live off of the money for however long I can and sleep in a cardboard box behind the poolhall to make the money go farther, and become a true pool junkie. But then again, my mom would probably have a heartattack.

You asked a question and I gave you an honest answer. Sorry if my answer doesn't fit your needs.

 

[JAM]

That's awesome. That is one thing I love about pool, it is a game that doesn't require alot of physical fitness to play, which mean we can play it til the day we die.

Here's a few things that separate the older players from the younger players. However, they can be overcome. It's a few obstacles that older players may experience.

My boyfriend is 50, and he's a good shot. He's had 20/20 vision his entire life. Today, he still has 20/20 at a distance, but now needs reading glasses to read small print. Efren Reyes, the Filipino world champion, got laser surgery when he was in his fifties because of the vision change that happens when one ages. So vision is definitely a handicap for some older players.

Another thing I have noticed on the tournament trail is that some of the older players cannot give their best game in the early morning hours. Some tournaments will have matches at 8:00 a.m and 9:00 a.m. An older player may experience problems upon waking up, as it takes them a few hours to limber up. Whereas, younger players seem to be able to jump up out of a dead sleep and play pool.

I think the most important thing for your game to excel when first entering into the pool arena is to have fun. Work on the basic fundamentals, and within time if you see your game improve, it will be more fun.

It's like playing a musical instrument. You can't become proficient at strumming a guitar without hundreds, if not thousands, of hours practicing. It's the same with pool. Accuracy won't happen overnight, but it can with practice. As with anything in life, if you want it bad enough, it can happen.

JAM

 

[housecue]

I hope it's possible for an old fart to become decent if he starts at a later age- I'm just getting serious about pool and I recently turned 41.

how's your game now? Have you tried playing against the ghost?

 

[gobrian77]

how's your game now? Have you tried playing against the ghost?

I live on a small island in southeastern Thailand (only 4:20pm here at the moment), and don't have a decent place to play- I have a tournament-quality table on the way in the middle of November (or whenever I can get my house house finished), and then I can start practicing in earnest.

I was in Bangkok a few weeks ago and played quite a bit (though I did not practice, which is what I really need)- my game is definitely off.

Ask me that question again in January.

 

[housecue]

Here's a few things that separate the older players from the younger players. However, they can be overcome. It's a few obstacles that older players may experience.

My boyfriend is 50, and he's a good shot. He's had 20/20 vision his entire life. Today, he still has 20/20 at a distance, but now needs reading glasses to read small print. Efren Reyes, the Filipino world champion, got laser surgery when he was in his fifties because of the vision change that happens when one ages. So vision is definitely a handicap for some older players.

Vision is definitely one of my concern. I don't even have perfect vision. In fact, my vision is not great, some balls in the distance is blurry for me, but I learn to read the blur with some decent accuracy. I will consider vision correction one of these days as my game improve and when I need the extra help.

 

[JAM]

Vision is definitely one of my concern. I don't even have perfect vision. In fact, my vision is not great, some balls in the distance is blurry for me, but I learn to read the blur with some decent accuracy. I will consider vision correction one of these days as my game improve and when I need the extra help.

Some world-class players do wear glasses. Nick Varner and Howard Vickery's names come to mind.

If you are serious about advancing your game, I would consider getting glasses. Otherwise, it will be difficult to improve, I think.

There's a local player in my area called "Jersey John" who had special pool glasses made for him. I'm not sure how they work, but the lenses are very large. He wins quite a few weekly 9-ball tournaments.

Where are you from? Maybe there's some weekly tourneys in your area. These small competitive events help to improve your game, I think. The tougher your opponent, the harder you will play -- AND improve.

JAM

 

[housecue]

Some world-class players do wear glasses. Nick Varner and Howard Vickery's names come to mind.

If you are serious about advancing your game, I would consider getting glasses. Otherwise, it will be difficult to improve, I think.

There's a local player in my area called "Jersey John" who had special pool glasses made for him. I'm not sure how they work, but the lenses are very large. He wins quite a few weekly 9-ball tournaments.

Where are you from? Maybe there's some weekly tourneys in your area. These small competitive events help to improve your game, I think. The tougher your opponent, the harder you will play -- AND improve.

JAM

Glasses, I am trying to avoid, they are too uncomfortable for me. I might just get the lazik surgery.

I play in Ontario, California. I'm still new to the scene, so I have no clue where the serious players play.

 

[JAM]

Glasses, I am trying to avoid, they are too uncomfortable for me. I might just get the lazik surgery.

I play in Ontario, California. I'm still new to the scene, so I have no clue where the serious players play.

Oh, man, Canada's got a lot of pool happenings. I know Canada is a big country, like the States, but a couple of tours that come to mind where you can see some great play would be the Canadian 30K Tour and the Canadian 9-ball Tour. Check this link out: http://www.azbilliards.com/2000tourmain.cfm?tournum=59

My favorite Canadian player is Luc Salvas. If you get the opportunity to see him play, you'll be in for a treat!

Check out the local pool rooms in your area and see if any of them offer WEEKLY 9-ball tournaments. That's where you can get started. Once you network with other like-minded pool folk, you'll be able to locate the pool happenings in your area.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Geesh, after I re-read your post, I realized you said Ontario, CALIFORNIA!

JAM

 

[JAM]

There is no shortage of pool happenings in California.

In fact, there's a member of this forum who lives in Ontario, California. I have conversed with him in the past.

Check out the MAIN PAGE of this forum and click on the TOURNAMENTS button. You'll find everything you need.

JAM