Is it too late for someone my age to become great at pool?
- Thread starter housecue
- Start date
JAM said: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
Ok, will do. Right now, I'm not ready for tourneys yet.. but soon I will get involve.
some advice i would give you to speed up the things.
go back the beginning. no point in improving something thats wrong.
basics are the foundation, with good basics, you will make the improvement curve shorter.
(maybe even post a video of yourself here, you will be amased!!! on what AZB forum members could give you as advice to imrpove your speed), standing, aligment, body aligment, inner and outerzone around the table, preshotroutine, center ball hit, natural ritme, adressing strokes, final delivery stroke, folowing true, staying down etc... This has will make you beat the 6ball ghost alone!!
you should spend 1/2 to a year on it if u play ocasionally (5-10h /week) (yes it takes this long for it to become as natural as breathing!! if you have to think about it, then its not subconsious yet, and you arent ready yet for the next stage.
you will get the time invested in tenfold. (ive been playing all ballgames for 12years and thought i could shoot, but i started with cb drills without any OB on the table, mirrors, videotaping, etc for a year, and just that made me aware of how BAD i was)
once the basics are finetunes, if you have one hour of practice every day, spend it wisely, dont just rack and try to run the table. its like starting to run before you can walk. yes, racking and playing will help your game, but only at 1/10th of the speed as practice drills do. find a book, search here on the forum, get an instructional book with drills.
(good advice: NEVER play a game when u are training. just do the drills, you will get so anvious to finale play a 8ball rack, that by the time you DO are alowed to play a game (tournament, $) you will be SO happy, and play better.) practice is for practice, games or for tournaments and mathups)
try to fintune your aiming in these drills. start to feel to shots and then search for a aiming system that works for you. contactpoint, ghostball, whatever. one good aiming system to double check the feel of angles is very precious!! it will also improve you confidence! if the angle FEELS right, and the angle LOOKS right acording to the aiming system, then it MUST go in, if you deliver it properly.
once the angles become natural again, start learning the tricks for english. low deflection shafts? back hand englisch? front hand english?. learn there variations and effects and once you have chosen your technique of aplying english, chose a shaft that is sutes to your technique, bridge lenght etc.. and chose a butt that has the eastetics and grip that you like.
after that, find a good coach and let him check on what else you need to improve, and watch LOADS of match-dvd's to start seeing paterns and read a good book about your mental game, because from here, its ALL about mental and patern recognision.
thats how i would start if i stopped playing pool and was ready to begin and get better then i ever was before.
ps welcome to the forum
ps i played 2years of french billard, 1 year of 3c, 6 years of snooker (i could make 30-40 breaks), and when i started playing pool, i came back to the BASICS. from center ball hits, to body aligment, and ive been doing this for a year, and im now doing the english etc this year, and my speed has doubled.
i think in 5 years you should be able to beat the 7ball ghost.
year1: basics (you should beat the 4ball ghost easily)
year2: english (you should beat the 5ball ghost)
year3: fintuning and mental game (you should beat the 6ball ghost)
year4: coach + patern recognision from dvd's (you should beat the 6ball ghost)
year5: second coach + patern recognision from dvd's (you should beat the 7ball ghost)
just my 2c
go back the beginning. no point in improving something thats wrong.
basics are the foundation, with good basics, you will make the improvement curve shorter.
(maybe even post a video of yourself here, you will be amased!!! on what AZB forum members could give you as advice to imrpove your speed), standing, aligment, body aligment, inner and outerzone around the table, preshotroutine, center ball hit, natural ritme, adressing strokes, final delivery stroke, folowing true, staying down etc... This has will make you beat the 6ball ghost alone!!
you should spend 1/2 to a year on it if u play ocasionally (5-10h /week) (yes it takes this long for it to become as natural as breathing!! if you have to think about it, then its not subconsious yet, and you arent ready yet for the next stage.
you will get the time invested in tenfold. (ive been playing all ballgames for 12years and thought i could shoot, but i started with cb drills without any OB on the table, mirrors, videotaping, etc for a year, and just that made me aware of how BAD i was)
once the basics are finetunes, if you have one hour of practice every day, spend it wisely, dont just rack and try to run the table. its like starting to run before you can walk. yes, racking and playing will help your game, but only at 1/10th of the speed as practice drills do. find a book, search here on the forum, get an instructional book with drills.
(good advice: NEVER play a game when u are training. just do the drills, you will get so anvious to finale play a 8ball rack, that by the time you DO are alowed to play a game (tournament, $) you will be SO happy, and play better.) practice is for practice, games or for tournaments and mathups)
try to fintune your aiming in these drills. start to feel to shots and then search for a aiming system that works for you. contactpoint, ghostball, whatever. one good aiming system to double check the feel of angles is very precious!! it will also improve you confidence! if the angle FEELS right, and the angle LOOKS right acording to the aiming system, then it MUST go in, if you deliver it properly.
once the angles become natural again, start learning the tricks for english. low deflection shafts? back hand englisch? front hand english?. learn there variations and effects and once you have chosen your technique of aplying english, chose a shaft that is sutes to your technique, bridge lenght etc.. and chose a butt that has the eastetics and grip that you like.
after that, find a good coach and let him check on what else you need to improve, and watch LOADS of match-dvd's to start seeing paterns and read a good book about your mental game, because from here, its ALL about mental and patern recognision.
thats how i would start if i stopped playing pool and was ready to begin and get better then i ever was before.
ps welcome to the forum
ps i played 2years of french billard, 1 year of 3c, 6 years of snooker (i could make 30-40 breaks), and when i started playing pool, i came back to the BASICS. from center ball hits, to body aligment, and ive been doing this for a year, and im now doing the english etc this year, and my speed has doubled.
i think in 5 years you should be able to beat the 7ball ghost.
year1: basics (you should beat the 4ball ghost easily)
year2: english (you should beat the 5ball ghost)
year3: fintuning and mental game (you should beat the 6ball ghost)
year4: coach + patern recognision from dvd's (you should beat the 6ball ghost)
year5: second coach + patern recognision from dvd's (you should beat the 7ball ghost)
just my 2c
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Solartje said:some advice i would give you to speed up the things.
go back the beginning. no point in improving something thats wrong.
basics are the foundation, with good basics, you will make the improvement curve shorter.
(maybe even post a video of yourself here, you will be amased!!! on what AZB forum members could give you as advice to imrpove your speed), standing, aligment, body aligment, inner and outerzone around the table, preshotroutine, center ball hit, natural ritme, adressing strokes, final delivery stroke, folowing true, staying down etc... This has will make you beat the 6ball ghost alone!!
you should spend 1/2 to a year on it if u play ocasionally (5-10h /week) (yes it takes this long for it to become as natural as breathing!! if you have to think about it, then its not subconsious yet, and you arent ready yet for the next stage.
you will get the time invested in tenfold. (ive been playing all ballgames for 12years and thought i could shoot, but i started with cb drills without any OB on the table, mirrors, videotaping, etc for a year, and just that made me aware of how BAD i was)
once the basics are finetunes, if you have one hour of practice every day, spend it wisely, dont just rack and try to run the table. its like starting to run before you can walk. yes, racking and playing will help your game, but only at 1/10th of the speed as practice drills do. find a book, search here on the forum, get an instructional book with drills.
(good advice: NEVER play a game when u are training. just do the drills, you will get so anvious to finale play a 8ball rack, that by the time you DO are alowed to play a game (tournament, $) you will be SO happy, and play better.) practice is for practice, games or for tournaments and mathups)
try to fintune your aiming in these drills. start to feel to shots and then search for a aiming system that works for you. contactpoint, ghostball, whatever. one good aiming system to double check the feel of angles is very precious!! it will also improve you confidence! if the angle FEELS right, and the angle LOOKS right acording to the aiming system, then it MUST go in, if you deliver it properly.
once the angles become natural again, start learning the tricks for english. low deflection shafts? back hand englisch? front hand english?. learn there variations and effects and once you have chosen your technique of aplying english, chose a shaft that is sutes to your technique, bridge lenght etc.. and chose a butt that has the eastetics and grip that you like.
after that, find a good coach and let him check on what else you need to improve, and watch LOADS of match-dvd's to start seeing paterns and read a good book about your mental game, because from here, its ALL about mental and patern recognision.
thats how i would start if i stopped playing pool and was ready to begin and get better then i ever was before.
ps welcome to the forum
ps i played 2years of french billard, 1 year of 3c, 6 years of snooker (i could make 30-40 breaks), and when i started playing pool, i came back to the BASICS. from center ball hits, to body aligment, and ive been doing this for a year, and im now doing the english etc this year, and my speed has doubled.
i think in 5 years you should be able to beat the 7ball ghost.
year1: basics (you should beat the 4ball ghost easily)
year2: english (you should beat the 5ball ghost)
year3: fintuning and mental game (you should beat the 6ball ghost)
year4: coach + patern recognision from dvd's (you should beat the 6ball ghost)
year5: second coach + patern recognision from dvd's (you should beat the 7ball ghost)
just my 2c
thanks so much for these advice. I appreciate them and will definitely implement them. Can't wait to hit the pool hall tomorrow.
Four years ago, I was giving Naoyuki Oi one of the wire as he was a B-class player on the local house tournament scene. Three years ago, he moved up to A-class and we played even. Two and a half years ago, as an A-class player, he was finishing in the top three of every house event he entered. One year ago, he turned pro and in his rookie year earned the No. 1 ranking on the JBPA tour. This past weekend, he finished in the top eight of the US Open with wins over guys like Putnam, Immonen, Eric Moore, and Mario Morra.
I've watched this kid go from a local dime a dozen B player to a world class player in three years!! Anything is possible. But keep in mind that Naoyuki has been playing every day for all of these years because other than a very short stint working for a cell phone shop, he's never worked a job other than at a billiard club.
dave
I've watched this kid go from a local dime a dozen B player to a world class player in three years!! Anything is possible. But keep in mind that Naoyuki has been playing every day for all of these years because other than a very short stint working for a cell phone shop, he's never worked a job other than at a billiard club.
dave
Solartje said:
No offense Solartje, but you have it backwards. The key is to get good coaching/lessons NOW, before bad habits are ingrained from years of poorly structured practice. You can try to learn mechanics and fundamentals through books and videos, but nothing substitutes one-on-one instruction from a qualified teacher. Video analysis is a key to early learning success. The problem with videotaping yourself is that you don't know what to look for.
A good instructor can quickly address your shortcomings and point you in the right direction for quick improvement.
Oh, and to housecue...hours and hours of "practice" a day is not the quick path to improvement. The human attention span is very short, and highly disciplined practice for short periods gets the most results. You can play 10-12 hours a day...you cannot practice for hours a day, at least MOST people can't.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
This was great advice but I'd suggest a coach right now before too many bad habits are entrenched.Solartje said:some advice i would give you to speed up the things.
go back the beginning. no point in improving something thats wrong.
basics are the foundation, with good basics, you will make the improvement curve shorter.
(maybe even post a video of yourself here, you will be amased!!! on what AZB forum members could give you as advice to imrpove your speed), standing, aligment, body aligment, inner and outerzone around the table, preshotroutine, center ball hit, natural ritme, adressing strokes, final delivery stroke, folowing true, staying down etc... This has will make you beat the 6ball ghost alone!!
you should spend 1/2 to a year on it if u play ocasionally (5-10h /week) (yes it takes this long for it to become as natural as breathing!! if you have to think about it, then its not subconsious yet, and you arent ready yet for the next stage.
you will get the time invested in tenfold. (ive been playing all ballgames for 12years and thought i could shoot, but i started with cb drills without any OB on the table, mirrors, videotaping, etc for a year, and just that made me aware of how BAD i was)
once the basics are finetunes, if you have one hour of practice every day, spend it wisely, dont just rack and try to run the table. its like starting to run before you can walk. yes, racking and playing will help your game, but only at 1/10th of the speed as practice drills do. find a book, search here on the forum, get an instructional book with drills.
(good advice: NEVER play a game when u are training. just do the drills, you will get so anvious to finale play a 8ball rack, that by the time you DO are alowed to play a game (tournament, $) you will be SO happy, and play better.) practice is for practice, games or for tournaments and mathups)
try to fintune your aiming in these drills. start to feel to shots and then search for a aiming system that works for you. contactpoint, ghostball, whatever. one good aiming system to double check the feel of angles is very precious!! it will also improve you confidence! if the angle FEELS right, and the angle LOOKS right acording to the aiming system, then it MUST go in, if you deliver it properly.
once the angles become natural again, start learning the tricks for english. low deflection shafts? back hand englisch? front hand english?. learn there variations and effects and once you have chosen your technique of aplying english, chose a shaft that is sutes to your technique, bridge lenght etc.. and chose a butt that has the eastetics and grip that you like.
after that, find a good coach and let him check on what else you need to improve, and watch LOADS of match-dvd's to start seeing paterns and read a good book about your mental game, because from here, its ALL about mental and patern recognision.
thats how i would start if i stopped playing pool and was ready to begin and get better then i ever was before.
ps welcome to the forum
ps i played 2years of french billard, 1 year of 3c, 6 years of snooker (i could make 30-40 breaks), and when i started playing pool, i came back to the BASICS. from center ball hits, to body aligment, and ive been doing this for a year, and im now doing the english etc this year, and my speed has doubled.
i think in 5 years you should be able to beat the 7ball ghost.
year1: basics (you should beat the 4ball ghost easily)
year2: english (you should beat the 5ball ghost)
year3: fintuning and mental game (you should beat the 6ball ghost)
year4: coach + patern recognision from dvd's (you should beat the 6ball ghost)
year5: second coach + patern recognision from dvd's (you should beat the 7ball ghost)
just my 2c
Also housecue, evaluating your own skill level is almost always inaccurate. Some people think their better than they are, and some think they're worse than they are. If you think you’re horrible STOP IT!! You’re on the right track and everyone of us (well most of us) see room for improvement.
A few folks mentioned doing drills. Drills not only improve your game but they're a benchmark to evaluate your skill and improvement. You can even compare yourself to another player. How many times or how far can they get with this drill?
Lastly, the Mental Side. Do not beat yourself up when you miss. Pay attention to every shot. If you miss, simply record the shot. Take the advice you've seen in this thread and keep a positive attitude. “ I'm not there yet but I will be soon. I’m marching forward to the goal and on track.”
When you miss, yes you missed for a reason but not because you're a horrible player. Missing is good, if you take advantage of it. This is a primary place to learn. We don't learn much from shots we make every time. Remember the misses, and practice them till they're easy. Always work on weaknesses. They'll become your strengths that will also boost your confidence. More confidence leads to missing harder shots. Practice those then you’ll be going after even harder ones. Then practice those. It’s a vicious circle but BOY IS IT FUN.
First thing, in my opinion, is to forget the talk of playing pro. The lottery is more likely and defiantly more profitable. Also, to focus on something like that will probably be detrimental to your game.
For the 99% of us that don?t play and the pro level, the game is about the journey, not the destination. Pool is a game that you can enjoy and improve at your entire life. From the time you pick up a cue to the time they toss dirt on your grave you are always learning. That, I believe, is what hooks us.
Pool is a game of underappreciated complexities. The subtle needs of stance and stroke, the precision of shot making and position play, the simplistic beauty of proper pattern play, and the strategy played at mind bending levels by top players all combine to make this the greatest game. A game which you, and everybody else, will never master.
Don?t worry about how good you may or may not become. Don?t worry about how you compare to other players. Just play and learn. Enjoy the road and you will get better (maybe much better), but more importantly you will enjoy the trip.
For the 99% of us that don?t play and the pro level, the game is about the journey, not the destination. Pool is a game that you can enjoy and improve at your entire life. From the time you pick up a cue to the time they toss dirt on your grave you are always learning. That, I believe, is what hooks us.
Pool is a game of underappreciated complexities. The subtle needs of stance and stroke, the precision of shot making and position play, the simplistic beauty of proper pattern play, and the strategy played at mind bending levels by top players all combine to make this the greatest game. A game which you, and everybody else, will never master.
Don?t worry about how good you may or may not become. Don?t worry about how you compare to other players. Just play and learn. Enjoy the road and you will get better (maybe much better), but more importantly you will enjoy the trip.
As Scott said, and most people that have taken lessons from a professional instructor will tell you, take lessons. Most will tell you that they wished they had done this a long time ago, including myself. Espesically since you are just starting out. Taking lessons will shorten the learning curve more than you will ever imagine. I just can't express the importance of this now. This could probably take years (literally) off your learning curve.
My journey going from a beginner to a C player was the greatest fun. It's because you can see the improvement much easier. Taking lessons and practice moved me from a C player to B player. It will take more work and practice to move from a B player to an A player. It will be less fun also because it's going to take more practice and change in skill is less dramatic compared going from a beginner to a B status. Along with lessons, I would strongly advice getting your own table. You will recoup the money you spend at a pool hall easily within a few years.
Good luck
Mattman
My journey going from a beginner to a C player was the greatest fun. It's because you can see the improvement much easier. Taking lessons and practice moved me from a C player to B player. It will take more work and practice to move from a B player to an A player. It will be less fun also because it's going to take more practice and change in skill is less dramatic compared going from a beginner to a B status. Along with lessons, I would strongly advice getting your own table. You will recoup the money you spend at a pool hall easily within a few years.
Good luck
Mattman
Your mental game could be different because of an opponents age. Win or lose, can't let the age bother you. This is were it is OK to take candy from kids. Other than that, I believe your effort will determine your "greatness".
I started playing pool at age 10. My uncle just moved into a house w/ a pool table. After 2 months, he gave it away to free up space. Didn't start again until now, at 27 yrs old. Just rec playing. UNCLE!!!, you ruined my life!!!
I started playing pool at age 10. My uncle just moved into a house w/ a pool table. After 2 months, he gave it away to free up space. Didn't start again until now, at 27 yrs old. Just rec playing. UNCLE!!!, you ruined my life!!!
Personally, I think there are two things that can hold an older player back from seeing rapid improvement. If you can get past those two things, the ceiling is entirely up to you.
First, you have to have commitment. This is something easy for a 15 year old kid to do when all his concerns in the world revolve around a 45 minute math assignment. It's different when the significant other wants quality time (and rightfully so) or work demands that you put in a few extra hours a day. Having the time to play pool and the desire to play often is often an adult's biggest challenge.
The second problem I often see with late beginners is ego. As you get older, it's frequently required that you become more sure of yourself. You trust your decisions and become entrenched in the way you do things. I mean, this is why you're successful at work, raise your kids well, handle social situations with ease. However, this isn't always what's best for learning something new and pool requires that you put your ego aside for a time.
If you can do these two things and have access to information on how to play, I cannot see anything holding you back. I know this sounds funny but pool really isn't the most difficult thing in the world especially if you've been playing sports all your life.
First, you have to have commitment. This is something easy for a 15 year old kid to do when all his concerns in the world revolve around a 45 minute math assignment. It's different when the significant other wants quality time (and rightfully so) or work demands that you put in a few extra hours a day. Having the time to play pool and the desire to play often is often an adult's biggest challenge.
The second problem I often see with late beginners is ego. As you get older, it's frequently required that you become more sure of yourself. You trust your decisions and become entrenched in the way you do things. I mean, this is why you're successful at work, raise your kids well, handle social situations with ease. However, this isn't always what's best for learning something new and pool requires that you put your ego aside for a time.
If you can do these two things and have access to information on how to play, I cannot see anything holding you back. I know this sounds funny but pool really isn't the most difficult thing in the world especially if you've been playing sports all your life.
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Scott Lee said:
you are probably right scott
living in belgium where there are no official coathes, and having to go abroad and pay big money for one, was something i wouldnt do for basics... and as i refered my own experience... you get the point.
i think posting a video of yourself here on azb , has proven over time to be goog enough to get some pointers to work on that should keep you busy for a year.
but the states is filled with coatches. you probably could get one for every stage to do one-on-one lessons for 1/10th of what they are asking over here.
I know i moved from D to C, just by posting my first video on azb, and doing basic training on the diningtable with a beerbotle , mirrors etc, and reading and watching instructional dvd's.
then by reading this forum and watching more instructionals, learning about aiming techniques, squirt, deflection, swerve, pivot point, etc ive moved from C to a B. now im stuck and i'll probably have to go find a good coath to go to A with loads of practice. when my game drops back to a C, i just go back to the basics and check every point untill i found what i changed over time.
the point is: if you do your homework, you will get better. will you get straight A's... thats up to what gifts God gave you, and how much homework you are ready to take home.
but the best solution if you have acces to them and the $ to pay them is have a coach folow you for 5 years. that should do the work
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housecue said:
I seem to remember reading that Harold Worst took up pool at a later age compared to most pros. Someone please correct me if I am wrong - it was just an impression that I got - Harold being such a super talented athlete at everything else and all.
I have always wondered about this.
Thanks, WW
Your head is the most valuable tool at the pool table. Once you hone your stroke to where you are comfortable with it and can manipulate the balls you can become a force. 90% of my loses are because I screwed up, not because I am playing a better player. Keep the opponent in his/her chair and you will win.
It's never too late to become a quality pool player.
It's never too late to become a quality pool player.
housecue said:Oh, I didn't see this post. I was only making a joke. I guess my sarcasm didn't come thru this time. I appreciate your honesty really.
I did get the sarcasm, but you started this thread in a serious manner. Reread your own first post. You sounded serious anyway, so I gave you an honest answer. Then when you found it there was no shortcut you became humorous. I realized then you weren't as serious about this as you originally sounded, in your quest to be a top player. More of a whim then anything else.
No harm, no foul. Enjoy the game and let us know how you're doing. Watch good players when you get the chance and find someone with a style you'd like to emulate. Study how they play. Really observe everything they do. That will help you as well.