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

whitewolf 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
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He was a Three Cushion Billiard player in his youth, but he did know how to play pool as well. After he won the World Title at age 24, he had nothing more to achieve there, so he began playing pool more seriously. By age 30, he was one of the best pool players alive. Unfortunately he died at age 37.
 
mthornto said:
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.
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VERY WELL SAID! TAP TAP
 
Age

I am 56 years old. I used to play a lot when I was younger and then pretty much quit. 4 years ago someone invited me to play pool on an APA pool league. I started as a Skill Level 4 which is what all males start out as in the APA. I quickly went to a SL3 because I was so rusty. This frustrated me so I got a book or 2 and a DVD and started to study. I work full time and play when I can. I do practice from the DVDs and the books. I am now a SL6 about to go to SL7 in 8 ball (SL7 is top) and a SL7 about to go to SL8 in 9 ball (SL9 is top). I can be beaten but no one takes me for granted. That would make me a B player. I will get to the A- but A or A+ are beyond me while I work a full time job.

Just to show you, you are not too old to start playing pool.

Flettir.

PS I have to get better to give my son a decent challange.
 
housecue said:
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
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... If you play daily for 2 years and you are not a B Player by now, you will never be a champion IMO. You need the 'gift' and practice/dedication to be a real champion. One out of 2 aint gonna do it. You might make low A some day which aint bad.
 
Scott Lee 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
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Although individual results may vary. This has baffled me all my pool playing days. I suppose some are just naturals and grasp it quickly and seemingly with far less work thah others.
On the other hand I've seen those who hit balls for endless hours, weeks,, and even months and get minimal results from it.
I agree with Scott that practice is important, but the humanattention span is rather short. I tend to believe that it is the quality of practice vs. the endless tiring hours. After a while some seem to tire and their practice seems to become counterproductive.
Pratice is great,, but, there is nothing like the lessons learned from intense competition.
Most of what I learned about the game came from the deceased Al Hogue years ago. We were roommates for many years
Al had all but quit playing but while I was in Vegas for an event Al decided to fly into town on a Friday evening.
When he arrived I was at the old Crystal Palace practicing 14.1 with Kent taylor. Al walked in wearing a business suit and wing tip shoes and luggage in hand.
He walked up to our table and reached a took my cue and ran 96 balls in the two lower corner pockets before missing. He calmly handed me the cue back and began to drink. I was pissed off as I knew he hadn't hit a ball in about 6 months. That episode darn near prompted me to quit the game. I hate naturals!!
 
housecue said:
... I hope to one day be able to do the same, but I have to wonder if it is even possible at my age. ... So is it impossible for me since I started so late? ...
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My advice would be to enjoy learning the game and not worry about whether you can become a champion. The game can be enjoyed at a lot of levels.

If you really want to be a champion -- say ranked in the top 100 in the US -- it will take far more commitment than you have made so far. You will need to get some lessons, fix your eyesight, and arrange to put in an average of at least four hours a day on the table. Even if you do that, you are unlikely to break the top 100 unless you have some aptitude you haven't talked about yet. There are too many people ahead of you in line with more experience, more time to commit and perhaps more raw talent.

We have threads similar to this one from time to time. There are lots of comments like, "You can do anything you put your mind to." Well, no you can't. From brain surgeon to rocket scientist to ballet dancer, there are lots of things that most of us could never do competently no matter how much we "set our minds" to it. I suppose the friendly thing to do is to shout encouragement, but the honest thing to do is to say the game is a great pastime and it will provide excellent entertainment as long as you can hobble around a table.
 
Being older myself, the first thing I have to admit is that I didn't read the entire thread, I'd have risked dosing off, :) so if I duplicate someones thoughts, I'm sorry and consider it re-enforcing them.

The second thing I will admit is trying to figure out what the heck a ghost is. LOL, Why don't we just say "can ya run out a rack" ... anyway ...

I would like to suggest a good way to work on both your mental and physical parts of your game at the same time.

Don't only play the ghost in nine ball. Play straight pool, practice straight pool and watch your game improve.

This is a fun test that I learned about and it sure makes playing more fun as well.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=45710
 
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Bob Jewett said:
My advice would be to enjoy learning the game and not worry about whether you can become a champion. The game can be enjoyed at a lot of levels.

If you really want to be a champion -- say ranked in the top 100 in the US -- it will take far more commitment than you have made so far. You will need to get some lessons, fix your eyesight, and arrange to put in an average of at least four hours a day on the table. Even if you do that, you are unlikely to break the top 100 unless you have some aptitude you haven't talked about yet. There are too many people ahead of you in line with more experience, more time to commit and perhaps more raw talent.

We have threads similar to this one from time to time. There are lots of comments like, "You can do anything you put your mind to." Well, no you can't. From brain surgeon to rocket scientist to ballet dancer, there are lots of things that most of us could never do competently no matter how much we "set our minds" to it. I suppose the friendly thing to do is to shout encouragement, but the honest thing to do is to say the game is a great pastime and it will provide excellent entertainment as long as you can hobble around a table.
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My advice to Housecue or anyone else is to look in the mirror and decide if he has what it takes to become a pro pool player.

The answer would be the same if he were 10, 20 or 40 and the answer lies within himself, not the AZ billiard community. However it does seem that his question was nothing more than a whimsical musing.

JoeyA
 
housecue said:
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
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A love for the game is more important than achieving a certain skill level. That said, play better players and learn from them. It may cost you a few bucks, but it can be money well spent. You will be able to tell fairly quickly if your game has a chance of improvement. It is important to be realistic about your natural ability. Ask other players how they see your game. And that is my 2 cents.
 
jay helfert said:
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!
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Hey! Wait a second buddy.... are you trying to say I'm OBSESSED with pool?...... THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!

uggh... whatever... all this typing is interrupting my legends of One Pocket DVD.
 
Virtually every pool title won by BCA Hall of Famer Joe Balsis came past the age fo 40.
 
One late starter no mentioned yet is Jack Colavita. I understand he began playing at age 30 and was later one of the most respected 14.1 players in his era.

Can housecue duplicate this feat? It would be a monumental task that would go against all odds. Additionally, It doesn't make economic sense to even try. There are only a handful of pro players that are making a decent living at this game. Of course, if you already made your fortune and have nothing better to do, then you might want to go for it.

My suggestion is to keep playing to get better and after a while you'll find out if you have that rare combination of natural talent, unstoppable drive, mental toughness and a host of other traits that most pros possess, then you can decide if playing at the highest level is within reach. Making that decision now is too early, IMO.
 
housecue said:
I play in Ontario, California. I'm still new to the scene, so I have no clue where the serious players play.
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You play nearly every day for three years and you're playing regularly 30 miles from Los Angeles and you have no clue where the serious players play?

Edit = Sorry, that's two years. Still though, seems unusual.
 
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I think it really depends on your situation. I am in a similar boat as you, and really wish I had started around 12. When you are young, you can devote huge amounts of time to things like pool and sport, and develop a very strong foundation. Right now though with family and work, I really will never have the time it takes to get that good, even though I would like to be. When I was young, I played baseball all the time. I played at least 200 days a year for hours at a time all the way through college. I really don't think someone who tries to pick it up now, or who played leisurely in little league has any real chance of picking up a ball and getting anywhere near the level I played at. Too much muscle memory, and too many things to know to get that good. At least unless they are gifted, have alot of time to play, and have excellent instruction. I see things the same way wit pool. Had I played a lot when I was younger, even if I had time off, I would have gained a level of understanding of the game and the stroke that would have helped me keep my game at a higher level of play, even if my daily play time is not as high as it was. When you start fresh, and don't have the time to devote, it becomes very difficult. I think the one thing that will shortenthe learning curve is good instruction. I really think taking lessons will speed up improvement a lot. Good luck.
 
housecue said:
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.
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Have you visited Stix in Rancho Cucamonga? Lots of good players right there and it's not far from you.
 
housecue said:
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.
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Welcome Housecue! You are right I know a guy who's in his nineties and still plays and can run a rack now and then. There are lots of folks with
tons of natural talent but I think desire is the key. Keep at it and good luck.
P.S. Keep us posted as to your progress. Philw
 
jay helfert said:
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.
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i know that i am new to the game of pool when compared to you guys but if you ask me your first cue should be around $50 to $100 but no more than $200, this way you can be able to get a good idea of what you like and don't like in a pool cue before spending a lot of money into it
 
Jay...That is a nice room! Alex keeps the tables in great shape. I did a clinic with 8 APA players just about a month ago. I'll be back there again the end of next month!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

jay helfert said:
Have you visited Stix in Rancho Cucamonga? Lots of good players right there and it's not far from you.
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sjm said:
Virtually every pool title won by BCA Hall of Famer Joe Balsis came past the age fo 40.
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Agreed, but, when did he start playing?

To the original poster: The answer to your question, IMHO, would be NO.

My advice would be to enjoy the game and take pride in playing up to your abilities/expectations.
 
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