The ole story
The women's game has gained a lot of ground since Allison came over here in 1995, part of that credit goes to her for setting a new standard in Pool for women. Others have followed, like Karen, Ga Young, Pan, Kelly, a few others. I always love to watch Vivian shoot.
But, overall, for years, the top women's game was about only 79% of the top men's game. Allison raised it up to about 85-90% of the men's game. After the top, about, 8 women in the world, the skill level of women pros drops drasticly.
Here are a few, but not all, reasons why:
1) Boys are subjected to 'war' type games early in life, proprogated into later life by sports they do. This 'do or die' type mentality creates a 'survival instinct' in them that is much stronger than girls experience growing up. Men simply evaluate situations differently than women do, and are usually quicker about it.
This is also, from where, the 'killer instinct' originates from.
2) Most women are simply not as dedicated to the sport as men are in general. They have too many things in their lives that interfere with them being dedicated enough to achieve that desired level of excellence. Kids would be one of those reasons.
3) Most Women have a harder time becoming 'coordinated' and acclimated to sports than men do.
4) I see shots, even today, executed by men players that I doubt that any woman player could execute with consistency, mostly power shots, extra spin shots, etc.. I see many shape shots on TV where a spin shot would get shape very well, and women always choose another option.
5) Only the top 8 have the mental game halfway equivalent to the top 300 men players, and even then, they do not always execute with accuracy, especially safeties.
Just a few reasons and obstacles the ladies have to overcome.
I played Dorothy Wise (Dottie) when I was in my early 20's. She had just won a big tournament in Vegas. She and her boyfriend, and draw for a game, came through Houston, where I lived at the time. I beat her 3 straight sets to 7 on a 9 foot table, 2 $100 sets, and a $200 set. She quit on me. In all honestyj, I could have given her the 7 ball, and at the time, I was getting the 7 from the pro level men players around there.
Now, in all honesty, I have lost once to a woman, for money in 46 years of playing. Finding a woman that plays for money, let alone more than $5 a game, is hard enough. I lost to a woman player that won the National BCA championship, giving her the 7 and the break in 9 ball going to 7, but I also happened to have been high at the time, and had been up for 2 days without sleep. And she just barely beat me.
I usually watch Pool on TV, and they have been showing the ladies 2001/2002 matches on there. I have to say those tables look to break rediculously easy, too easy. Women's playing usually goes down if they are playing on old cloth vs. new. They do not adjust as well to playing conditions as men do.
And another thing, on TV, when the women get what I would call a hard shot, they usually miss it. And out of those top 8 women, maybe 4 bank well.
The women's game has gained a lot of ground since Allison came over here in 1995, part of that credit goes to her for setting a new standard in Pool for women. Others have followed, like Karen, Ga Young, Pan, Kelly, a few others. I always love to watch Vivian shoot.
But, overall, for years, the top women's game was about only 79% of the top men's game. Allison raised it up to about 85-90% of the men's game. After the top, about, 8 women in the world, the skill level of women pros drops drasticly.
Here are a few, but not all, reasons why:
1) Boys are subjected to 'war' type games early in life, proprogated into later life by sports they do. This 'do or die' type mentality creates a 'survival instinct' in them that is much stronger than girls experience growing up. Men simply evaluate situations differently than women do, and are usually quicker about it.
This is also, from where, the 'killer instinct' originates from.
2) Most women are simply not as dedicated to the sport as men are in general. They have too many things in their lives that interfere with them being dedicated enough to achieve that desired level of excellence. Kids would be one of those reasons.
3) Most Women have a harder time becoming 'coordinated' and acclimated to sports than men do.
4) I see shots, even today, executed by men players that I doubt that any woman player could execute with consistency, mostly power shots, extra spin shots, etc.. I see many shape shots on TV where a spin shot would get shape very well, and women always choose another option.
5) Only the top 8 have the mental game halfway equivalent to the top 300 men players, and even then, they do not always execute with accuracy, especially safeties.
Just a few reasons and obstacles the ladies have to overcome.
I played Dorothy Wise (Dottie) when I was in my early 20's. She had just won a big tournament in Vegas. She and her boyfriend, and draw for a game, came through Houston, where I lived at the time. I beat her 3 straight sets to 7 on a 9 foot table, 2 $100 sets, and a $200 set. She quit on me. In all honestyj, I could have given her the 7 ball, and at the time, I was getting the 7 from the pro level men players around there.
Now, in all honesty, I have lost once to a woman, for money in 46 years of playing. Finding a woman that plays for money, let alone more than $5 a game, is hard enough. I lost to a woman player that won the National BCA championship, giving her the 7 and the break in 9 ball going to 7, but I also happened to have been high at the time, and had been up for 2 days without sleep. And she just barely beat me.
I usually watch Pool on TV, and they have been showing the ladies 2001/2002 matches on there. I have to say those tables look to break rediculously easy, too easy. Women's playing usually goes down if they are playing on old cloth vs. new. They do not adjust as well to playing conditions as men do.
And another thing, on TV, when the women get what I would call a hard shot, they usually miss it. And out of those top 8 women, maybe 4 bank well.
Seriously though, a player like Jean Balukas and Allison only come along about once every 10-15 years. Jasmin will probably be the next female fenom, and even with her great break she would still struggle against the top males. JMO.
