Pool best new customers: Golfers

B

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
IMHO golfers are the best potential market for pool. The games are so similar it's stupid. And golf's biggest failing is that you can't play it in bad weather (in my neck of the woods that's about 300 days a year); you can play pool 24/365.

In both games:

You use a stick... to put a ball... in a hole.
Your first shot is a big one (the drive and the break)
You use power shots and finesse shots depending on the situation.
You spin the ball to control it.
You can spend insane amounts of money on gear.
Both are very social games for a group of 2, 3 or 4.
You can place little wagers with your buddies just to make it interesting.

The list goes on and on, but it's clear to me that golfers are the easiest "sell" to become pool players.

It would be great to get a pool pro who plays golf (Schmidt, Deuel, Archer, Wiley, etal) to do a promotional/training video specially aimed at golfers. Heck, everything you do in pool has a "golf equivalent"; golfers would identify with the game very quickly.

Best of all, pool is something to do on the days/months/seasons when you can't play golf.

Please feel free to add your ideas and thoughts to this thread.
 
3 big differences.

You can buy and own your own pool table and set your playing expenses to zero.
One set of balls lasts several years.
You are allowed to play all by yourself.
 
There are some similarities between golf and pool.

Differences in golf in compared to pool are the conditions in golf are so much more vast. In addition there are basically 3 different "pool courses" that being 7', 8' & 9' tables. Golf has many courses with an almost infinite set of layouts.

In pool you may have 3 possibles sticks to use. Break cue, jump cue and playing cue. In golf there are many more sticks to use as well as a putter.
 
This is partly right - pool is very comparable to the short game in golf. Both are pursuits that require talent, practice (the first can be overcome somewhat by the second), creativity, and finesse. If you are good at chipping and putting then you will probably be good at and enjoy pool. The skills you need to be successful at the long game are not that similar though.
 
MitchAlsup said:
3 big differences.

You can buy and own your own pool table and set your playing expenses to zero.
One set of balls lasts several years.
You are allowed to play all by yourself.
Click to expand...

you could buy your own golf course (and charge others to play it)
you could find balls on your course and NEVER have to buy any
you can play golf alone no problem

as for playing all year...well, you could, but here in IL you will have to learn to layer (clothing) for about 3 months of the year, and may have to seriously hydrate 2 months of the year. Wouldn't suggest playing at night much though (those glow balls SUCK!).

:thumbup:
 
I'm a golfer/pool player. Pool is great. It's not my primary competitive outlet, but it gives me something to do when it rains and/or when the sun goes down.

I would agree with bdorman. Golfers are a huge market for pool... now if only someone was willing to market pool to people who don't already play the game.

I would imagine that a commercial spot during a large golf tournament could go a long way. An ad for the APA, which draws attention to similarities in handicapping, skills needed (hand-eye coordination), etc... may very well draw some interest from those who don't play pool.

"Pool: When the sun sets, we're just getting started."
 
Hank actually mentions working with me in his book about coaching Tiger

bdorman said:
IMHO golfers are the best potential market for pool. The games are so similar it's stupid. And golf's biggest failing is that you can't play it in bad weather (in my neck of the woods that's about 300 days a year); you can play pool 24/365.

In both games:

You use a stick... to put a ball... in a hole.
Your first shot is a big one (the drive and the break)
You use power shots and finesse shots depending on the situation.
You spin the ball to control it.
You can spend insane amounts of money on gear.
Both are very social games for a group of 2, 3 or 4.
You can place little wagers with your buddies just to make it interesting.

The list goes on and on, but it's clear to me that golfers are the easiest "sell" to become pool players.

It would be great to get a pool pro who plays golf (Schmidt, Deuel, Archer, Wiley, etal) to do a promotional/training video specially aimed at golfers. Heck, everything you do in pool has a "golf equivalent"; golfers would identify with the game very quickly.

Best of all, pool is something to do on the days/months/seasons when you can't play golf.

Please feel free to add your ideas and thoughts to this thread.
Click to expand...

Yes there are more similarities than anyone can imagine that doesn't play both games.

I had the privilage of playing, teaching and learning with Hank Haney (Tiger Wood's ex Coach) for 2 years. He trained me in golf and I trained him in pool....he even gave him a pool table to put in his house. He REALLY likes pool and we had many conversations about the cross over of the two games.

Hank actually mentions working with me in his book about coaching Tiger, called 'The Big Miss'
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POOL... 1 cue ... 16 balls
GOLF... 14 clubs... 1 ball

Pool is less expensive because it's harder to loose a ball.

Tiger Woods once said he played pool with the guys when a golf tournament was rained out.
 
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bdorman said:
IMHO golfers are the best potential market for pool. The games are so similar it's stupid. And golf's biggest failing is that you can't play it in bad weather (in my neck of the woods that's about 300 days a year); you can play pool 24/365.

In both games:

You use a stick... to put a ball... in a hole.
Your first shot is a big one (the drive and the break)
You use power shots and finesse shots depending on the situation.
You spin the ball to control it.
You can spend insane amounts of money on gear.
Both are very social games for a group of 2, 3 or 4.
You can place little wagers with your buddies just to make it interesting.

The list goes on and on, but it's clear to me that golfers are the easiest "sell" to become pool players.

It would be great to get a pool pro who plays golf (Schmidt, Deuel, Archer, Wiley, etal) to do a promotional/training video specially aimed at golfers. Heck, everything you do in pool has a "golf equivalent"; golfers would identify with the game very quickly.

Best of all, pool is something to do on the days/months/seasons when you can't play golf.

Please feel free to add your ideas and thoughts to this thread.
Click to expand...

The one biggest difference is, in golf you play the course and in pool you play an opponent.
In golf you can't play the other guy safe, in fact you two can play and not even see each other.
I believe they are very different mentally as well.
 
Another similarity that golfers will identify with is The Stroke Is Everything.

Like golf, the pool stroke begins with the feet. Improper foot positions in either game will doom your shot.

The Grip is paramount in pool and golf. And in both relaxed wins and tight loses.

The Backstroke. Golfers spend their lives trying to perfect their backstroke. They'd probably practice it much more than the average pool player does.

Regarding pool only resembling the short game in golf: I think drawing the CB 5 diamonds or force following out of a corner is equal to 3-wood. In both we're asking the ball to go just about as far as it can.

All we need to do is find a way to reach golfers efficiently. TV ads during golf tournaments are too expensive (how do you think the PGA funds those $10 million prize funds?).
 
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A good niche to explore would be marine biologists. Their comfort level in the midst of sharks make them natural customers for the pool halls.
 
the key one is having the ability to get into "The Zone'..

macguy said:
The one biggest difference is, in golf you play the course and in pool you play an opponent.
In golf you can't play the other guy safe, in fact you two can play and not even see each other.
I believe they are very different mentally as well.
Click to expand...

In both games you play the ball, not the opponent. The mental part has several common denominators, the key one is having the ability to get into "The Zone'.....as do other sports and games at the highest levels.
 
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