Should be called WorkPool...

[nineballman]

My ex rolled her eyes last night when I said I would be playing pool. I just told her it should be called working@pool instead. She has no idea what a 5 or 6 hour match is like....yeah, it's a lot of fun and maybe it is playing pool, but its work too.

 

[CreeDo]

I've always said that to play really good pool or even just to have fruitful practice sessions, you absolutely cannot under any circumstances have fun. I know it seems like a bad exaggeration, and it's fun afterwards to have played well, but during the match I find I play worse if I'm having fun. Good pool IS hard work. Social pool is still fun though and I do a lot of that

To hell with what ex (or current) girlfriends think about our manly sport/hobby.

 

[VIProfessor]

I've always said that to play really good pool or even just to have fruitful practice sessions, you absolutely cannot under any circumstances have fun. I know it seems like a bad exaggeration, and it's fun afterwards to have played well, but during the match I find I play worse if I'm having fun. Good pool IS hard work. Social pool is still fun though and I do a lot of that

To hell with what ex (or current) girlfriends think about our manly sport/hobby.

I don't know, Creedo, I guess it depends on how you define "fun". I'm very serious when I play and practice and I don't tolerate any nonchalantin' at the pool table (thanks JimS). As a result my pool-playing friends on St. Thomas (unfortunately, all mid-level B players and below) often ask me, "What about just having fun?" and I'm forced to explain that I do have fun when I'm playing, it's just a serious kind of fun--the kind of quiet profound enjoyment that occurs when I stroke a ball really well or execute a difficult runout with precision. Then you'll see me walk around the table with what Spanish Pete and I call "the Daniel hop" (juegabillar and anyone else who knows "Gelo (sp?)" in Puerto Rico will know exactly what I'm talking about).

The point is that when I play best is when I get that quiet enjoyment that comes with being one with the table. Frankly, I don't see how you can get in stroke unless you're enjoying what you're doing.

 

[CreeDo]

yeah I maybe overstated it. I can't be playing 30 hours a week and not enjoying it. I guess fun and enjoyment have different connotations for me. The quiet satisfaction you describe = enjoyment (which can also take a lively and more 'fun' form). "Fun" I associate with being chatty and social and not caring about the game. I can be social while I play, but I never reach a point where I don't care about every shot. Good luck to anyone trying to talk to me while I'm addressing the cueball. "Did you say something?"

Part of what also makes me say that good pool isn't fun is that I really don't like tournaments and gambling. I play in tournaments anyway, because in some cases it's like shooting fish in a barrel, so to speak. But I almost never have fun at a tournament, and even if I win the satisfaction is kinda mixed with relief that it's over. I dunno if the lack of fun is a result of focusing hard and playing my best, or if the focus is a result of keeping 'fun' sternly under lock and key until I'm done shooting.

 

[chilli66]

I thought about this last night. I seem to have finally rediscovered my ability to focus intently on the table & the rewards have been great. It does feel like hard work at times but the thrill of seeing your plan work out is priceless. So then I'm thinking about just having fun. You know, not worrying about all the little details that go into your game. Don't worry about your stance, keeping down on the shot or just hammering that ball in with as much draw as you can possibly muster.

It doesn't take many missed shots to realise it isn't so much fun after all! Besides, what can compare to trying to annihilate your opponent & seeing it come off?