Should I quit this game? Your opinion

Tim5000 said:
We all know how frustrating pool can be sometimes, but I'm beginning to think I am just not physically and mentally able to advance my skills to the next level. Maybe I'm too impatient, or maybe I should get on with my life and forget about the game. Here are the facts and stats...

I'm 46 years old, playing about 20 years, was always a casual "D+" player. Two years ago I decided to see what I could do with my skills. So I started practicing 3-5 hours a day every single day 7 days a week for 2 years straight. Now I am a "C" player at best, usually place in bottom 1/3 in local tournaments and consistently score 325-375 on the Hopkins Skills Challenge, and can only beat the 4 ball ghost about 50% of the time! This seems like a very slow progression to me. What does everyone else think about this? I would appreciate anyone's honest opinion.
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My advice is gamble higher nothing peaks your interest and forces you to get better than crushing your recreational bankroll a couple of times. I also ditto Jay's advice of watching the really good players that are of similar stature as you. I think really paying attention to Accu-Stat tapes can really help, pay close attention to the mechanics of the really consistent players that all really do an incredible job of staying down on the ball and delivering a consistent stroke.
 
Don't quit... if everyone quit because they didn't reach a high level, 90% of pool players would quit and you'd have to drive 40 miles to find the nearest pool hall.

Get some instruction, or at least a book. You'd be surprised at how small the difference between "C" and "A" is. There are C's that stroke pretty straight and the only thing holding them back is lack of knowledge. Don't figure that you have nothing to learn after 20 years.

For me, a book took me from D to B in what felt like a very short time, though it was probably around two years. But if your mechanics are funky and you've got a bad stroke that's been reinforced for a long time, an instructor will probably be better for your game than a book.
 
my opinion

Tim5000 said:
We all know how frustrating pool can be sometimes, but I'm beginning to think I am just not physically and mentally able to advance my skills to the next level. Maybe I'm too impatient, or maybe I should get on with my life and forget about the game. Here are the facts and stats...

I'm 46 years old, playing about 20 years, was always a casual "D+" player. Two years ago I decided to see what I could do with my skills. So I started practicing 3-5 hours a day every single day 7 days a week for 2 years straight. Now I am a "C" player at best, usually place in bottom 1/3 in local tournaments and consistently score 325-375 on the Hopkins Skills Challenge, and can only beat the 4 ball ghost about 50% of the time! This seems like a very slow progression to me. What does everyone else think about this? I would appreciate anyone's honest opinion.
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Tim, I've tried to quit a few times and they were the worst times in my life...well, almost. I'm considered an A player, but even if I only played as a C player, I'd play because I LOVE this game. Through the good and the bad, this game has been there to get me through so I strived to play it the best I could. Even when I got into my "accident" in 05', I wanted soo badly to play this game. My first couple months of playing again were REALLY BAD, but I caught on again and haven't looked back since. What I'm saying is no matter how good or badly you play, if you quit, you'll want to play again someday so do yourself a favor and DON'T QUIT!!! If you really love the game as much as I do, stick with it...If you only play for something to do some days, then its your choice, but chances are you'll want to play again anyways. Do yourself a favor and keep playing whether you're good at it, or you really stink at it because eventually it WILL draw you back to it. Enjoy the game itself and you'll be fine, just don't get caught up in making money at it like I did a few times...That only causes heart-aches.
 
Should you Quit???

Doesn't this depend on your goals for this game?

If you're looking to some day be in the finals of the DCC with Shane VB, then you've got a big uphill battle to get there.

If you want to be an "A" player, I'm sure with the proper instruction and some dedication, you can get there.

For me, the game is for fun and I treat it as a serious hobby. When I get on the table and have a good opponent, I tend to forget about work, about bills and sometimes after I'm done, I forget where I'm at!! It is an excellent escape for me.

Decide what you want from the game then see if you can reasonably get there from your starting point. If not, get out now before you kill too much valuable time.
 
Ok TIM, here's the deal ! If you quit, you have to pay us all AZB members $500 dollars each ! how's this for a motivation? :D
 
unless your born with talent it takes years to play good, and even the gifted players have to pay their dues, Jay is right the 3rd year is typically the big year, get som lessions, dont keep your bad habits any longer, and you have them or you would be improving faster.

the old saying "A good pool player is the sign of a mis-spent youth" is true, after 2 years your still wet behind the ears, all those people you see that play better than you were playing when you were getting married, or doing something else, to play good it takes total dedication for a lifetimne, unless your gifted, even then you still have to pay your dues. they dont make steroids for pool.

also dont be so hard on your self just enjoy it, it beats hell out of TV
 
just a simple solution to a big problem.

post a video of you playing here, and u will get at least 3 things to change that we will be able to tell you, that will make you improve in one month what uve been doing for 2 years.

really, tape yourself from some angles, post the video on youtube, and post the link in here. dont costs you 50$ and if u arent beating the 4ball ghost more then 50% by the end of this summer, then you either are doing it on purpose or you have a eye-problem (wich cant be vieuwed from just a video)

ps do you where glasses or contacts?
 
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