Skill Level vs. Playing Time
- Thread starter Aaron_S
- Start date
well for me this is an easy answer, I used to be a 7 in both the APA and BCAPL when i played 4-6 nights a week ( before I had a child and a swing shift job)
now I am lucky to play like a 6 in both leagues, with no nights of practice just on occaisional night for a match (work allows 2 out of 3 weeks to shoot)
Its kinda depressing
now I am lucky to play like a 6 in both leagues, with no nights of practice just on occaisional night for a match (work allows 2 out of 3 weeks to shoot)
Its kinda depressing
When I play monthly, I think it is possible to maintain ~65% of full speed.
Weekly, 80%.
To stay @ top speed, I think you have to be playing at least 3x a week, hour+ daily.
Of course you have to play however you 'measure' success, tournaments or $ games regularly to maintain comfort in those situations...
Weekly, 80%.
To stay @ top speed, I think you have to be playing at least 3x a week, hour+ daily.
Of course you have to play however you 'measure' success, tournaments or $ games regularly to maintain comfort in those situations...
Pool is funny
Sometimes you can play all the time, and not be on your stick, and sometimes you can play 1 time a week, and shoot good. Long time ago, after a divorce, I had not shot for 5 months, and got into a 3 man cutthroat 9 ball game for $50 a man per game, and that is when I ran my high of 11 racks.
I have shot for almost 49 years, so I really don't need a lot of practice to shoot pretty good. When I have not shot for 2-3 months, usually 1 or 2 nights of playing gets me back in stroke.
I, also, am not one that needs to warmup a lot either. I know a lot of players talk about needing to warmup for half an hour or so, but I don't need to usually, I don't forget how to make shots between the times I play.
If it is a big hard tournament, and I have a real tough opponent coming up, then I will warmup for 15-20 minutes, not to be making shots so much, as to make sure my banks are 'in tune'. When I feel my banks are in tune is when I feel like I can play my best.
For the experienced player (10 years or more), I think they should play twice a week to feel comfortable about their game.
For lessor players, I think they should play about 4 times a week to feel comfortable about their game, or for improvement.
Sometimes you can play all the time, and not be on your stick, and sometimes you can play 1 time a week, and shoot good. Long time ago, after a divorce, I had not shot for 5 months, and got into a 3 man cutthroat 9 ball game for $50 a man per game, and that is when I ran my high of 11 racks.
I have shot for almost 49 years, so I really don't need a lot of practice to shoot pretty good. When I have not shot for 2-3 months, usually 1 or 2 nights of playing gets me back in stroke.
I, also, am not one that needs to warmup a lot either. I know a lot of players talk about needing to warmup for half an hour or so, but I don't need to usually, I don't forget how to make shots between the times I play.
If it is a big hard tournament, and I have a real tough opponent coming up, then I will warmup for 15-20 minutes, not to be making shots so much, as to make sure my banks are 'in tune'. When I feel my banks are in tune is when I feel like I can play my best.
For the experienced player (10 years or more), I think they should play twice a week to feel comfortable about their game.
For lessor players, I think they should play about 4 times a week to feel comfortable about their game, or for improvement.
That sounds about right to me. I know if I want to do well in a tournament I must play at least an hour a day for a week or so leading up to the tournament. Long $ money matches are a different deal for me usually, and I can sometimes hit top gear 2-3 hours into the match even if I haven't been playing in the days prior. Not always, though; sometimes I just languish in that 80% range, which I think will happen occasionally regardless of how much you play.
Thanks for participating,
Aaron
Not Enuff
Over the summer I was playing like a wildman. 5-6 days/week. 3-4 hours on weekdays and 8-10 hours on weekend days. And I was rewarded for it. I basically play straight pool exclusively so that makes for a good barometer to gauge improvement. My high runs inched up throughout the spring and through the summer from 38 - 42 - 48 - 56 - 58 - 60 - 68 - 80. But now that classes are in and I only get to play on the weekends and maybe once during the week I'm struggling to get into the 50's and they're rare. I guess the amount of weekly play time needed to remain around 90-95% varies from person to person and from age group to age group. It seems as I get older (44 now) it gets more difficult to just pick up the cue after a long layoff and play my best pool. Also include that confidence dwindles when you're only running half as many balls as you know you're capable of. And I think confidence is one of the biggest components of the mental game.
Ron F
Over the summer I was playing like a wildman. 5-6 days/week. 3-4 hours on weekdays and 8-10 hours on weekend days. And I was rewarded for it. I basically play straight pool exclusively so that makes for a good barometer to gauge improvement. My high runs inched up throughout the spring and through the summer from 38 - 42 - 48 - 56 - 58 - 60 - 68 - 80. But now that classes are in and I only get to play on the weekends and maybe once during the week I'm struggling to get into the 50's and they're rare. I guess the amount of weekly play time needed to remain around 90-95% varies from person to person and from age group to age group. It seems as I get older (44 now) it gets more difficult to just pick up the cue after a long layoff and play my best pool. Also include that confidence dwindles when you're only running half as many balls as you know you're capable of. And I think confidence is one of the biggest components of the mental game.
Ron F
I would think that, because the APA isn't the best barometer for skill levels, a 7 is probable like a mid B player maybe a little higher certainly not an A I feel I am in the Mid B category when shooting my normal game, that being said my normal game comes out not as often as I would like. (only been playing 10 years)
an APA 6 in nine ball is probably a high C or low B not trying to be insulting or anything just what I am guessing by what I have seen in the years.
an APA 6 in nine ball is probably a high C or low B not trying to be insulting or anything just what I am guessing by what I have seen in the years.
Interesting, Ron. I am inclined to say that straight pool is a higher-maintenance game than 9-ball, with performance degradation during layoffs being more dramatic due to the increased difficulty of the game. Seems to make sense anyway.
Aaron
Wow! Super interesting poll results!
im guessing the A players play alot to get to there or they get to there and slow down playing alot thats why there are no votes from 5-15
and the B players really want to get to A so they play alot 5-15 hours!
Cool poll!
im guessing the A players play alot to get to there or they get to there and slow down playing alot thats why there are no votes from 5-15
and the B players really want to get to A so they play alot 5-15 hours!
Cool poll!
Thanks theyonger! In my area, it seems that the A players play very little pool. They may go a month or more without hitting a ball, and then take a week or so to gear up for a tournament or $ match. I was curious to see if this trend exists elsewhere, and so far it seems that it does.
Aaron
Like everyone else, I would love to play more than I can. I have found that I am playing more than I expected to be able to when I started out last year, so I just squeek into the 5-15 hour category. Some weeks I might get beyond that 15 hour mark, but not consistently enough to enter that in the poll.
Interesting stuff.
Interesting stuff.
I pracrice exclusively at home and go out the tourneys or to gamble. In the last year or so, I have completely dissmantled my game and rebuilt it. I had, for a better explaination.....a very McCready like game from starting to play at around 5 or 6. I felt I got to a plateau and needed better fundamentals to excel to the level I wanted, so I "chopped, cut and rebuilt" my stroke.
I am now much more in plane, my grip and hand position is MUCHMUCH better, and my shot sighting is now equal, or neutral.
To get to this point I played almost every day for about 2 hours for the last 6 months. I incorporated aspects I thought would work, and cut out what I thought was hurting me....this was VERY frustrating because I was already a good player....not great, just good.....with some 100+ runs, but inconsistent.
Today, I am on top of the world happy! my game is exactly where I need it, and when I miss, I know why......I used to miss and scratch my head with no clue what happened
So, how many hours? I dunno, but I feel once you get there it's just a feel thing to stay in stroke, but to build a reliable game.....I'd say like me.....a year or so, and 2 or 3 hours a day will do it.....get a good teacher to cut that number down IMO.
good luck,
G.
I am now much more in plane, my grip and hand position is MUCHMUCH better, and my shot sighting is now equal, or neutral.
To get to this point I played almost every day for about 2 hours for the last 6 months. I incorporated aspects I thought would work, and cut out what I thought was hurting me....this was VERY frustrating because I was already a good player....not great, just good.....with some 100+ runs, but inconsistent.
Today, I am on top of the world happy! my game is exactly where I need it, and when I miss, I know why......I used to miss and scratch my head with no clue what happened
So, how many hours? I dunno, but I feel once you get there it's just a feel thing to stay in stroke, but to build a reliable game.....I'd say like me.....a year or so, and 2 or 3 hours a day will do it.....get a good teacher to cut that number down IMO.
good luck,
G.
context
It would be useful to distinguish between playing time in competition vs solitary practice time. The latter should be divided between drills vs role playing games.
Such detail would be informative.
It would be useful to distinguish between playing time in competition vs solitary practice time. The latter should be divided between drills vs role playing games.
Such detail would be informative.
Slim Limpy
New member
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