I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with pool clubs. Clubs are de rigeur here in South Korea, every pool hall has one. My experience here has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm wondering if there are any pool clubs in America (or elsewhere) or anything similar you guys have been involved with. Do you guys think something similar to what I describe could work in other countries, and get people playing more? I have been in leagues. Of course a room owner usually gives some benefits to league players. However, I think a club can benefit "players" rather than "league players" more. Many league players might just come in only on league night, but what I'm talking about would benefit people who want to play more than that.
What follows is rather long, so if you'd rather just talk about your experience, go ahead.
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In the club I belong to, practice time is free. You only pay for table time if you are playing with another person. Depending on how many times per month you play (with another person), you get a discount of 10, 20 or 30% off of table time. I think you have to come 3 or 4 times per week to get 30% off. All members receive at least 10%.
Everyone in the club has a handicap. When you first learn you start as a 2 or 3, local pros are 9s. Most players are 5s. This is just how many games you play to, not balls. Whoever loses pays the table time (usually about $7 after an hour, with my 30% discount). That means everyone kind of gambles, but there isn't much action aside from this small wager (except for the better players). The nice thing about the handicap system is that you can always play with someone without a bunch of haggling. And since the loser pays, you are always trying to win (none of that playing for hours
Anyone who joins the club gets lessons for free. Beginning players get lessons from an upper-mid level player (a 6+, or occasionally the pros work with a newbie), and as you advance the better players will always help you. I have watched one girl learn how to play here. She never played a single game for a month and a half!! All she did was drills. (Almost) Everyone has decent form because of this. When I came they rated me as a 6, went up to a 7 shortly thereafter. Pros have been working with me since then. It's pretty cool because I have worked on different aspects of my game with different people, all at the same time. Information is always available to you, all you have to do is ask (though in my case, it can be hard not speaking korean well).
I'm wondering about anyone else's experiences with clubs for two reasons in particular. First, because I've found it so helpful for my game. I think this club system can really produce a strong player quickly. I have a friend who is a pro player here. He has been playing for 3 or 4 years, and he is the #2 ranked English Billiards player in South Korea(they play that here), a top ranked snooker player, and is the most solid and consistent pool player I've ever known. He's the most striking example of a great player developing in a short time, but it seems like more people get good quickly here, than in America.
Second, is money. Even though I don't have to pay for practice time, I actually pay at least as much to play here as I used to in America. The only exception is when there is no one to play with. However, I get to play more than I used to. I can go hang out all day and pay maybe $15-40 (depending on how well I play. Remember loser pays. Some days I pay $0). As far as I can figure, this results in the room owner getting the same amount of money, but his tables are used more. If any two people want your table, you have to give it up, so it's not like he's losing money because someone is practicing on it.
What follows is rather long, so if you'd rather just talk about your experience, go ahead.
~~~~
In the club I belong to, practice time is free. You only pay for table time if you are playing with another person. Depending on how many times per month you play (with another person), you get a discount of 10, 20 or 30% off of table time. I think you have to come 3 or 4 times per week to get 30% off. All members receive at least 10%.
Everyone in the club has a handicap. When you first learn you start as a 2 or 3, local pros are 9s. Most players are 5s. This is just how many games you play to, not balls. Whoever loses pays the table time (usually about $7 after an hour, with my 30% discount). That means everyone kind of gambles, but there isn't much action aside from this small wager (except for the better players). The nice thing about the handicap system is that you can always play with someone without a bunch of haggling. And since the loser pays, you are always trying to win (none of that playing for hours
Anyone who joins the club gets lessons for free. Beginning players get lessons from an upper-mid level player (a 6+, or occasionally the pros work with a newbie), and as you advance the better players will always help you. I have watched one girl learn how to play here. She never played a single game for a month and a half!! All she did was drills. (Almost) Everyone has decent form because of this. When I came they rated me as a 6, went up to a 7 shortly thereafter. Pros have been working with me since then. It's pretty cool because I have worked on different aspects of my game with different people, all at the same time. Information is always available to you, all you have to do is ask (though in my case, it can be hard not speaking korean well).
I'm wondering about anyone else's experiences with clubs for two reasons in particular. First, because I've found it so helpful for my game. I think this club system can really produce a strong player quickly. I have a friend who is a pro player here. He has been playing for 3 or 4 years, and he is the #2 ranked English Billiards player in South Korea(they play that here), a top ranked snooker player, and is the most solid and consistent pool player I've ever known. He's the most striking example of a great player developing in a short time, but it seems like more people get good quickly here, than in America.
Second, is money. Even though I don't have to pay for practice time, I actually pay at least as much to play here as I used to in America. The only exception is when there is no one to play with. However, I get to play more than I used to. I can go hang out all day and pay maybe $15-40 (depending on how well I play. Remember loser pays. Some days I pay $0
). As far as I can figure, this results in the room owner getting the same amount of money, but his tables are used more. If any two people want your table, you have to give it up, so it's not like he's losing money because someone is practicing on it.
