i play at a respectable level, my handicap at tournaments is about an 8 at most places (scale 3-9, and then 9-1 and so on), I am 19 years old, almost 20. I started playing about 3 years ago, I was wondering have I started at too old of an age to become pro, or even a very good player? Most pro's start playing when they are very young. Does anyone know of any good players that started playing at a older age and still became phenominal players? is it how long one has been playing or the talent of the player? people tell me that I have a good natural stroke and talent but I started playing when I was about 16 or 17. Ive seen guys my age that play amazing pool, will I ever be able to catch up to them or is it a lost cause
too old for billiards?
- Thread starter Varsity2016
- Start date
I am 21 and started less than three years ago. I love the game and do my best to make time to play as much as possible. Personally I feel like I can be a pro in less than two years from where I am at now. I don't think you are too old, not by a long shot. I am sure there are some pros that started at a later age than you. Ill be looking for you on TV.
Eric A.
Eric A.
Go for it!
There are some sports where it is indeed a lost cause if you don't start while you are still drinking mother's milk. Billiards isn't one of them. You have plenty of time left to learn to be a world champion.
One thing to consider: Knowledge that was once close held is now available to anyone who seeks it. You can gain in a year or two what once took many years to learn.
It is up to you but never listen to naysayers. Very few great accomplishments in this world would have happened had the people who hoped listened to the ones saying it wouldn't happen.
Hu
There are some sports where it is indeed a lost cause if you don't start while you are still drinking mother's milk. Billiards isn't one of them. You have plenty of time left to learn to be a world champion.
One thing to consider: Knowledge that was once close held is now available to anyone who seeks it. You can gain in a year or two what once took many years to learn.
It is up to you but never listen to naysayers. Very few great accomplishments in this world would have happened had the people who hoped listened to the ones saying it wouldn't happen.
Hu
Varsity2016 said:
I think pretty much every world champion played at pro level by the time they were your age. Does that make it impossible for you to get there?Varsity2016 said:
Are you willing to put in 8 hours a day (say 2 of practice and 6 of play) at least three days a week? Six days a week? Are you willing to study the game? Can you afford to do this even though you might not get to the level of #150 on the IPT?
How well do you want to play? Best in your tavern? Local league champion? State open semi-pro champion? APA national amateur champion? US Artistic Pool champion and exhibition player? IPT qualifier? IPT tour card holder? WPA world champion?
My advice would be to play and try to improve as long as the game is interesting to you, but don't plan your future where the only option is to be a pro player.
Bob Jewett said:
That's pretty discouraging to me, since I'm 25. But then again, I have no real aspirations of being a pro, either.
Yeah, planning your future around being a pro player is pretty risky. Even with the IPT now, still it would be hard to make a living at this unless you are one of the top players getting high finishes consistently. Of course, this assumes you are even in the IPT. If you're not, you're gonna be clawing and scratching and trying to get table scraps on smaller tournaments, and even if you win those or do very well, how much money can you really make?
However, as a final note of encouragement, I believe John Schmidt started around 18 or so. Of course, it should be noted that former World Champion straight pool player Bobby Hunter (also IPT member) helped train him, so take that note of encouragement for what it's worth, I guess.
I might be wrong in any of my assessments below so take what I say with a grain of salt.
I would think that many of the pros started young and were able to excel and get very good based on having parents or guardians keep them alive (clothes, food, home, etc.) while they were practicing constantly. I did not start to play pool until I got to college where they had tables in the dorm and union building. And since I was on Scholarship and had a small trust fund backing I was able to go to school and not have to work. I played 6-10 hours a day for 4 or 5 years. I played with a group of students who all wanted to excel at pool. We read books, watched videos, ate-drank-slept pool. We all got real good real fast because we did not have the things that normal people have. Car payments, house payments, other bills, food, insurance. All of those costs eventually have to get paid for by you. And at that moment when you get into the real life grind you start to play less and less, don't get good practice in, only play a few racks in league, and eventually plateau into a still very good player or shortstop who plays occasionally but doesn't look for anything more than they have now.
Not to say that you are in this situation. This is mainly my situation. When I started I wanted to beat the very good upperclassmen. When I got even with them in skill, I wanted to be better. So I practiced and then they were trying to beat me. Then I went to local tourneys with the best players in Seattle and got my @$$ handed to me. These guys had been playing for 20-30 years and were more consistent on their runouts. I practiced at the poolhall more and got more confident and i started getting in the money in these larger tourneys. At that point I moved to Vancouver where it is all 7 footers where all I used to play before was 9 footers. I played like god for the first few months down here playing tourneys and killing everyone because the pockets were like 5 gallon buckets until I eventually got hooked up with leagues and that was the plateau point. Practicing and tourney competition were gone and the occasional league night would pop up. But still no practice to get further more consistent and be able to play with the best players in the Region and give them a run for their money.
So where I am at is I am 28. Going to buy a house in the next 6 months. Going to have a pool table installed a few days after the sale is closed. And when I get home from work I can practice until my knuckles bleed. Then after a while I will be ready to head out again to try to Regional Tours and other larger tourneys where right now I have no shot at winning and minimal shot at making the money. Bring the big players over for some lessons and concentrated sets. In time we'll see what happens. I am still young yet...as you are.
Hope anything in this helps. I guess the main point is that you have to be 100% concentrated towards pool. You can't spend part of your time playing pool, and part playing golf and trying to get good at both. Because you will only be half as good as you could be as if you only played one. When you get to World Class then you can become good at something else.
I would think that many of the pros started young and were able to excel and get very good based on having parents or guardians keep them alive (clothes, food, home, etc.) while they were practicing constantly. I did not start to play pool until I got to college where they had tables in the dorm and union building. And since I was on Scholarship and had a small trust fund backing I was able to go to school and not have to work. I played 6-10 hours a day for 4 or 5 years. I played with a group of students who all wanted to excel at pool. We read books, watched videos, ate-drank-slept pool. We all got real good real fast because we did not have the things that normal people have. Car payments, house payments, other bills, food, insurance. All of those costs eventually have to get paid for by you. And at that moment when you get into the real life grind you start to play less and less, don't get good practice in, only play a few racks in league, and eventually plateau into a still very good player or shortstop who plays occasionally but doesn't look for anything more than they have now.
Not to say that you are in this situation. This is mainly my situation. When I started I wanted to beat the very good upperclassmen. When I got even with them in skill, I wanted to be better. So I practiced and then they were trying to beat me. Then I went to local tourneys with the best players in Seattle and got my @$$ handed to me. These guys had been playing for 20-30 years and were more consistent on their runouts. I practiced at the poolhall more and got more confident and i started getting in the money in these larger tourneys. At that point I moved to Vancouver where it is all 7 footers where all I used to play before was 9 footers. I played like god for the first few months down here playing tourneys and killing everyone because the pockets were like 5 gallon buckets until I eventually got hooked up with leagues and that was the plateau point. Practicing and tourney competition were gone and the occasional league night would pop up. But still no practice to get further more consistent and be able to play with the best players in the Region and give them a run for their money.
So where I am at is I am 28. Going to buy a house in the next 6 months. Going to have a pool table installed a few days after the sale is closed. And when I get home from work I can practice until my knuckles bleed. Then after a while I will be ready to head out again to try to Regional Tours and other larger tourneys where right now I have no shot at winning and minimal shot at making the money. Bring the big players over for some lessons and concentrated sets. In time we'll see what happens. I am still young yet...as you are.
Hope anything in this helps. I guess the main point is that you have to be 100% concentrated towards pool. You can't spend part of your time playing pool, and part playing golf and trying to get good at both. Because you will only be half as good as you could be as if you only played one. When you get to World Class then you can become good at something else.
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Varsity2016 said:
It is easier to become a pro if you start earlier in life since you have no real commitments. However if you have the time to spend, and you are dedicated then you might make it. Bill "Weenie Beenie" Staton started playing in his early 20's, on top of that he ran a business. By the time he was 30 he was a great player.
Follow your dream, don't let anybody tell you it is impossible. It is true that only a few people get to a pro level, but somebody has to get there, why not you?
My advice is practice, play, compete and go to college. You need a plan B.
your fine.....age is meaningless IMO....if you want to become a well rounded player quickly, find a good straight pool teacher, and learn the game inside and out. I can't think of one great 14.1 player that couldn't play all games well!....I know more than a few 9ball specialists that can only really play rotation games well. don't forget to send me an autograph when your famous!
Gerry
Gerry
Varsity2016 said:
"To old for billiards?" That is something that had been on my mind recently. Only I wasn't talking about becoming a pro, just improving more. See my post about it. I forget what it was called. Just search for posted started by me and it should be there.
How old did you say you were? "19" No, you are not to old to become a pro. If the talent is there that is. I see a lot of people talking practice here and that is certainly a requirement. But I think there is a 'natural ability' factor. Especially if your talking pro level. Are there any pros that don't have much natural ability? No more than there are any pros that never practiced much. I am to old, no matter how much natural ability I have. You are not. But how much natural ability you have is a hard thing to judge yourself on. The post above that like the best is Bob Jewett's. Don't limit your options to being a pro. Make attainable goals then when attained make a new goal.
pharaoh68
Banned
I rack balls said:
If you can be pro in 2 years or less, maybe a different screen name would have been a good choice for you.
As for you Varsity, it all depends on how much time you put in and how seriously you take the game. The older you get, the more responsibilities you have. But plenty of people have shirked those responsibilities in the past to dedicate themselves to something that they love. If you truly love it, go after it. People are capable of anything if they work for it.