Top Players

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richard s

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What do the top players have or do that elevates their performance above that of the rest of the pool playing community. Most of us are what could be called advanced players but we never improve to the highest level. Do they have a special set of skills, both natural and developed, that take them to their level? I have a couple of grassroots theories: They have a uniquely good ability to visualize every shot along with the hand-eye coordination to carry it out. They have a special talent for concentration and analysis regarding table layout(s). They have the mental and physical self discipline to practice and always concentrate. One my primary weaknesses is mental laziness, probably a major characteristic of most recreational players. Add to this that it is probably harder to be a top player today because the equipment and knowledge of the game is exponentially better than it was 50 years ago when I started playing.

I will probably never be very good but I sure like to play this wonderfully frustrating game.

richie
 
I think some of them do have some natural ability to "see" the table in a more precise manner than you or I. But I also think that even with that ability, they don't get much better that us unless they practice. Most of the pros that I have ever talked to or heard say they started playing when they were young, and would practice for 8-10 hours a day. I just don't have that king of time or determination to practice pool that much.

I was just watching one of the ESPN tounaments last week, where one of the older pros was asked about the skill levels of players now versus when he played. He said he believed the top level players now are not much better or about the same as they were in his day. However, he also stated that today there were MANY more players in that top level. I can't remember who he was or what tournament I was watching, but thought it was an interesting comment.
 
Most all are good shotmakers anyhow, but the top ones hardly ever have a real tuff shot as they play position so well. Johnnyt
 
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i would say these 3 things are what i have noticed while watching top players

- confidence
- pre-shot routine
- focus
 
Johnny once told me, "The difference between the good players (A players and shortstops) and top pros is the ability to fade the 'packs'." I agree. If I get a shot a game, most people aren't gonna like it. If I have to sit before delivering a couple of racks, it does get to you. Fading perfect play is tough.

Table time under tough competition doesn't hurt either.
 
richard s said:
What do the top players have or do that elevates their performance above that of the rest of the pool playing community. Most of us are what could be called advanced players but we never improve to the highest level. Do they have a special set of skills, both natural and developed, that take them to their level? I have a couple of grassroots theories: They have a uniquely good ability to visualize every shot along with the hand-eye coordination to carry it out. They have a special talent for concentration and analysis regarding table layout(s). They have the mental and physical self discipline to practice and always concentrate. One my primary weaknesses is mental laziness, probably a major characteristic of most recreational players. Add to this that it is probably harder to be a top player today because the equipment and knowledge of the game is exponentially better than it was 50 years ago when I started playing.

I will probably never be very good but I sure like to play this wonderfully frustrating game.

richie
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This is an endless subject, but a good one.

Top Players, "Master" all of what the above posters have stated, most all have very good eyesight,steady nerves,in-shape(fit) and "look ahead in their shots from the first ball to the out ball" in most cases before the play is ever made.

Knowing the table speed comes natural to them after only about 3 games on a paticular table, with that being said a "Top Player" will always have the "Proper Angle" to execute the shot!

Table Speed + Proper Angle + Execution = "A Winner!"


David Harcrow


"If you can't fly run, if you can't run walk, if you can't walk crawl, but by All Means Keep Movin!"...........Dr.Martin Luther King
 
RandyG said it best

Doing something for countless hours day after day for years upon years has GOTTA have something to do with it.
 
1. An absolute love of the game. A love so strong that it's the only thing they think about.

2. Relaxation. Using just the amount of effort it takes to execute a shot. Staying loose.

3. Having a plan for each game.
 
The only thing I can add is, dedication. You don't get very good without playing a lot of hours. You also need to believe in yourself. If you don't believe all of your work will pay off, then it probably won't.

Positive thinking goes a long way, if you don't think you can become a good player, you never will.
 
randyg said:
Table time!....SPF=randyg
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I disagree with this. In fact I think there is very little correlation.

Most of us diehards that post here have had the pool bug at some point in our lives. Usually happens late teens before we get a real job. At this point in our lives, we do have a period of perhaps 2 to 6 years where we CAN play EVERY day for 5,6,7 hours each day.

I know in my room, myself included, there have been many of us that did the 5+ hour a day tour for at least 4 years, before real life hit us. One of us became an A player, and the rest of us leveled off at B or C+. We all gambled with each other on a daily basis, we all watched the same tapes, and we all had access to a few open/pro level players who were also in the room on a daily basis.

And in each of our cases, the desire was definitely there to beat each others' brains out by becoming the best.

None of us took lessons, or did hardly any drills. But we competed ALL the time, including with the open level players that were already established in the room.

My point is we all learned naturally, and without structure, and we all put in the same amount of hours. And only one of us got to an A level.

On the other hand, if you ask a player who is now an A, I bet most will tell you they got to an A after about 2 years of the 5+ hours a day.

People keep mentioning the top pros practice 8 hours a day and don't have day jobs. While that is true, that is what keeps them in tip top shape. However, they got to that level, probaly every single one of them, after teh 2 or 3 years when they were late teens. They did the same things the guys I mentioned in my local room did. But for whatever reason, they got all the way to the top.

So my conclusion is it has nothing or extremely little to do with table time. Just to clarify, sure there might be some cases where you can take a player and have him shoot for hours at a time and maybe he will get to be an A or better. But on AVERAGE, the A players did not put in any more time at the table than the B, and C players, during those teen years when we all got the "bug" and had the free time for 2 to 6 years to be able to play all day and all night long.
 
iusedtoberich said:
I disagree with this. In fact I think there is very little correlation.

Most of us diehards that post here have had the pool bug at some point in our lives. Usually happens late teens before we get a real job. At this point in our lives, we do have a period of perhaps 2 to 6 years where we CAN play EVERY day for 5,6,7 hours each day.

I know in my room, myself included, there have been many of us that did the 5+ hour a day tour for at least 4 years, before real life hit us. One of us became an A player, and the rest of us leveled off at B or C+. We all gambled with each other on a daily basis, we all watched the same tapes, and we all had access to a few open/pro level players who were also in the room on a daily basis.

And in each of our cases, the desire was definitely there to beat each others' brains out by becoming the best.

None of us took lessons, or did hardly any drills. But we competed ALL the time, including with the open level players that were already established in the room.

My point is we all learned naturally, and without structure, and we all put in the same amount of hours. And only one of us got to an A level.

On the other hand, if you ask a player who is now an A, I bet most will tell you they got to an A after about 2 years of the 5+ hours a day.

People keep mentioning the top pros practice 8 hours a day and don't have day jobs. While that is true, that is what keeps them in tip top shape. However, they got to that level, probaly every single one of them, after teh 2 or 3 years when they were late teens. They did the same things the guys I mentioned in my local room did. But for whatever reason, they got all the way to the top.

So my conclusion is it has nothing or extremely little to do with table time. Just to clarify, sure there might be some cases where you can take a player and have him shoot for hours at a time and maybe he will get to be an A or better. But on AVERAGE, the A players did not put in any more time at the table than the B, and C players, during those teen years when we all got the "bug" and had the free time for 2 to 6 years to be able to play all day and all night long.
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It's not the simple act of being at the table which allows you to improve, it's practicing properly. Even doing drills isn't practicing properly if you are not paying any attention to your mechanics.
 
I'll give you that.

But I'm sure you have seen many of the A players didn't do the "right" things like structured drills, progressive drills, fundamental instruction,etc. They just got up there and played and learned naturally, and became the best.

What I'm saying is its not much a function of just table time that makes a player. We have all seen the guys in the pool room that have played for 40 years on a daily basis and are still C players. And we have all seen the A/open/pro level player that got there in 3 years, without doing the "correct" things.

And I don't want you guys to think I'm knocking drills or instruction. In my personal case, I've been a C for years, and just now I started doing extremely structured progressive drills. I've learned more in 4 months of doing these drills than in any 5 year period I've been playing. I actually believe now that I "MIGHT" one day become a A player, after 10 years of being stuck on C.

But again, the point is its not time put into the game. If you had a group of players you just let loose for 5 years, completely on their own, some would excel, and some would stay C's.

AND, if you had another group that you gave every one of them teh exact amount of table time, the same instruction, the same structured drills, the same sparring partners, basically did everything the right way...You would STILL have some that stood out well above and beyond the rest. The difference is in the second case, you would have a larger number of B and A players than in the first case.

But still, my hypotheses is it has nothing to do with table time, after a required minimum that we all need to put in.
 
hunger?

if yur life depended on pool?
if you need to earn $ from pool?
if you need to pay the bills by playing pool?
if all your friends are known from playing pool?
if your family members play pool? svb?
if you only get happiness from playing pool?

you will be a good player
 
It is practically a tautology to say so, but the reason why the top players play better is simply because they execute more consistently.

Why they do execute more consistently might be attributable to many factors--natural talent, hard work, mental toughness, desire to win, etc.
 
Johnny Archer was in a TV show on accuracy recently. What blew me away was his explaination to the host that after the break, he first looks where the 9 ball is...Then he plans his run out backwards, knowing where he wants the cue ball in order to pocket the next ball...in reverse order. This told me that cue ball control is the entire game at the highest level. Takes a bunch of skill and concentration to place whitey exactly where you want him. That, and countless hours of practice.
 
Cameron Smith said:
The only thing I can add is, dedication. You don't get very good without playing a lot of hours. You also need to believe in yourself. If you don't believe all of your work will pay off, then it probably won't.

Positive thinking goes a long way, if you don't think you can become a good player, you never will.
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I disagree. I never thought I would be good and I've become kinda good.
 
The 1st step to getting better is to have a purpose/goal for playing.... If you just go out there just to kill time then you will never get better...

Set a some short term goals and always have knocking in the final nine ball for the U.S. Open or D.C.C. in the back of your mind and you will be surprised how much better you will get...

Always learn from your mistakes...Always!

Now it's your turn at the table...lets see what u got!
 
Several good points have been raised, practice, hence knowledge and experience are forefront, but the 2 key issues that make the difference between the pros and the good players are: (imho)

1. They don't crack under pressure nearly as much.
2. Intelligence (in so far as having worked out how to play the game).

Colin
 
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