Two fundamentals of pool to avoid sounding foolish for years

Cleveland_Rocks said:
That would require you reading what I said. Its right there in black and white.
Click to expand...
Having been in Olympic time trials, and having had coaches that have won Gold in the Olympics and friends that were in the HOF, life is not as simple as you describe. The land of hard knocks and time/effort and losing and not liking it and not giving up, are at the core of greatness in Anything one does.
 
Cleveland_Rocks said:
The first, and most important, is to have a mind that is capable of both playing pool and learning pool skills. If you don't know the traits of such a mind, you should read some books or ask someone what kind of mind it takes to practice, learn, and compete in billiards.
Click to expand...
Are you someone?

What are the traits of "a mind that is capable of both playing pool and learning pool skills"? And just so we know we're on the same page, could you please define "mind" in this context? Using the colloquial definition, it would seem that anyone not in a vegetative state would have a mind as you describe, but that clearly isn't the bar to which you are referring. Please clarify.
 
VTEC John said:
Whoa. How do you figure? There are not many pros who don't stroke straight. You don't stroke straight, you miss a whole lot. Pros go straight through on the CB line, whatever they do in practice strokes.
Click to expand...
I can only guess that you have not seen many tournament videos. If you want I can start naming names and I am sure other members will add to my list but I think there are not many who have really nice strokes like John Morra, Tyler Styer, Fedor, etc.
Some of the not so nice are Django, Joven Bustamante, etc. They might be repeatable but they are not always or rarely are straight. Its really quite surprising how many top players have a curve in their stroke when you start paying attention.
 
Just saying stating the way you did makes it seem your two points are more salient than the dozen,
and likely even more, other equally important observations any experienced pool player could render.

I was simply acknowledging that improving your pool play involves a compendium of fundamentals.
Aiming & stroking are two different skills. The former is relatively easy whereas the latter is challenging.

Breaking down, or analyzing, someone’s pool stroke and recommending improvements requires being able
to observe. Pool players sometimes wind up with too many coaches, different sources and forms of advice.
 
Mensabum said:
Wait. What??
We're spose to work on our stroke??
Click to expand...
This post was not directed at serious players who have at a minimum scratched the professional level. This is because virtually all players that have reached the professional level have taken steps to learn the two fundamentals that I listed. The post is for new players.
 
Last edited:
DeeDeeCues said:
Well, that information is worth about a hundred bucks less than I paid for it.

When does the 'stop sounding foolish' part begin?
Click to expand...
When one speaks, there can facts grounded in truth, and there can also be foolishness, falsehood, etc. I like being sincere and talking about facts, I'm not one to be rabble rousing or causing a stir with profanity or anything similar. This post is for newer players who want to learn the game properly and use their time well.
 
fastone371 said:
I can only guess that you have not seen many tournament videos. If you want I can start naming names and I am sure other members will add to my list but I think there are not many who have really nice strokes like John Morra, Tyler Styer, Fedor, etc.
Some of the not so nice are Django, Joven Bustamante, etc. They might be repeatable but they are not always or rarely are straight. Its really quite surprising how many top players have a curve in their stroke when you start paying attention.
Click to expand...
Watch snooker players, where pocketing balls is much more challenging. You can't have a poor stroke and be a high level snooker player. The laws of nature prove that a superior (straight) stroke, all else equal, makes a superior player.
 
Chris said:
Are you someone?

What are the traits of "a mind that is capable of both playing pool and learning pool skills"? And just so we know we're on the same page, could you please define "mind" in this context? Using the colloquial definition, it would seem that anyone not in a vegetative state would have a mind as you describe, but that clearly isn't the bar to which you are referring. Please clarify.
Click to expand...
Its a relative term that can be adapted to a variety of people. I'm not a "pound my ideas into people" person. Different people can arrive at their own conclusions for this. But it should be considered, and is truthfully the number one fundamental of pocket billiards.
 
Island Drive said:
Having been in Olympic time trials, and having had coaches that have won Gold in the Olympics and friends that were in the HOF, life is not as simple as you describe. The land of hard knocks and time/effort and losing and not liking it and not giving up, are at the core of greatness in Anything one does.
Click to expand...
That is cool that you have been in Olympic time trials. Congrats for that. But there will never be a world class pool player who does not have a consistently quality and straight stroke, no matter how many battles they have been through.
 
In summary, this post was to alert beginning and newer players about the most important parts of pocket billiards. I was a bit harsh in my original post, however, that harshness was in part to bring attention to this post for those newer players. And what I said in that post is true, WIthout the foundation, how can one talk about anything else with a straight face?
 
Cleveland_Rocks said:
In summary, this post was to alert beginning and newer players about the most important parts of pocket billiards. I was a bit harsh in my original post, however, that harshness was in part to bring attention to this post for those newer players. And what I said in that post is true, WIthout the foundation, how can one talk about anything else with a straight face?
Click to expand...
Sadly any new players I met got to level one and were content. Club house bangers. No incentive to learn, to find out what is inside of them.
 
Cleveland_Rocks said:
When one speaks, there can facts grounded in truth, and there can also be foolishness, falsehood, etc. I like being sincere and talking about facts, I'm not one to be rabble rousing or causing a stir with profanity or anything similar. This post is for newer players who want to learn the game properly and use their time well.
Click to expand...

I think you try a bit too hard at being profound.
 
fastone371 said:
There are many pro's that don't even have straight strokes, I think the more important thing is a consistent repeatable stroke.
Click to expand...

Yes.

The goal, for most pool players, is to develop a consistent PSR that produces a stroke that:

A. Puts the object ball where you want it to go, and

B. Makes the CB go where you expect.

Tons of top players, going back to Ralph Greenleaf, have had massively wonky strokes but they were still accurate and consistent. A machinist-perfect stroke is no good if the OB is inadvertanly going into the rail and you cannot precisely place the CB where you want.

Lou Figueroa
 
Last edited:
Let's assume you've isolated the two true fundamentals. The serious noob will soon discover this to be incomplete if not incorrect. Begs the question, will this notion boot a potential player?
 
Cleveland_Rocks said:
Its a relative term that can be adapted to a variety of people. I'm not a "pound my ideas into people" person. Different people can arrive at their own conclusions for this. But it should be considered, and is truthfully the number one fundamental of pocket billiards.
Click to expand...
I don't expect you to "pound your ideas into people". I'm just trying to understand what you mean by "a mind that is capable of both playing pool and learning pool skills". It is neither clear nor obvious what point you are trying to make.
 
Chris said:
I don't expect you to "pound your ideas into people". I'm just trying to understand what you mean by "a mind that is capable of both playing pool and learning pool skills". It is neither clear nor obvious what point you are trying to make.
Click to expand...
In fact, quite the opposite.

With perhaps a touch of unfounded arrogance...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top