Unique challenges that women players face

Woof Biscuit

Woof Biscuit

and gravy
Silver Member
I play league 1 night a week and I have a very nice lady that plays on my team. She's in her early 50's and plays pretty good. Her game has came a really long way in the last year although she has played most of her life. After our matches were over (and she played lights out!) I asked her what she had done to get so much better. She started out by saying, it was her stance that she changed. She sort of left it at that but I could tell there was more. I started to pry a little. Maybe it was the beer... She loosened up some and started to explain that being in a good stance was an "unnatural" position for women. I still didn't understand what she meant so I kept inquiring. She eventually explained (and we all know) that from a very young age girls are taught to not sit with their legs apart, not to lean over to show cleavage, and not to bend over sticking their rear end up in the air. It had never occured to me before but it was blatantly obvious to me now that a good stance does all of the above. She said that it was something that she had to mentally overcome and that being in a male dominated sport made it even harder. Anyhow, I may be the only one, but I had never really thought about it before and thought I would bring it up here to see what others thought.
 
A female friend of mine has to choose her shirt very carefully for league night...

Old grimey pool player men have no problem blatantly staring at her during her whole game, to the point where I've had to make it known that people are noticing them and calling them out right in the middle of a match.
 
I don't mean any offense by this but maybe it is a generational thing. I'm in my 20s and I have had no issues with getting down for a shot since day one. Obviously I won't wear a low cut shirt, but then there are people like Shanelle Lorraine who has no issues with letting the girls out.

Are there other unique challenges that women face? I think so and Jasen mentioned one of them. Even though there are more women that play pool these days it's still a male dominated sport.
 
Woof Biscuit said:
I play league 1 night a week and I have a very nice lady that plays on my team. She's in her early 50's and plays pretty good. Her game has came a really long way in the last year although she has played most of her life. After our matches were over (and she played lights out!) I asked her what she had done to get so much better. She started out by saying, it was her stance that she changed. She sort of left it at that but I could tell there was more. I started to pry a little. Maybe it was the beer... She loosened up some and started to explain that being in a good stance was an "unnatural" position for women. I still didn't understand what she meant so I kept inquiring. She eventually explained (and we all know) that from a very young age girls are taught to not sit with their legs apart, not to lean over to show cleavage, and not to bend over sticking their rear end up in the air. It had never occured to me before but it was blatantly obvious to me now that a good stance does all of the above. She said that it was something that she had to mentally overcome and that being in a male dominated sport made it even harder. Anyhow, I may be the only one, but I had never really thought about it before and thought I would bring it up here to see what others thought.
Click to expand...

After all the years of speculation and debate about the talent gap between man and women, this is one that I've never heard...

Women are subconsciously afraid that one of the guys in the room is checking them out, so they stand incorrectly. :confused:

I dunno, I'm not sold yet.
 
Sorry ladies

you get no sympathy from me.
35 years ago when i was in my twenties i had to put up with dirty old pool women staring at my a$$ when i was in my shooting stance.
Somehow i managed to get over it.

SLIM
 
the420trooper said:
After all the years of speculation and debate about the talent gap between man and women, this is one that I've never heard...

Women are subconsciously afraid that one of the guys in the room is checking them out, so they stand incorrectly. :confused:

I dunno, I'm not sold yet.
Click to expand...

I definitely agree that the constant eye-f^&king is a deterrant.
 
I think if the lady is attractive guys will gawk at her, to take a look here and there is one thing but to stare like a pervert who has never seen a pretty women is just not very respectful. Her clothes are not going to disappear by you burning a hole in them and your not going to have a brief second as Superman and see through them so fuggetabou"tit"!

Oh, I forgot to mention all the guys who make comments and remarks that are disrespectful and make young ladies who are interested in the game pick up another hobby. Sure there are girls who come to a poolroom because of guys but others really love the game, use your damn radar! :grin:
 
gumby said:
I don't mean any offense by this but maybe it is a generational thing. I'm in my 20s and I have had no issues with getting down for a shot since day one. Obviously I won't wear a low cut shirt, but then there are people like Shanelle Lorraine who has no issues with letting the girls out.

Are there other unique challenges that women face? I think so and Jasen mentioned one of them. Even though there are more women that play pool these days it's still a male dominated sport.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback. I definitely think it could be a generational thing.

420, (love the name btw) I think it's more of an internal thing for the player as opposed to sweating what others think. The phrase "self conscious" comes to mind.
 
Women players

I have played almost 50 years, and I have given lessons to probably more women than men. Women players, in general, do not execute as fast as men in what they are being told to do. They do not grasp the concept of English as fast, and execute it properly. Acid test for this, is a middle of table cut shot to the corner, and using inside English to go 3 rails for shape.

Women take longer to get to a proper stance, and to bridge properly. Even when they become a knowledgeable player, they play a different game from most men. There are some women though, that learn to play more like a man plays, and they become better players.

I shot Dorothy "Dottie" White once back 71-72, down in Houston when she had just come from Vegas. Her 'draw' was the guy she was traveling with. I beat him first (on a big table), and then they hit me up to play Dottie. I beat her 2 sets for a hundred a set, and she quit.
 
We have a girl on the team I am on and she is an accomplished player. She was on the Womens Master Team that won first place this year at the BCA Nationals in Vegas. I have never seen her attire anywhere near provocative at all. She wears jeans or slacks and an appropriate top at all times. I am sure she wishes to be seen as a pool player first and foremost, BTW she is easy on the eyes, professional and a great asset to our team. The way she behaves and dresses would be a model for female players of all ages, I consider myself lucky to have her as a teammate and friend.
 
I don't know about that...

Fast Lenny said:
I think if the lady is attractive guys will gawk at her, to take a look here and there is one thing but to stare like a pervert who has never seen a pretty women is just not very respectful. Her clothes are not going to disappear by you burning a hole in them and your not going to have a brief second as Superman and see through them so fuggetabou"tit"!

Oh, I forgot to mention all the guys who make comments and remarks that are disrespectful and make young ladies who are interested in the game pick up another hobby. Sure there are girls who come to a poolroom because of guys but others really love the game, use your damn radar! :grin:
Click to expand...

I have to practice my pyrokinesis abilities, and I hear it can take a lot of focus over a long time, so I'm not too sure I'm ready to give it up yet...

Jaden
 
dogs in heat

As a female player i totally understand what some women go through when playing pool just last night i have 3 men on my team and a lady was playing well everytime she bent over the table there was a comment it had nothing to do with looks thats not what they were looking at. So ladies out there concerned or dealing with guys acting like dogs in heat you know the type there usually wondering around in circles clueless with nothng better to do then make and ass of themseleves next time give them the LOOK it usually stops it or at least shuts there mouth.
 
the420trooper said:
After all the years of speculation and debate about the talent gap between man and women, this is one that I've never heard...

Women are subconsciously afraid that one of the guys in the room is checking them out, so they stand incorrectly. :confused:

I dunno, I'm not sold yet.
Click to expand...

I think what she meant was that women her age were taught not to flaunt so it has been difficult for her to have an exaggerated stance that finally helped her.

I think I'm saying that right, lol.
 
I'm female and competitive and dress feminine within good taste. If my opponent is focusing on my body, I couldn't care less. It's only to my benefit they are focusing on the wrong stuff.
 
Woof Biscuit said:
I play league 1 night a week and I have a very nice lady that plays on my team. She's in her early 50's and plays pretty good. Her game has came a really long way in the last year although she has played most of her life. After our matches were over (and she played lights out!) I asked her what she had done to get so much better. She started out by saying, it was her stance that she changed. She sort of left it at that but I could tell there was more. I started to pry a little. Maybe it was the beer... She loosened up some and started to explain that being in a good stance was an "unnatural" position for women. I still didn't understand what she meant so I kept inquiring. She eventually explained (and we all know) that from a very young age girls are taught to not sit with their legs apart, not to lean over to show cleavage, and not to bend over sticking their rear end up in the air. It had never occured to me before but it was blatantly obvious to me now that a good stance does all of the above. She said that it was something that she had to mentally overcome and that being in a male dominated sport made it even harder. Anyhow, I may be the only one, but I had never really thought about it before and thought I would bring it up here to see what others thought.
Click to expand...


well, at least they don't have to worry about leaning way out for that diagonal shot across the table on a polished hardwood or linoleum floor. You know the one: where the near corner pocket is located just under "Ground Zero" and you always seem to lose traction on that one foot you've got touching the floor.

Lou Figueroa
as Smorg might have said:
"Yee ha!"
 
lfigueroa said:
well, at least they don't have to worry about leaning way out for that diagonal shot across the table on a polished hardwood or linoleum floor. You know the one: where the near corner pocket is located just under "Ground Zero" and you always seem to lose traction on that one foot you've got touching the floor.

Lou Figueroa
as Smorg might have said:
"Yee ha!"
Click to expand...

This only happens to me when we are playing against the ladies :mad: And they don't seem to understand when I stand up from that shot and walk around squeaking for another minute :embarrassed2:

Dave
 
I play in a league so I get to see a lot of women players. I have also watched a lot of women professional and just plain good women players.
What I have noticed is that a lot of them just look stiff and mechanical rather then smooth and fluid as they play. It almost looks like they are going thru a check list of stance-stroke and so forth rather then just getting down taking a few strokes and firing.
 
Quite a while ago, I was playing this lady in a pool tournament. She played horrible and her stance was just awful but I could tell that she really wanted to play better. I asked her after the match if she'd like some pointers and she enthusiastically said yes. I told her that first of all, her stance was all wrong. She looked at me and said, "I can't do anything about my stance." I asked her why and she pointed to her breasts - they were very large. She said she couldn't stand right and have any room for the cue. I decided to shut up and never try to give advice to a woman player again.
 
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