VanDenBerg ..... Not

[berry]

Americans are a little bit stronger mentaly, that is why they have more sucsess over europeans.

Sorry Bazarus, but this last sentence is crap! Don't forget that pool is only for 15 years in Holland and that its now 5 year that we start to have top players. The mental question has nothing to do with with a continent?!?

You think that you could be invited to the Mosconicup as youngest player and set a superp result when you are not mentaly as strong as your oponent?

 

[sjm]

Sorry Bazarus, but this last sentence is crap! Don't forget that pool is only for 15 years in Holland and that its now 5 year that we start to have top players. The mental question has nothing to do with with a continent?!?

You think that you could be invited to the Mosconicup as youngest player and set a superp result when you are not mentaly as strong as your oponent?

Berry, I think what you say is basically true. Still, Bazarus is correct to a point. Mental toughness is derived from a steady diet of stiff competition, and as America offers more of it, being here in the USA can accelerate one's development in that area. I've heard Mika Immonen make the comment that moving from to the states was the turning point in his game for that very reason.

Europe's players are also mentally tough, and as you note, pool is relatively new in some European countires. As the game and its following grow in Europe, I have no doubt that Europeans will prove every bit as tough mentally as the Asians and Americans. There's only a shade of difference even now!

 

[BAZARUS]

yes

Originaly posted by "sjm"
"I've heard Mika Immonen make the comment that moving from to the states was the turning point in his game for that very reason."
I'm originally european, but I live in the USA for 7 years now. Also I've never saw Mika playing in Europe, while I was there I do belive, what he said, because the same happened to me. I did improve my mental game in the States!
Originaly posted by "berry"
Don't forget that pool is only for 15 years in Holland and that its now 5 year that we start to have top players.
I've started thinking about playing seriously in 1992 while I was working in Rottedam(Holland). Also that year first pool tables showed up in my home city Gdansk(Poland), after comunism went down(during communism era pool was not allowed in my country). Back then Europe already has few top,top players like Ralf Saquet and Olivier Ortman in pool and Steve Davis and Allison Fisher in snooker. To me Fisher and Saquet are one of the mentaly strongest players.
Maybe Ralf should accept an offer(that I heard on my own ears) to relocate to the States and become even stronger. Unfortunatelly Ralf said "no".

 

[mjantti]

I think the increase in mental toughness in Mika's game was in the fact that there are much more players in America that make a real threat to Mika as opponents, because the spectrum of skillful players is much wider in America rather than in the fact the Americans are mentally stronger than Europeans. Mika just couldn't find enough challenge playing here in Helsinki or playing in Europe and of course that has an effect in your motivation. I played quite a few practice session with Mika when he was living in Helsinki and a few times I could easily see Mika's heart was not in those games. I was even able to beat him a couple of times in tournaments. Couldn't see that happening again very easily nowadays...

 

[LastTwo]

I think the increase in mental toughness in Mika's game was in the fact that there are much more players in America that make a real threat to Mika as opponents, because the spectrum of skillful players is much wider in America rather than in the fact the Americans are mentally stronger than Europeans. Mika just couldn't find enough challenge playing here in Helsinki or playing in Europe and of course that has an effect in your motivation. I played quite a few practice session with Mika when he was living in Helsinki and a few times I could easily see Mika's heart was not in those games. I was even able to beat him a couple of times in tournaments. Couldn't see that happening again very easily nowadays...

Hey Mikko, have you ever been to California?

 

[berry]

2003 Thorsten Hohmann (Germany) Cardiff, Wales
2002 Earl Strickland (USA) Cardiff, Wales
2001 Mika Immonen (Finland) Cardiff, Wales
2000 Fong-Pang Chao (Chinese Taipei) Cardiff, Wales
1999 Efren Reyes (Philippines) Cardiff, Wales
1999 Nick Varner (USA) Alicante, Spain
1998 Kunihiko Takahashi (Japan) Taipei City, Chinese Taipei
1997 Johnny Archer (USA) Arlington Heights, USA
1996 Ralf Souquet (Germany) Borlange, Sweden
1995 Oliver Ortmann (Germany) Taipei City, Chinese Taipei
1994 Takeshi Okumura (Japan) Arlington Heights, USA
1993 Fong-Pang Chao (Chinese Taipei) Konigswinter, Germany

In the past eleven years of the WPC there was absolutely no domination of the USA by mental strenghtness. I understand that the mental side is more developed in the early years in the USA but on top level there is NO differance any more. You don't reach the top in pool when you are less confident that the others.

Regards,

Berry

 

[mjantti]

Hey Mikko, have you ever been to California?

Nope, but I've been to Florida once for a vacation in 1999... Why ?

 

[LastTwo]

Nope, but I've been to Florida once for a vacation in 1999... Why ?

A few years ago a young guy from Finland came to the poolroom I go to. He was muscular, had kind of long blond hair. I think his name was Miko, or something similar to that. He played really strong too.

 

[Duintje]

13 times dutch champion...i wonder how many times they play that tournament a year.

It's only once a year, 9-ball, 8-ball and 14.1. Those 13 times dutch champion are in different disciplines.

As for his results in the past eurotours, there isn't anyone that can dominate those events. You Americans probably only know the big names, but there are lots of great players. In the last event Nick became 65, I saw that game, he only made one mistake and he was out. Just for example Hohmann also became 65, as I remember.

Mika isn't playing al the Eurotours but he played a couple, and I don't know where he finished, but he didn't win. Also he hasn't won a European title for years. So we can assume there are lots of great players who are able to beat anyone.