What’s the Most Frustrating Aspect of Being an Aging Pool Player?

[ChrisinNC]

Watson's putting woes started waaaaay before then. Some of it had to do with his drinking problem but his mastery of the short stick started to fade while he was still on regular tour. He used to hammer short putts cause he didn't fear the comeback putts. That changed in his 40's.

Well, for him sounds like it started in his 40s and I’m quite sure it likely got significantly worse by the time he reached 60. He wouldn’t be the first senior pro golfer who lost his putting stroke / touch first, even if he could still do the all the other stuff pretty well. Even the great Jack Nicklaus was only able to win 1 of his 18 majors after his 41st birthday. Pool is no different.

 

[Muddog]

Not near 60 yet but injuries and disabilities have robbed me of a lot so I definitely understand your issues

I guess I was a bit unusual in that I always sought out the old pros in the pool halls and always tried to pick their brains as much as they would allow. I know I annoyed the heck out of many (and others acted annoyed but shared a lot)

The man who taught me the most was in his 60’s and only had one arm. He could still run racks one handed and took a lot of peoples money that way. Keeping your stroke straight and true with no bridge (rested cue on rail when possible) makes shooting with both hands seem easy.

I think often younger players are intimidated by the older ones and some are probably scared of getting their butts kicked all over the table so maybe try approaching them instead and challenging them to a game

Above all I guess if you love the game don’t let age and infirmities get in the way of enjoying it

And my most frustrating thing isn’t the loss of my skill but the fact that I can only play about an hour before pain gets too much and even that often leaves me laid up the next day but I love playing and these days take what I can get.

 

[DaveM]

Not starting sooner.

 

[ShootingArts]

Miracle shots

Up here the most frustrating is the miracle shot. Last Thursday in league:

I am on St Pete's team, playing St Joe's team for the right to play JC's team sitting on the hot seat.

One of the St Joe players makes an outstanding three rail kick to make a ball and open up a real problem cluster. We have to wonder was that a pool room miracle shot or was it a true miracle shot because JC or his Dad realized the St Joe team would be easier to beat in the finals?

It isn't always fun and games up here even if it is games and fun. Run into some people I never expected to see too. They are even more surprised to see me! Come to think of it, what am I doing here? Most of the action is down below. An exact replica of Natchez under the hill. I wonder if I got dropped off at the wrong place by accident. I might belong down yonder. Wait a minute, I am playing league? It is like a nightmare. I think we musta took a left turn at Albuquerque!

Hu

 

[hotelyorba]

Somehow I like this thread. So many old farts like me, most of whom spent a lifetime at pool. I tend to agree pretty much with Tate. Long ago I lost my motivation to practice, even with a beautiful Diamond in my house. Lack of motivation coupled with lack of pratice is the perfect formula to lose whatever "speed" you ever had. And it's no fun to play when you're out of stroke.

Up until about seven or eight years ago, I would go on binges, practicing every day for hours trying to once again find "dead stroke" nirvana. I cannot forget the exhilaration of being in complete control on a pool table. I had my moments on the green, keeping some pretty fair players in their chair. Better to be a "has been" than a "never was"!

I'm 75 and quite content with my lot in life. At this point every day is a gift, and I don't want to waste them. So many of my friends and peers are gone, with only the memories of our time spent together left to contemplate. I take a potpourri of pills daily and am still very active for my age. 30 minutes of exercise daily does wonders for my state of mind; walking, stretching, calisthenics, weights, all of that.

Most people guess my age at 10-12 years younger and I'm proud to tell them my real age. I last played good maybe 15 years ago when I owned my last hall and gambled nearly every day. I played a few leagues as recently as four or five years ago and was still one of the better players. Now I'm pretty much toast and couldn't beat Tom Thumb, but I have no complaints.

I just want to say: I always read your posts any thread I scroll through, cause I know its bound to be something beautiful. This is one of those gems, to me at least.
Hope you have lots of years left where you'll share your wisdom and wit.

 

[jviss]

Jviss you might look into this for a program/ methodology
https://www.americancuesports.org/pat-program.html

Or this:https://billiarduniversity.org/testing/exams/
There is a sticky for this too on the main page.

As far as instructors go, if you post your general location
I'm confident someone can point you in a good direction.

Thank you!

 

[Logandgriff]

Pool -- The Best Sport for the Older Folks

Here's my take; pool is probably the best sport out there for older folks.

I'm 71 and still hanging in with the best players in my league. I'm probably not as good at long off-angle shots as I used to be (maybe not long straight-in ones either), but I think I'm smarter than ever when it comes to overall strategy, safeties and the nuances of the various games. I was a good basketball player ages ago but I don't even try anymore. Still play golf but now a good drive is 190 not 260 -- and guess what -- I can hit the cue ball 9 feet every time I try.

So to all the older folks I say:

1) be glad you are still here; a lot of folks our age are dead; and

2) view every trip to the table as a blessing; we're still playing the game we love.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Problem I have is my body is beat up from my military service & working years.

Father said it best when he said had he know he was going to live so long, he would have taken better care of his body.

The other problem I have is vision, I no longer love to drive past dark, as most of the local "bar" Tournment are at night, I stay home. People in the Valley of the Sun are very agressive drivers, everyone is in a hurry, and it worst to deal with in poor light.

 

[Fatboy]

Pool is hard enough when your young. Get old-meh I’d rather be a rail bird for a while

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

Eventually we will all have to deal with diminishing skills. A prime example is Efren. I don't think I ever saw him whack his cue on the table over being frustrated except for during these last few years I've seen it at least twice. He is The Greatest Of All Time and he doesn't like being unable to execute like he used to (just like us, right?). It's sad to see, really. Of course, pretty much all of us would love for our best pool days to look something like Efren's worst. :wink:

I think the best way to deal with it is to keep it in context, it's no different than how after 60 we can't run as fast as we used to or jump as high, etc, etc, etc.

Maybe consider aging a challenge to be a little more clever, add some extra defense to our games.

Switch to 1p. :grin-square:

best,
brian kc

 

[IA8baller]

Some of y'all are depressing me. I'm in my early fifties and I hope to keep playing for another 20+ years (if I live that long).

I do remember when I started to use reading glasses in my early forties that those close extreme cuts from then on weren't nearly as easy to see, but other than that, I haven't noticed much else........yet.

 

[Buzzard II]

Let me jump back in here with another depressing thought. About eight years ago I sold my furniture grade table with it's green Chinese cloth and bought a GC with tournament blue 860. Why? I was at the point I couldn't see the six ball at the far end. The number, yeah. The edge, forgetaboutit.

 

[Baby Huey]

I'm working on 72 years old soon. I still like the competition but I just can't deliver as well. I think this is due mostly to stamina (or lack thereof,) and motivation to practice and get into action. Needless to say, sometimes you just have to let it go and just try to have fun. I do like the occasional flashbacks and like Paul Newman said in the Color of Money.....I'M BACK. Yeah Right.

 

[Kmulkey]

I know I’ve started threads on here before whining about my diminishing pool skills now in my 60s, but I’m hoping by the title of this thread that the responses might be slightly different this time around.

So I pose this question, what is more depressing and frustrating for an aging pool player who loves the game and hates seeing it dying out?

1) Having all the experience and knowledge acquired in nearly a lifetime (50 years) of playing pool, but no longer being able to execute the shots anywhere near the level of consistency that I used to have? Or

2) The complete absence of having any young players around to allow me the opportunity to pass on this knowledge and experience, in attempt to help them become better players sooner than they otherwise would, and certainly sooner than myself, considering I had no one around to look up to and teach me when I was young?

Yes, I know there are plenty of you out there, most likely under 60, who may feel that advancing years should be no excuse for diminishing pool skills. There is some concrete reason why there have been no major pool titles won anytime recently by players 50 years of age or older, just as in the case of golf, a very similar sport.

I claim that if Tom Watson had been able to make that 6 foot putt to par the 72nd hole of the British Open 10 years ago, just months shy of his 60th birthday, that would have easily been the most remarkable individual sports achievement in history. It would have given many of us the inspiration that anything is possible at our age!

AT 61, it's definitely #1 for me. I know what I need to do but can't always execute. The flip side is, I rarely practice so I can't really complain.

 

[3handed8ball]

I'm 79 and still play every day and love it as much as ever. I win a tournament every
once in a while. Keep on. Yep, the younger players could learn a lot but did you listen
that well when you were younger. Probably not. Human nature, I guess.

 

[giddyup]

For me it's my "essential tremors." I'd like to get my hands on the wise guy who named this malady. Anyway, besides the shaking, it bothers me that my opponent thinks I'm scared. Anyhow, I "play" on.
Giddy-yup!!!

 

[BobTfromIL]

At 77 I'm just glad to be playing, about a year ago I had a very serious spinal issue that required surgery and a long recovery period. One of the things that got me through it was my strong desire to get back to playing. Do notice some things such as having a harder time seeing the edges of dark balls on the rail at a distance, probably just normal eyesight at my age. Also about 2-3 hours is my limit, after that fatigue just becomes an issue. No more long tournaments for me. All in all I'm just happy to be able to do what I do.

 

[dd1228]

I can totally sympathize with you, but you think its bad now, wait ten years! I just turned 74 and can really feel and see the loss of ability from earlier years. But I still love the game and will continue to struggle along and keep playing. I can still outplay the majority of players out there. I would like to see some tournaments out there for say 60 and over players, and during the day, cause I dont go out at night anymore. Ha Ha!

 

[PoolBoy1]

At 77 I'm fortunate. Last week played a 5 hour match with a 67 year old. In pool you're sitting half the time. Eye sight still good thanks to contacts. No neurological problem yet. Bend knees more to get low. I know I'm better now since internet info has been available. Started when 14 and haven't stopped. Pool is not difficult. It's not golf which I miss dearly. Can't take the heat here in Maryland.

I see elders stumbling bumbling around a table and am encouraged. Great exercise and socializing.

 

[WinterArcher]

The biggest challenge is understanding a given day what is working for me and what I need to avoid and then sticking with that.

I play a lot of one pocket against a range of players and during my warm up routine, it is easy to see what I can hit versus what "just ain't working" on a given day. If I find that my long rail banks are simply not there, I play around them with shots that are working.

Where I get trapped is when I'm "sure" of one that I know isn't working and shoot it anyway.