What are the limits in pool?

[Bob Callahan]

Once upon a time, not too long ago, no one believed a human being could run a mile in less than 4 minutes--then along came Roger Bannister, and shortly thereafter, lots of folks could do it. It's pretty certain that without genetic engineering or nanotechnology, no one will break the 3-minute mile--but you never know.... *grin*

So, what are the limits in pool?

• John can run 400+ balls--will he someday run over 1000?
• Will Earl string together 25 racks of 9-ball?
• Could Hillbilly break faster than 40 MPH?

 

[donny mills]

Once upon a time, not too long ago, no one believed a human being could run a mile in less than 4 minutes--then along came Roger Bannister, and shortly thereafter, lots of folks could do it. It's pretty certain that without genetic engineering or nanotechnology, no one will break the 3-minute mile--but you never know.... *grin*

So, what are the limits in pool?

• John can run 400+ balls--will he someday run over 1000?
• Will Earl string together 25 racks of 9-ball?
• Could Hillbilly break faster than 40 MPH?

I think about this sometimes. I think how much better people have got at pool in the last 50 years (that i know of using common sense) I wonder how great the best will be in about 100 years from now. Will some kick shots be hangers to make? Will playing position with a 3 inch margin for error be easy?

 

[Roadie]

Once upon a time, not too long ago, no one believed a human being could run a mile in less than 4 minutes--then along came Roger Bannister, and shortly thereafter, lots of folks could do it. It's pretty certain that without genetic engineering or nanotechnology, no one will break the 3-minute mile--but you never know.... *grin*

So, what are the limits in pool?

• John can run 400+ balls--will he someday run over 1000?
• Will Earl string together 25 racks of 9-ball?
• Could Hillbilly break faster than 40 MPH?

There is nothing except random chance that precludes a person from running 1000 balls in straight pool. Don't forget that players like Mike Eufemia were said to run over 700 balls.

Witnessing the performance of Mr. Mills it is completely conceivable that a player can run 25 racks of 9-ball.

Hillbilly breaking over 40mph may be outside the limits of unassisted human capacity with current equipment. How fast can a pitcher throw a baseball? A baseball weighs 5oz and a cueball weighs 6oz. In effect the player is throwing a 19oz object into a 6oz object. Certainly the mathematicians and physicists on this forum can provide the relevant math governing this but it's probably safe to say that we have reached the height of how fast a person can make a cue ball move using today's equipment.

This morning I came across an interesting article that somewhat addresses this topic

Racing on Carbon Fiber Legs

 

[Jayson]

i dont know about the other 2, but i definately dont think running 25 racks of 9 ball is out of the question. i think if it was rack your own, corey deuel definately has the potential to run at least 25. When you have someone that knows how to pattern rack and basically have the same layout everytime, it would be hard to bet against him. Maybe im biased cause im from ohio, but i still think he's hands down the best player in the world. If he would concentrate just on pool 25 would just be the beginning.

 

[Roadie]

I think about this sometimes. I think how much better people have got at pool in the last 50 years (that i know of using common sense) I wonder how great the best will be in about 100 years from now. Will some kick shots be hangers to make? Will playing position with a 3 inch margin for error be easy?

I very much believe that if players would cross train in the various disciplines then in fact kick shots would become routine and playing position into very small targets would become more commonplace.

I travel the world and when I watch 3 cushion in Europe and Snooker in England the control and accuracy is nothing short of amazing.

I firmly believe that pool players who are well grounded in these two disciplines become better players.

For some sort of proof one only has to search YouTube to find the video of the world's best pool player playing a challenge match against the world's best billiards player. Efren Reyes vs. Torbjorn Blohmdahl. Mr. Blohmdahl beats Mr. Reyes handily in 9 ball and then completely dominates him in 3 cushion. Mr. Reyes also has a background as a carom billiards player so he is not completely helpless and it is the source of his kicking ability.

In snooker and English 8 Ball the players must contend with very small pockets with rounded corners. For this reason American style tables seem to be quite easy for them. It appears as though their accuracy is finely tuned through the fact that their pockets are so tough.

 

[Johnnyt]

I don't believe you stop getting better at pool if you're still young and continue to love the game and want to get better. I'm closing in on 70 yrs old myself and not in great health I can honsetly say that my position, shot selection, mechanics and defense are better now than when I was about a "B+" player between 15-45 years ago. If I could still make the long shots like I could when I was younger I'm sure I would be an "A" player now at least.

At my age I've seen so many sports and other records broken that I never say never anymore.

Years ago (50+) when cartoons, comic books, and si-fiction magazines talked about TV, rockets going to the moon, and computers, most of us laughed. Most of the ones that didn't and had an imagination are rich today because of having hi-tech jobs and owning hi-tech companies. Johnnyt

 

[Roadie]

Routine Kick!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8EgKBmLG4s&feature=related

 

[Roadie]

i dont know about the other 2, but i definately dont think running 25 racks of 9 ball is out of the question. i think if it was rack your own, corey deuel definately has the potential to run at least 25. When you have someone that knows how to pattern rack and basically have the same layout everytime, it would be hard to bet against him. Maybe im biased cause im from ohio, but i still think he's hands down the best player in the world. If he would concentrate just on pool 25 would just be the beginning.

I believe that Neils Feijen has run 17 racks from the break with no pattern racking and no soft break.

Perhaps someone else can confirm this?

 

[sjm]

I believe that Neils Feijen has run 17 racks from the break with no pattern racking and no soft break.

Perhaps someone else can confirm this?

No, this is not accurate.

The fifteen-pack by Niels Feijen ocurred during the warmup for a Eurotour event and is the longest known on a full-size table that had witnesses. Specifically, while preparing for the 4th Open Weert 9-Ball Championship event on October 29, 2003, in a challenge match against French player Donald Du Bois, Feijen broke and ran 15 consecutive 9-ball racks on a regulation 4 1/2 X 9' table.

The rumor that Lassiter broke and ran twenty one consecutive racks of nine ball, which I've heard on a few occasions, is unconfirmed.

 

[JasonCrugar]

No, this is not accurate.

The fifteen-pack by Niels Feijen ocurred during the warmup for a Eurotour event and is the longest known on a full-size table that had witnesses. Specifically, while preparing for the 4th Open Weert 9-Ball Championship event on October 29, 2003, in a challenge match against French player Donald Du Bois, Feijen broke and ran 15 consecutive 9-ball racks on a regulation 4 1/2 X 9' table.

The rumor that Lassiter broke and ran twenty one consecutive racks of nine ball, which I've heard on a few occasions, is unconfirmed.

mccready said on the podcast on TAR that he ran 21 as well. well 3 sets of 7 ahead

 

[DaveK]

Once upon a time, not too long ago, no one believed a human being could run a mile in less than 4 minutes--then along came Roger Bannister, and shortly thereafter, lots of folks could do it.

The world of athletics (track and field) have been postulating about human performamce limits for a long long time. In reality some people thought 4 minute miles were possible and even likely. In the early 1900s Arthur Kennelly predicted a 3:58 mile could be run. There have also been statistical analysis done predicting sub-4 minute miles, and Bannister beat the time-frame by a small amount. The 4-minute mile barrier was certinly one of the most talked about limits. As a pole vaulter I was always interested in the 20' barrier (OK, 19' when I was actively competing... at a much lower level). As an engineer I understand how arbitrary these "magic numers" are considering that one could chose to use different units (20 feet is a nice number to use in a discussion, while 6.069 meters just doesn't have the same ring to it).

These bio-mechanical works may help answer the fastest break question, but the others (max b&r, max balls run) would be more mental than physical at those levels of performance, imo, and I see no limit to the power of a human brain. Mine has significant limits from what I can tell, so it's other brains I speak of :grin-square:

Dave