What do you think holds most players back ?

Matt90

Matt90

Trust the Process
Silver Member
Time ? Discipline ? Work /Career ? Family ? or do they get to a comfort level and get ok with staying there ? Just curious what has held others back from getting to where they want to be as a player.I know with me I had to make my career a priority and am building up a new business,I just don't have the time I would like to play and give my all to my work .It's a choice I made and I am ok with it .
 
As a river diverts in many directions, the strength of the current in each direction diminishes.

And so it is with the river of your mind. Diverge it in many areas, and none of them will be as strong.
 
solid, solid

ChrisBanks said:
As a river diverts in many directions, the strength of the current in each direction diminishes.

And so it is with the river of your mind. Diverge it in many areas, and none of them will be as strong.
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I really like that !! I've heard alot of good quotes over the years ,that's a new top ten .
 
Time to devote to pool devoid of other distractions. That's it for me. At this point in my life, I am unwilling to stay in a smokey pool room from 7pm till 1 or 2 am. I play everyday but rarely over an hour per day. Like many, long ago I made the decision to focus on career and family. For me it was the right choice. I still enjoy pool but on my terms.
 
Matt90 said:
Time ? Discipline ? Work /Career ? Family ? or do they get to a comfort level and get ok with staying there ? Just curious what has held others back from getting to where they want to be as a player.I know with me I had to make my career a priority and am building up a new business,I just don't have the time I would like to play and give my all to my work .It's a choice I made and I am ok with it .
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Matt, I suspect that YOUR reason is probably very high-up on the list. Top tier poolplaying is a young persons sport. Problem is, most young people do not have the financial resources to NOT work. Rent, food, transportation, and many times family responsibilities keep a young person working and therefore not getting the needed time it takes to acquire the abilities of the top tier players.

Maniac
 
Most everyone has touched upon it, in one way or another...most of us have responsibilities in life, job, family, etc...

For anyone to really excel, they will need as much time available to play and practice as possible. For any of us, at any level.
 
Matt90 said:
I really like that !! I've heard alot of good quotes over the years ,that's a new top ten .
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I agree,its a cross
between Ghandi and David Suzuki.:smile:

I think when a person starts a family,pool gets put on the back burner.
If your a pro and doing it for a living,thats a different story.
 
Matt90 said:
I really like that !! I've heard alot of good quotes over the years ,that's a new top ten .
Click to expand...

I've tried to provide something that is memorable. The metaphor of a river is quite easy for the mind to recall! Whereas you are unlikely to remember the reference book style responses.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Natural ability.
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There it is.
I've been watching pool players for over 50 years and sooner or later most of them reach a certain level and stay there.
It's the same with all other sports or games.
There are always exceptions to this but for most this is the way it is.
 
measureman said:
There it is.
I've been watching pool players for over 50 years and sooner or later most of them reach a certain level and stay there.
It's the same with all other sports or games.
There are always exceptions to this but for most this is the way it is.
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Woud you then say that those with the most natural ability can afford to practice less than others? They are naturals at the game, so they have no need for hourly practice. Is this the premise you agree with?
 
In my own mind, at least, I think had I reached for the golden ring, I could have been one of the world's best poolplayers. Instead I chose the other passion in my life, selling funnel cakes at county fairs.
Oh, I know, living the glamorous life of a professional pool player would have been the choice of almost anyone with half a brain, but nothing can quite compare to a hot and dirty midway, and the aroma of human sweat and funnel cakes. Fried in lard with a sprinkle of sugar on top. Who can resist them. :smile:
 
Tramp Steamer said:
In my own mind, at least, I think had I reached for the golden ring, I could have been one of the world's best poolplayers. Instead I chose the other passion in my life, selling funnel cakes at county fairs.
Oh, I know, living the glamorous life of a professional pool player would have been the choice of almost anyone with half a brain, but nothing can quite compare to a hot and dirty midway, and the aroma of human sweat and funnel cakes. Fried in lard with a sprinkle of sugar on top. Who can resist them. :smile:
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As a youth, I would spend my last dollar on those carnival treats. The fried dough especially. Now, I have no taste for such things. And why not haul a pool table around with the carnival and offer odds on this and that, and such and such a shot?
 
The arguments about practice, and family, and money, and health in smokey rooms, etc, don't affect a teenager for the most part. Most of us diehards, no matter what level we ended up at, spent all of our waking teen hours in a pool hall, gambling our brains out, motivated to the highest level to best our peers. Yet, after 5 to 10 years in the same room, amongst the same players, some turned out to be open players, some stayed at a high C, and some were inbetween. My opinion is that boils down to natural ability.

Sh!t, I played softball for 10 years in a local neighborhood league. Everyone was accepted, no need to try out. I went to every game, had the same coaches, went to all the practices, felt the pressure, same as every other kid. I went every year from grade school age where we played T-ball, to I think 16 when they cut off the age limit. Amongst the 100 or so kids in this league, some were good, some sucked, some were in the middle. Again, my opinion is its natural ability. Especially when looking at kids with sports... they don't have any distractions, and all want to be a baseball star some day.
 
The time to practice is likely the biggest one. Work and family take priority

The extra money to practice
Someone to teach them. Could also fall under not enough money to pay for lessons
 
desire for excellence

All things mentioned thus far are applicable to our not reaching the success in pool that we desired. Paul "Bear" Bryant said: "It's not the
will to win that matters...everyone has that. It's the will to prepare
to win that matters." Looking back, I now see where I could have
practiced more and tried to think a little more before shooting a shot.
I didn't. And I settled for mediocrity.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
In my own mind, at least, I think had I reached for the golden ring, I could have been one of the world's best poolplayers. Instead I chose the other passion in my life, selling funnel cakes at county fairs.
Oh, I know, living the glamorous life of a professional pool player would have been the choice of almost anyone with half a brain, but nothing can quite compare to a hot and dirty midway, and the aroma of human sweat and funnel cakes. Fried in lard with a sprinkle of sugar on top. Who can resist them. :smile:
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Hey Tramp,
Do you use a pool table to sell your funnel cakes on? Just wondering.
Many Regards,
Lock N Load.
 
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