What does it take to become a Champion?

Wat?? You think just because Sigel is older now and doesn't play at the world champion level anymore that there's nothing to be learned from him?? Oy Vey!!

WTF, over..... Everything I wrote was supposed to be humorously poking fun at the fact that John looks down on the opinion of anyone who has snapped off 10 pro events.

(Sometimes you gotta read between the lines, dude..)

Russ
 
I kind of agree but then again, how many people do you see getting to Tommy's level
on regular basis? Not many.

Your probably right poolmaster. Then again how many people out there probably truly put in 10000 hours of practice. 10000 HOURS is a whole whole lot once you do the numbers.
 
Credit Blackjack for this one:

• Champions love to learn and enjoy participating in the learning process.
• Champions have an insatiable desire to learn and build upon what is learned.
• Champions understand that learning is an ongoing process.
• Champions are motivated by their disappointments to work harder towards their goals.
• Champions have a systematic game plan for dealing with setbacks and disappointments.
• Champions know that past failures are the bricks they need to build future success.
• Champions know that unexpected obstacles will lead them towards well expected improvement.
• Champions remain in the solution, not the problem.
• Champions remain positive throughout the process of growing.
• Champions understand that winning is merely a byproduct of hard work and determination.


Steve

Spot on and one of the best post I have seen. I am doing a lot of research in this with other sports and this is spot on!
 
you know the one game ive practiced alot is 14.1 .if any of those guys would like to play me 14.1 ill play.maybe you could stake them.also i never travel internationally i dont like 30 hour flights but i do like money so maybe i should go.another thing gatz they play like 30 events a year i play about 12.believe if i went to that many i would make more money.
i think my money earned per start ratio is like second in the world this year.

I'll stake my friend as I think he is better in 14.1 then you. (no offence, you are a great player and person).
 
I like this post. No sarcasm included. You are a much more likeable guy when you are not putting down others' opinions with sarcasm, John.

And to answer your question, John... if the physical/mental ability was on a scale of 1-100..

And if the superpros were born with a distribution like this...

Physical - 90
Mental - 90

Is it not concievable that there are some people out there with distributions like...

Physical - 80
Mental - 95

And, with work... they could conceivably improve the physical to 85.

It might take them a sh*tload of practice time... And they might only win 1-2 pro events, whereas the superpros will win dozens... But...they CAN do it.

And, since there will probably be lots more people with an 80/95 distribution, than a 90/90 distribution, I submit that with proper guidance, and 2 years of practice time, there would be a lot more great players.

John, when you are talking about these people who practice all the time, you are talking about people who are

Physical - 70
Mental - 75

And I agree..These people have no chance.

And THAT'S what I am saying..There are a lot of people (maybe 20% of serious players, who DO have that 80/90 or 80/95 distribution that with the proper time and tutelage, might not achieve superpro status, but could achieve strong regional champion level play.

John..I know you improved so quick, your view of what constitutes a "champion" might be skewed.. But most of us consider Bartram a champion...Even when he wasn't playing as well as he is now. And we all know he is a few notches under you.

Russ

I think what Johns trying to say without knowing how to say it is that some people have "caps" if you will.

If their mental is at 75, that might be as high as it can get regardless of how much work they put into it. Some people just can't rise above certain levels regardless of how much practice they put in because they just aren't a "race car" if you will.
 
hi

WTF, over..... Everything I wrote was supposed to be humorously poking fun at the fact that John looks down on the opinion of anyone who has snapped off 10 pro events.

(Sometimes you gotta read between the lines, dude..)

Russ
your right russ when it comes to pool i dont listen to what you have to say.
now if we are talking about your chosen field whatever that is im all ears and you wont find me writing long articles about how to become great because im not great at it.
funny thing is you do that even though you are self admittedly a b player.
thats called being a know it all and i consider it a major charactor flaw.
 
hi

Heh. Efren used to sit and watch the amateur players that he could spot the 6 out and the breaks to..To see if he could learn something.

I am actually mentoring a player who is physically MUCH better than me, and he'll probably gain a ball or two in the next few months.

I think Efren is the sort of dude who is so humble when it comes to gaining knowledge, he is capable of listening to anyone's opinion, and if there is actually knowledge to be gained...He LEARNS.

I think there is a difference between arrogance, and pride.

Some people walk the line..And some people fall way over the line.'

All I know..Is ShootingArts is a stone cold CHAMPION shooter, John. If you had actually been reading any of his threads that didn't center around you, (something I highly doubt you have) you'd know that he has achieved some phenomenal feats in shooting.

Last I heard..Champion level shooting requires great eyesight and precise muscle control.

And he didn't take long to become great, either.

With your pride, in his prime, I could very well see him trapping you in a game you can't win.

I find the comment where you talked about "hunting him down like a thief in the night" to be distasteful, and supremely arrogant.

Like I said, I still like you, but I see it as a character flaw. I could never see Bustamente, Reyes, Alcano, and a host of players who are at least the 8 better than you ever saying that.

I think respecting ALL opponents is a big part of playing 100%, ALL the time.

I think people who have no respect for their lesser opponents often struggle to achieve their full potential.

Russ

i totally respect lessor opponents ,thing is hu isnt one .hes just some guy talking about how much he knows and telling me how things work..hiding behind a keyboard. at least when you come off like you know everything your using your name ,i like that.
as soon as you guys are out there paying your entry fees and making a living at pool like me ill respect what you have to tell me.
until then you are just guys behind a keyboard telling me how my life and job is.when in reality you have no clue
 
hi

all kidding aside i want people on here to know i like and respect 99 percent on here.
im very approachable and willing to talk with anybody no matter their skill level.
anybody thats ever met me can attest to that.
im really just coming off like a know it all arrogant person to get under russ and hu skin.
at any rate as you can read i have little patience for b-d players telling me what it takes to be a pro player.
if that makes me a bad guy im sorry.
i guess im just holding the fact that guys like russ and hu have made some super know it all lame posts in the past.
i think ive always held that against them.
another thing russ in closing you are extremely jealous of me and you need to work on that.
one you could never be me and two thats a character flaw as you like to say.
am i making you mad yet lol.
if your mad and need to let off some steam maybe you could write another 3 pager about what it takes to be a pro.breath deep russ .
you know your tag line used to say you better pray to god that you play better than short stop speed if your gonna woof at me.
well i think im qualified.woof woof lol

p.s. see you at derby
 
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Good morning John
Like your posts, It seems some people just can't handle the truth. This reminds me of Bill murray in Little shop of horrors. CANDY BAR CANDY BAR some people love the pain.
 
I was just wondering what everyones idea of '' what it takes to be a champion '' was?
Could everyone give some experiences they have been going through as they are on thier way to being a true championship player.....

TE,
If you and others are truly interested in a definitive answer to this question, then you need only wait another year or so (maybe less??) for Mark Wilson's book to be completed.

In my view, he is one of the 2 best pool instructors on the planet; and his "life's work" has been his instructional book that he has been working on for the past 10 or 15 years. I do not believe that he cares if it sells a single copy, his mission was to get down onto paper the information he has garnered in a lifetime dedicated to pool - information no one has presented and explained heretofore.

I have been fortunate enough to view it in the early stages, and can tell you that it is unlike any other pool book ever published (I own and have read almost all of them). In it, he will present extremely detailed information on what it takes to develop professional level skill; something not available up till now.

For students of the game, I believe this book will be indispensable if they are seeking to immerse themselves in the game - it is a great game, but exceedingly difficult to master without guidance.
 
I think it's a two part thing. First you need the physical ability to consistently deliver the cue ball exactly where you want it to go. Most anyone can train themselves to do this. It may take longer for some than for others, but it is a physical act that most of us can learn through practice.
The second part is a little more difficult to develop. It's the mental part called attitude. I've seen plenty of players who could run racks with seemilgly little effort, but will never be world class champions, because they don't have the correct mindset. If you are down 7-0 in a race to 9, do you still KNOW you can win the match? Champions do. Do you have the desire to learn absolutely everything you can learn, or do you allow your ego to get in the way? Do you let your nerves get in your way when the tv cameras are rolling? Do you start thinking about impressing the crowd at a big tournament, or is your game exactly the same whether or not anyone is watching?

Champions not only control what they do, but what their mind does.

One, without the other, will never allow you to reach championship level.

Steve
 
hi

Good morning John
Like your posts, It seems some people just can't handle the truth. This reminds me of Bill murray in Little shop of horrors. CANDY BAR CANDY BAR some people love the pain.

thanks tks pizza.
russ and hu are not bad guys for sure.
if anything im not mad at them my life is great.
if anything i should be playing pool instead of giving them a hard time.
i could be an internet darling and always say the right thing but honestly i call it how i see it.
lighten up russ and hu everythings going to be ok.
i like getting on the forums but it really gives people too much access to harrass me.
no matter what i say it will get spun into im a jerk know it all.
oh well comes with being good your going to have haters.
im glad some on here dont give me a hard time i appreciate it.

its like that in golf forums,racing forums,chess forums etc.
if any one of the top players are stupid enough to get in the forums they will be harrassed by haters.thats why they dont come on.

ill learn one of these days.
later
 
as soon as you guys are out there paying your entry fees and making a living at pool like me ill respect what you have to tell me.
until then you are just guys behind a keyboard telling me how my life and job is.when in reality you have no clue

JS,
I agree.

Many of the myths concerning "what it takes to be a pro" are propagated by "wannabe's" (??like me??) who will often have beliefs that are wrong. Many of these erroneous beliefs are things their subconscious uses as excuses for their own lack of achievement.

In Mark Wilson's book, he presents an extensive description of these beliefs and excuses; and also presents a very sound method for avoiding such self-defeating thinking.

I think he also believes that advanced level instructors must have at one time achieved advanced level play (to paraphrase your position quoted above).

P.S. - for those that don't know, Mark was definitely a good player in the late 80's and 90's before he committed to full time instruction - a member of the first 2 Mosconi Cup teams, and sank the winning 9-ball in the very first Mosconi Cup. I have a couple of early Accu-Stats tapes (before commentary) of him thrashing Buddy Hall and Earl Strickland in '88 and '89 - I'm certain that overall they were better players, but how many of us could thrash them in a race to 11 or 13 on even a single occasion?
 
I am a pool coach and now Dutch youth coach, I am in contact with many coaches in all different kind of sports and resently there was an interesting research among top youth players that were followed and tested over 5 years. We have special schools here in the Netherlands for talented sporting youth were they can combine school and sport, these youngsters were tested from 15-16 till 21 to see how they did on all kind of levels. They tested speed, coordination, mental tests, etc. etc. every year and placed this next to their progress made in their sports. If you take out the people that had succes in their sports now all had one thing in common. They had a higher ability to learn from their mistakes. Many were not even as good compared to others when they were 16.

This was the first time that there was a group this big followed several years.

Regards,

Berry

BTW English is not my language, so sorry for the mistakes..
 
I believe that being respected for your personal qualities is even more important than for how many balls, or racks you run. JMHO.

Jim
 
hi

JS,
I agree.

Many of the myths concerning "what it takes to be a pro" are propagated by "wannabe's" (??like me??) who will often have beliefs that are wrong. Many of these erroneous beliefs are things their subconscious uses as excuses for their own lack of achievement.

In Mark Wilson's book, he presents an extensive description of these beliefs and excuses; and also presents a very sound method for avoiding such self-defeating thinking.

I think he also believes that advanced level instructors must have at one time achieved advanced level play (to paraphrase your position quoted above).

P.S. - for those that don't know, Mark was definitely a good player in the late 80's and 90's before he committed to full time instruction - a member of the first 2 Mosconi Cup teams, and sank the winning 9-ball in the very first Mosconi Cup. I have a couple of early Accu-Stats tapes (before commentary) of him thrashing Buddy Hall and Earl Strickland in '88 and '89 - I'm certain that overall they were better players, but how many of us could thrash them in a race to 11 or 13 on even a single occasion?

i like and respect mark as a person and his game.
anything he puts out should be great.
hes one guy for sure i would listen too on anything pool related.hes been there done that.
 
I don't totally agree with this. I think anybody can become a world class pool player (champion) with enough practice, dedication and desire to the game.

The people you said you could show us that practice daily everyday of their lifes are missing something. Maybe they don't have enough of a desire to become world class player or don't want to be a world champion. Just because they practice or play everyday doesn't mean their goal is to become a world champion. Maybe they gave up early or thought they couldn't do it, that right there will destroy someones desire and motivation to improve and to become a better player.

Ralf Souquet is a perfect example of this. He used to be a really good draw in tournaments and he wasn't very good. If everyone had his mindset or motivation in the pool world you would see a shitload of world champions.

Ralf Souquet and I are the same age. I have known him for 20 years since I was 21 years old and living in Germany. At that time he was a WORLD BEATER. When was he ever a soft draw? Never in the entire 20 years I have been his friend, his victim on the pool table, his sponsor for a while and his fan the whole time.

John is right. There are players who just don't get it no matter how dedicated they are, no matter how much top instruction they receive, and no matter how much they practice.

When it comes to crunch time they can't bring it.

That's the thing that separates champions from almost-rans. And that thing can't be taught.

How many of us can run racks?

I can. I have run 5 racks a few times. Once against Ronnie Wiseman in a race to 9 for $500. Ronnie beat me 9-5.

How many of us crumble when the heat is on us in a match?

I do. I feel like I can't get with three easy balls on the table.

Sometimes, once in a while, I will fall into dead punch and be relaxed and focused and won't fade under pressure. Those are the times I feel like a champion. Real champions have to have gears much higher than that on demand all the time.

Now, having said all this I think that just about anyone can become a world class player. John and I have disagreed on this point before but I think he sees my side a little bit.

I honestly think that any person who isn't disabled physically or mentally can become a world class player IF they have the right dedication and instruction. NOT A CHAMPION - that's reserved for those EXTRA SPECIAL people that can bring it when the chips are down. But I do believe that anyone can become a good enough player to hod their own in pro events and finish middle of the field consistently, terrorize the regional tours etc....

I mean if I can run five racks on Wiseman and I don't even play 4 days a month........imagine what I could do if I ran with the big dogs for a year or so and really got into it. I wouldn't win the OPEN but I wouldn't be anyone's soft draw either. Well, at least I have to believe that to continue to enjoy playing :-)
 
hi

Ralf Souquet and I are the same age. I have known him for 20 years since I was 21 years old and living in Germany. At that time he was a WORLD BEATER. When was he ever a soft draw? Never in the entire 20 years I have been his friend, his victim on the pool table, his sponsor for a while and his fan the whole time.

John is right. There are players who just don't get it no matter how dedicated they are, no matter how much top instruction they receive, and no matter how much they practice.

When it comes to crunch time they can't bring it.

That's the thing that separates champions from almost-rans. And that thing can't be taught.

How many of us can run racks?

I can. I have run 5 racks a few times. Once against Ronnie Wiseman in a race to 9 for $500. Ronnie beat me 9-5.

How many of us crumble when the heat is on us in a match?

I do. I feel like I can't get with three easy balls on the table.

Sometimes, once in a while, I will fall into dead punch and be relaxed and focused and won't fade under pressure. Those are the times I feel like a champion. Real champions have to have gears much higher than that on demand all the time.

Now, having said all this I think that just about anyone can become a world class player. John and I have disagreed on this point before but I think he sees my side a little bit.

I honestly think that any person who isn't disabled physically or mentally can become a world class player IF they have the right dedication and instruction. NOT A CHAMPION - that's reserved for those EXTRA SPECIAL people that can bring it when the chips are down. But I do believe that anyone can become a good enough player to hod their own in pro events and finish middle of the field consistently, terrorize the regional tours etc....

I mean if I can run five racks on Wiseman and I don't even play 4 days a month........imagine what I could do if I ran with the big dogs for a year or so and really got into it. I wouldn't win the OPEN but I wouldn't be anyone's soft draw either. Well, at least I have to believe that to continue to enjoy playing :-)

good post jb i agree.
thanks for chiming in.
 
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