What is the One Major Player Flaw You See Most Often At The Pool Hall

No one said it by many people just want to have fun, they have no desire to become better, or or proficient.

Pool is Recreation, having some Adult Beverages, and a diversion from work, family, life, stress.

So people play league for rec creation, they love Ribbon & Trophies, these people will the pocket of the league operator with money. Bar & Room Owner who are smart should DEMAND their Piece of Pie if they allow league player in their establishment.
I agree. But I don't think the majority of us are going to go around critiquing an obvious recreational player's form. In fact, I'd say a lot of the people posting here are guilty of the things they're mentioning at some time or another and that's why it sticks out so clearly in their minds. And that very much includes me.
 
And gripping on the butt cap
I do that all the time using a 58" cue, I don't see a problem at all with that and I would imagine Scott Lee would have mentioned it if it was a problem. The alternative is having your back hand too far forward, I think that gripping the butt cap is a viable alternative. I also see a lot of folks that have their back hand too far forward, to the point that it limits follow thru unless they drop their shoulder.
 
Majorest Flaw: Not having their mind in the game

For if they had their mind in the game:
a) they would fix their bridge
b) they would fix their grip
c) they would fix their stroke
d) they would fix their stance
e) and they would leave the cell phone off.
 
I agree. But I don't think the majority of us are going to go around critiquing an obvious recreational player's form. In fact, I'd say a lot of the people posting here are guilty of the things they're mentioning at some time or another and that's why it sticks out so clearly in their minds. And that very much includes me.

Room & Bar Owner love the Recreational Player because they spend money.

Money helps pay bills.
 
I do that all the time using a 58" cue, I don't see a problem at all with that and I would imagine Scott Lee would have mentioned it if it was a problem. The alternative is having your back hand too far forward, I think that gripping the butt cap is a viable alternative. I also see a lot of folks that have their back hand too far forward, to the point that it limits follow thru unless they drop their shoulder.
I did this. Dropping elbow is a tough habit to break.
 
Too many to begin to even mention every one. I'd say one of the most widespread among good and bad players alike is bad angle management. Say you have a ball close to the top rail and the next ball on is next to the bottom rail or vice versa. Even great players often try to get below the ball, ending up straight or awkward, instead of playing for the HUGE position zone above the ball. A good player will often get out either way, but this is such an easy mistake to fix and it's hard to watch. Very few people take the time to look at the actual angle needed to travel far.

Poor quality draw shots along the rail is another. People try to slam in drawshots into a tiny, closed pocket instead of going low and slow.

Bad use of ball in hand, placing the cueball either to close or too far away from the ball on. Using draw instead of follow on ball in hand.

Bad- or no pre-shot routine.

etc.etc.
 
Unnecessary elevation of the butt of their cue on nearly all shots.
*This* is what I see.

There was a pretty good sized event at my PR this past weekend and I was kinda shocked to see how high up in the air so many players had their grip. I mean it wasn't just a wee bit of elevation, the slope was way up there.

Anywhos, I was surprised. I've always known it was a problem in the setup of some guys but looking from table to table it's more wide spread than I would have thought. Of course, being Missouri, maybe as j2pac said it's just a Budweiser thing, lol.

Lou Figueroa
I could be wrong on this but I think it’s even worse with players that “grow up” on the bar table. And it makes sense right? The rails are always closer to the cueball and most people have no clue how “jacked up” they truly are. And even very good players get Lazy with this fundamental.
 
The level cue thing is a myth fobbed off on people by instructors. Look at a picture. His(or her) 58" cue will have the butt an inch or two above the tip in the illustration pushing a level cue. Then look at the other pictures in the book. The butt cap is three to six inches above the tip even if that particular shot would let the whole cue drop down between the cushions. Likewise, the video of their play shows they are by no means fanatical about a level cue and make little or no effort to hold it as level as possible.

I haven't seen any of the people preaching keeping a level cue practicing what they preach. Like so many things, I tried this long ago. Burned my fingers on the cloth, cracked my knuckles on the rails. Brought the back of my stick up a few inches. Now I could shoot almost all shots with my stick on the same rake front to back. Same consistent rake. Mo'better than changing the rake all the time.

Hu
 
"All the gear, no idea" is a prevalent thing here where I am (if we are talking player)
Glamour girls you pay to play with or rack the balls (If we are talking halls)
New one to add for halls... in a room of 40+ grey tables re-clothed yesterday, they've made table 1, the 3.9" corner pocketed money table, a shade of light pink...

Not that I'm adverse to the colour... it's that when you play on it you need sunglasses to counter the glare... It also bothers me as it is probably for the glamour girls mentioned before, who are paid to play (or rack balls) to play on...

IMG_2161.jpg
 
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I agree. But I don't think the majority of us are going to go around critiquing an obvious recreational player's form. In fact, I'd say a lot of the people posting here are guilty of the things they're mentioning at some time or another and that's why it sticks out so clearly in their minds. And that very much includes me.
Critiquing anyone’s game has always been a No No for me. Even when someone asks advice I get a bad feeling about giving it..

One day at Chris’s a guy I did not know asked to shoot some. Why not, let’s play.
I win the very first game and this Nit tells me I played the run out incorrectly. So I decide to ask him what I did wrong. He makes this stupid comment regarding what he thought I did wrong.

I turn my back on him and think, you imbecile you’re racking. So I decide to bring out my A game and teach him a lesson in humility.

We go from 8 ball to 9 ball then to 10 ball. He lost every single game for two straight hours. Buddy was watching the whole time knowing what I was doing.

Finally I got tired of thrashing his ass and pulled up saying I had to go.

About two weeks later in walks Bob again. I am doing some drills alone on a Diamond and he spots me. Hey Bob how you doing you want to shoot some, I ask?

He looks like oh shit it’s him and says no thanks I’m good. I follow that up with yeah I bet you are. He gets a rack of balls and goes into one of the back rooms not to be seen again.

Buddy looks down smiling and says yeah he’s good!!

Hopefully he learned a lesson that day and does not go around pretending he can play or even knows how to play.

He pissed me off!! He lost and wants to tell me what I did wrong. Then he lost for two hours straight!!!

Nits….
 
The level cue thing is a myth fobbed off on people by instructors. Look at a picture. His(or her) 58" cue will have the butt an inch or two above the tip in the illustration pushing a level cue. Then look at the other pictures in the book. The butt cap is three to six inches above the tip even if that particular shot would let the whole cue drop down between the cushions. Likewise, the video of their play shows they are by no means fanatical about a level cue and make little or no effort to hold it as level as possible.

I haven't seen any of the people preaching keeping a level cue practicing what they preach. Like so many things, I tried this long ago. Burned my fingers on the cloth, cracked my knuckles on the rails. Brought the back of my stick up a few inches. Now I could shoot almost all shots with my stick on the same rake front to back. Same consistent rake. Mo'better than changing the rake all the time.

Hu
“Level” is impossible. The rail is in the way. A certain amount of elevation is required for nearly all shots.

However going beyond the minimum isn’t advisable.
 
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