What separates the pros from each other?

M

medallio

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Please don't bash anyone, but let's take a player like Larry Nevel. Amazing stroke, God like break and can jump over anything. Why doesn't he win more? Tony Watson. Offensive machine etc etc. why don't we hear more of him? Why do Shane or Ko brother etc etc win more often and get more recognition. Just curious what separates players at that level
 
Just a theory, but some "Pro" players excel at cash games more so than tournaments that carry on and on. IMHO
 
Consistency, fewer mistakes, coming with the very difficult shot when necessary.
 
A strong personality, either good or bad, seems to help with fame as most people gravitate towards wanting to watch them so eventually they get more recognition.

medallio said:
Please don't bash anyone, but let's take a player like Larry Nevel. Amazing stroke, God like break and can jump over anything. Why doesn't he win more? Tony Watson. Offensive machine etc etc. why don't we hear more of him? Why do Shane or Ko brother etc etc win more often and get more recognition. Just curious what separates players at that level
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Being able to break with power and control is huge. Shane and Ko's break an run percentages are head an shoulders above the rest of the field, especially in 10-ball.
And like any other game/sport, work ethic is another huge factor.
 
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pro play

Some players like Larry would stand out more in a winner break format,imo. In the great days when you had to have offensive and defensive kicks.You had to break good and get off your pants when you did get to the table and play.Guys like Irving Crane were never thought of as 9 ballers because he had no break. We have to let the horses run and i think we would see more players being reconized.
 
I saw Larry play safes against him self on a 9 foot table at a underage pool hall I hung out at about 20 years ago, to this day I have not seen anything more impressive in person.
 
A kill or be killed attitude, at least while playing, with a strong splash of narcissism thrown in.
 
Killer

Tramp Steamer said:
A kill or be killed attitude, at least while playing, with a strong splash of narcissism thrown in.
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I agree, some have he instinct to destroy, if they have the talent that allows them to be a narcissist they can be a killer. Now that mindset doesn't allow for a healthy life. Think Stu Unger in poker.
 
I think it is several things:

The mind set to completely destroy their opponent.
Actually enjoying and looking forward to the times they are under tremendous pressure. They thrive on pressure and being under the microscope.
Continuing to practice and work on their weaknesses no matter how much they have won. They don't let up, but instead, increase their practice and work out regimens.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
A kill or be killed attitude, at least while playing, with a strong splash of narcissism thrown in.
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This is not an indictment of the pro level player, or any other level for that matter, either. It must be remembered that in pool there are no second place winners. It's like a gunfight. :smile:
 
PoolBum said:
Consistency, fewer mistakes, coming with the very difficult shot when necessary.
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Exactly. Making all the shots "you should make" and a few calculated risks. More discipline and fewer mental errors, especially under pressure and when fatigued.
 
Imo

They all play at the highest level in my opinion the one thing that separates them is concentration. A good example is watching the Euro's in the Mosconi Cup.
 
Performing magic when the odds are 99.99% in the other guys favor. One example would be that hack they call Efren.
 
joelpope said:
Exactly. Making all the shots "you should make" and a few calculated risks. More discipline and fewer mental errors, especially under pressure and when fatigued.
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The ability to wait a number of hours for the next match and not lose focus.
 
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