This weekend I went and played Golf with a couple of my co-workers. This was my first time playing and I could not get the golf ball in the air for the life of me. I still had a great time. When I returned to work after the weekend one of my co-workers started and argument stating that golf is harder than pool. They all know that I spend a lot of hours playing pool, researching pool etc.... The argument started to get a rise out of me but it ended up a serious argument. None of them have played golf more times than fingers they have on one of their hands. They started pointing things out like in golf you have so many clubs, you have sand traps, you have wind and angled ground. I told them I will never say that golf is harder than pool and that they cant say which is harder because by no means are they educated on either sport. Then I started just naming a couple things about billiards for them to think about. Things like you know there isn't just one stick in pool, you have a break cue, a jump cue, and a playing cue. You don't play on the same table all the time and when you start playing at a certaint calibur you realize how many differences there are in tables. Also most people would never think about jump shots, let alone jump follow and jump draw shots or masse shots for that matter. And in pool you have to play strategy and out think an opponent in many different type of games. You need to learn to shoot patterns and you need to learn strategies. In pool there are so many things to think about for every shot. I tried to explain squirt and deflection, rail shots, break balls in strait pool etc.... I know that if the average person watches golf on television and sees tiger woods make a hole in one its a pretty amazing thing to accomplish and they think wow a golf course is so big and they need to learn how to make a golf ball go into a hole from 200-300 yards away. Don't get me wrong im not taking any sides I know that I am educated on pool and know nothing about golf. I just want to see some opinions of other pool players that might possibly play golf and hear what they have to say. The worst part is even If I get feedback saying that pool is harder than golf from players that play golf it will more than likely be disreguarded as a biast opinion since the opinion was found on a billiards forum. Thank you for your time and I am curiously looking forward to reading some intelligent responses from people educated on both sports. Oh and I was also told pool is not a sport...............
What sport is harder, Billiards or Golf?
- Thread starter Alaskevin
- Start date
IMO pool is tougher. It requires sooooo much knowledge it is insane. After 3+ years of playing I am still learning new things all the time. Both require a large amount of natural talent and commitment but I don't think there is much to learn in golf comparatively. Different courses bla bla bla, every rack is different, more variables in moving a cue ball around a table with precision than people realize.
Eric.
Eric.
People who have good basic hand/eye coordination and a degree of physical fitness and are in good health can usually make a fair attempt at any sport involving a ball or balls. However there will always be a degree of inherent aptitude for the sport concerned which will affect how difficult each individual finds them to play.
As a schoolboy in UK, I played county (= state in USA terms) rugby union, as a teenager and early twenties I played semi-pro soccer and in my late twenties/early thirties I played pro standard 8 ball (at the level 'pro' was in the uk back then, somewhat lower than the standards are now) on uk tables, before giving up pool completely for about 18 years. I took it up again a few years ago, mostly on American equipment but playing less than 2 hours a week on average yet don't totally disgrace myself in tournaments and was one round away from making last years 8 ball world finals.
I took up golf for the first time at the age of 46 playing about once a month for two years then joined a club and started playing once per week which I have now done for 5/6 years. I'm now 54 going on 55 and last year I qualified to play in The European PGA Seniors Tour Championship. I have presently remained amateur, my current handicap at a Championship course is 2 (1.6) and next year I will play in both The USA and British Seniors Amateur Opens, for which the qualifying age is 55.
I've never personally had a lesson at either pool or golf so can't comment on how hard each of the two sports are to learn from a coach, but if the above information qualifies me to have an unbiased and reasonably informed opinion I would have to say without hesitation that overall and generally speaking there is absolutely no means whatsoever of definitively determining which of pool or golf is more difficult to play.
Having said that, it is probably fair to say that when measuring things relative to other people who play the sport it is 'easier' to reach a higher relative level in golf than in pool. Anyone who has a single digit handicap in golf is in the top 3% of all golfers in the world and my gut instinct tells me that the basic golf ability level of a single digit 8/9 handicap golfer is probably nowhere near the equivalent pool ability level of the top 3% of pool players.
Bit of a cop out I know but hope this helps and gives some food for thought
As a schoolboy in UK, I played county (= state in USA terms) rugby union, as a teenager and early twenties I played semi-pro soccer and in my late twenties/early thirties I played pro standard 8 ball (at the level 'pro' was in the uk back then, somewhat lower than the standards are now) on uk tables, before giving up pool completely for about 18 years. I took it up again a few years ago, mostly on American equipment but playing less than 2 hours a week on average yet don't totally disgrace myself in tournaments and was one round away from making last years 8 ball world finals.
I took up golf for the first time at the age of 46 playing about once a month for two years then joined a club and started playing once per week which I have now done for 5/6 years. I'm now 54 going on 55 and last year I qualified to play in The European PGA Seniors Tour Championship. I have presently remained amateur, my current handicap at a Championship course is 2 (1.6) and next year I will play in both The USA and British Seniors Amateur Opens, for which the qualifying age is 55.
I've never personally had a lesson at either pool or golf so can't comment on how hard each of the two sports are to learn from a coach, but if the above information qualifies me to have an unbiased and reasonably informed opinion I would have to say without hesitation that overall and generally speaking there is absolutely no means whatsoever of definitively determining which of pool or golf is more difficult to play.
Having said that, it is probably fair to say that when measuring things relative to other people who play the sport it is 'easier' to reach a higher relative level in golf than in pool. Anyone who has a single digit handicap in golf is in the top 3% of all golfers in the world and my gut instinct tells me that the basic golf ability level of a single digit 8/9 handicap golfer is probably nowhere near the equivalent pool ability level of the top 3% of pool players.
Bit of a cop out I know but hope this helps and gives some food for thought
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Golf and pool are similar in some ways, but very different in others. In golf, you hit a ball with a stick...get it in the hole and you score. In pool, you hit a ball with a stick, but you have to make that ball hit another ball very precisely and make the second ball go into a hole to score.
Both sports have their challenges and require different skills.
But nobody has ever perfected either. Players of both sports always have room for improvement.
Steve
Both sports have their challenges and require different skills.
But nobody has ever perfected either. Players of both sports always have room for improvement.
Steve
Golf....and it pays better too. 
Golf
For me it's golf for sure.
For me it's golf for sure.
I've played golf for my high school team. I picked up pool after college.
To me, this debate is a no brainer. Golf is WAY harder to play adequately.
If you think a repeatable pool stroke is a tough thing to maintain, try maintaining a repeatable golf swing.
And IF by some chance you ever get the swing down, then there is the whole world of PUTTING! Just ask Sergio.
To me, this debate is a no brainer. Golf is WAY harder to play adequately.
If you think a repeatable pool stroke is a tough thing to maintain, try maintaining a repeatable golf swing.
And IF by some chance you ever get the swing down, then there is the whole world of PUTTING! Just ask Sergio.
Golf
I have to go with golf being more difficult.
Iv'e played golf for the last 20 yrs or so, pool for quite a bit longer. Been hitting the golf ball pretty good up until last week. All of a sudden.....my game went to &#%!
I might have hit 10 good shots during the round...period. I never would have believed I could have played that bad. It was that ugly.
Seems I never have days like that playing pool? Sure, I might miss a little more often than usual. BUT, I'm not missing the pockets by a diamond either!!
Conditions...are a HUGE factor! Much more so in golf than pool. Yeah, the tables might get a little sticky at times. Big deal....golfers play in the rain, mud, water, WIND, and much more.
I guarantee you'll see more of a difference between a true championship golf course, and a local 'dogtrack' course....MUCH more than jumping from a bar box to a big table.
Teeing off in 2 1/2 hrs....8:03
Rick S.
I have to go with golf being more difficult.
Iv'e played golf for the last 20 yrs or so, pool for quite a bit longer. Been hitting the golf ball pretty good up until last week. All of a sudden.....my game went to &#%!
I might have hit 10 good shots during the round...period. I never would have believed I could have played that bad. It was that ugly.
Seems I never have days like that playing pool? Sure, I might miss a little more often than usual. BUT, I'm not missing the pockets by a diamond either!!
Conditions...are a HUGE factor! Much more so in golf than pool. Yeah, the tables might get a little sticky at times. Big deal....golfers play in the rain, mud, water, WIND, and much more.
I guarantee you'll see more of a difference between a true championship golf course, and a local 'dogtrack' course....MUCH more than jumping from a bar box to a big table.
Teeing off in 2 1/2 hrs....8:03
Rick S.
Golf is much more difficult in my opinion to get to an elite level.
I've been playing golf for 15+ years and am around a 8 handicap. Put me on a professional course playing from the Tips, I'm sure I would be a 20 handicap. In golf, 99.9% of all people you will never be able to compete against a top level player (top 500 in the world). Even say a 2 or 3 handicap would rarely beat a scratch golfer on a professional course.
In pool, a few of the local guys (eg, Bourada), have gone to Vegas and beat named players (Keith, Deuel, etc). Of course in the long run, these guys would not be able to win, but on a single day they did.
I've been playing golf for 15+ years and am around a 8 handicap. Put me on a professional course playing from the Tips, I'm sure I would be a 20 handicap. In golf, 99.9% of all people you will never be able to compete against a top level player (top 500 in the world). Even say a 2 or 3 handicap would rarely beat a scratch golfer on a professional course.
In pool, a few of the local guys (eg, Bourada), have gone to Vegas and beat named players (Keith, Deuel, etc). Of course in the long run, these guys would not be able to win, but on a single day they did.
Rick S...Have fun....always hit your second drive first
Agree about the conditions and course aspects. My club is a tour venue Championship course (see www.adgolfclub.com) but is unfortunately rendered almost unplayable at this time of year by the weather (today 124 degrees and 95% humidity) although new air conditioned golf carts are ordered and should soon be here
Agree about the conditions and course aspects. My club is a tour venue Championship course (see www.adgolfclub.com) but is unfortunately rendered almost unplayable at this time of year by the weather (today 124 degrees and 95% humidity) although new air conditioned golf carts are ordered and should soon be here
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Snorks said:
Depends to a degree upon the standard of course that the respective scratch and 1/2/3 handicappers have their handicaps from and the handicapping system they are subject to (eg CONGU or USGA) and possibly other factors, eg some teaching pros are not battle hardened due to lack of actual tournament practice.
We have a form of local Ryder Cup style/format match here every year in which the leading 16 amateurs in this part of the world (as per Order of Merit positions) play the 16 leading locally based pros (as per their Pro Order of Merit) off scratch. The pros are mostly Brits and Aussies with the odd USA and Canadian thrown in.This year the amateur team beat the pro team comfortably and the amateur team players' handicaps ranged from +2 to 4. This was held on The Dubai Desert Classic Championship Course from as far back as the tees go.
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All sports played at a professional level are roughly the same in difficulty. Sounds absurd, but hang with me a second.
First, we have to define what we mean by ?difficulty.? By ?difficulty? I think we all mean ?effort required to become competitive at an amateur level.?
So the key is what does it take in a sport to become competitive? Here is the thing: the degree of mastery needed of any task in any sport is inversely proportional to the difficulty of the task. So, the easier the task, the more precision and mastery needed.
Let me relate this to pool and golf. An argument golfers like to use is that the hole is much farther away. Do doubt that adds a level of difficulty to golf that is not present in pool. But, because the holes are closer in pool, the level of precision needed is much greater. In pool you don?t typically get to keep pushing the ball closer to the pocket until you get a shot you can make and in pool you are hitting a round object (object ball) with a round object (cue ball) with a rounded object (cue tip) ? much harder that hitting a round object (golf ball) with a flat object (club face).
I have a hard time explaining this, so let me give another example from a diving commentator in the 1988 Olympics. A diver just made a dive that scored well but nowhere near perfect. The commentator replayed the dive in slow motion and pointed out all the very tiny flaws that caused the deductions. She then mentioned that had the acrobatics been evaluated in the gymnastics arena it would have been a perfect ?10?. Was she saying diving is harder that diving? No. It is that in diving you land in water, much easier than landing on, say, a 4 inch beams. Because landing in the water is easier the level of perfection required is higher.
Hopefully I was able to explain this so that it make sense.
First, we have to define what we mean by ?difficulty.? By ?difficulty? I think we all mean ?effort required to become competitive at an amateur level.?
So the key is what does it take in a sport to become competitive? Here is the thing: the degree of mastery needed of any task in any sport is inversely proportional to the difficulty of the task. So, the easier the task, the more precision and mastery needed.
Let me relate this to pool and golf. An argument golfers like to use is that the hole is much farther away. Do doubt that adds a level of difficulty to golf that is not present in pool. But, because the holes are closer in pool, the level of precision needed is much greater. In pool you don?t typically get to keep pushing the ball closer to the pocket until you get a shot you can make and in pool you are hitting a round object (object ball) with a round object (cue ball) with a rounded object (cue tip) ? much harder that hitting a round object (golf ball) with a flat object (club face).
I have a hard time explaining this, so let me give another example from a diving commentator in the 1988 Olympics. A diver just made a dive that scored well but nowhere near perfect. The commentator replayed the dive in slow motion and pointed out all the very tiny flaws that caused the deductions. She then mentioned that had the acrobatics been evaluated in the gymnastics arena it would have been a perfect ?10?. Was she saying diving is harder that diving? No. It is that in diving you land in water, much easier than landing on, say, a 4 inch beams. Because landing in the water is easier the level of perfection required is higher.
Hopefully I was able to explain this so that it make sense.
mthornto said:
Nope.
Watch this Robin Williams video......he helps to explain the dificulty of playing golf.
Rick S.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X04wZpqx3U&mode=related&search=
Hard to equate the 2....My best round this year was a 68 on a par 71. I had 5 birdies and 2 bogies. I hit the ball REALLY well, but missed a few birdie putts, and obvisously a couple of par putts too. The percentage of golfers out there that can shoot that score on the same course (under the same conditions, etc.) is VERY low. I couldn't begin to equate what that round was like compared to pool. Golf is all about score...if I miss every fairway, and every green, but get up and down every time with one putt = even par. Good score, but did I play well? I can mess up every leave on the table and still make my balls (run out), did I play well?
I'm going to have to go with golf being tougher...once you've got a few things going well (teeshots, putting, irons, chipping, bunker shots, etc.), something else goes bad. The day I shoot a 54 (par 72), I will gladly withdraw the golf is tougher statement.
I'm going to have to go with golf being tougher...once you've got a few things going well (teeshots, putting, irons, chipping, bunker shots, etc.), something else goes bad. The day I shoot a 54 (par 72), I will gladly withdraw the golf is tougher statement.
I play Golf with a scratch golfer that can run a rack of 9 Ball every now and then. I play pool at level quite a bit higher than him but I play Golf to about a 15 handicap.
He says pool is tougher than golf, I say golf is tougher than pool...go figure!
He says pool is tougher than golf, I say golf is tougher than pool...go figure!