The truth of the matter is no country produces people genetically better at pool. It ebbs and flows. US was dominant for a while as were the Filipinos and so on. Of course countries where more people play or have sponsored training may have a distinct advantage
When was the last time there was an American who won the world 9 ball championships?
- Thread starter justinb386
- Start date
If the US had a system and more people with a better work ethic to do boring crap like shoot a stop shot 10,000 times from a foot away, there would be players like KO coming out of the US also.
The US "system" for pool is; Find a kid of someone that owns a pool room or is a decent player, have them hang out with the parents for a bit, hand them a cue and see what happens.
The overseas system is: Find a kid that likes pool at age 6, stick them on a snooker table to learn to shoot with 3 coaches watching him, place pool in a school as a class, have national events and a ranking system, have the organizations sponsor the players, at age 16 send out a world beater to the US.
It's not where they are from, it's how they are taught form an early age to learn.
Last edited:
You make a good point,
It just seems strange that with all the BCA, APA and tournament players that there isn't 10 top tier American Pro's that can compete on a world level.
It just seems strange that with all the BCA, APA and tournament players that there isn't 10 top tier American Pro's that can compete on a world level.
The part of the equation that's being left out is pool is way down the list of sports that they would rather play ,
1
In Taiwan, pool is part of the school curriculum.
In the Phillipines, pool players are national heroes.
In Europe, the youth championships are a multinational, multi-event championship.
In the UK (and much of the rest of the world), snooker is a mainstream sport with broad TV coverage.
In the U.S. the average kid has little access to the game as most pool halls are bars with an age restriction. And maybe even less incentive to play the game, as there is almost no visibility in the media, and all their friends are playing video games...
In the Phillipines, pool players are national heroes.
In Europe, the youth championships are a multinational, multi-event championship.
In the UK (and much of the rest of the world), snooker is a mainstream sport with broad TV coverage.
In the U.S. the average kid has little access to the game as most pool halls are bars with an age restriction. And maybe even less incentive to play the game, as there is almost no visibility in the media, and all their friends are playing video games...
justinb386
Banned
Pool seems to be non existent on the mainstream (to the average person). I have no car, and like to carry my pool cue with me everywhere I go (I know that is silly, but that is how much I love my cue, lol), and people usually think that I am carrying around something completely different, like a sword or a gun or a tube filled with architect designs (like they have never seen a pool cue case in their lives). It is just not a popular sport, sadly (at least not popular enough for the average person to know what a pool cue case looks like).
The global economy shifted so much from the 80s that it's a completely different planet. Today a USA company that has incentives to excel, succeed, and innovate won't even manufacture State side (see Apple). It's the way the business model shifted. And add in the fact that the entire world has access to products that they never have before (see Hollywood releasing movies to foreign markets first). Even one of our greatest exports, Hollywood movies, are made in other countries like Canada and Australia to escape union wages and taxation/licensing/permit fees.
If we can lateral that over into pool....Albin Ouschan just took down the China open and was second on last years world championship....his country built him and his sister a state of the art training facility, compete with endorsements and sponsorship dollars. Incentives and investment produce results.
Like you said, there are great players everywhere, now it is about who can train at the next level.
just imagine Shane, Dechaine, Sossei, hall and Bergman in a similar system to Ouchan.
SVB won the World Pool Masters. First world title over seas so watch out for em, he's coming in hot.
Not sure about any "organized youth program" back in yesteryear. Many if not most of the top players dropped out of high school and hit the road gambling...if that's what it takes to bring back American dominance, not sure I'm on board. As you noted, the Filipinos got dominant that way, too...
Pool rooms in the U.S. where you can take a youngster to and let them spend time learning the game without all the cigarette smoke, alcohol, shouting, gambling, etc. are few and far between. There are rooms like that in Europe, with organized, family-oriented leagues that don't get into fist fights over handicaps and weird rule infractions, so you can see how a youth league in Europe works and where we are lacking. I don't see a solution, either.
or googling "list of world 9-ball champions".
Just ran into an age restriction on a pool table at a bowling alley a week ago. Went to a birthday party with my 9 yr old daughter, they had the private room booked and it had a not so bad looking slate 8 footer. My daughter had me bring her own cue since she likes to play a bit since both me and her brother play, and she knows that bowling alleys tend to also have pool tables.
When she went to play along with a few other kids, we were told that the pool table is 18+ only.
18+!! Pool table was restricted like it was cigarettes or beer, really billiard place, really?
I'm sure it was not that they were afraid to damage it since anyone about 14 and up could easily not goof around on the table and there are parents watching them. So they have this thought where a pool table is something bad that kids should not be using.
Don't feel like a fool. People on this forum like to jump on anyone. There's plenty I don't know.
Yeesssssss
Shaw specifically stated he is trying for citizenship. That is a different story. If he becomes an American citizen, Americans are kinda obligated to think of him as an American.
And your post is a reasonable question. I think currently we have very little chance. Shane maybe. After that it falls off pretty sharply. Shaw would definitely be a contender.
KMRUNOUT