Every time I played my dad golf till he was almost 80 he "always" kicked my ass, but he wouldn't play me pool.
Whipped him bad - kinda sad.
- Thread starter Island Drive
- Start date
In another thread lurkers were encouraged to post - so here I go with something pool related that I has been on my mind lately.
I started playing pool when I could reach the table and by high school thought I was pretty good. I could beat all my friends and most everybody I played - except my Dad. He always beat me like a drum. Looking back I didn't know anything about the game. I couldn't play position had no idea what a safety was, all I could do was shoot.
After a 25 year break from pool I bought a table and started playing at home again and reading this forum and others about the game. My Dad who is now 77 years old came to visit recently. After dinner most nights we would play eight ball. I whipped him badly, like nine out of ten games nightly and I don't really play very well at all. I guess I feel kinda sad because he is older and not as limber as he used to be but then again he never taught me the finer points of the game when I was a kid.
What do you think - should I have lightened up a little bit or got my revenge?
I started playing pool when I could reach the table and by high school thought I was pretty good. I could beat all my friends and most everybody I played - except my Dad. He always beat me like a drum. Looking back I didn't know anything about the game. I couldn't play position had no idea what a safety was, all I could do was shoot.
After a 25 year break from pool I bought a table and started playing at home again and reading this forum and others about the game. My Dad who is now 77 years old came to visit recently. After dinner most nights we would play eight ball. I whipped him badly, like nine out of ten games nightly and I don't really play very well at all. I guess I feel kinda sad because he is older and not as limber as he used to be but then again he never taught me the finer points of the game when I was a kid.
What do you think - should I have lightened up a little bit or got my revenge?
I think that you are very lucky to still have your Dad around at 77. I lost my Dad a year or so ago, and I wish every day I could play a few games of pool, or bowl a few games with him.dagnabit said:
To anaswer your question, I think you should have lightened up on him.
Mike
Why would you
ever feel vengeful towards your father? If anything, he was teaching when you were younger that you had to earn your victories?
When I play my brother, who is a couple of balls below me, I just want to have a good time, I don't care who wins, spending the one on one time with him is far more important to me.
If I am going to 'prove myself', I do it when it counts, like in a money matchup or a tournament.
ever feel vengeful towards your father? If anything, he was teaching when you were younger that you had to earn your victories?
When I play my brother, who is a couple of balls below me, I just want to have a good time, I don't care who wins, spending the one on one time with him is far more important to me.
If I am going to 'prove myself', I do it when it counts, like in a money matchup or a tournament.
dagnabit said:
If the roles were reversed what would he have done? Some don't like to be patronized. Like father like son???
I can only imagine that he would be offended if he knew you had "let up"...further, it would probably make him proud that you were able to accel at the game.
As said above, you should be glad you had the opportunity to share some leisure time with your Dad. The score is not what is important in that situation.
As said above, you should be glad you had the opportunity to share some leisure time with your Dad. The score is not what is important in that situation.
i'm almost 60 my dad just turned 85, he taught me the game of kelly pool to start me off on my introduction to pool when i was 16.We live miles apart now but when we play its always fun. He usually wins, i do let up alot of the time and take that low percentage shot instead of one i know i can make. There are plenty of other players (my 3 brothers) that need a whipping if i feel the need to win. Pops knows i can whip him but its just a game, and its really cool to let him think he still is the KOH at least in our house.In conclusion i think you should lighten up and have fun with your Dad while you still can. i could never repay mine for all he has done for me ,so losing a game now and then aint about nothing.
I had a similar situation with my dad (he's in his early 70's). In the past no matter how much I played (mostly just banging balls in pool halls) he could always step up and compete. After I got a table (this year) he can no longer compete. We would play but he would get tired of just watching me shoot.
Now I come up with creative spots that keep him in the game and keep my interest. For example, in 8 ball I am limited to 3 pockets and if one of my balls sinks in a nondesignated pocket (at any time) it gets spotted. As I adapt to a spot we come up with another one that evens the game and keeps us both interested.
Now I come up with creative spots that keep him in the game and keep my interest. For example, in 8 ball I am limited to 3 pockets and if one of my balls sinks in a nondesignated pocket (at any time) it gets spotted. As I adapt to a spot we come up with another one that evens the game and keeps us both interested.
dagnabit said:
I think you're being perfectly reasonable. If it was me I would have spat on a hankey and washed his face in front of all his mates while saying "Look at the bloody state of you". Then I would have sent him to bed halfway through his favourite programme. He's getting off lightly.
Boro Nut
At least you didn't beat your 77-year-old dad at something like boxing. 
I wish I had pool, or most anything, to share with my dad. He's still around - recently turned 81 - but the only thing he's ever gotten into is golf, and he gave that up some years ago when it became too much for him physically.
I wish I had pool, or most anything, to share with my dad. He's still around - recently turned 81 - but the only thing he's ever gotten into is golf, and he gave that up some years ago when it became too much for him physically.
Just to clarify, My Dad is a competitor - he likes to win. But really didn't mind because it was me outplaying him. And also, he was the one that was keeping count not me.
It was really great to get to play him again. Think this Christmas when I visit him in Dallas we will go to a pool hall for a rematch.
It was really great to get to play him again. Think this Christmas when I visit him in Dallas we will go to a pool hall for a rematch.
My dad never showed any interest in anything I did except to get pissed at me for doing it wrong, so be thankful that your dad loves you and cares about you. I never saw him once during the last 20 or so years of his life. On the other hand, my sons and I used to play disc golf together a lot. My youngest started when he was around 11 or 12. He would get so down on himself that he would actually start to cry when he didn't do well. I didn't let up on him, but reassured him that I had many more years of experience and strength on my side and that he shouldn't expect to be able to compete with me. The whole thing was to enjoy our time together. It was tough at times seeing him get so frustrated. About 5 or 6 years ago, he started beating me badly (they both do). I was so proud and still am. They are great players and have won their share of tournaments. I developed arthritis in my knees and can't take the long walks any more, so I started playing pool. Now I beat them at pool when they come up to visit and they beat me at disc golf when I go visit them. I still don't let them win, but do let up on them so they get more table time in. He doesn't take it so hard anymore, so he must have learned the lesson I tried to teach him when he was a young'un. If, someday, they start whipping me on the pool table, I'll still be very proud. But I'll probably start playing chess then so I can still have the edge on them somewhere, hehehe.
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