Troy Frank? How about Mike Davis for working his butt off to be a pro?
Who are some players who were/are not naturally gifted
- Thread starter Positively Ralf
- Start date
Troy Frank? How about Mike Davis for working his butt off to be a pro?
Nick Vandenberg
I grew up watching Dick Lane play quite a bit. Dick basically had no natural flow to his game. Very mechanical but still effective. You could tell that Dick had forced the game on himself. He hit a zillion balls and became a world-class player. Heck, he was already a top 14.1 player in college. Just ask DannyD.
I just saw an old video of Grady Mathews. He was playing Mataya and doing very well, but never looked very comfortable or fluid with his mechanics. He got the job done, but all through the match I never felt he was in the zone and going to run out (unlike when you're watching Strickland, for example), yet he did.
This is always one of the things I think of when someone says "natural ability". I didn't know how to do anything when I started even though I read books and watched videos. It wasn't "natural" for my body to fall into place or my hands to grip the cue well or get aligned toward the shot or be balanced, etc.
The other thing is the mental attitude/fortitude/flexibility/thought processes. This can come more "naturally" to some also.
If you start from day 1 with a really good teacher who teaches you all these things, "natural ability" is moot. At that point it's just how hard you work to get there. Unfortunately most of us learn this game through trial and error even if we study everything, and that makes it take much longer for some players to get good.
Bout says it all right there,,Yep .
Shock coming......IMO
Ralf Souquet.....
...a sane workhorse discipline.got him to the HOF
Buddy Hall could hit a ball so good...it made you wanna cry...
...never seen Ralf do that....but a good bet over the years with anybody.
I also never forget about your comments about Bustamante the first time you saw how he stroke. “Thats b... t”.... (original pt line always with a laugh)
Sent from my iPad using AzBilliards Forums
I'm sure there are a few.
When it comes to natural talent I can't help but think of musicians. Some musicians are born with an excellent ear for pitch/tone, while others have to develop an ear for it. This is a tough road block for some.
Example: Bending the B string on a guitar at the 15th fret (which is a D) all the way up until the string tension gives the pitch of an E, well it isn't easy if you don't have an ear for it. You'll be flat or sharp better than half the time, which doesn't sound good. But with enough practice and training you'll eventually begin to recognize when it sounds right. A guitarist born with a good ear for pitch can automatically do this without ear training. They hear it and know immediately when the bend hits the correct pitch/note. So they can begin working on other things while the less fortunate ones spend countless hours training their ears to hear better. S
It boils down to one's desire and dedication to become the best they can be.
The born talent has an advantage, but it doesn't mean they will end up being better than a player born without talent.
As pt109 posted, desire is probably more important than talent, more of a determining factor for advanced skill development.
When it comes to natural talent I can't help but think of musicians. Some musicians are born with an excellent ear for pitch/tone, while others have to develop an ear for it. This is a tough road block for some.
Example: Bending the B string on a guitar at the 15th fret (which is a D) all the way up until the string tension gives the pitch of an E, well it isn't easy if you don't have an ear for it. You'll be flat or sharp better than half the time, which doesn't sound good. But with enough practice and training you'll eventually begin to recognize when it sounds right. A guitarist born with a good ear for pitch can automatically do this without ear training. They hear it and know immediately when the bend hits the correct pitch/note. So they can begin working on other things while the less fortunate ones spend countless hours training their ears to hear better. S
It boils down to one's desire and dedication to become the best they can be.
The born talent has an advantage, but it doesn't mean they will end up being better than a player born without talent.
As pt109 posted, desire is probably more important than talent, more of a determining factor for advanced skill development.
Last edited: