Why do I hate league pool so much?

[Scott Lee]

Teacherman....I feel sorry for you, that you're so clueless. League pool is what it is...an opportunity for nonpoolplayers to get interested in playing. If if weren't for pool leagues, there would be NO pool rooms at all. While, like you, I prefer playing on 9' tables, pool is pool, and if league players keep rooms open, then so be it.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Bar pool league is the death of pool as an accepted sport worthy of pursuing.

When the pool community unites and plays ONLY inhouse league in billiard rooms the sport has a chance to grow.

Bar league does one thing and one thing only. It promotes alcohol. It prostitutes our sport. Few bar owners have any significant interest in the game....and most have little to no investment in the game.

Not until those who have invested in the game take control of the game, by uniting and forming a Billiard Room Only pool league, will it grow to be a worthy endeavor like golf, bowling, tennis etc.

Ever seen a golf course in a bar? How about a tennis court? Bowling alley? Sure....the course/court/alley all have a bar. But the bar is not their main product. Their product is their sport.

When Billiard Rooms take over league play, the sport will be the product. And at that point great things can happen.

Until then....we will continue to wallow in the gutter.

Go to your next bar league tournament. Observe. The reason why pool can't grow is right before your eyes.

When the first time 95% play a competitive match is in a bar....that means they are 21 yrs of age or older.

What sports start with juniors.....youth....ages 5, 6, 7, 10 etc?

Um.....ALL OF THEM.....except pool.

 

[Teacherman]

The education level of this board is scary

 

[Keith Jawahir]

The education level of this board is scary

ever wandered into the non pool related section?

 

[Spimp13]

The education level of this board is scary

You missed a period at the end of your sentence.

I think they taught us that back in pre school.

Do you see how dumb that sounds?

 

[ElKabong]

Teacherman....I feel sorry for you, that you're so clueless. League pool is what it is...an opportunity for nonpoolplayers to get interested in playing. If if weren't for pool leagues, there would be NO pool rooms at all. While, like you, I prefer playing on 9' tables, pool is pool, and if league players keep rooms open, then so be it.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

I play in a league that has very few hard/regular drinkers.
It is BCA, and everyone is trying to win and improve.
Maybe a couple of the bottom dweller teams are there to party.

We do have a local only social league on another night, plenty of drinking there.

I've seen the same thing in bowling.

It isn't bar leagues that is ruining things. It is the lack of young participants that is causing the long slow painful death.

We're just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Sometimes you have to destroy something in order to rebuild it.
I often wonder what the pool scene will be like in 20-30 years?

 

[jay helfert]

Played again last night with a new attitude intact. We played a good team and Tang and I led the charge. We both went 4-0 and had to work for our wins. I had two run-outs off my opponents break and won my last game on a miracle out. My opponent safe'd me behind a ball, where I could only kick at one of my remaining two balls or play a half masse all the way down table for the other ball. I had no safety option, I had to go for it.

I opted to go for the masse and caught it perfect, sliding along the side rail and making the ball. I was left with a long thin cut on my last ball, and from there I could see I would run into one of my opponent's balls, maybe leaving me a look at the eight. I just decided to fire away and see what happens. I got down good on the ball and put a solid stroke on it and lo and behold I made it! The cue ball did hit my opponent's ball as expected, but that ball bounced off the end rail and came back and bumped the eight ball (which had been in a good spot for me) sending it against the side rail. Damn, I had no shot!

The eight ball was at the middle diamond with my cue ball a half diamond above it. There was a severe backwards bank shot into the side pocket and that was my only hope or I could try to find some kind of safety. I thought about it and realized I could make the bank, even though it was a very low percentage shot. I took a long look at it and knew that I had to use some extreme left english to throw it back uphill and also cut it very thin. But I knew it could be made. I thought about how thin I had to hit it and related it to a backwards cut bank on my Diamond table. You must over cut the ball I told myself.

I finally got down on the ball and took a look at the shot. I felt good for some reason, like I knew I could make this shot. I had it figured out. If I miss I lose the game, but that was not on my mind. I put a good stroke on the shot and the eight came right back up that hill directly at the pocket. I knew almost immediately I had made it. Wow, that felt good and I yelled DOGGIE! I don't know why I yelled that but I didn't care. That was a highlight reel shot and run out from nowhere. No one will ever see it except me and few other guys, but who cares. Even my opponent (a super nice guy named Larry, who plays pretty good) smiled at me and said nice shot. My teammates were all smiles too, Jay had stolen one!

So there you have it. After 150 years of Pool, I can still get my juices flowing once in a while. I love this game!

 

[puma122]

I must be the only guy around that enjoys league pool. I enjoy it and try to get top shooter or most run outs if I can't make it every week.

I'm on one team full time and sub on two other nights.

You are not the only one. Personally, I cannot wait for league night. I get 1 night out a week without question. The family knows it, and expects it. I have a a team of friends. We try to act like the team matters, but in the end, it's individual performance that matters from a cash perspective. We do not take it too seriously. Beers and a bit a smoke come into play. We all try our hardest, but do not get to pissed off when it does not work out.

I enjoy the competition from the better players, and I also enjoy playing a lower "ranked" player knowing they want the win bad...

I can see where it might be different if you are a pro caliber player. Unfortunately, I'm not. I wish I had more time to play tournaments, but at this stage of the game with young kids\a family, and many other draws for my time, it's not to be. League night it is for me.

 

[thewhiffer]

Played again last night with a new attitude intact. We played a good team and Tang and I led the charge. We both went 4-0 and had to work for our wins. I had two run-outs off my opponents break and won my last game on a miracle out. My opponent safe'd me behind a ball, where I could only kick at one of my remaining two balls or play a half masse all the way down table for the other ball. I had no safety option, I had to go for it.

I opted to go for the masse and caught it perfect, sliding along the side rail and making the ball. I was left with a long thin cut on my last ball, and from there I could see I would run into one of my opponent's balls, maybe leaving me a look at the eight. I just decided to fire away and see what happens. I got down good on the ball and put a solid stroke on it and lo and behold I made it! The cue ball did hit my opponent's ball as expected, but that ball bounced off the end rail and came back and bumped the eight ball (which had been in a good spot for me) sending it against the side rail. Damn, I had no shot!

The eight ball was at the middle diamond with my cue ball a half diamond above it. There was a severe backwards bank shot into the side pocket and that was my only hope or I could try to find some kind of safety. I thought about it and realized I could make the bank, even though it was a very low percentage shot. I took a long look at it and knew that I had to use some extreme left english to throw it back uphill and also cut it very thin. But I knew it could be made. I thought about how thin I had to hit it and related it to a backwards cut bank on my Diamond table. You must over cut the ball I told myself.

I finally got down on the ball and took a look at the shot. I felt good for some reason, like I knew I could make this shot. I had it figured out. If I miss I lose the game, but that was not on my mind. I put a good stroke on the shot and the eight came right back up that hill directly at the pocket. I knew almost immediately I had made it. Wow, that felt good and I yelled DOGGIE! I don't know why I yelled that but I didn't care. That was a highlight reel shot and run out from nowhere. No one will ever see it except me and few other guys, but who cares. Even my opponent (a super nice guy named Larry, who plays pretty good) smiled at me and said nice shot. My teammates were all smiles too, Jay had stolen one!

So there you have it. After 150 years of Pool, I can still get my juices flowing once in a while. I love this game!

double tap tap tap

 

[JoeyA]

Now I know I need weight.

JoeyA

Played again last night with a new attitude intact. We played a good team and Tang and I led the charge. We both went 4-0 and had to work for our wins. I had two run-outs off my opponents break and won my last game on a miracle out. My opponent safe'd me behind a ball, where I could only kick at one of my remaining two balls or play a half masse all the way down table for the other ball. I had no safety option, I had to go for it.

I opted to go for the masse and caught it perfect, sliding along the side rail and making the ball. I was left with a long thin cut on my last ball, and from there I could see I would run into one of my opponent's balls, maybe leaving me a look at the eight. I just decided to fire away and see what happens. I got down good on the ball and put a solid stroke on it and lo and behold I made it! The cue ball did hit my opponent's ball as expected, but that ball bounced off the end rail and came back and bumped the eight ball (which had been in a good spot for me) sending it against the side rail. Damn, I had no shot!

The eight ball was at the middle diamond with my cue ball a half diamond above it. There was a severe backwards bank shot into the side pocket and that was my only hope or I could try to find some kind of safety. I thought about it and realized I could make the bank, even though it was a very low percentage shot. I took a long look at it and knew that I had to use some extreme left english to throw it back uphill and also cut it very thin. But I knew it could be made. I thought about how thin I had to hit it and related it to a backwards cut bank on my Diamond table. You must over cut the ball I told myself.

I finally got down on the ball and took a look at the shot. I felt good for some reason, like I knew I could make this shot. I had it figured out. If I miss I lose the game, but that was not on my mind. I put a good stroke on the shot and the eight came right back up that hill directly at the pocket. I knew almost immediately I had made it. Wow, that felt good and I yelled DOGGIE! I don't know why I yelled that but I didn't care. That was a highlight reel shot and run out from nowhere. No one will ever see it except me and few other guys, but who cares. Even my opponent (a super nice guy named Larry, who plays pretty good) smiled at me and said nice shot. My teammates were all smiles too, Jay had stolen one!

So there you have it. After 150 years of Pool, I can still get my juices flowing once in a while. I love this game!

 

[jay helfert]

Now I know I need weight.

JoeyA

Joey, I'm a weekend player, if that. I just don't play that much anymore. The league is once a week on bar tables. I'm sure you play ten times as much as me, but thanks for the compliment anyway. :smile:

 

[cuesmith]

I joined a team for the first time in over ten years, ostensibly as a sub, but now they want me to play every week. UGH! I hate hanging out in a bar for 2-3 hours. I'd rather be home in the comfort of my den watching TV.

The actual playing isn't that hard, winning 3-1, 3-0, 3-1 and 5-0 so far. Everyone is very nice to me, doing their best to make me feel special ("Hey, it's Jay Helfert!"). That is, until we play our match. Then they want to beat me so bad, the same guys who were so friendly minutes before, now very intense and hovering over the table like it's life or death.

The one good thing is it makes me not want to lose, if you get that. I'm afraid to let them come back to the table so I almost always try for the run out, kicking at balls and playing combos, break shots or whatever. I'm not interested in any prolonged safety battles. I want to get it over with as quickly as possible, wasting little time on strategy. Kind of the way I used to play bar pool a million years ago, just get up there and shoot. That way no one can say you hustled them.

That's about it, my rant is over. I just don't know why I really don't enjoy this stuff anymore. It seemed like a good idea a couple of months ago when I agreed to play, but now I wish I hadn't.

My problem with the APA league has always been the handicap system and most especially the "23 Rule". It penalizes the players who improve and are forced to break up teams. It's really a big pyramid scheme.

 

[JoeyA]

You can start up the fire any time you want to Jay. You're that kind of guy. I have to keep tending the fire practically every day, just to stay even.
Best to you, my friend.
JoeyA

Joey, I'm a weekend player, if that. I just don't play that much anymore. The league is once a week on bar tables. I'm sure you play ten times as much as me, but thanks for the compliment anyway. :smile: