Why We Love/Hate Pool and Billiards

[Johnnyt]

Learning to play pool and billiards is a never-ending task. I believe if you made a list of all the basics to the advanced of the advanced one needs to know we would see that pool and billiards are one of the hardest games/sports to become pro level at. I’m talking capable of winning a major tournament not a regional. Other sports like basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and others you need to be tall or strong or big before you can hope to get to the pro level. Pool is as mental as any sport out there. Most other sports you play/score on quick reflexes. You have no time to think what to do. It’s mostly all instinct. In pool you have plenty of time to think. There is plenty of time for those negative thoughts to creep in before you shoot. Johnnyt

 

[JAM]

Learning to play pool and billiards is a never-ending task. I believe if you made a list of all the basics to the advanced of the advanced one needs to know we would see that pool and billiards are one of the hardest games/sports to become pro level at. I’m talking capable of winning a major tournament not a regional. Other sports like basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and others you need to be tall or strong or big before you can hope to get to the pro level. Pool is as mental as any sport out there. Most other sports you play/score on quick reflexes. You have no time to think what to do. It’s mostly all instinct. In pool you have plenty of time to think. There is plenty of time for those negative thoughts to creep in before you shoot. Johnnyt

I've always said that acquiring the mechanical skills in pool is far easier than controlling the mind games that can occur when in the heat of the battle.

I remember talking myself out of a shot when bearing down on a duck shot for the almighty win. My nerves came into play. Any other time, I'd execute the shot successfully, but when under the pressure, it is hard to get rid of those thoughts racing through my mind, like what if I miss, what if I hit it too hard, et cetera, et cetera.

Most champion players in all sports endeavors seem to have a great deal of self-confidence. I recently wondered why Steve Tyler of Aerosmith was so attractive to me. He's really not that handsome at all. It is his self-confidence that makes him quite attractive to me, and his self-confidence makes him a winner in his chosen endeavor.

 

[justnum]

I do league play because I like practicing with people other than myself.

Some players are hardcore take no prisoners, make no mistake players.

I prefer to just go out shoot some tough shots, leave the opponent some tough shots and see what happens. As far as beating my opponents to the full extent of my maximum potential, those thoughts left me long ago, around the same time the IPT folded. That was when I started treating billiards just like a children's game, it is fun and I use it for entertainment.

Sure I act out when I scratch and sometimes I really give a good performance when I lose but I have fun. And in the economic times my city is in, it is better than joining the rat race.

I can't afford to take the game too seriously anymore because it will stop being fun. My new goals are to totally embellish how I feel when playing pool, some kind of acting therapy.

It is better then video games because I am around other people in real life, and it doesn't have any barriers. People are just playing their match, talking, reacting and just there. It is not a forced interaction like a blind date. It is people enjoying a game and seeing how other people enjoy the game. I have come to enjoy the game and playing it as opposed to who is winning. As of late I'd rather just watch my opponents select and play shots then hear them talk about what they are thinking.