Win a free Jay Flowers Style Cue Case
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Now I am trying to Decide Tube, or Soft INTERIOR.
Why I play pool
The reasons why I still play pool are different than how I got hooked on the game. The only thing that hasn't changed is that I am not fully satisfied with how I am playing.
When I started playing I kept at it because I had a drive to understand the game. What happens when I use various types of English at a different angles? How about when I use that English on rails? I found myself doing the same shots over and over again using various types of spin until I began to understand what happens.
My drive to understand how a cue ball is going to move led me to play 9 ball using only defensive shots against myself and if I left myself a shot I had to imagine that I didn't have an open shot so I had to find a way to kick the ball.
I also had the great luck of living near a great pool hall. I started out playing at Rack n Roll in Painesville, Ohio. I even went so far as to work there when I was 18. During my interview the owner asked me, "why do you want to work here?" My only answer was "So I can play for free." Luckily she thought that was good enough and I was hired. I was not only able to watch some of the best amateur pool players I have seen, but was able to see the McDermott tour come through every year. I may have learned most things on my own, but I was shown some of the most productive English shots by "those in the know".
While working at Rack n Roll my drive to learn more almost became an addiction. I was working towards three things: beating the people who were my age and better than me, beating the regulars that were much better than me and finally beating myself. Unfortunately I moved to North Carolina 14 years ago and wasn't able to beat those regulars who I still consider to be some of the best players I have seen.
Within the first week of me living in North Carolina I found every pool hall in town and started playing. I had only been playing for a year by then so I had a long ways to go. After a few years of practicing like there was no tomorrow I was talking to a retired pro and played him at 9 ball. I was playing the game of my life, but I can honestly not tell you a thing about it because I was so zoned out I can't remember. The only things I remember are that he asked me what I was rated in APA (8 ball) which I told him a 5. He grumbled and said, "yea my ass". I didn't get it because I didn't realize just how well I was shooting. After a little longer he stopped me and said, "Yea 5 my ass! You've broken and ran 10 racks of 9 ball you *bleepity bleepin* sandbagger!" The gravity of that situation suddenly hit me and I was now back on Earth. I missed a few shots later and never regained that form, but I will never forget what I did that day....luckily someone was there to tell me about it.
I guess you could say that I still play this game because I am still chasing that perfect game. I could still be playing because I am driven to beat myself. To be honest I don't know why I keep playing, but I'll keep doing it until I can give you an answer.
The reasons why I still play pool are different than how I got hooked on the game. The only thing that hasn't changed is that I am not fully satisfied with how I am playing.
When I started playing I kept at it because I had a drive to understand the game. What happens when I use various types of English at a different angles? How about when I use that English on rails? I found myself doing the same shots over and over again using various types of spin until I began to understand what happens.
My drive to understand how a cue ball is going to move led me to play 9 ball using only defensive shots against myself and if I left myself a shot I had to imagine that I didn't have an open shot so I had to find a way to kick the ball.
I also had the great luck of living near a great pool hall. I started out playing at Rack n Roll in Painesville, Ohio. I even went so far as to work there when I was 18. During my interview the owner asked me, "why do you want to work here?" My only answer was "So I can play for free." Luckily she thought that was good enough and I was hired. I was not only able to watch some of the best amateur pool players I have seen, but was able to see the McDermott tour come through every year. I may have learned most things on my own, but I was shown some of the most productive English shots by "those in the know".
While working at Rack n Roll my drive to learn more almost became an addiction. I was working towards three things: beating the people who were my age and better than me, beating the regulars that were much better than me and finally beating myself. Unfortunately I moved to North Carolina 14 years ago and wasn't able to beat those regulars who I still consider to be some of the best players I have seen.
Within the first week of me living in North Carolina I found every pool hall in town and started playing. I had only been playing for a year by then so I had a long ways to go. After a few years of practicing like there was no tomorrow I was talking to a retired pro and played him at 9 ball. I was playing the game of my life, but I can honestly not tell you a thing about it because I was so zoned out I can't remember. The only things I remember are that he asked me what I was rated in APA (8 ball) which I told him a 5. He grumbled and said, "yea my ass". I didn't get it because I didn't realize just how well I was shooting. After a little longer he stopped me and said, "Yea 5 my ass! You've broken and ran 10 racks of 9 ball you *bleepity bleepin* sandbagger!" The gravity of that situation suddenly hit me and I was now back on Earth. I missed a few shots later and never regained that form, but I will never forget what I did that day....luckily someone was there to tell me about it.
I guess you could say that I still play this game because I am still chasing that perfect game. I could still be playing because I am driven to beat myself. To be honest I don't know why I keep playing, but I'll keep doing it until I can give you an answer.
I started playing pool last October, after finding pool tables in my University rec room. I saw some people shooting pool and figured it looked pretty fun, so I went up to the counter, got some pool balls, and started shooting. (The place I play you give them ur student ID they give you the pool balls, u get ur ID back after u pay for table time which is pro-rated at like 5.50 an hour). I was making some balls, but I didn't really know how I did it. Couple minutes later, some guy comes up to me and asks me if I want to play some 9 ball and split the bill on the table time. Turns out he's really good, and that's the first time I ever played 9 ball. He must have been trying to hustle me because he kept telling me he doesn't believe that I was new to the game. I just told him that no one was gonna lose any money because I wasn't betting. After that we just called each other up every so often to play and split table time bills. We now play regularly and there's never money involved. Ironic how a hustler showed me how to play and ends up as a practice partner isn't it? 
I owe a lot of my improvement to him since after he realised he wasn't gonna make a quick buck off of me he started to give me pointers and tips on how to shoot with english, draw, follow, stun, etc. He's been commenting on my position play lately, but hell, I'm not good enough to control the CB good enough AND pocket the OB yet.
Edit: Whoops, too late, didnt realise this contest was over till I posted
I owe a lot of my improvement to him since after he realised he wasn't gonna make a quick buck off of me he started to give me pointers and tips on how to shoot with english, draw, follow, stun, etc. He's been commenting on my position play lately, but hell, I'm not good enough to control the CB good enough AND pocket the OB yet.
Edit: Whoops, too late, didnt realise this contest was over till I posted
Ragtop1
Ragtop1
The contest is over, I'm sure, but I wanted to answer this anyway! I am a 64 year old grandmother and I am taking care of my 93 year old father. My husband's brother and his wife play pool just about every night at the Moose club and play in tournaments, etc. As a young man, my dad played pool and he loves to watch these guys play at the Moose club, so we take him over there every Friday night. He sits up at the bar and watches them play. Well, to be honest, I really got bored quick. We have a pool table at our house and I had knocked a few balls around the table, but rarely would one go in unless it was sitting dead on the pocket -- and then the cue ball would inevitable follow it in the pocket. Sooooo, out of boredom I decided to try to learn how to play. I went on the internet and downloaded "how to play pool." I have only been playing about 5 months -- mostly by myself at home, but I have found this game to be very addictive! Now I am not ashamed to go to the Moose and play. I rarely win a game, but the amazing thing is how I feel when I do! Yesterday I ordered a Meucci Limited Edition Rose cue. I have been using just some house cues and I am very excited about getting my own cue. Now I need a case! Would like a case for 2 cues and 4 shafts, but a 1x1 would do me! lol My dad is really getting a kick out of watching me play!
a little story behind "why I play"
I started playing when I was 10 or 11 and my mom owned a bar. I played pool there on sundays when it was closed while she cleaned because I didn't wanna help clean! I played until I got blisters on my fingers.
When I turned 21, my mom needed a sub on her pool team and I hadn't picked up a stick in a 4 or 5 years(I had girls to attend to!). I played anyway. We played against Don McCoy's team. I didn't know who he was and no one had told me at the time. I had watched him run out against the first two people he played. It was my turn to play him. He broke, made a few balls, played safe. I was forced to kick two rails and do a cut shot full table. I never thought I'd make it, I was just trying for a hit. It went! I made the last balls of my suit, got straight in on the 8 in the side. One guy on our team, stopped me and said "Don't miss, you know who that is don't you? He won the world 9 ball!" I looked at him in disbelief, got back down and shot in the 8, and ooops, musta put a tad of follow on it, I scratched....
Ever since then I've always tried to "not play the opponet" and just play the table. And to this day, the table keeps kicking my ass! And thats why I keep playing!
I play because I like the game, I'm decent at it, and at any given point, you can beat even the best players on any given day.
You can pm me for my address for where to send the next case!
uttahere:
I started playing when I was 10 or 11 and my mom owned a bar. I played pool there on sundays when it was closed while she cleaned because I didn't wanna help clean! I played until I got blisters on my fingers.
When I turned 21, my mom needed a sub on her pool team and I hadn't picked up a stick in a 4 or 5 years(I had girls to attend to!). I played anyway. We played against Don McCoy's team. I didn't know who he was and no one had told me at the time. I had watched him run out against the first two people he played. It was my turn to play him. He broke, made a few balls, played safe. I was forced to kick two rails and do a cut shot full table. I never thought I'd make it, I was just trying for a hit. It went! I made the last balls of my suit, got straight in on the 8 in the side. One guy on our team, stopped me and said "Don't miss, you know who that is don't you? He won the world 9 ball!" I looked at him in disbelief, got back down and shot in the 8, and ooops, musta put a tad of follow on it, I scratched....
Ever since then I've always tried to "not play the opponet" and just play the table. And to this day, the table keeps kicking my ass! And thats why I keep playing!
I play because I like the game, I'm decent at it, and at any given point, you can beat even the best players on any given day.
You can pm me for my address for where to send the next case!
uttahere:
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