I understand it's not good to put a limit on myself. Just wondering playing league once a week and practicing on weekends what would be considered the typical level to cap out at ? For example, would achieving B level within 2 years be reasonable, or would it require more practice and competing ?
Working full time and playing pool at your highest level,is it possiable?
- Thread starter richiebalto
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I understand it's not good to put a limit on myself. Just wondering playing league once a week and practicing on weekends what would be considered the typical level to cap out at ? For example, would achieving B level within 2 years be reasonable, or would it require more practice and competing ?
It's really hard to say without seeing your game. I know players that are always playing - league 3-4 nights a week and tournaments or practice on the weekends for years and aren't and probably won't get any better. I see others that come in new, have a natural ability for the game and will definitely get to "B" status in 2 years.
JC
Coos Cues
After Scott taught me his "mother" drills he asked me how long I thought it would take to go through them all. A bit overwhelmed by the day long training at the time I guessed a half hour to 45 minutes. When he told me the truth (2.5 hours I think is what he said) I honestly told him I don't have that much time every day to just drill. If I did, and I had the burning desire, I have no doubt I would be much better today than I am. As it is I have the drills split up to go through them on a four day rotation. With ghost ball games mingled in. Having a business, wife and child I get out to play with the pool bums damned infrequently. I also find the waiting involved with league play and local tournaments to be a waste of the precious moments of my life. When I do play league it's not for serious pool, it's to have a beer and enjoy the camaraderie. Exactly the wrong thing to do if your goal is to improve your game.
From what I understand to be a B level player, I would say sure why not.
I would add that your league play will have to be approached with the proper mindset, not a social outing as Gman pointed out. Also instruction, study, video taping and anything else you can think of to increase your knowledge and improve your mechanics would be a must.
The league I play in is social, but it is also competitive. Definitely not just a bunch of people getting drunk hitting balls. 9 foot tables, 150 members, it does offer a way to test yourself under pressure and learn by watching better players.
I have taken a few lessons. My instructor recommends meeting every 2 months. You guys are right, I should ask her opinion. I probably could squeeze in some practice time during the week, but it would be limited.
To me, B level 9 ball player typically runs around 6-7 balls, will break and runout maybe twice in a race to 7.
I have taken a few lessons. My instructor recommends meeting every 2 months. You guys are right, I should ask her opinion. I probably could squeeze in some practice time during the week, but it would be limited.
To me, B level 9 ball player typically runs around 6-7 balls, will break and runout maybe twice in a race to 7.
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This^^^^
I have 2 girls and a new born baby and full time work. I play pool once a week for about 5-6 hours. Only problem is it takes me at least 4 or 5 hours to really get in stroke.
Life happens and you have to do what you have to do. Before the wife and kids I played almost everyday and did as I pleased. I went from a high C player (I stop playing for about 3 years when I was a solid B player) to a A player in a few short months. It didnt take long to gain my level of play back due to time I spent at the table.
That and I experienced that magical quantum leap to the A level in the process. So my game leveled off and then the economy took a major dump and makes me work 50+ hours just to make ends meet.
Right now Im a solid B again (last time I checked) but if I had the time I could get back to where I was when I had my leap.
Tis harder to unlearn than it is to learn
Another perspective is if you work a rotating shift. Myself, 6 o'clock to 6 o'clock....work day shift, then rotate to nights, then back to days and on and on. No way you want to go to the hall after working 12 hours on days, and on nights when you get off, it's closed, plus, you would be falling asleep after an hour. Not possible to stay at a high level doing this from my experience regardless if you have a family or not.
This kind of work does afford more days off, but just about the time you are in stroke, it's back to work to pay the bills. :frown:
This kind of work does afford more days off, but just about the time you are in stroke, it's back to work to pay the bills. :frown:
Yours my friend is a perfect example why it cant be done(work full time and play at your highest level)!
PaulGonzales
Registered
I'm married with no kids but my wife hates pool :frown:.. I work full time. The good thing is that my days off are the days that my wife works
.. So I have time to play. I play probably like 20 hours a week.I will say Yes, It's possible.
Yes, it's possible, but it isn't easy.
Steve Mizerak was an English teacher during his prime.
Iving Crane sold Cadillacs during his prime.
Tom Jennings, who won back-to-back US Open 14.1 titles in the 1970's, was a college professor of mathermatics.
If memory serves, Eddie Kelly dealt cards in a Vegas casino during his prime.
Steve Mizerak was an English teacher during his prime.
Iving Crane sold Cadillacs during his prime.
Tom Jennings, who won back-to-back US Open 14.1 titles in the 1970's, was a college professor of mathermatics.
If memory serves, Eddie Kelly dealt cards in a Vegas casino during his prime.
At MY highest level? I personally think yeah... I work full-time, 40 hour weeks in the office and still put in 45-50 hour weeks on the table consistently. That said, I'm still young, no family etc.
I'm improving every day and honestly I find having a job much less stressful than my school days... any more than I currently practice and I think I'd burn out for sure. I don't usually find myself unfocused or tired at the hall... if I've had a long day at work I just do some short drills and I'm on the road home after ~30 mins.
Of course I'm just a banger so I wouldn't know the answer if you were talking about pro-level playing.
I'm improving every day and honestly I find having a job much less stressful than my school days... any more than I currently practice and I think I'd burn out for sure. I don't usually find myself unfocused or tired at the hall... if I've had a long day at work I just do some short drills and I'm on the road home after ~30 mins.
Of course I'm just a banger so I wouldn't know the answer if you were talking about pro-level playing.
At your highest level? Of course not.
Think about it this way, lets say you work full time for 8 hours, then you play pool for 8 hours each day gambling and practicing and playing touranments, leaving 8 hours for sleep, eating, ect... You would get very good.
Now lets say you don't have a job and spend that 8 hours you used to spend working ALSO playing pool, gambling, tournaments, practice, ect... So now you are actually playing 16 hours a day and basically living and breathing nothing but pool.
Which guy ends up better? That guy without the job that plays twice as much pool. The guy with the job might get close to his highest level, maybe 90% is possible, but that extra 10% is the result of ALOT more work and dedication that comes from nothing but playing pool constantly.
Think about it this way, lets say you work full time for 8 hours, then you play pool for 8 hours each day gambling and practicing and playing touranments, leaving 8 hours for sleep, eating, ect... You would get very good.
Now lets say you don't have a job and spend that 8 hours you used to spend working ALSO playing pool, gambling, tournaments, practice, ect... So now you are actually playing 16 hours a day and basically living and breathing nothing but pool.
Which guy ends up better? That guy without the job that plays twice as much pool. The guy with the job might get close to his highest level, maybe 90% is possible, but that extra 10% is the result of ALOT more work and dedication that comes from nothing but playing pool constantly.
This is something very difficult for me. I work 630pm-630am Mon-Thur/Fri. This means I get off work either Friday or Saturday morning and there aren't any halls open when I get off. When I only work 48 hours I either won't sleep so I can be at the hall by 11am, or I only sleep for about 3 hours so I can be there which is rough because with driving time I am away for work 56 hours on a 4 day week and 70 on a 5 day week.
In all seriousness if I really wanted to really really push myself I could get up and be at the hall by 2pm on workdays to practice for 3 hours and then knock it out on the weekends. I just don't have it in me to push myself that hard anymore.......I'm getting older ya know.
In all seriousness if I really wanted to really really push myself I could get up and be at the hall by 2pm on workdays to practice for 3 hours and then knock it out on the weekends. I just don't have it in me to push myself that hard anymore.......I'm getting older ya know.
I would say that high B+, low A would be possible, but it will take a lot of years.
I'm a firm believer in the 10,000 hour theory (Google it). The theory was also applied, in part, in Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers", which talked about ppl that had extraordinary achievements and what it took to get there.
With, say, 6 hours average of practice per week, plus a league night (7 hours of total play?), I would say it would take 15-20 years.
Eric
TheThaiger
Banned
99.99% of us could play all day, every day, and still get nowhere near pro level. We all have our level.
George Breedlove worked 40+ hours a week building furniture and selling it all over the country. Not too many went looking for him for a 10k+ set. But IMO you had to be just about at the top BEFORE you started working fulltime. I believe you can mantain the high level you had before you started working, but not get very high if you were only a C player before the work came along. Johnnyt
Meh...what has he won lately?
I'd say he can regain 80% speed by playing for a couple hours and acknowledge that that is a very hi level.
But to win a major, you gotta play better than 80%.
Look at pro athletes, doping with PEDs to pick up an additional % of speed/ strength that is in the single digits. That 3% top end increase is HUGE.
But the question 'your highest level'? too squishy.
Johnny,
George didn't play anything like he did when he was a full time player though. It's at least the 7 ball difference.....
I've heard of a couple "true" talents who played world class pool while holding down full time jobs. Probably the best was our local Kenny McCoy aka The Truck Driver. He went straight from high school to working full time, drove truck for two different grocery stores until retirement, and was married with two kids. He played all comers from the 60's thru the late 80's and never dodged anyone. Rempe, Hubbart, Marino.... One year at the Dayton All Stars tourney he jumps in a ring game with Siegel and Varner and dominated the game. He finally tells them that he has to leave at a certain time, that he has to go to work. They said, you play like this and have a job??? Lol
George didn't play anything like he did when he was a full time player though. It's at least the 7 ball difference.....
I've heard of a couple "true" talents who played world class pool while holding down full time jobs. Probably the best was our local Kenny McCoy aka The Truck Driver. He went straight from high school to working full time, drove truck for two different grocery stores until retirement, and was married with two kids. He played all comers from the 60's thru the late 80's and never dodged anyone. Rempe, Hubbart, Marino.... One year at the Dayton All Stars tourney he jumps in a ring game with Siegel and Varner and dominated the game. He finally tells them that he has to leave at a certain time, that he has to go to work. They said, you play like this and have a job??? Lol