Can you guys remember what it was like to not be able to play pool?

Question

Can you remember the awkwardness? What kept you shooting? Was there a point when you thought you could play pool but looking back on it now you realize you didn't have a clue?

Answer 1

Oh yeah, more than once. No, more than 100 times.

A person can't have too much knowledge in his/her chosen profession or sport.

Pool is one that will really humble you. Just about the time I thought I knew all I needed to know to compete, my instructor would lay something new on me. Then I'd spend hours practising another facet of the game.

Every time I got to the point I felt comfortable with that one, he'd come up with another one.

Although I've played in hundreds of tournaments I've always considered myself more of a team player. And two things that has kept me practising and adding to my game is I want to be able to "be on my game" when tournament time comes. The other, I lost 4 out of 5 games in a championship team match in 1992. Man, I really stunk up the place that day. The fact that we finished third didn't comfort me any. I was the one that blew it.

So far, knock on wood, that hasn't happened since.

You really know how to bring up bad memories, Lea, thanks, LOL, Steven.

Answer 2

johnny.........have you noticed you have ghosts in that pic of the pool table?? take a good look at it...haha.........sorry lea...:)

Answer 3

I remember the very first time I ever held a pool cue...it was so much harder than it looked! But the game intrigued me, and I kept at it. I know I'm much better now than I was when I thought I was good, but I can't remember anything I did that made me think I was good...

Answer 4

Best way to relive this feeling is to play with your opposite hand. I got bored of beating people at pool so I changed from right handed to left  to give friends a chance of winning. Good tip this.

Answer 5

I can remember like it was yesterday. My posture was completely wrong. The cue hit the ball with an odd whack instead of smooth click. Sounded like the stick would break. My step Dad just laughed and threw me the chalk put the ball back and let me try a couple more times. I finally got the angle and the right spot and it clicked and thud in the pocket like it was meant to be there. It wasn't long after a while I became one heck of a challenge.

Answer 6

Actually I remember it being much more fun in that I did not worry about it as much...I do think that I can play circles around myself back then....but the fun really went away a lot time ago....little bit is just  that I seem to have reached a spot that I have not been able to move from in quite a bit....always looking for ways to make my game better and it never seems to move from this spot ....as a result, I just don't seem to enjoy it as much.....but a lot has changed in my life in the past 10-12 years....been playing the game 40 to 50 years but really got serious about it 10-12 years back...still love the game and although she can be a %#*@# sometimes....I love her and would not trade her for anything in the world......only thing that I would change is the "smoke".....but you cant have a pool hall without it!!

Answer 7

Not really. When I was 4 my dad bought a coin op and took the legs off so I could play. I was always told how good I was even when it was a 2ft straight in to side. lol

Dad was a player and used to go to S'port. One of my hitting partners when I went with him was Buddy Hall and he was and is one of the nicest people ever.

Seems I was born into this business and frankly I took winning as a matter of course.

One thing you asked though was "what kept you shooting".

That is easy, it was trying to win a coke off Buddy, and you know one day...

That was the best coke ever finally. LOL

Luck

K

Answer 8

Another thing when you don't play for a long time, you will always loose the shots, until you are warmed up. Yeah I remember, I looked liked a geek.

Answer 9

Real truth no I grew up in poolrooms -for real thats why I had a couple of well known babysitters

My aunt that raised me did Vol work at a hospital on weekends I stayed at the poolroom with my Uncle Jack  Most time he played in the back room with some guy from Knoxville Named Eddie Taylor

Eddie set up the first shot I ever made in pool .I was almost 5

Memory I cant rem what I had for breakfast and that was 55 years ago

                         Good one Kid should be some good ans thanks

                             Later Johnny

Answer 10

It seems as I was a late starter at the age of 17. Well, of course do I remember. I was so fascinated just watching what happens that I didn't mind to suck. My motivation wasn't undermined. I advanced fast and that kept me going further. Then I added playing carom once in a wile, which made me the bar champion within one year. I played for a while on that level without knowing the fundamntals. My stance was wrong and my stroke horrible. It wasn't until I joined a carom club and later a pool club that I learnd the fundamentals right which was somewhat painful to go through. So here is my advice. If you want to learn the game, you got to find a pro who is willing to teach.

Answer 11

It's funny, I always thought that I was pretty good and I really didn't know why I wasn't improving.  I read a lot of books and watched videos but it wasn't until about 3 years ago that I broke down and got formal instruction.  Let me just say that I'm glad that they copy over the videotape of your initial stroke evaluation.  I never realized how bad I was doing until I saw myself on camera.  Ever since then, it's been improving all the time.  Before lessons, I had this ugly, choppy little check-stroke.  Ugh, it's painful to think about.  You're right, I really didn't have a clue.  If only I'd had lessons when I was a teenager...  Heck, I'm still young.  M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.