tateuts
05-11-2003, 11:15 AM
When I was in dead stroke 20 years ago, there was a tough young motorcycle guy - we'll call him Timmy Boy - who hung around the pool hall who wanted to beat me really bad.
Problem was, he couldn't play worth a damn. His stroke was short, crooked, and nervous. He missed everything. He had no ability to play shape.
I gave him the wild 5-Out in 9 ball and waxed him for whatever change he had in his pocket. The more I won the madder he got. I stopped playing the kid because I figured he was a little unstable.
As far as his ability to play goes, I figured some people just don't have it, and this guy would never be a good player.
Well, I lost interest in pool and went my merry way.
About 10 years later, I decided to stop by the old pool hall and hit a few, see how everyone was doing. I didn't want to walk into a pool hall totally out of stroke, so I went to a bowling alley to practice up for a couple of days and get a little stroke going on.
I walk in, get a table, and it's all new faces. Guess who comes up? Yep, Old Timmy Boy, and he wants to play for money - EVEN UP!
Well, I figured Timmy was bluffing. There was no way Mr. Banana Stroke was going to beat me, even if I was a little out of stroke. I vividly recalled his pathetic 9 ball game. I knew this his kid had waited for me to walk through those doors for 10 years, and he wants payback. I also figured I had to play him.
So we matched up. And Timmy Boy kicked my butt.
He ran racks and rarely missed. His stroke was now long and smooth and flowing. He played shape and angles, and could even jump the cue ball accurately.
The moral of this story is:
For beginners - improvement will come with practice.
For advanced players - respect those beginners, they'll be gunning for you soon enough.
Problem was, he couldn't play worth a damn. His stroke was short, crooked, and nervous. He missed everything. He had no ability to play shape.
I gave him the wild 5-Out in 9 ball and waxed him for whatever change he had in his pocket. The more I won the madder he got. I stopped playing the kid because I figured he was a little unstable.
As far as his ability to play goes, I figured some people just don't have it, and this guy would never be a good player.
Well, I lost interest in pool and went my merry way.
About 10 years later, I decided to stop by the old pool hall and hit a few, see how everyone was doing. I didn't want to walk into a pool hall totally out of stroke, so I went to a bowling alley to practice up for a couple of days and get a little stroke going on.
I walk in, get a table, and it's all new faces. Guess who comes up? Yep, Old Timmy Boy, and he wants to play for money - EVEN UP!
Well, I figured Timmy was bluffing. There was no way Mr. Banana Stroke was going to beat me, even if I was a little out of stroke. I vividly recalled his pathetic 9 ball game. I knew this his kid had waited for me to walk through those doors for 10 years, and he wants payback. I also figured I had to play him.
So we matched up. And Timmy Boy kicked my butt.
He ran racks and rarely missed. His stroke was now long and smooth and flowing. He played shape and angles, and could even jump the cue ball accurately.
The moral of this story is:
For beginners - improvement will come with practice.
For advanced players - respect those beginners, they'll be gunning for you soon enough.