Topic: What makes you so good?

[MR.STEVE]

I dont get how some players are so much better than most players,I have seen people play  that I thought could never loose, then they get blown away like there a rookie.What makes you better than me?

[Welch]

i bet you could beat me...

[Daniel]

Table Time, Table Time, Table Time and oh yea more Table Time!

[invisiblesmoke]

Good coaching.  See Grandmaster.

And there are little-known foosball tips and secrets which most pros won't tell others.

[Chase Pennell]

table time....and physical ability....some people just dont have that upper level ability

[MR.STEVE]

Well guys that didnt help much .Chase your a great player you play on a high level is it knowing the game better than most, like michael jordan he new basketball better than anyone,are the pro masters just way ahead of the field in that respect,I think I know the game but a good pro could teach me quite a bit.

[Chase Pennell]

IMHO there are a couple of factors......

1, you have to want to get better....and at every chance playing better players and asking questions

2, there is some knowledge that some great players know that helps...but most of it is common sence stuff that you should just know but for some reason your body dosnt want to respond. (this has been my problem)

3, Physical Ability....some people just are faster and more talented (you can find this in any sport) and that makes them even better

To me there are 2 different types of High level players....

A, The super talented that can just do anything on the table...(still have a strong mental game)

B, And the players that are very mentally strong on the table (not as talented but still talented) these people use baits and mental traps to set up an opponent...

But no matter which one a person is...they need consistency and practice to get to that point and play that well....


SIDE NOTE: at one time i had a VERY hard time playing people that were good at "hacking" (it was my weakness...) and had to play a ton of matches against people like that to beable to beat them.... but just as you hear all the time...PRACTICE and that means getting alone time on a table as well as playing a ton of different people and finding ways to beat them!

Hope that helps
Chase
 

[MR.STEVE]

That helps I to have a problem with the everyday hacker because they are very cosistant at it, I lost in KY because I was not cosistant and lost my confidence this is what I need to overcome, guess I need to go back to the basics and work hard on what
i can do. I guess at 50 I keep thinking its like it was in the old days ,I have all the desire I had back then just not the skills. you guys are right table time plus table time

[bbtuna]

there are so many variables but I will make some generalizations

people who have confidence and play well under pressure, regardless of their skill level, will get the most possible out of their game

game intelligence, making good decisions and having insight to the game that doesn't come natural for most people goes hand in hand with the above...I have found that these two elements usually come in a package

I think with hard work, a person lacking these key ingredients, can improve them…I am just not certain how far – for the person where these things don’t come naturally, I am certain they can improve, I just don’t know if they will ever get to the same level as someone who has these skills naturally

If you are not the person with these natural skills, we all know someone like this…a person who plays better under pressure and who seems to win often and frequently the wins are against players whose physical skills are more developed

if you combine these two things, a person with less natural or trained skill will consistently beat people of higher skill levels

[bbtuna]

I am a VERY VERY Strong proponent of practice, lots of practice and I think it is one of the essentials to genuine greatness however by itself, practice is not enough -  A person wanting to excel or get to true greatness must have

Passion (drive and tenacity) – a drive that transcends the ordinary and keeps the person pushing limits to discover things know one else has ever known both in knowledge and physically – perfect current example of this is Michael Phelps – the best of the best all push to redefine their area of interest

Creativity – Passion will take you to new places and creativity will find the uniqueness of the person’s art physically and/or mentally – Tony Spredman is a great example of this

Competitiveness – a desire to win that can not be turned off – every little thing – a desire to beat everyone at everything – when this person smells blood, they drive harder…they never take anything for granted and they drive until final horn sounds

Mental Strength – a person who has the first 3 will have this one - this includes playing under pressure and game smarts

How much a person has of any or all of these will determine how they go about growing their game and ultimately will decide how successful they are during the maturity process…each player needs a mix of the following to develop their game

Practice – alone time with the table
Pick up play – non-tournament game play
DYP’s  – DYP’s alone are not enough “tournament experience” but for most people they will be part of the early to mid-level development but I think there comes a time when the DYP has limited value to a players development especially when they are pushing the top level of play
Tournaments - (regional/national/international) – lots of experience with the pressures and adjustments needed for winning play

[bbtuna]

Ironically, there is a thread on the other board which sort of touches on some of this at the highest level...here is a post just today by Dave Gummerson 2006 Open Doubles World Champion (Tornado) and took third in 2007...Dave is responding to comments about how good Fredrico C. is compared to Tony and Billy...basically people were saying Billy and Tony would be better thatn FC if....

here is Gummy's take, this is a real life example of what I was talking about in the previous post

---------------------------

It's a cop out to say this person or that person would be better if they practiced. I went through years of working full time and then raising a family etc. and playing against players like Todd, Terry etc. when they were winning everything in sight. To say well if I had more time to practice or if there was more incentive or whatever just sounds like an attempt to minimize what another person accomplished and serves no purpose. Initiative, hard work and determination is a big part of the equation for winning and being successful. If Rico practices more then that's part of why is is the best and to me that impresses me far more then untapped potential.

I'm not knocking Billy or anyone else but, as far as I'm concerned until someone finds the inner desire to be better then Rico and proves it I don't want to hear about how they are better but, just not motivated. It amazes me that Rico has the drive to work as hard as he does to be as good as he is WITHOUT all the money and rewards that drive most people. For that I give him all the credit in the world.

You could say that there were a number of people that would have been better then Terry in the 90's if they put in the time. The fact is they didn't and Terry did and that's why he was the most consistent during that decade. That's the kind of stuff that impresses me. Effort and percerverance is the single most important part of why Rico is the best in my opinion. Of course he has a ton of talent but, without the effort he would just be another really good player. He chose to take it to the nth degree and the results are because of that.

Dave Gummeson

[MR.STEVE]

I saw Dave G. in Ky. I watched him play his wall pass un real One thing he was very composed all the time. He is very correct in what he says there, I don`t worry about who`s the best in the world,I would like to play them though, I have played forward all my life,But I have been playing goalie a lot lately and I like it so as soon as our pro master gives me more D. tips I will make that my new job it sure will help my singles game. We do need to here from more goalies anyway..

[bbtuna]

by the way, a little off topic but you mentioned singles...I heard Jim Stevens comment once on a video that no one whos primary position is goalie has won open singles at Worlds (Tornado of course)...it is always a forward with a strong goalie game not the other way around

I would be willing to bet that in any Major (not just Worlds) stretching back as far as people want to go, you will be hard pressed to find the exception to this rule...I am sure there is one or two but I can't remember seeing it in the stats I have seen but I am certain it must have happened once or twice

however, bottom line is, it is very rare...

probably happens more often in lower ranks because there are so many random variables which is one of the things that makes lower ranked play so difficult to win consistantly...those that have won consistantly at the lower level have games developed WAY beyond everyone else and usually sky rocket into the PM ranks after a 1 1/2 to 2 years of dominance (some examples of people since I have been back playing are Ryan Moore, Blake Robertson, Kane Gabriel, Dainel Colter, Chris Harrington, Chris Hagerman, and Ron Olson) 

[MR.STEVE]

The exspert singles in Ky was won by Ron Olsons goalie I cant think of his name , But thats not a open classanyway it has to help me some.

[bbtuna]

like I said, you will find some exceptions more in the lower ranks but the principle is one to consider

the best singles players are also good goalies so it will benefit any singles game to be a better goalie the point is that if you want to become the best singles player you can be, you may want to play as much forward as possible while you build your goalie game.

are you talking about 2008 KY?  because that was won by Kevin Westcott who I don't think plays with Ron and he says he is a forward
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