Nick Prinsloo has been playing pool for a total of 21 years, 15 years competitively. Originally a pro-level snooker player and instructor, Nick discovered 9-ball and came to the US in 1998, where he has been playing on regional tours ever since. Lately, Nick writes more about the game than he actually plays. Nick was the Guide for Billiards at About.com for almost four years. Nick's column archive is located here.
	Lesson 5: Why Pool? By Nick Prinsloo  More of this Series •  Introduction • 1.) Philosophy Of Pool • 2.) Learning To Play Pool • 3.) Overcoming The Physical Barriers • 4.) Overcoming The Mental Barriers • 5.) Why Pool? • 6.) Becoming A Natural Player • 7.) Judging The Angle & Establishing The Right Technique • 7e.) Sighting The Shot • 7f.) The Practice Strokes • 7g.) Pausing For Perfection • 7h.) Final Cue Delivery Why play pocket billiards at all? You could be watching it on TV at home instead! That is, if ESPN feels generous enough to endow us with more than just the odd hour every now and then.  The fact is, it's easy to watch it or talk about it, but being an armchair expert will get you nowhere. You play pool because you are a do-er. Even if you never want to get any better than league or social player standard. You have observed the challenge, considered it and accepted it. You want to rise above the tedium of mediocrity. Why specifically billiards, and not golf, tennis, boxing (this one should speak for itself), skiing, or whatever? That could be due to various reasons; for instance, your dad could have taken you to play when you were young and you eventually found out that you either liked the game or not. Whether you liked it or not would depend on your initial success rate, but it would nevertheless determine whether you take to billiards, or to any other sport you are exposed to, for that matter. If you found you excelled at more than just pool and you came to a stage where you had to choose or specialize, you might have chosen pool above other sports for any of the following reasons, if at all. You may have found some very interesting characters hanging around the billiard halls, ranging from millionaires to bums, from lawyers to corrupt criminals (any difference?), from geniuses to mental midgets, successful businessmen to your typical billiard room battler. You are eternally frustrated by the possibility of running the table, breaking down when you get to the a crux shot. You have an affinity for colorful balls. They are irresistible, aren't they? And so on. Next page >> Page 1, 2 Previous Features Copyright © About.com