Tweet
Greetings to all,
my name is Catherine. I was going through some sites about snooker and i came accross a conversation some members were having in the Forum and since i had to be a member to reply i immediately registered. The conversation started a long time ago and it was about women's highest break in snooker (officially). As i read the threads one specific one caught my attention, the comment in this thread was that men don't have any physical advantages over women and the reason women do not play as well is that we are not good enough. I would like to bring some light onto this subject if i may. I am a pool player but i have recently taken up snooker and will be representing my country in Latvia in June.
A bit of history...
I have been playing Black Ball Pool (English pool) for the last 10 years now, my team have been winning the Championship and Cup for the last 6 years (with exception to two years ago). I am the only woman in the championship. I am a main player since our team only has 6 players which means i play every week, this year i only lost two games with only four matches to go. We are currently No.1 with a 6 point lead.
This Saturday I am playing my Country's Singles quarter-final in Black ball (again i am the only woman). I am also the No.1 in Women's American pool in my country.
So to sum up... i can hold a cue
To the subject: Men DO have physical advantages over women. Women must overcome these obstacles in order to be able to play as well.
1. We have a chest for one thing. I am sure men wouldn't be able to play so well if they had an uneven surface for the cue to slide over and would have to adjust their whole body, arm, back and swing in order to hit a ball properly and as intended. It doesn't matter how many years go by and how well i have adapted to my body, my chest still gets in the way. Reasons for this is that a womans chest changes constantly due to hormones or even the bra we may wear
You don't find any books or coaches telling you how to play if you have a chest.
Lucky for men, they don't have this constant annoyance and battle.
2. Women's hormones are not a laughing matter Just as they effect our chest, our moods, our sensitivity and body size they also effect our balance, concentration and accuracy. And boy are they inconsistant. Every month there are days i swear it's like i don't know how to hold a cue or even aim.
3. Comparatively men are also taller than women. They are more able to lean over the table properly and not try and reach for everything all the time or use the rest.
4. Mens hands and fingers are bigger than womens, the bridge created by something bigger and broader is more stable than something, softer and slimmer. This advantage also helps when the cue ball is in an awkward position and having to play over object balls since men can be more stable on one finger than women.
5. On a last note... for women to play better we have to be more like men, less feminine. Let me elaborate:
hair tied back or cut short,
clothes worn to matches (a collared shirt, a tie and suit trousers) men wear these every day of their lives for all occasions, women wear them only for tournaments (they are not comfortable)
nails cut.
So basically being a man is an adavantage on its own. Plus men don't have to worry about being pregnant. I have had the pleasure of going through two pregnancies during my experience in pool and snooker, which meant i had to adapt to all the changes of my body, learnt to play differently, have the baby and then return to start all over again.How do we women manage these things?
I think i will stop there for now. Trust me when i say sometimes it just aint fun being a woman in sports, but God knows I love the challenge
my name is Catherine. I was going through some sites about snooker and i came accross a conversation some members were having in the Forum and since i had to be a member to reply i immediately registered. The conversation started a long time ago and it was about women's highest break in snooker (officially). As i read the threads one specific one caught my attention, the comment in this thread was that men don't have any physical advantages over women and the reason women do not play as well is that we are not good enough. I would like to bring some light onto this subject if i may. I am a pool player but i have recently taken up snooker and will be representing my country in Latvia in June.
A bit of history...
I have been playing Black Ball Pool (English pool) for the last 10 years now, my team have been winning the Championship and Cup for the last 6 years (with exception to two years ago). I am the only woman in the championship. I am a main player since our team only has 6 players which means i play every week, this year i only lost two games with only four matches to go. We are currently No.1 with a 6 point lead.
This Saturday I am playing my Country's Singles quarter-final in Black ball (again i am the only woman). I am also the No.1 in Women's American pool in my country.
So to sum up... i can hold a cue
To the subject: Men DO have physical advantages over women. Women must overcome these obstacles in order to be able to play as well.
1. We have a chest for one thing. I am sure men wouldn't be able to play so well if they had an uneven surface for the cue to slide over and would have to adjust their whole body, arm, back and swing in order to hit a ball properly and as intended. It doesn't matter how many years go by and how well i have adapted to my body, my chest still gets in the way. Reasons for this is that a womans chest changes constantly due to hormones or even the bra we may wear
You don't find any books or coaches telling you how to play if you have a chest.Lucky for men, they don't have this constant annoyance and battle.
2. Women's hormones are not a laughing matter
Just as they effect our chest, our moods, our sensitivity and body size they also effect our balance, concentration and accuracy. And boy are they inconsistant. Every month there are days i swear it's like i don't know how to hold a cue or even aim.3. Comparatively men are also taller than women. They are more able to lean over the table properly and not try and reach for everything all the time or use the rest.
4. Mens hands and fingers are bigger than womens, the bridge created by something bigger and broader is more stable than something, softer and slimmer. This advantage also helps when the cue ball is in an awkward position and having to play over object balls since men can be more stable on one finger than women.
5. On a last note... for women to play better we have to be more like men, less feminine. Let me elaborate:
hair tied back or cut short,
clothes worn to matches (a collared shirt, a tie and suit trousers) men wear these every day of their lives for all occasions, women wear them only for tournaments (they are not comfortable)
nails cut.
So basically being a man is an adavantage on its own. Plus men don't have to worry about being pregnant. I have had the pleasure of going through two pregnancies during my experience in pool and snooker, which meant i had to adapt to all the changes of my body, learnt to play differently, have the baby and then return to start all over again.How do we women manage these things?
I think i will stop there for now. Trust me when i say sometimes it just aint fun being a woman in sports, but God knows I love the challenge
Comment