50+ pro players,cant compete?

[Terry Davidson]

It's not the eyesight going, it's the hand-eye coordination going almost completely. Every pro player in his prime had certain 'quirks' which his youthful coordination helped him overcome Hendry used to drop his elbow into his back on the backswing and then bring it back up on the delivery but he was able to manage that quirk until around 35+ years or so.

Whenever a pro had a technique which was close to perfect with no quirks he was able to carry on up to about 50 years or so, Steve Davis is a perfect example of this and so was Joe Davis. Neither had any quirks which had to be coordinated.

Take it from a player who has been there (although not as a pro) that without a doubt the hand-eye coordination does go south past 40 years or so. Yes, the eyesight generally gets worse but that can be easily fixed.

I also think the motiviation plays a big factor too.

[jonny66]

Ray Reardon didn't turn professional till his mid 30's

[Ronnington]

It's not the eyesight going, it's the hand-eye coordination going almost completely. Every pro player in his prime had certain 'quirks' which his youthful coordination helped him overcome Hendry used to drop his elbow into his back on the backswing and then bring it back up on the delivery but he was able to manage that quirk until around 35+ years or so.

Whenever a pro had a technique which was close to perfect with no quirks he was able to carry on up to about 50 years or so, Steve Davis is a perfect example of this and so was Joe Davis. Neither had any quirks which had to be coordinated.

Take it from a player who has been there (although not as a pro) that without a doubt the hand-eye coordination does go south past 40 years or so. Yes, the eyesight generally gets worse but that can be easily fixed.

I also think the motiviation plays a big factor too.

Fascinating stuff

[Peter2015]

I will always remember Steve Davis saying that when u get older u only remember the shots you missed and not the ones u potted !

[warren132]

I think its all about the concentration levels when we get over 40+ thats why older players start to miss the balls that they would never have missed when younger. Also money must be a factor too...when these players started out they all had nothing then when they stared winning the money just kept getting more and more surley when you have all the money in the world like hendry and the likes then it must be hard to keep doing 8 hrs a day...

[weezer]

LIke stemidd, I was quite a good player in my younger with a HB of 140 and used to average about 1 ton a day and lots of 80, 90 breaks but also was playing a lot. After a few years away from the game and now in my early 50's and in the last few months I have been playing a lot but just cannot get anywhere near a ton break these days. The odd 50 or 60 break maybe but that's about it. My 'ambition' is just to make just one more hundred break but doubt it will happen. I feel as though my eyesight is the same, for snooker anyway, but it can't be. As Terry above says, it must be to do with hand/eye coordination!

[throtts]

weezer,

If you want that ton bad enough you'll get it. This is the definite difference as you get older. 4 days ago my game went up another level in a practice session ( have my own table ), got lots of breaks, long blues flying in the black pocket with stun off the side cush for the black, it was all there, didn't think I was going to miss and the tight CB control was amazing. Felt the next step up the ladder was coming but was just waiting for it too click and by heck it was a big click. Now, if that happened years ago I would have been so hungry for my next knock the day after, but as I say, 4 days have passed without picking the stick up. Just seems as you get on a bit your priorities change big time and you can take or leave a lot of things. Must try and have a boxing day knock tomorrow then :snooker:

[vmax]

LIke stemidd, I was quite a good player in my younger with a HB of 140 and used to average about 1 ton a day and lots of 80, 90 breaks but also was playing a lot. After a few years away from the game and now in my early 50's and in the last few months I have been playing a lot but just cannot get anywhere near a ton break these days. The odd 50 or 60 break maybe but that's about it. My 'ambition' is just to make just one more hundred break but doubt it will happen. I feel as though my eyesight is the same, for snooker anyway, but it can't be. As Terry above says, it must be to do with hand/eye coordination!

You're also playing with different balls now. When you started out it was Super Crystalate balls and now they're Phenolic Resin balls that react differently and your muscle memory is probably still tuned to what you learned and got good with.

[magicman]

I think the reasons are numerous, failing eyesight, poorer concentration and as mentioned previously probably lack of quality preparation in the form of practice, both quality and quantity.

I recently had a prolonged break of 6 mths from the game and since I've been back my match game is nowhere. I've been scoring quite well, with 6 or 7 tons in the last 2 or 3 weeks, but I can throw an easy miss in at any time. I'm now 51 years old, and definitely aware of a consistency problem. Years back my A game was strong and my B game still formidable. Nowadays, my A game appears less frequently, is more sporadic even when it arrives, and my B game has devolved into a F game.

[Peter2015]

Yep magician u hit the nail on the head there u playing well have a nice break going then u miss a sitter and scratch your head wondering what happened there, but then stays with u for the nxt couple of shots.

[dcrackers147]

Father time waits for no man, getting older your confidence, co-ordination and eyes deteriorate. Also you are not as supple so something like stance may be affected without you realising.

[Cyril]

I heard Ray Reardon interviewed once and he said as you get older the nerves don't stand up to the pressure. It bites at you and a little bit of the hard gets smaller and smaller.

This is why players who have played at a very high and achieved a lot in their careers, carry scars. Sometimes an older man who comes in to the game later in his life (or starts to achive better results later in life), lets take Mark Davis or Peter Lines as examples... they seem to defy their age better than many of their fellow 40-odd year olds. It must be to do with them carrying less scars and also still having a fairly full tank of motivation.