Too late to attempt to become pro?

[monkey]

I think the people that work/go to that snooker place that i go to think im propper sad lol. Been every day last week on my own

[adrift]

I think the people that work/go to that snooker place that i go to think im propper sad lol. Been every day last week on my own

I bet they don't think that. They will admire you for trying. Good luck.

[cueman]

I bet they don't think that. They will admire you for trying. Good luck.

Maybe but not just that, you are spending money so they really don't care, in fact they will probably encourage you and who knows maybe you could arrange a deal to get it cheaper if you ask nicely!

[monkey]

lol i know but when i walk in i just think that they are like 'oooomg hes here again' haha. They probably arent but you know, im just paranoid lol. Its £3 an hour as it is for people my age so not too bad anyway. My mum keeps moaning because i want to go every day, she's like 'YOU WENT YESTERDAY'.

I just pretended to have a joke with her by going 'im going to become a professional' and she said dont be stupid, kids that are like 12 will be very good at snooker and look how good you are, you are 15. Just makes me want it more i guess

[bigbreak]

Wasn´t Hendry 13 or 14 before he ever tried to hold a cue ?

Hendry made his first ton at that age and went on to win two Scottish National Championships before he left school!

[trevs1]

To the O.P

I think you have to look at it in terms of probability.

Most of today's top level pro's have come from a background of hard consistent play for many years before they even get the chance to play in the pro game. When you consider that, and, that many of the game modern pro's are in the age bracket of perhaps 17 to 20 years of age when they first get in, it does seem unlikely that you're going to get there. I don't say that simply wanting to discourage you from having a go, but to be realistic about your chances from a purely percentage point of view.

There are a few players who went onto play professionally who were good, but not THAT good at about 13 - 14 - 15 years of age, but, who massively improved over the next year or so of their playing lives from that age. Still, having said that, these players would still have been making (fairly) regular frame winning breaks (if not centuries) and were pretty experienced in playing competitively at a decent...ish level.

When you take THAT into consideration, it maybe gets a little clearer where exactly you are in this race. I'm not saying for one moment that you're not capable, I'm just pointing out some fundamental truths about what your chances would 'appear' to be when compared to hundreds of players who have done this before you.

When you also factor in the chances of getting to a point whereby you can actually make a living from the game, and by that I mean making at least £25.000 / £30,000 per year, it looks rather bleak in my own honest opinion, simply on the basis that there's so little money to be had in the game as it stands today, especially for those ranked below a certain point.

If we then take a look at those players who are in a position ranking-wise to offer the opportunity to make that decent living, well, these are the elite of the game. They are almost exclusively players who showed tremendous promise at VERY early stages of their careers. The likes of Williams - Higgins - O'Sullivan, and then even those like Selby - Carter - Murphy - Maguire and Day, were ALL at a VERY high standard at your age.

Every one of these guys would have played snooker initially because they got the bug and loved it to death. It would have only become a consideration much later on to perhaps persue it as a potential career, after they displayed the requisite attributes it demands, and NOT because they fancied a life as a snooker pro.

Get yourself an education and work towards a career doing something that will almost certainly give you a good wage. Play snooker in the meantime as often as you can (and can afford) and if that bare's fruit, all well and good.

Best of luck with your game.

[noel]

Trev...that one of the best posts I have ever read on TSF.


Props to you Sir!


=o)

Noel

[SmellySocks]

I agree, some very sound and balanced advice.

I would say that you should study hard at school, A levels and get a degree.

Play Snooker in every spare moment and you could still be successful on a semi pro level. With a good education and some direction on a career you could afford to play (and beat) your mates in the evenings and many years down the line you could even have your own full size table at home. Get your mates over and its easy money

[cazmac1]

I second that, very good post trevor, very sound advice:snooker:

[Mc2G]

When you also factor in the chances of getting to a point whereby you can actually make a living from the game, and by that I mean making at least £25.000 / £30,000 per year, it looks rather bleak in my own honest opinion, simply on the basis that there's so little money to be had in the game as it stands today, especially for those ranked below a certain point.

Yes, Mark Selby said once, that only top 64 players can make a living off of snooker

[ADR147]

Yes, Mark Selby said once, that only top 64 players can make a living off of snooker

i would think thats about right.

as for becoming a professional player i would agree with trevor stay at school!

at 15 i could easily make a frame winning break (i had a snooker table in my house!) but i know for sure i didn't have the talent to play the game for a living, with most people i think there is a talent wall somewhere and in my humble opinion unless you are able to play to a high standard in 6 months of trying you will find your talent wall is too low!