How to classify if someone is talented at snooker, disregard of age?

[mchpddl1]

How to classify if someone is talented at snooker, disregard of age?
How to tell?

[Deepscrew]

If they pot balls!

[damienlch]

A natural potter maybe? If someone can, from the baulk line, pot and then screw the cue ball back to baulk from the pink or even black spot with some consistency, I would consider him or her talented.

[CoachGavin]

In the case of talented I am looking at it from a view of a natural with little or no coaching. Think there are different aspects. Some people I have taught just seem to be able to see the angles very quickly whereas others find it hard to visualize. Then there are others who seem to cue smoothly through the white naturally, creating lots of spin. Others might have great touch and can place the white exactly where they want. If they have these and more then I think they definately have talent. They also seem to pick up aspects of the game quicker, making it easier to improve even more and build on their talent.

[cazmac1]

someone who can do things that others only dream about

[Rane]

In the case of talented I am looking at it from a view of a natural with little or no coaching. Think there are different aspects. Some people I have taught just seem to be able to see the angles very quickly whereas others find it hard to visualize. Then there are others who seem to cue smoothly through the white naturally, creating lots of spin. Others might have great touch and can place the white exactly where they want. If they have these and more then I think they definately have talent. They also seem to pick up aspects of the game quicker, making it easier to improve even more and build on their talent.

Great answer, I´ve asked the same question before without getting any response, I could understand. It´s often been said about O´Sullivan that he´s the most natural talented player the games ever seen. How can anyone know, as it´s been said that he practised 60 hours a week for more than 20 years and only in the last years has slowed down a bit with practising?
I guess to win titles you need to be talented but most of all to put in enormous amount of hard work. And as a coach how much time do a player need to practise before you have the impression that he can make it to the top ?

[ADR147]

i guess in the end its if they win! personally i always knew i would never be good enough if you know what i mean, i never had the concentration required to make the best of my ability and i still don't!

[mchpddl1]

Do you think mental side is also depending on talent? Some handles pressure very well naturally, some needs to learn sports pyschology to help things out.

[ADR147]

Do you think mental side is also depending on talent? Some handles pressure very well naturally, some needs to learn sports pyschology to help things out.

i am pretty sure it is, i have known a few people who cue the ball really well and when things are going well for them can play the game to a very high standard. the difficult thing is to keep it up when things are going badly, its very hard to concentrate totally for any length of time especially if you are not in the balls.

[Vex 147]

I believe that someone is talented if he feels no pressure at all or very little, and if he can pot a long red of the baulk cushion after the break off shot and make a 70,80,90 break. That guy is definitely talented. Someone said above that talent is when someone pots a ball and screws the white back to baulk or something like that. I wouldn't really concider that as a talent cause everyone of us can spend a year practicing particular type of shots and you'll make it in the end, nothing special about it really, but if someone as i already said comes with no pressure and a smile on his face on te table, pots a long red and continues to make a break over 70 in no time...now that guy is a talent.

[Deepscrew]

Concentration is key for me. Such a stark difference if i do or dont think about things.

[damienlch]

...Someone said above that talent is when someone pots a ball and screws the white back to baulk or something like that. I wouldn't really concider that as a talent...

That'll be me... I can't do that from the pink spot, maybe the table's slow... haha. So I'd consider anyone that can do that to be talented.

[eaoin11]

I would say someone who really loves the game and masters it's various aspects relatively quickly.

[Noelcwb]

Like the mate said... I think is concentration. When you can control you concentration, focus, you can bring the game at you favor even if you are losing.

[ace man]

I believe that someone is talented if he feels no pressure at all or very little...

Then I guess nobody is talented... There's always pressure in competition of any kind. Could be unbearable for pros trying to make a living off snooker. Everyone feels it whether they admit it or not. Great champions learn to cope with it. Ronnie for example still cues perfectly even under most pressure. He feels it like any other player, but there's no twitching, no snatching at all, even if he misses, none. How on Earth does he control all that adrenalin when he's about to make a maximum I'll never know. I'd faint under those circumstances...

About talent? I don't know. To me, someone is very talented if he makes progress at the game at an unusually quick rate.