Things I Wish I Were Better At: Billiards

[elSicomoro]

Playing 9-ball on my mobile phone got me thinking...I wish I were better at pool.

I used to play pool a lot when I was a teenager. We used to go to this pool hall near my house and play for hours. It was cheap, safe, and a lot of fun.

But I was never good at it. I'd make shots on luck or force, but I never really knew the dynamics of it. I was just trying to get the balls in, without really thinking about it.

But as I started playing 9-ball on my phone, I saw just what kind of skill is needed to actually play good billiards. Using the diamonds, the strength of your shot, the angle at which you hit the ball. Suddenly, it all became obvious. THAT'S how you play pool! My God...why did it take me 27 years to figure that shit out?

There's a 24-hour billiards joint near my house. Though those kind of places seem to attract surly folk in the wee hours, I might have to check it out to test my new "skills."