"If you think you are something you are not, then you will never grow"

~Tony T

I have some idea of what it would take...

1. Money in the bank during the "lean" times (which applies to life in general)

2. New shooting equipment
3. Possible table at home
4. Serious lessons
5. Practice daily
6. Playing in many tournaments

A little about me...I am an "average" player. I have never run more than 50 balls in 14.1, and I broke and ran 3 racks of 9-ball a few times in my life. I have been playing "off/on" for 20 years, but have never won anything major, and I have engaged in friendly wagers as well, no "serious" gambling. (I have never bet more than $300 on a game or set in my life).
I have been told by many that I have a great stroke...but so what if I don't win!

I also don't play more than twice a month, which would obviously have to change if I decide to take this path.

Feedback appreciated.....>

It's totally illogical.

It's the same as asking a group of people, "Do you think I should try jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge? I've jumped off things before."

There's a very good chance you won't even come close but everybody here is going to tell you to try anyway. I mean, if you're even thinking about it, I don't see why you bother asking us because obviously, logic means nothing to you.

Personally, I love being the weekend warrior. I love amateur status because I can play in anything and I don't think about my rent when I lose. Considering that even the top 20 professionals have a hard time making a living, I cannot fathom why ANYBODY would want to go pro unless they were reasonably certain they could be dominant.
Enjoy your jump. I hope the water is nice. Good luck.
__________________
Name: Jude M. Rosenstock
Cue: Predator 2
Age: 35
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Hours of pool: 15
Profession: Online Advertising

Some days you're the bug. Other days, you're the windshield.

parsimoniousness, shrewdness, apathetic, reminiscence, calibrate and integer.

It’s not easy making a living off of pool or the “arts” as they call it; what’s an artist? Well, whatever; my dogs name is art. It’s a cup, deep, hallowed and dry, sometimes. To suddenly get kerplunked in a bucket of wet and sour shrewdness.

The reward is 15 minutes; that’s the camaraderie-integer of people judging you after your shot. Then, it starts over again, as if you never lost before, that one good win is more like a band-aid for your last lose. The reminiscence of those with an ego the size of Minnesota gets deflated to the size of Ed Norton when a crowd of shrewdness is in the air.

Try that three rail kick shot-combo to the 8 for the bank in the hole, wait, hold on, you just missed by a hair, wow, afterward, there will be lots of pats on the back laughter and nice try-admiration-words along with “let me buy you a beer for that nice try-shot”, yeah-“nice”. But, attempt that exact same shot for a point during a game match in team 9ball and miss by a hair and you’ll not get that “nice try beer” after the whew’s-and-laughter but instead, get, “Are you flip’n-nuts? What are you doing? Why’d you do that? Are you on drugs?”

It doesn’t matter how many times you get those kinds of shots-when your fooling around with random free strokes on table 86 on a Saturday night with the boys, you are not going to get that ball in the hole when your playing a D+ who can run 5 balls at time as he is will be on hill if you miss.

Your B game is best exposed when you do not feel like shooting, you do not need to have feelings for shooting when your mechanical stroke is precise; that is what a B game is for. When you do not feel like shooting, this is a good time to test what your mechanics’ are made of. If you shoot when you are not in the “mood” (apathetic to the game) and find yourself missing routine shots, this could be an indication that your mechanics’ are not inline.

If you need to be in the "mood" to shot and have an alined mechanical play, then you probably need to practice your literal mechanics a bit more. Shoot without feeling to shoot, and see how well you stroke the ball. If you need to feel like shooting to have good mechanics then that is an indication you need to go and calibrate your game.