From an outsider’s perspective, some games seem like they have no point. Yet the people who play the games seem to love it! Pool is a game that has an acquired taste in this sense. So, why do people love to play pool?
In this article, we will go over 4 reasons why people love playing pool. Next time you have the chance, let a friend teach you how to play pool. Most pool players are more than happy to share their love with others.
Playing Pool Is Cognitively Challenging
The point of pool is you want to make the 2 ball go into the corner pocket.
To do that, you need to use the tip of your cue stick to hit the cue ball with enough force in the exact spot that makes it roll down the table and hit the 2 ball in the right place to send it off at the proper angle to drop into the corner pocket.
However, the challenge to a player’s mind is only beginning. The cue ball might send the 2 ball into the corner pocket, but the shot doesn’t stop there.
The cue ball is going to ricochet off the 2 ball at an angle and then hit a rail or two at angles. As it caroms around the table, other balls may be in the way and further affect the direction of the cue ball.
Good pool players will not only make their shot, they will also use their understanding of the following to set up the cue ball to stop rolling at a particular spot on the table for their next shot:
- Geometry
- Force
- How every action has an equal and opposite reaction
That means a good player will need to approach the table with a strategy. Really good pool players have a clear idea of the exact order for their shots before they begin. Professional pool players are intellectual geniuses.
Pool Can Benefit You Physically
Playing pool is not going to be as physically beneficial as jogging or lifting weights, but don’t underestimate its physical value.
Pool Is a Workout
The stress of a workday builds up. The back aches, the neck is stiff, and a bit of grouchiness seeps out from the brain.
The basic steps you take when playing pool include:
- Walk around the table
- Scan the table from left to right
- Glance up and down the table
- Move eyes from left to right
- Bend over the table
- Line the shot up
- Take a deep breath and hold it
- Shoot the shot
- Exhale
Doing all this will help to work out all the kinks and ease your aches.
Playing Pool Relaxes You
Pool players often enjoy a few games after work because they know it relieves stress and relaxes them. How does that work?
Playing pool stimulates the vagus nerve. Stimulation of the vagus nerve is directly associated with an elevation in mood and physical relaxation leading to:
- Better sleep
- Healthier digestion
- A boost in the immune system
The vagus nerve wanders through the body and brain and controls the parasympathetic nervous system.
Playing pool stimulates it where it attaches to the back of the eye from eye movement from side to side. Also, the deep breaths taken during the game presses the abdomen back against the vagus nerve and stimulates it where it runs along the spine.
mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/vagus-nerve-stimulation/about/pac-20384565
Playing Pool Enhances Social Bonding
Some people struggle to make friends because of conflicting interests. Pool halls are where people gather with a common interest, which is pool, so you can quickly make friends there if you’re into the game.
A game of pool is an excellent icebreaker and helps relieve the inhibitions everyone feels. Good players and bad players alike, solidarity grows among all in a pool hall.
Pool halls can be held in:
- Gyms
- Clubs
- Bars
- Community centers
So if you feel like you’re lacking in friends or even components to play pool with, visit one of these spaces and you may just have a solution.
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Playing Pool Rouses Emotions
A game of pool will stir countless emotions. These emotions are the elements that make lasting memories for friends gathered around a pool table.
Here are some of them:
-
- Camaraderie and a sense of security among friends
- Feeling of belonging amongst fellow pool players
- Admiration of great shots
- Disbelief at the success of difficult shots
- Shared disappointment at the failure of difficult shot attempts
- Amusement with the failure of easy shots
- Gaiety and laughter
- Good sportsmanship when the scores are counted
- Pride when you win the game
Remember that playing games aren’t just about winning, they can be about having a good time too.
Conclusion
At the end of a night in a pool hall, people are probably not going to articulate what they experienced as they were playing pool like it has been examined here.
They are going to shake hands or hug, smile, and say, “That was so much fun! See you next week.” What’s not to love?