You might think of cue sports as a pub-only manly(ish) game that is played over a couple of pints. Actually, pool, snooker and billiards are much more than a game that is played in a dark corner of a Riley’s. I’ve been playing pool ever since I was little, and I’ve got some fantastic memories of learning how to play with my family, so it’s not surprising that I would recommend it.
Yes, I might be a bit biased when I say that you should play pool but it’s such a terrific sport and such a great way to spend some quality family time that I truly believe that you should be playing pool with your family. Plus, don’t just take it from me! Hamilton Billiards, pool table and snooker table manufacturer, share that there are plenty of benefits from playing cue sports, from improving critical thinking to increasing hand-eye coordination.
Today, we are going to deep dive into some of the benefits of playing pool and how to play pool from the comfort of your home. If you are looking for pool tables for sale, Hamilton Billiards stock a variety of pool tables that you might like. Plus, they also craft bespoke pool tables to perfectly suit your home’s style and size requirements.
Improves critical thinking and concentration.
If you think that playing pool looks easy, you have to give it a go. Playing a game of pool requires focus and critical thinking. You have to consider each shot you make and how it will impact the rest of the game. For instance, imagine that you have an almost perfect shot to pot your ball but to do this, you will not only have to angle it properly but you will also have to touch the black ball and depending on the strength of your shot, you might put the black ball in a tricky situation for a future shot. Maybe what I just said makes no sense to you – trust me, if you start playing pool, you will understand.
Increases hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills.
No game of pool is the same. There is always a different layout of balls in a pool game and each shot you take leads to something new. By keep practising and playing pool, your muscle memory and cue control will improve, making your hand-eye coordination better and improving your cognitive skills, such as decision making and problem-solving.
Healthy competition.
Competition isn’t a bad thing. It’s important to teach our little ones to do their best. As this article on Ineos states, “Healthy competition inspires kids to do their best – not just good enough. When students compete they will become more inquisitive, research independently, and learn to work with others.” It’s also essential to teach our kids how to gracefully win (and lose), so playing competitive games will do wonders.
Improves well-being and socialisation.
Lamb and Bear mentioned in a recent blog post, “less screen time and more non-screen-based activities lead to improved physical and mental health as well as all-around well-being.” This applies to all ages – when was the last time you spent some time without your phone? Exactly.
Even for elderly people, playing snooker has proved to significantly improve well-being. According to a study by Age UK, when older people are engaged in social activities, such as snooker, it was shown that the thinking skills, physical activity, social participation and mental well-being involved had a direct positive effect on the overall well-being of older people.
As Motherhood the Real Deal comments, “Traditional games offer much more than fun family time, these games can help kids develop essential skills, such as cooperation, respect, teamwork, competition, creativity, strategy and social skills.” All of these skills apply to cue sports – can you now see why I like playing pool so much?
