Billiards and Health: The Science Behind Playing, Learning, and Watching
Playing: More Than Just Leaning Over the Table
The Compendium of Physical Activities — the standard reference for exercise intensity — places billiards at about 2.5 METs, classifying it as light activity. That means walking around the table, bending, and stretching across the rail do count as physical movement (Ainsworth et al., 2011).
A study on snooker players found that core stability training (like Pilates) improved both balance and break scores, proving a direct link between physical fitness and cue-sport performance (Yu et al., 2021).
Vision matters too. Research on the “quiet eye” — the final fixation before movement — revealed that expert billiards players hold their gaze longer and steadier before taking a shot, a hallmark of perceptual–cognitive expertise tied to accuracy (Williams et al., 2002).
Learning: How the Brain and Body Adapt
Learning billiards activates both motor and cognitive systems. A Scientific Reports study tracked people learning a pool shot over hundreds of trials and found whole-body learning — posture, stance, and balance all adapted alongside cueing movements (Haar & Faisal, 2020).
Supporting this, mobile EEG revealed distinct neural patterns during pool learning, showing that players engage different brain mechanisms to acquire skill (Rybakova et al., 2020).
Technology is reshaping training, too. A PLOS ONE experiment using virtual reality billiards reproduced real-world learning effects while preserving embodiment, suggesting VR can be a powerful teaching tool (Haar et al., 2021).
Even at the classroom level, a billiards course taught with a flipped-learning model improved motivation, self-efficacy, and striking strategies compared to traditional methods (Chen et al., 2019).
Watching: Benefits Without a Cue in Hand
Watching cue sports can also shape performance and cognition. A study on gaze patterns in billiards observation found that experts fixate on cushions and geometry, while novices miss these critical cues (Leibowitz et al., 2018).
Broader sports psychology research confirms that action observation (AO) and motor imagery (MI) enhance skill acquisition and performance (Neumann & Mornell, 2024). Rehabilitation science has gone further: AO training has been shown to improve upper-limb motor function in stroke patients (Sale et al., 2017). If simply watching helps restore motor function, it’s no surprise it sharpens cue-sport performance as well.
Beyond the Table: Cognitive and Social Well-Being
A think-aloud study of professional snooker players revealed their strategic, self-regulatory thought processes during practice (Roca et al., 2012). These are transferable mental skills — planning, anticipation, problem-solving — that extend beyond the sport.
On the community side, UK health programs exploring adapted snooker sessions report benefits ranging from social bonding to mental stimulation and gentle physical activity, especially for older adults or those in rehabilitation (Worsfold et al., 2020).
Conclusion: The Science of the Felt
Far from being “just a game,” billiards is backed by science as an activity that blends:
Physical health — balance, coordination, posture, and light activity.
Mental health — focus, attention, planning, and skill learning.
Social health — connection, confidence, and intergenerational play.
So next time you rack up, remember: each shot isn’t just shaping the game — it’s shaping your body, your brain, and your well-being.
References
Ainsworth, B. E., Haskell, W. L., Herrmann, S. D., et al. (2011). 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(8), 1575–1581.
Chen, C. Y., Chiu, P. H., & Huang, Y. M. (2019). The effect of a SQIRC-based mobile flipped learning approach on learners’ billiards skill, self-efficacy and motivation. Interactive Learning Environments, 27(1), 77–92.
Haar, S., & Faisal, A. A. (2020). Motor learning in real-world pool billiards. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 20046.
Haar, S., Rybakova, K., & Faisal, A. A. (2021). Embodied virtual reality for pool billiards. PLOS ONE, 16(8), e0255286.
Leibowitz, N., Blank, I., & Karniel, A. (2018). Eye movements during observation of billiards shots: Gaze behavior and expertise. Journal of Vision, 18(10), 1–13.
Neumann, D. L., & Mornell, A. (2024). Combined action observation and motor imagery in sport: A review and research agenda. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1303820.
Roca, A., Ford, P. R., McRobert, A. P., & Williams, A. M. (2012). Perceptual–cognitive processes in snooker: A think-aloud investigation. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 24(3), 307–323.
Rybakova, K., Haar, S., & Faisal, A. A. (2020). Neural signatures of motor learning in real-world billiards captured by mobile EEG. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 295.
Sale, P., Franceschini, M., & De Pandis, M. F. (2017). Action observation training in stroke rehabilitation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 12(8), e0183457.
Williams, A. M., Singer, R. N., & Frehlich, S. G. (2002). Quiet eye duration, expertise, and task complexity in near and far aiming tasks. Journal of Motor Behavior, 34(2), 197–207.
Worsfold, C., Ashworth, R., & Baker, M. (2020). Snooker for health and well-being: An occupational therapy perspective. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 83(10), 650–658.
Yu, L., Zhang, L., & Gao, X. (2021). Effects of Pilates training on balance ability and performance in snooker players. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 728513.