*** Who of the TOP 6 Players in USA are the Most Defensive ***

Scoring Wins

Old school is out and the averages are going up.The Pros from Europe are averaging 2 or better when they win.Go back to Hoppe and a one average was the best.The equipment also is much better today . Hoppe's day safety was a big part of the game.Today you have to attack ,attack attack.The one with the highest average usually wins. Gary is the exception.He will beat you into the ground. He would rather make a great safety then run a 10. Go Gary Go

To zensteve:

The correct answer is: A: go toe to toe with him.

As you know, I have beaten many top players in tournaments. Not the norm, of course, but on occasion. In every instance where I prevailed, I played 100% offense, 0% defense. Yes, I'm sure there were occasions where I left the guy nothing when I missed, but it was just the natural result of a missed shot. You know how it works: when it rains, it pours. When things are going great, then everything is working. Even when you don't think about safety, you leave the greatest safety in the world. And many times when we try to play safety, we leave them something anyway.

If players want their averages to grow, they need to stop worrying so much about safety play. Make the friggin point already. Go for it. Play aggressive. Try to make everything. That's one reason I am in favor of Bill Smith's poll on this forum about "optional cue ball". The described method virtually eliminates safety play, yet still rewards good position play.

Blomdahl told me this: just try to score. Even if you miss, there's a 50/50 chance that you might leave the guy a safety anyway. Sometimes the balls are wide open, but your opponent still can't make it because there's a kiss that they can't avoid, etc. and sometimes when you try to play safety, you leave an option anyway. It's just not worth it. Don't worry about that stuff unless it's a close game towards the end of the game.

Jim,

I don't disagree with you. And I also understand Bill's optional ball poll.

However, I remember you telling me about a match between you and Pedro. As I remember it was a close match but Pedro won in the end. You asked him where he thought you may have errored. He mentioned you should have played safe on a shot or two toward the end. Assuming I remember this correctly....does this at all negate what you just said about balls to the walls toe to toe?

Not at all. In fact, you just confirmed it.

I should have played safe on a shot or two TOWARDS THE END. Playing safe from the beginning would have been foolish and an inevitable waste of time, especially against Pedro.

BTW, I know from experience that Gary Scharf plays a lot of safety and he always gives me a hard time whenever we play. But the last time we played, I was 100% aggressive and here was the result:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4202248

Damn streaming! It's just a waste of money. All it does is preach to the choir.

(inside joke between Jim and I)

Good thread worthy of a bump
Looks as if this forum was pretty alive with very good discussion at one point

What happened

Hah awesome bill!

Sang Lee

iralee said:

Take it from me...back in the day, trying to play safe on Sang Lee was, for sure, a losing strategy. Anyone who played Sang enough times quickly realized that giving him more innings at the table didn't particularly help their own cause... He knew every kind of bank or umbrella to break your every safety, turn it into a short angle, and before you could say 'ticky', he'd be off to the races with another 7 to 10 points. He would pound a few of these series consecutively until the next time you looked up at the beads the score was like 35-3 in like 4 innings and suddenly all of the big balls appear as little marbles to you...

-Ira

Click to expand...

Sang Lee on defense: "Ahhh bestah defense is ahh makealottah points."