It's pool... It's not a life or death matter!

Big Dave

Big Dave

Pool Hack!!!
Silver Member
Do you think if we all played pool faster, instead of stopping and thinking about every shot for half an hour like it was heart surgery, we might perhaps have a chance of getting audiences sizes like this, excited by our sport...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCclFvjfsk&feature=youtu.be&t=349

...I'm not talking about the fluke, or the man, just the pace of play and the audience response.

(I know there's a dedicated snooker forum, but I'm asking the general pool playing population to consider this).
 
Last edited:
336Robin

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
Years ago a friend and I were getting bored playing 9 ball and I looked up from racking and said "Speed Pool." We played 26 racks in a hour and it was some of the most fun pool I've ever played. It also made what you do better in that you had to get down on the shot right and play off your instincts. I think there's a place in pool for sped up games. Forces you to think harder, distracted less and harder on your fundamentals. I think Speed Pool like we played makes you work it harder, plus its fun. Fun always sells.

Big Dave said:
Do you think if we all played pool faster, instead of stopping and thinking about every shot for half an hour like it was heart surgery, we might perhaps have a chance of getting audiences sizes like this, excited by our sport...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCclFvjfsk&feature=youtu.be&t=349

...I'm not talking about the fluke, or the man, just the pace of play and the audience response.

(I know there's a dedicated snooker forum, but I'm asking the general pool playing population to consider this).
Click to expand...
 
Cracktherack

Cracktherack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Slow players don't usually get a game where I play, unless they're playing another slow player. One Pocket, I have much more patience, but when there is a hanging 7,8,9 and the guy studies it like he's answering a One Pocket break, he's had his last game with me.
No lie, a hanging last 4 on the table....I go out for a smoke and when I come back he's just pocketing the 9 ball.
 
C

Ched

"Hey ... I'm back"!
Silver Member
It might make WATCHING a bit less mundane - but many folks like to think things over a bit. Ronnie O typically plays at a pretty quick clip, so I'm not sure I'd use him as a "standard" when it comes to "speed pool". (and yea - I know the difference between that and snooker - just sayin). 20 seconds isn't all that much, but I could see 30-40 per shot (with extensions). OR - maybe 40 seconds for each new trip to the table, and 20-25 seconds per shot after the first one.

What I'd REALLY like to see is an organized "season" where there were maybe 32 regulars competing in weekly events that earned them points throughout maybe 8-10 months, some playoffs, and the rest of the year for special events like the MC, US Open, etc. In other words: A one-umbrella single organization that had established standards, referees, and faster racking.
 
PhilosopherKing

PhilosopherKing

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
no... but, i'd sure like to see an influx of mutton-heads firing a million balls a minute into the rails, while looking to gamble.
 
chefjeff

chefjeff

If not now...
Silver Member
Slow play means more physical mistakes; fast play means more mental mistakes.

A rule of thumb, not written in concrete. But balancing those two is one of the secrets of success.



Jeff Livingston
 
JC

JC

Coos Cues
Good decisions can and are made on a pool table in pretty short order all the time.

Those who languish over every layout and shot justify it by the end result. Some play pretty sporty like this. They got into the habit of over studying the table simply because it's allowed. Now they probably think they can't learn to make decisions faster.

But what if it had never been tolerated? What if 30 seconds was the rule from the jump of their experience? Would they be a worse player now? Maybe they would find that pool wasn't for them and quit it early on? Replaced by others who could adapt and they would not be missed. Any more than a child never conceived is.

There has been endless debate about slow play here.

There is no debate that spectators don't like it though.

So if you want pool to have any chance to appeal to spectators what do you do?

Seems painfully obvious.

JC
 
C

Ched

"Hey ... I'm back"!
Silver Member
Just out of curiosity - what is the penalty if you don't shoot in time? BIH? Other player shoots as is?
 
Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Ched said:
Just out of curiosity - what is the penalty if you don't shoot in time? BIH? Other player shoots as is?
Click to expand...
With shot clocks it is usually treated as a standard foul. Here is the WSR/WPA regulation about it:

20. Shot Clock
A shot clock may be requested at any time during a match by a tournament official or either player involved in that match. The tournament director or other appointed official decides whether to use a shot clock or not. Should a shot clock be introduced, both players will be “on the clock” and there will be an official timekeeper for the duration of the match. As a recommendation, players will have 35 seconds per shot with a warning when 10 seconds remain. Each player will be allowed one 25-second extension during each rack. The shot clock will be started when all balls come to rest, including spinning balls. The shot clock will end when the cue tip strikes the cue ball to initiate a stroke or the when player’s time expires from the shot clock. If a player runs out of time, it will be a standard foul. After the opening shot the time cap may be extended but cannot exceed the 60 seconds.​
 
LeonD123

LeonD123

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Big Dave said:
Do you think if we all played pool faster, instead of stopping and thinking about every shot for half an hour like it was heart surgery, we might perhaps have a chance of getting audiences sizes like this, excited by our sport...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCclFvjfsk&feature=youtu.be&t=349

...I'm not talking about the fluke, or the man, just the pace of play and the audience response.

(I know there's a dedicated snooker forum, but I'm asking the general pool playing population to consider this).
Click to expand...

That's my Reddit video post :p
 
336Robin

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
I don't know what it is but every time I watch this video I'm like yeah that ought to be us! A part of the mastery of the sport is also mental acuity i.e. decision making. I think it would be proper to have a standard shot clock that was fast enough to sort the men from the boys and probably shorter than posted in Dr. Jewett's post of the rules. I like delivery of the shot by 20 seconds. You're sitting there watching the table. You should have an idea of what you're going to do on the way to the table. You go over, check clearances and you get down on the shot with 20 seconds. Once in your shot delivery mode the time should stop to allow for your normal shot routine. You deliver and upon the balls stop rolling, time starts once again.

In this way anything could happen but hesitation and grinding in rotation games or 8-ball isn't allowed. After all it isn't One Pocket and never should be. Of course we're talking about tournament pool. Not about gambling. This separates the two indelibly. If people expected some possible excitement there would be reason to be excited. Especially if your champion wins. I'd watch that.


Big Dave said:
Do you think if we all played pool faster, instead of stopping and thinking about every shot for half an hour like it was heart surgery, we might perhaps have a chance of getting audiences sizes like this, excited by our sport...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCclFvjfsk&feature=youtu.be&t=349

...I'm not talking about the fluke, or the man, just the pace of play and the audience response.

(I know there's a dedicated snooker forum, but I'm asking the general pool playing population to consider this).
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
K

KMRUNOUT

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cracktherack said:
No lie, a hanging last 4 on the table....I go out for a smoke and when I come back he's just pocketing the 9 ball.
Click to expand...

You went out for a smoke when its his turn, in the middle of a rack ?!?! You'd never get a game with me. I'll take slow over disrespectful any day.

KMRUNOUT
 
KRJ

KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
Sorry folks, I love baseball and it's slower than the few random players at a pool tourney. Yeah, its slow, but I like intricacies of the game. I want to know what pitch he's gonna throw with a 3-2 count, the bases loaded and a great hitter at the plate.

Yet, 40K folks show up for baseball games. 30 millions folks tuned in for game 7 last year.

So, speeding up a pool game is not going to suddenly make pool watchable for folks. I know folks that play pool and hate watching any pool? I like watching pool on large TV, but not on a computer screen, yuuuck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top