After three qualification events I finally have some interesting thoughts on tournament conditions that I would like to share at 3am! If some of this makes no sense, I am sure I will have some changes tomorrow...but let's see:
All three tournaments thus far have been on relatively tough equipment, well, mostly tight pockets and the very slow IPT cloth. The average time it takes to start and complete a match, and start the next match is two hours and forty minutes. This event has wider pockets which are just under 5" at the mouth. I would have never guessed that this little extra space would have such an impact on the tournament. In this event in Chelmsford, the average time it is taking so far to start, finish, and turn over a table is only two hours and fifteen minutes. That's a huge difference!
One well known player was complaining that the pockets were too loose. He complained so much about how easy the table was and how it was difficult to miss a ball. I wondered to myself of course that if the table was so easy, why is it that he didn't win...
Before starting these events I thought that the snooker and English pool players would do better on the tighter equipment because of their potting skills. However, I have found that during these events, that the snooker players have an easy time potting, but they also have an easy time getting out of shape. On a tight table, this seems to limit their options sometimes. In this event, the pockets are way more forgiving and the English players have an easier time compensating for their position play, especially when able to cheat the pockets, that might have otherwise hurt them on really tight tables...all just a simple opinion of course.
As far as who is going to win it is really a toss-up. Notice that most of the favorites are on the one-loss side and the no-loss side has many players who may not have been expected to be there right now. That is not to say that they aren't excellent players! I remember debating years ago on RSB about equipment and how it can favor certain players. It appears that in these events, the tight equipment favors the superior all around player. With loose pockets it appears that the better players play no better (likely because they hit the center most of the time), and that the next level down in all around skill seems to have more options or margin of error. I think it is because of this that the favorites are for the most part on the one loss side.
The cloth is probably the toughest factor. Usually on an 8-ball break, there is a corner ball that goes four rails towards the corner pocket and either makes or hits the fifth or sixth rails. On these tables, if that ball touches the fourth cushion and makes it half way down the table it is a great break. Basically, if something doesn't go in right off the rack, there is a good chance it will be a dry break. So many of the players who haven't much experience on this type of cloth are really struggling. Though Wu didn't admit it, I think that the cloth is the single most important variable for him to master if he wants to make it through this event. Sometimes he stares at the table when he gets out of line...
Basically speaking, I am really having an interesting time taking this all in. I have always been a fan of worsted cloth, but the concept of playing on difficult conditions is making a serious case as far as I am concerned. There are players here who are world class on worsted cloth who turn into A- players on woollen cloth and also players who really know their strokes and can let loose with great success. After some thought, I think that the best of the best can adjust to anything and that it is right to make the tournament conditions as difficult as possible. By playing on tight tables and slow cloth, the IPT truly is creating a playing field where the cream will rise to the top.
Regarding who is going to win...it is very difficult to say. I would not be so unkind the rest of the players by makinig a public guess at who will win tour cards. I will say this though...considering the loose pockets and inexperience of many of the young superstars on slow cloth, I think that one of the two cards is going to be won by someone very surprising.
Deno J. Andrews
IPT Tour Director
All three tournaments thus far have been on relatively tough equipment, well, mostly tight pockets and the very slow IPT cloth. The average time it takes to start and complete a match, and start the next match is two hours and forty minutes. This event has wider pockets which are just under 5" at the mouth. I would have never guessed that this little extra space would have such an impact on the tournament. In this event in Chelmsford, the average time it is taking so far to start, finish, and turn over a table is only two hours and fifteen minutes. That's a huge difference!
One well known player was complaining that the pockets were too loose. He complained so much about how easy the table was and how it was difficult to miss a ball. I wondered to myself of course that if the table was so easy, why is it that he didn't win...
Before starting these events I thought that the snooker and English pool players would do better on the tighter equipment because of their potting skills. However, I have found that during these events, that the snooker players have an easy time potting, but they also have an easy time getting out of shape. On a tight table, this seems to limit their options sometimes. In this event, the pockets are way more forgiving and the English players have an easier time compensating for their position play, especially when able to cheat the pockets, that might have otherwise hurt them on really tight tables...all just a simple opinion of course.
As far as who is going to win it is really a toss-up. Notice that most of the favorites are on the one-loss side and the no-loss side has many players who may not have been expected to be there right now. That is not to say that they aren't excellent players! I remember debating years ago on RSB about equipment and how it can favor certain players. It appears that in these events, the tight equipment favors the superior all around player. With loose pockets it appears that the better players play no better (likely because they hit the center most of the time), and that the next level down in all around skill seems to have more options or margin of error. I think it is because of this that the favorites are for the most part on the one loss side.
The cloth is probably the toughest factor. Usually on an 8-ball break, there is a corner ball that goes four rails towards the corner pocket and either makes or hits the fifth or sixth rails. On these tables, if that ball touches the fourth cushion and makes it half way down the table it is a great break. Basically, if something doesn't go in right off the rack, there is a good chance it will be a dry break. So many of the players who haven't much experience on this type of cloth are really struggling. Though Wu didn't admit it, I think that the cloth is the single most important variable for him to master if he wants to make it through this event. Sometimes he stares at the table when he gets out of line...
Basically speaking, I am really having an interesting time taking this all in. I have always been a fan of worsted cloth, but the concept of playing on difficult conditions is making a serious case as far as I am concerned. There are players here who are world class on worsted cloth who turn into A- players on woollen cloth and also players who really know their strokes and can let loose with great success. After some thought, I think that the best of the best can adjust to anything and that it is right to make the tournament conditions as difficult as possible. By playing on tight tables and slow cloth, the IPT truly is creating a playing field where the cream will rise to the top.
Regarding who is going to win...it is very difficult to say. I would not be so unkind the rest of the players by makinig a public guess at who will win tour cards. I will say this though...considering the loose pockets and inexperience of many of the young superstars on slow cloth, I think that one of the two cards is going to be won by someone very surprising.
Deno J. Andrews
IPT Tour Director
I love every minute of it, though 
