Frosty said:

Make a mountain out of a molehill much?

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There are instructors who have told their students to wait until the opponent's ball is well back towards the kitchen before lagging so they can get a read on table speed. When two such students lag against each other, it can take a very long time. In any case, it is a standard tournament rule that the players will lag at about the same time.

Bob Jewett said:

I think the major reason amateur league pool in the US will not do much to raise the level of pro pool in the US is that the players can't even participate -- for the most part -- until they are 21. I believe the APA ended its junior events, not sure about the other leagues as far as junior development goes.

In my experience, amateur league players have little interest in watching the pros.

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You are correct in that amateur league players don't want the pros a lot.

As far as juniors goes, the VNEA still has a junior program. In fact, their junior nationals is apparently the largest juniors event in the country, if not globally. But you are also true in that most of the venues for league pool is in places with 21 and up

I think the major reason amateur league pool in the US will not do much to raise the level of pro pool in the US is that the players can't even participate -- for the most part -- until they are 21. I believe the APA ended its junior events, not sure about the other leagues as far as junior development goes.

In my experience, amateur league players have little interest in watching the pros.

Sooner32 said:

I've never been in a league. I can't imagine joining one with rules like that. Don't see the point of playing 9 ball with those rules.

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Points rotation is a very old game. 61 points wins the rack.

Nine ball is too hard for the average league player, and there is very little incentive under the standard rules to make anything before the five ball. Giving points for each ball is the right thing to do for the target group of players.

Basically, any bar with a bar box will fit this description (as it is a non pool hall), especially if they also serve food...

The amateur bodies of pool are the biggest reason that our sport is still thriving in America. Nobody is suggesting they are perfect and yes, they are in it for the money, but they give structure to pool competition that keeps amateurs heavily involved in our sport, year after year.

The disconnect between the amateur ranks and the pro ranks goes back several decades, but to suggest that the amateur organizations must be held accountable for the state of pro pool in America or elsewhere is not reasonable. Any amateur organization that feels investment in the pro game serves its business model will do so, and others are not likely to invest.

fastone371 said:

Isn't the replacement shot where the cue ball rolls forward a ball diameter so it ends up sitting where the object ball originally was??

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Yes.

fastone371 said:

This looked like a standard stop shot to me, of course with an elevated rack and balls on top of it.

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I guess you're right - I assumed the object ball was under the corner of the rack (like the other two OBs), but after looking again I see it's just far enough away to leave room for the CB to stop under the corner - I can see it stop without rolling forward, now that I look for that. I wonder if the OB position needs to be "cheated" like that (no offense, Jay).

pj
chgo

Sheldon said:

Standard chalks are very abrasive, you're shaping your tip every time you chalk.
I have a good friend who can wear out a tip in 6 months, and never uses a scuffer. He chalks his cue a LOT.

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I've never seen a tip loose height due to chalking. Using a tip pick won't do that either.
Using scuffers and shapers will

VTEC John said:

Watched a youtube of a fairly recent match between Seo Seoa and Muyan Zhang. The photo is a screen grab of Seoa's tip. Zhang's was only very slightly more curved, nowhere near a nickel. I remember reading that someone asked Buddy Hall about tip curvature and draw. He responded something along lines (don't quote me) of "It doesn't matter. You hit with the edge of the tip to get draw," FWIW.

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Looks like they put a new tip on and forgot to shape it.

Sooner32 said:

I've never been in a league. I can't imagine joining one with rules like that. Don't see the point of playing 9 ball with those rules.

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APA is the only one that does, and even then, only in 9 ball.

Rocket354 said:

watching the remainder of the match...wow those racks were loose. Varner snaps the 9 twice in a row. Each time the 9 is moving right off the break. The first time it then gets kicked into the side, and the second time it just goes straight into the corner pocket with nothing touching it.

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So the 9 can be manipulated with racking tricks?? A few years back I was playing in the 5-6 finishing position round of our state tournament on barboxes and my opponent had the 9 traveling towards one of the upper 2 corner pockets on every break. I don't remember if he sank any on the break but he had an easy early combo on every rack he broke, it was rack your own. I got him back on the later rounds of 8 ball though.