lol everyone in your room is happy she's not in your local room too. but they still have you to have to put up with.
the game ain't rocket surgery man. look, decide, and do. it's that simple
Soooooo, I'm a slow player.........
- Thread starter fathomblue
- Start date
the game ain't rocket surgery man. look, decide, and do. it's that simple
you what's worse than that? it's when he/she finally misses after about an hour (2 games) and your looking at nothing but rail.
Charlie Bryant on Earl Strickland: "at least he don't let no grass grow under your feet."
I'm not the Minute and a Half Guy. I'm the 45 Second Guy. For the record.
As for trying to wait me out, good luck. I have the patience of Job. That's kinda the whole point. Lol.
I'm trying to accommodate others. It's why I started the thread.
45 seconds?
Only 45 seconds huh. So, in theory, with no hard shots, it would take you nearly 7 minutes to run a 9 ball rack. I can fill up my Suburban in 7 minutes. Count off 45 seconds in your head in a quiet room, with no pool tables and see how rediculously long and wrong that is. I ran a 9 ball rack at APA Team 9 ball in 54 seconds, and that included a cue change? Granted I made two on the break and it was a 7 foot valley but still. At first I felt like you were someone that needed help. Now I realize you are just the guy in the speed lane going 64 1/2 mph.
Only 45 seconds huh. So, in theory, with no hard shots, it would take you nearly 7 minutes to run a 9 ball rack. I can fill up my Suburban in 7 minutes. Count off 45 seconds in your head in a quiet room, with no pool tables and see how rediculously long and wrong that is. I ran a 9 ball rack at APA Team 9 ball in 54 seconds, and that included a cue change? Granted I made two on the break and it was a 7 foot valley but still. At first I felt like you were someone that needed help. Now I realize you are just the guy in the speed lane going 64 1/2 mph.
I actually just started playing 1-pocket this year for the first time.
Needless to say, I'm in love with it. Lol.
Well thank you for recognizing the problem and trying to fix it. no joke bro playing that slow is going to make you the guy people avoid playing.
i was gambling with a guy that played as slow as you're saying. i was winning 20 a set but quit after the first set. this guy had deep pockets and would have lost all night but at the pace he was playing i'd have won 2 sets before the room closed and it was making me angrier waiting for him to shoot than the money was making me happy.
iv'e avoided playing him ever since.
You said you studied pro matches and they play methodical too??? i've studied a lot of pro matches and only a few play real slow. most have a steady pace and don't take a long time unless the shot needs a lot of studying.
honestly bro you know what needs to be done. think 3 balls ahead and don't wait till you're at the table to start planning. i'm planning the whole time my opponent is at the table. you already know what to do. you've played long enough to know where you need to be to run out. now all you have to do is do it.
Again, I don't have the problem nearly as bad in rotation games or even Bank Pool. It's 8-ball and the variety of pattern choices.
As for pro matches, I just watched Efren vs. Mika from the Accu-Stats 8-ball tournament in 2001. It really seemed like they played pretty darn slow.
The reason I bring this up now is because my league is in 8-ball season, so it's pretty much all I've played for a couple of months.
As for pro matches, I just watched Efren vs. Mika from the Accu-Stats 8-ball tournament in 2001. It really seemed like they played pretty darn slow.
The reason I bring this up now is because my league is in 8-ball season, so it's pretty much all I've played for a couple of months.
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Slow players usually have trust and control issues. You have to learn how to trust your subconscious mind. You don't need to consciously control every single thought. Right now, you only think that you do.
I've see it happen over and over again when a match gets put on the clock, the slow player immediately improves.
I believe that you see the patterns early, but then have a commitment issue with executing on the patterns...why? I believe it's because you are afraid of making a mistake. You are afraid that there may be a better pattern out there and you'll miss out. The grass is always greener.
All achievements in life IMO should be pursued in the following manner...
1. Decide what you want...
2. Set an action plan to get it.
Walk around the table, get a crude plan together.
Pick a pattern...and TRUST IT...even if there's a better one out there, doesn't make the one you chose a bad one. Quit concerning yourself wih whether there's a better pattern choice. Who cares-if u picked the pattern...it's obviously good enough that a good player should be able to do some damage with it.
Have consideration for your opponent...everyone HATES slow players...
45 seconds is 3x too long...seriously...take the advice to go into a quiet room by yourself and count off 45 seconds...
You sound like you are going to be a force to be reckoned with once you get the bugs out
Good luck-
All achievements in life IMO should be pursued in the following manner...
1. Decide what you want...
2. Set an action plan to get it.
Walk around the table, get a crude plan together.
Pick a pattern...and TRUST IT...even if there's a better one out there, doesn't make the one you chose a bad one. Quit concerning yourself wih whether there's a better pattern choice. Who cares-if u picked the pattern...it's obviously good enough that a good player should be able to do some damage with it.
Have consideration for your opponent...everyone HATES slow players...
45 seconds is 3x too long...seriously...take the advice to go into a quiet room by yourself and count off 45 seconds...
You sound like you are going to be a force to be reckoned with once you get the bugs out
Good luck-
blah blah
Shoebat
I guess you're seeing you hit a sore spot, Mr. 45 Secs. There have been many long threads about what to do about slow players, but this is the first I've seen from a slow player.
Me, I was always a 9b player and then about 6 or 7 years ago they started having this 8b tourney on Sunday nights. I totally remember the first night- it was ridiculously, stupidly disorienting. The choices were incredibly distracting. Pretourney practice, my friend breaks them wide open and I stand there like an idiot weighing every freaking choice until I suddenly realize the 1, 2, 3, 4... are all easy- so I ran out in numerical order, just like it was 9b.
Thought, man I've got this! I break and make a ball. The solids have problems but I think hey, I've got the key now- it's 9b with obstacles- and so I make the 1, the 2, and make a beautiful, dastardly safe on the 3. And my opponent gets up and makes an easy stripe that's sitting like a duck in the pocket and runs out. But I'm telling you- when they walked up to the table, there was NO WAY they were going to hit that 3- that thing was in jail. First stupid lesson learned: my opponent is not going to try to shoot my ball.
It sounds like you're a decent player. But you're working on your own brand new mechanics while (re?)visiting an unfamiliar game. Maybe just have a sense of humor, keep your own priorities, and learn your 8b patterns and moves fast. You're not going to learn without making some mistakes.
Me, I was always a 9b player and then about 6 or 7 years ago they started having this 8b tourney on Sunday nights. I totally remember the first night- it was ridiculously, stupidly disorienting. The choices were incredibly distracting. Pretourney practice, my friend breaks them wide open and I stand there like an idiot weighing every freaking choice until I suddenly realize the 1, 2, 3, 4... are all easy- so I ran out in numerical order, just like it was 9b.
Thought, man I've got this! I break and make a ball. The solids have problems but I think hey, I've got the key now- it's 9b with obstacles- and so I make the 1, the 2, and make a beautiful, dastardly safe on the 3. And my opponent gets up and makes an easy stripe that's sitting like a duck in the pocket and runs out. But I'm telling you- when they walked up to the table, there was NO WAY they were going to hit that 3- that thing was in jail. First stupid lesson learned: my opponent is not going to try to shoot my ball.
It sounds like you're a decent player. But you're working on your own brand new mechanics while (re?)visiting an unfamiliar game. Maybe just have a sense of humor, keep your own priorities, and learn your 8b patterns and moves fast. You're not going to learn without making some mistakes.
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Hey, remember me? I told you I was gonna try and not get bogged down tonight....cuz I tend to overthink, like you do.
Guess what? I played the best match I've played in a very long time....
Now, is that all because I stopped taking as much time, probably not. But I am convinced that I let myself go, and trusted myself more. That breeds confidence, and confident players play better.
This was 8-ball, too.
Best if luck, figuring this out. Me, I'm hoping to get to playing like this consistently....
Guess what? I played the best match I've played in a very long time....
Now, is that all because I stopped taking as much time, probably not. But I am convinced that I let myself go, and trusted myself more. That breeds confidence, and confident players play better.
This was 8-ball, too.
Best if luck, figuring this out. Me, I'm hoping to get to playing like this consistently....
That's what I was just trying to tell my captain last night about a very slow player we have. He is a pretty good shot, but I think he is really over thinking sometimes. I understand if it's a difficult shot, but this guy knows what to shoot and he still takes forever for the simplest things. He even took about 2 minutes to rack the other night. I really don't care how slow he plays right now (because I am not playing him), but I have a feeling if we get to tri-cup or further and he gets a warning, it will hurt his game to have to speed up. So even though he is a good player now, could be a liability later. Not to mention, he is just damned strange. But hey, I didn't pick him for the team.
JC
Coos Cues
Should I consciously try to speed up my play a bit and hope I can adjust to it? Should I put myself on an internal shot clock? Is this normal when an amateur changes so many things about their game? Should I keep on keepin' on and let my pace be what it is?
Or am I "that guy" that you all dread playing?
Any comments would be appreciated.
You should read "Pleasures of small motions" if you haven't already and pay attention to the information on "rhythm" and "cadence". No one should take 45 seconds to a minute to plan and execute a routine shot. That is a sign of treatable mental illness. No one wants to spend their time with a nut case. Especially if the nut case's illness is time itself.
JC
I own "Pleasures of Small Motions". Great book.
I didn't realize my slower cadence was the sign of a mental illness.
I didn't realize my slower cadence was the sign of a mental illness.
at that pace it's not a cadence. taking 1 shot an hour isn't playing pool it's taking a shot and then moving on and doing something else. one day you'll forget to take your next shot
With all that stuff going on and taking so long per shot.... how can there be any more room for stress/pressure? One of the things I really like about a lot of slow players is that they can shark themselves on a high pressure shot by taking so long.
One thing I see a lot of the slow players do a LOT is to analyze the whole table before each and every shot. For example, they figure out what they plan to do on each shot then shoot the one and get a different position than they intended and then re-analyze everything again and then so on and so on and so on. It doesn't matter if they are D player they just keep analyzing way above their skill level.
I compliment the desire to become a good player, I just hope they don't believe in the HAMB path.
One thing I see a lot of the slow players do a LOT is to analyze the whole table before each and every shot. For example, they figure out what they plan to do on each shot then shoot the one and get a different position than they intended and then re-analyze everything again and then so on and so on and so on. It doesn't matter if they are D player they just keep analyzing way above their skill level.
I compliment the desire to become a good player, I just hope they don't believe in the HAMB path.
The slow guy I'm talking about once took a minute to analyze the entire table, took another minute to draw and adjust his stroke, (literally 8-10 times, and a slowwwwww draw too!) then stopped. He stood up and started all over again!! He missed! I swore he was doing it to shark me.
Six months later my Captain brings him on the team. I told cap't I had to play b-4 him (or i'd lose my mind). :help:
He'sa nice guy to talk to,just not a fan of his pool game.
Not on that team anymore (thank You GOD !!) :bow-down:
It appears that you have got a pretty good dose of how slow play is looked upon, so I won't add much
BUT
since people that play slow is the No. 1 thing that gets a rise out of me, allow me a few moments to get some free therapy by expressing my thoughts
Early on in my pool life, I would play about anyone, which unfortunately included slow players. It is then that I learned that they DRIVE ME OUT OF MY MIND! It is then that I also learned that my game suffered greatly while playing those players. I found myself doing the following while waiting for them to shoot.
* cursing them violently under my breath
* fighting back urges to scream "Shoot the f*&$*ng ball!
* slumping in my chair so much my shoulder blades were in the seat
* letting out heavy sighs
* tellling myself over and over "I am NEVER playing this person again"
* staring at them and wondering what the hell is wrong with them
* wondering how in the hell they got any enjoyment out of playing
* wondering what I was going to eat later
* staring at the heavens above while rolling my eyes
* sitting with my head in my hands pondering the meaning of life
* leaning my stick against the wall and kicking back
* telling myself, I have to quit this game
* deciding to lose intentionally just to get this nightmare over
Well.... you get the idea:grin:
Now I realize, to each their own. I'm a fast shooter. At this point in my life, I shoot because I love the game and enjoy it. I'm not in the position to play hardly any tournaments and I can't find any action, so I just enjoy playing by myself, if there's no other choice. BUT, if I'm practicing and someone comes up to me wanting to play, the first thing I tell them is "if you are a slow shooter, I would rather just practice myself" I'm blunt about it, because I do not even want to play one game with a slow player, let along some race. I don't care if it's for 50 bucks and I got the nuts. I could use the money, but it's just not worth it to me.
I could never be a hustler or road player, because I can't do what it takes to get the cash. I am weak in that area, so I accept that and take that out of the equation. I don't get to play much anymore, so any time I do get to play, I"m not going to waste it staring at some dude slowly chalking his stick while he's staring at each ball on the table. Then getting down from 5 different angles to stare at the cueball, then the same thing on the object ball, then getting down to saw endlessly back and forth, only to get up when I think the torture is just about over to do it all over again.
I"m checking out the lay of the table while I'm sitting, I'm determining where the problem balls are and how I'm going to deal with them. Unless he hits every ball on the table, I already have a idea of what I'm going to do if I get a turn. When I get up from my chair, I'm scanning the table for what I'm going to do, as I go to where the chalk is at I'm scanning the table, as I quickly chalk my tip, I am deciding what to do, so when I get to where the cueball is at, I know what I need to do. I already know how to hit the cueball to get to where I'm going so no time is needed for that. I get down, take a few warm up strokes and hit the damn ball. I am a very fast player on all the basic shots and only take some time when the shot is difficult or I need to figure out some complicated things.
So in closing, yes, many people will not even play you if you're slow. Many people might think they can deal with it, but after being exposed to it in a race, will decide against it in the future. Many people will be so exasperated, that they just shoot at whatever when it's finally their turn, just to get it over with. Basically just giving up because they want it to be over with before they intentionally impale themselves with their own cue. People might only play you if the bet is high enough to compensate for the torture they must endure.
I know the obvious.... you are entitled to play however you wish, except for tournaments when there's a reasonable expectation to get the match over with, so you don't hold up the whole tournament. I know I am supposed to deal with whatever situations come up, including slow players. I know I"m not supposed to let it bother me, you know, with my steel like concentration and my attitude of I will play whatever lies when it's my turn... yeah, yeah... whatever. I'm a weakling in that area. I'm never going to be any champion so the hell with all that I'm selfish now in my old age and I'm going to use the little time I get to play, enjoying myself and playing slow players is the absolute worst torture I can imagine.
Advice?? I would say since you're learning the game, to practice learning about how to control the cueball on your own time. If you can know HOW to get to where you need to go quickly, that's one thing off the table. If the main holdup is what pattern to take, stop trying to figure out every possible scenerio on how to achieve the end result. Pick one early on and go with it. Pick the one that is least likely to hit other balls even if it's a little more delicate of a shot. Nothing will screw up your plan more then having whitey hit another ball... THEN you have to completely RETHINK the whole plan over again Maybe your're trying to plan the whole rack out, I don't know, but plan only a few shots ahead until you get quicker on your decision making.
Good luck... anyone deserves to enjoy this wonderful game of pool, but I cannot, myself, see how anyone could enjoy staring at a table for minutes on end.... get up there and SHOOT! That's where the enjoyment lies... is quickly making a decision, knowing you know how to execute it and watching it all unfold as you wished. Think about it... if you spend a hour at the table and you spend 75% of it chalking your cue and doing bending exercises from all angles and 25% of it actually shooting the ball and watching the path it takes, how much fun could that be?
And if we just ever happen to meet, please do not even THINK about asking me to play, and if I ask you to play, say you're arms broke or something.:grin:
Thanks and Good Luck!
BUT
since people that play slow is the No. 1 thing that gets a rise out of me, allow me a few moments to get some free therapy by expressing my thoughts
Early on in my pool life, I would play about anyone, which unfortunately included slow players. It is then that I learned that they DRIVE ME OUT OF MY MIND! It is then that I also learned that my game suffered greatly while playing those players. I found myself doing the following while waiting for them to shoot.
* cursing them violently under my breath
* fighting back urges to scream "Shoot the f*&$*ng ball!
* slumping in my chair so much my shoulder blades were in the seat
* letting out heavy sighs
* tellling myself over and over "I am NEVER playing this person again"
* staring at them and wondering what the hell is wrong with them
* wondering how in the hell they got any enjoyment out of playing
* wondering what I was going to eat later
* staring at the heavens above while rolling my eyes
* sitting with my head in my hands pondering the meaning of life
* leaning my stick against the wall and kicking back
* telling myself, I have to quit this game
* deciding to lose intentionally just to get this nightmare over
Well.... you get the idea:grin:
Now I realize, to each their own. I'm a fast shooter. At this point in my life, I shoot because I love the game and enjoy it. I'm not in the position to play hardly any tournaments and I can't find any action, so I just enjoy playing by myself, if there's no other choice. BUT, if I'm practicing and someone comes up to me wanting to play, the first thing I tell them is "if you are a slow shooter, I would rather just practice myself" I'm blunt about it, because I do not even want to play one game with a slow player, let along some race. I don't care if it's for 50 bucks and I got the nuts. I could use the money, but it's just not worth it to me.
I could never be a hustler or road player, because I can't do what it takes to get the cash. I am weak in that area, so I accept that and take that out of the equation. I don't get to play much anymore, so any time I do get to play, I"m not going to waste it staring at some dude slowly chalking his stick while he's staring at each ball on the table. Then getting down from 5 different angles to stare at the cueball, then the same thing on the object ball, then getting down to saw endlessly back and forth, only to get up when I think the torture is just about over to do it all over again.
I"m checking out the lay of the table while I'm sitting, I'm determining where the problem balls are and how I'm going to deal with them. Unless he hits every ball on the table, I already have a idea of what I'm going to do if I get a turn. When I get up from my chair, I'm scanning the table for what I'm going to do, as I go to where the chalk is at I'm scanning the table, as I quickly chalk my tip, I am deciding what to do, so when I get to where the cueball is at, I know what I need to do. I already know how to hit the cueball to get to where I'm going so no time is needed for that. I get down, take a few warm up strokes and hit the damn ball. I am a very fast player on all the basic shots and only take some time when the shot is difficult or I need to figure out some complicated things.
So in closing, yes, many people will not even play you if you're slow. Many people might think they can deal with it, but after being exposed to it in a race, will decide against it in the future. Many people will be so exasperated, that they just shoot at whatever when it's finally their turn, just to get it over with. Basically just giving up because they want it to be over with before they intentionally impale themselves with their own cue. People might only play you if the bet is high enough to compensate for the torture they must endure.
I know the obvious.... you are entitled to play however you wish, except for tournaments when there's a reasonable expectation to get the match over with, so you don't hold up the whole tournament. I know I am supposed to deal with whatever situations come up, including slow players. I know I"m not supposed to let it bother me, you know, with my steel like concentration and my attitude of I will play whatever lies when it's my turn... yeah, yeah... whatever. I'm a weakling in that area. I'm never going to be any champion so the hell with all that
I'm selfish now in my old age and I'm going to use the little time I get to play, enjoying myself and playing slow players is the absolute worst torture I can imagine.Advice?? I would say since you're learning the game, to practice learning about how to control the cueball on your own time. If you can know HOW to get to where you need to go quickly, that's one thing off the table. If the main holdup is what pattern to take, stop trying to figure out every possible scenerio on how to achieve the end result. Pick one early on and go with it. Pick the one that is least likely to hit other balls even if it's a little more delicate of a shot. Nothing will screw up your plan more then having whitey hit another ball... THEN you have to completely RETHINK the whole plan over again
Maybe your're trying to plan the whole rack out, I don't know, but plan only a few shots ahead until you get quicker on your decision making.Good luck... anyone deserves to enjoy this wonderful game of pool, but I cannot, myself, see how anyone could enjoy staring at a table for minutes on end.... get up there and SHOOT! That's where the enjoyment lies... is quickly making a decision, knowing you know how to execute it and watching it all unfold as you wished. Think about it... if you spend a hour at the table and you spend 75% of it chalking your cue and doing bending exercises from all angles and 25% of it actually shooting the ball and watching the path it takes, how much fun could that be?
And if we just ever happen to meet, please do not even THINK about asking me to play, and if I ask you to play, say you're arms broke or something.:grin:
Thanks and Good Luck!