New safety rule

8onthebreak said:
Lol, this reminds me of a match I played in Vegas a decade or two ago, I was in the finals of open singles, had been playing since 8am, it was now like 1am...I had been drinking ALL DAY...I played a safe, got ball in hand...then,...with my ball in hand, I played a safe on an open table :eek: LOL

my buddy was watching, he's like... :bash:wake up dude, lol

I won that match, believe it or not, but got steam-rolled inside of 25 min the next match...hammered :cool:
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I think you are hammered NOW LOL.. if you were in the FINALS of open singles, and you won that match, what next match is there? FINALS = last 2 players.

I've seen quite a few players try to play safe with only a few balls on the table. When all those last shots were very easy. A few times I even saw people get ball in hand playing 9 ball with only the 8 and 9 left on the table, 3 feet from each other, and the guy tries for a 8-9 combo :eek::confused:
 
Like the one post said, misusing would be a better word. I just feel like a safety is like a quarterback slide or throwing it out of bounds in football. On one hand you have to play smart. On the other hand, you are playing tackle and you are the quarterback. The pockets are there for a reason. I appreciate a hockey game that goes 1-0, or a baseball game that is a pitching duel into the 9th inning. I get it. When you can make a ball ,set up your next ball, and block your opponent in case you miss all in one shot, that is pool. But constant safety, safety, safety. It doesn't make me mad, or rattle me, or get out of my game because I love the game to much.
 
hang-the-9 said:
I think you are hammered NOW LOL.. if you were in the FINALS of open singles, and you won that match, what next match is there? FINALS = last 2 players.

I've seen quite a few players try to play safe with only a few balls on the table. When all those last shots were very easy. A few times I even saw people get ball in hand playing 9 ball with only the 8 and 9 left on the table, 3 feet from each other, and the guy tries for a 8-9 combo :eek::confused:
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I might still be, lol, call it semi's...whatever, there would have been the guy that beat me, then a couple more...after that...I was in the money...called that finals...actually got some good money that night :-)

Was pretty far, played back to back with no breaks, all day and night, opponent after opponent. :cool:
Not bad for ...HAMMERED, lol
 
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Good safety play is not generally something low skilled players can do successfully over and over. I have done it to slow down someones game so I would have a chance to put a "W" next to my name instead of my opponent. And yes just I've done it just to piss off a real jerk once or twice. I've watched so many games where the outcome would most likely have been the reverse if they had just used more of the resources available to them such as a goodly amount of safety play.
I think the last thing anyone wants to see is our freedom to make strategic decisions micro-managed any further.
 
I think when someone does not have the ability to make offencive shot or the ability to play decent position , then he should Hide the cue ball . JMO
 
Jim Baxter said:
I think when someone does not have the ability to make offencive shot or the ability to play decent position , then he should Hide the cue ball . JMO
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Yup. And I'd state it even more simply: you should always play the shot that maximizes your chance of winning.

Sometimes even if you have no good shot, taking a flyer can be better than playing safe. And sometimes even if you have an open shot, playing safe (e.g., to get ball in hand to solve a problem) can be better than taking the shot.
 
There is no suck thing as abusing the safety rule. It is part of the game, If someone chooses to not play aggressive that is their choice. Either learn how to jump or kick or deal with it.
 
safety play can be abused ~ to good effect

I'll admit to using safeties in an abusive manner on occasion, not just to improve my position on the table, but to get under my opponents skin.

Many years ago, I was captain of an APA 9ball team. We were in the final round of cities championship, playing against a team with far more experience, and perhaps more skill. by the end of the first two individual matches, our team was down 28-12. They had won the first match 12-8, and the second match 16-4. In the third match the captain put himself up, a strong s/l8. Knowing that they had to be stopped now if we had any hope, I put up myself who at the time was playing as a s/l6.
I won the lag, and made a ball on the break. I had a beautiful shot available on the one ball, but the two ball was tucked into a cluster.
So I shot safe on the one ball, send in the cue to hide behind another ball. I watched his reaction as he prepared to kick at it, and realized he did not approve of defensive play.
So I played 9 safes in a row on that ball. Kept him kicking at it. Even with ball in hand, I would continue to play safe on the one. He hit it a few times, But never made the ball and never left me hooked.This made him hoppin mad. Not only did his anger affect his play in the individual match, but it led him to make mistakes (IMHO) in his matchups for the rest of the team match.
I beat him 13-7, and we won the overall match 55-45.
 
YubaCushion said:
The object of the game is to make shots. If you don't have one, ok play safe.
Safety or not, you still have to make shots to win.
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This is where you are wrong, and if you pay close attention here, you really will learn everything you need to know about pool. I'm not kidding. But once I read your first line, I'm assuming you really don't know, and it's not your fault, we all have to learn.

But you say the object of the game is to make shots.... that is wrong, the object of any game is to WIN. Remember that. You are playing to WIN. And what you need to do is prevent you opponent from winning with any means possible using the rules to your advantage. So, as nice as I can say it without sounding "arrogant", you will need to step off the "banger" way of thinking... no offense to any bangers.... but the next level is winning... and you can't do it banging balls unless you are playing other bangers.. sorry but dem be da rules :)
 
ChicagoRJ, you are right, the object is to win. But you cant win if you don't make shots.
To the others, I have acknowledged my appreciation for defense in a number of my posts on this thread. I use it to.
To the one guy that said I need to learn to jump and kick, I can jump and kick ok.
I have thought about it, heard the reply's and realize this. People who play a lot of safe don't possess the talent to make shots and are afraid of losing. It's ok. people have to do what they have to do in order to win. I will say that I have not seen a pro match where someone played safe over and over and over when they had shots or just to piss someone off. If they have it was personal not just part of the game.
Thank you all for your opinions.
 
I can agree with this .

what he said .

People who play a lot of safe don't possess the talent to make shots and are afraid of losing. It's ok. people have to do what they have to do in order to win. I will say that I have not seen a pro match where someone played safe over and over and over when they had shots or just to piss someone off. If they have it was personal not just part of the game.
Thank you all for your opinions.
 
YubaCushion said:
ChicagoRJ, you are right, the object is to win. But you cant win if you don't make shots.
To the others, I have acknowledged my appreciation for defense in a number of my posts on this thread. I use it to.
To the one guy that said I need to learn to jump and kick, I can jump and kick ok.
I have thought about it, heard the reply's and realize this. People who play a lot of safe don't possess the talent to make shots and are afraid of losing. It's ok. people have to do what they have to do in order to win. I will say that I have not seen a pro match where someone played safe over and over and over when they had shots or just to piss someone off. If they have it was personal not just part of the game.
Thank you all for your opinions.
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Well, not everyone is SVB or Earl... and sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. If he can't get out, why not get BIH to get out?

There is a fine line at some point where it is counter productive, you don't wanna take a chance and screw up a safety, and you don't want the other guy back to the table to often for the great shot, or he out safety's you.... but if someone is thinking correctly, that means they are playing the game right, and must have learned a thing or two.

I"ve had guys where they had 4 balls left with NO clusters or anything...and played safe, and I wondered why?? But, he might have been nervous, maybe his cut shots don't feel right tonight, whatever... heck, I'll just tie the 8ball up and give him ball in hand to earn the run out... either way he's gonna have to run it, except I made it tougher for him now, versuse what he had before he played that last safety.... Again, that is that fine line.. you gotta pick your spots, and if he goes to far with it, it will hurt a little more..... but it never bothered me in the least.... if we all played the same, it would be quite boring !!
 
ChicagoRJ said this and it could not be more true. "If we all played the same it would be boring."
I have to say as a result of getting played safe I am a better shot. For that I am thankful.
 
Pro players will use repeated safeties if that is what they feel will help them win the game. I was part of a team with the name "Safety First". To us there was nothing better than a well executed safety. When we played eachother we would only play safeties against each other at times. We could all make balls very well. I feel that at times a well executed safety requires more precision than it takes to make a ball. Find a way to get out of safeties like this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja9y8Lv_A1s
 
Shannon.spronk said:
Pro players will use repeated safeties if that is what they feel will help them win the game. I was part of a team with the name "Safety First". To us there was nothing better than a well executed safety. When we played eachother we would only play safeties against each other at times. We could all make balls very well. I feel that at times a well executed safety requires more precision than it takes to make a ball. Find a way to get out of safeties like this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja9y8Lv_A1s
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And the most exciting part that got the loudest applause was............the shot, not the safety's
Winning by forcing a guy to foul out, WOW!
 
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