Etiquette Question: Chalking at end of inning

Floppage

Floppage

True Beginner
Silver Member
I searched through this forum and found a few threads on chalking but nothing that specifically seemed to address this issue but if I'm repeating an old thread I apologize in advance.

Also, I'm not trying to stir up the "do you need to chalk every time" debate.

Currently, chalking is part of my pre-shot routine. In a recent match, my opponent (a much better player) missed a shot and as I got up to grab the only chalk on the table he grabbed it and chalked his cue (kind of slowly) before sitting down. So I had to stand there and wait while he did that before I could chalk my cue. It wasn't a big deal but it threw me off for a minute.

The next time his inning was over I swiftly got up and swooped the chalk off the table before he could get to it and chalked my cue. It threw him off and he gave me an shocked/ugly look before sitting down. The next time he was up he kept the chalk right next to him so I couldn't do that again and proceeded to tow the chalk with him everywhere he went at the table for he rest of the match to make sure he could chalk after his shot.

To me, it felt like chalking after the inning was over was bad form. His inning was done and he should sit the hell down. However, if that's his habit and its not poor etiquette then my grabbing the chalk like may have been wrong.

The etiquette question here is which one of us was wrong? Or were we both wrong?

I am trying to be careful not to shark people but sometimes pool etiquette is a little fuzzy. Thanks in advance.
 
Maybe that's his post-shot routine, if there is such a thing, but that's normally a move in my limited experience. Slows you down and messes with your rhythm and all that.
 
I have the habit of chalking up after I miss a shot (but I do get out of my opponents way and do not linger at the table). It doesn't make any sense because I always chalk up when I get back to the table as well, but, somewhere along the way, it became habit. This has never been a problem probably because: 1) there are usually multiple (at least 2) pieces of chalk on the table and 2) one of them is normally my own.

Solution: bring your own chalk and do with it what you will. The other guy can have the community chalk.

As far as good or bad etiquette... this situation shouldn't shark anyone as long as the other guy doesn't go overboard or refuse to give the chalk.
 
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I see this all the time at the hall too. It is bad etiquette to chalk on the way back to your seat especially if you're lingering at the table. What's the chalk for as you are about to sit down and watch?

However, I can say I'm occasionally guilty of this BUT ONLY if my last shot/miss resulted in a miscue. I don't like to chance that I'll forget to chalk on the way into my next opportunity at the table especially after a miscue. I will not linger at the table though and if it's the only chalk on the table I definitely won't try to keep it away from my opponent. That's just petty and childish stuff.

Good shooting to you,

Kevin
 
Personally I think it's bad form to not leave the table when your turn is done. It's almost as bad as the guy that stands right on the rail while you are shooting. I love the fact you did it back.

In my opinion he thought/knew he was a better player and was trying to intimidate you and you caught him off guard when you had the balls to play back at him. :)
 
Personally I always carry my chalk around the table with me as its an ingrained part of my preshot routine. I also figured out that I love to chalk my cue so I chalk it while my opponent is shooting as well. Towards that end I always, always bring my own piece of chalk. I let my opponent know its mine but I would love to go find them one if they dont have one. This makes it almost impossible for my opponent to pull the move you are talking about.
 
Of course it would be polite to leave the table immediately after shooting and not hogging the chalk, but I suspect this happens so little (that there's only one piece of chalk) that there's no uniform custom.

I guess if there's only one piece of "community chalk" then it's who ever grabs the chalk first.

One dozen Master Chalks costs about $2.75.
 
I don't like it when people do that, but think of it this way: It's nice to be able to see the table layout before you sit down. Chalking gives them a few seconds to look. Just wait until they leave the table before you get up.

What annoys me more is when people grab the house chalk and take it back with them to their chair.
 
pooln8r said:
I see this all the time at the hall too. It is bad etiquette to chalk on the way back to your seat especially if you're lingering at the table. What's the chalk for as you are about to sit down and watch?

However, I can say I'm occasionally guilty of this BUT ONLY if my last shot/miss resulted in a miscue. I don't like to chance that I'll forget to chalk on the way into my next opportunity at the table especially after a miscue. I will not linger at the table though and if it's the only chalk on the table I definitely won't try to keep it away from my opponent. That's just petty and childish stuff.

Good shooting to you,

Kevin
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Good point that I didn't think of. I guess if you aren't carrying your own chalk I can understand after a miscue but that's why I carry my own so I don't have to worry about people randomly grabbing it.
 
Your cue does not need chalk after every shot. This being said, I chalk after almost every shot. It's my habit and I always make sure before a session or a match that there at least two pieces of chalk on the table. Three or four wouldn't bother me either.
 
This has only happened to me a couple of times. I feel it's pretty rude, but whatever some people don't realize others may be upset about it so I don't say anything. If there's more than 1 cube at the table I deal with it easily enough, I just go for the furthest chalk. If there's only one I don't continue to play until a second chalk is added to the table. If I have to I'll just grab a cube from my bag.
 
This is one of my big pet peeves. Chalking after the inning is a clear breach of etiquette. When a player misses a shot, his turn is over and possession of the table immediately passes to the opponent. He doesn't have the right to keep you away from the table while he prepares for his non-existent next shot. While I have experienced this any number of times, I have managed to bite my tongue except for one occasion when my opponent responded with a single icy glare. I never mentioned it to my wife again.
 
Floppage said:
I searched through this forum and found a few threads on chalking but nothing that specifically seemed to address this issue but if I'm repeating an old thread I apologize in advance.

Also, I'm not trying to stir up the "do you need to chalk every time" debate.

Currently, chalking is part of my pre-shot routine. In a recent match, my opponent (a much better player) missed a shot and as I got up to grab the only chalk on the table he grabbed it and chalked his cue (kind of slowly) before sitting down. So I had to stand there and wait while he did that before I could chalk my cue. It wasn't a big deal but it threw me off for a minute.

The next time his inning was over I swiftly got up and swooped the chalk off the table before he could get to it and chalked my cue. It threw him off and he gave me an shocked/ugly look before sitting down. The next time he was up he kept the chalk right next to him so I couldn't do that again and proceeded to tow the chalk with him everywhere he went at the table for he rest of the match to make sure he could chalk after his shot.

To me, it felt like chalking after the inning was over was bad form. His inning was done and he should sit the hell down. However, if that's his habit and its not poor etiquette then my grabbing the chalk like may have been wrong.

The etiquette question here is which one of us was wrong? Or were we both wrong?

I am trying to be careful not to shark people but sometimes pool etiquette is a little fuzzy. Thanks in advance.
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I had someone start doing this to me once. The way to fix it is simple. When your opponent misses and grabs the chalk to apply it to their tip, just grab the chalk right out of their hand. If they say anything, respond with "it's my turn at the table, go sit down. You don't have to worry about miscuing in your chair." It it's league and they continue to throw a fit, just call an unsportmanslike conduct foul on their ass. Only way to fix a person being a dick is to be a bigger dick than they are.
 
Short, simple, & to the point, the guy is a dick!!! Get away from the table after you miss, you do not to chalk your cue to sit in your chair, you do not need to see if you got shape on your next ball, & you do not need to see how good you may or may not have hooked your opponent. I can never understand why someone sits in their chair chalking their cue then chalks again when they shoot next. Its almost a mild shark move, kind of like your opponent standing near the table holding his cue, then after you run a few he puts his cue down and scampers to his chair. If my opponent is facing me when he is down on his shot I wont even take a drink of my soda. I know that is something I should not worry about, I just don't like doing anything that may be perceived as a shark.
 
floppage said:
i searched through this forum and found a few threads on chalking but nothing that specifically seemed to address this issue but if i'm repeating an old thread i apologize in advance.

Also, i'm not trying to stir up the "do you need to chalk every time" debate.

Currently, chalking is part of my pre-shot routine. In a recent match, my opponent (a much better player) missed a shot and as i got up to grab the only chalk on the table he grabbed it and chalked his cue (kind of slowly) before sitting down. So i had to stand there and wait while he did that before i could chalk my cue. It wasn't a big deal but it threw me off for a minute.

The next time his inning was over i swiftly got up and swooped the chalk off the table before he could get to it and chalked my cue. It threw him off and he gave me an shocked/ugly look before sitting down. The next time he was up he kept the chalk right next to him so i couldn't do that again and proceeded to tow the chalk with him everywhere he went at the table for he rest of the match to make sure he could chalk after his shot.

To me, it felt like chalking after the inning was over was bad form. His inning was done and he should sit the hell down. However, if that's his habit and its not poor etiquette then my grabbing the chalk like may have been wrong.

The etiquette question here is which one of us was wrong? Or were we both wrong?

I am trying to be careful not to shark people but sometimes pool etiquette is a little fuzzy. Thanks in advance.
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how much does a piece of chalk cost ? Buy a piece.
 
Beginner Move

Of course this is bad etiquette. But in all my years in league play the only people I see doing this are either beginners or D players. If it's a beginner I politely tell them what the proper etiquette should be when their turn is over. If it's a D player that has been in the league for 10+ years then I would be wasting my time and breath explaining anything to them. If I ever see an A player do this against me then I will just shark them back.
 
fastone371 said:
Short, simple, & to the point, the guy is a dick!!! Get away from the table after you miss, you do not to chalk your cue to sit in your chair, you do not need to see if you got shape on your next ball, & you do not need to see how good you may or may not have hooked your opponent. I can never understand why someone sits in their chair chalking their cue then chalks again when they shoot next. Its almost a mild shark move, kind of like your opponent standing near the table holding his cue, then after you run a few he puts his cue down and scampers to his chair. If my opponent is facing me when he is down on his shot I wont even take a drink of my soda. I know that is something I should not worry about, I just don't like doing anything that may be perceived as a shark.
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Yeah, I hate it when they stand there too. Like, just because they missed a shot I am going to miss the next one and hand the table back over. Although, I handled it very badly in 9 ball league a few weeks ago. The woman I was playing does that EVERY DAMN TIME and by the end of the night it had pissed me off. She made the 3, hooked herself a bit and then barely made a legal shot on the 4. I got to the table and the only difficult shot was the 4 and after that it was totally open. I ended up making the 4 and getting shape on the 5 and quietly (well...I thought quietly) I said "you can sit down now" and proceeded to run out.

I didn't think anyone heard me but apparently I'm louder than I think and my teammate said he just about fell out of his chair when I said it and she never stopped frowning at me.

I really don't want to be a douchebag. I think I may have some tendencies though and maybe I need a support group or something.
 
itsfroze said:
how much does a piece of chalk cost ? Buy a piece.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have a bag of pre-flag masters chalk now that my girlfriend had sitting on a shelf and a clear, plastic box that holds two pieces that I'm going to keep in my bag.

The cost of a piece of chalk is worth not being as big of a douchebag as the guy who has to chalk after the shot. It's worth it to me to stay focused on my game and not the nonsense of my opponent.

I'm learning that in pool its more and more important to just ignore other people and play the table.

...ok, SLOWLY learning.
 
Floppage said:
Yeah, I hate it when they stand there too. Like, just because they missed a shot I am going to miss the next one and hand the table back over. Although, I handled it very badly in 9 ball league a few weeks ago. The woman I was playing does that EVERY DAMN TIME and by the end of the night it had pissed me off. She made the 3, hooked herself a bit and then barely made a legal shot on the 4. I got to the table and the only difficult shot was the 4 and after that it was totally open. I ended up making the 4 and getting shape on the 5 and quietly (well...I thought quietly) I said "you can sit down now" and proceeded to run out.

I didn't think anyone heard me but apparently I'm louder than I think and my teammate said he just about fell out of his chair when I said it and she never stopped frowning at me.

I really don't want to be a douchebag. I think I may have some tendencies though and maybe I need a support group or something.
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Monday night 8 ball league a few weeks ago I'm playing a woman who is a C player. I am a B. She must race to 4 and I must race to 7. Her girlfriend stops by from her APA league to act as cheer leader and commenting loudly on my every move. I was proud of myself for not saying anything to her. Won my match and I think my opponent was embarrassed by her friend.
 
If your playing at a bar or pool room why don't you just ask the bartender/houseman for a second piece of chalk, end of problem !!! IMHO, thats the proper etiquette.
Myself, I like fairly new chalk so I bring my own and I keep it in my bridge hand while I'm shooting and while I'm not shooting, I never put it down, old school. If my opponent ask me to share thats cool and I do, with a smile, it's only chalk.

Dale
 
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