Thoughts on breaking down your stick?

ShootingHank

ShootingHank

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I see players and leagues have different views on this. If your break you cue down then it is a forfeit but what if a player is breaking down his stick to change shafts?

Some say it is a shark tactic....breaking your stick and your opponent misses but the players proceeds to screw on another shaft different than the one he took off.

So when is the appropriate time to change your shaft or is it an automatic forfeit.

Another scenario....playing a ring game with others.....if anyone stands up while I'm on the 10 ball.....I immediately pick the ball out of the pocket and rack them and collect my money. I take it as a sign they expect me to make it. They're waiting to pay me.
 
Shaft change & break down are 2 different things.

At the beginning you your inning when your opponent has walked away from the table, announce your changing shafts to him-get his confirmation that’s what you are doing. Then and only then take your shaft off. While your waiting to do that pick the shaft you intended to use to speed things up.

This way there’s no confusion

Managing your game is a very important part of pool and needs to be learned by everyone.

If you crack your cue during his turn-you forfeited.

Best
Fatboy
 
I ask league operator about this one time and he stated: You have to ask referee if you can change shafts--which is pretty close to you have to declare and you can't do it while opponent is shooting.
 
ShootingHank said:
Another scenario....playing a ring game with others.....if anyone stands up while I'm on the 10 ball.....I immediately pick the ball out of the pocket and rack them and collect my money. I take it as a sign they expect me to make it. They're waiting to pay me.
Click to expand...
I imagine the ring game participants probably tell you to shoot the 10 which remained on the table or you ain't getting jack shit, unless the stander is going to pay for everybody.

Stop making shit up.
 
If someone stands up when I’m on the $ ball. I just score the point, I don’t shoot it.

If they complain, fuck them. They either learn to show respect and give me the point or they learn to stay in their seat.

Normally if that happens I don’t make them shoot their next $ ball as a concession to get rid of any bad feelings(unless it’s a hard shot) Unless I want them pissed off, then I keep them pissed off. Some guys play better mad, some don’t. That factors into my way of managing my action.

I never stand up, I usually drop my cue lol j/k

Fatboy<——— knows a few moves
 
Fatboy said:
If someone stands up when I’m on the $ ball. I just score the point, I don’t shoot it.
...
Click to expand...
I was playing in a local tournament and had a fairly standard -- but still missable -- shot along the foot rail on the 9. My opponent stepped forward, grabbed the triangle up and waited for me to shoot. He was surprised when the tournament director agreed with me that he had conceded the rack.

The same player could be counted on to rattle his change during your inning.
 
Last edited:
Bob Jewett said:
I was playing in a local tournament and had a fairly standard -- but still missable -- shot long the foot rail on the 9. My opponent stepped forward, grabbed the triangle up and waited for me to shoot. He was surprised when the tournament director agreed with me that he had conceded the rack.

The same player could be counted on to rattle his change during your inning.
Click to expand...
You made the right move Bob, he makes that move-that’s a forfeit in a tourney or action.

The exception being playing a banger friend that doesn’t know better, they get a pass as it’s social pool.

Now if you and I were playing for $0 and not in a tourney. I’d still never make that move. Out of respect and I know you WANT to shoot that ball and finish the rack strong. We are playing each other to play our best not “win by pulling moves” pool.

Any movement by the guy in the chair is out of line when your shooting the $ ball or any all for that matter.

I’m not sure how long it took me to learn how to manage my action/games in pool. Was a couple years at least for everything to come up. After enough wars, matches, action I learned how to protect myself. That’s a lost art now or headed that way-which is sad to me.

Best
Eric 😀
 
ShootingHank said:
I see players and leagues have different views on this. If your break you cue down then it is a forfeit but what if a player is breaking down his stick to change shafts?

Some say it is a shark tactic....breaking your stick and your opponent misses but the players proceeds to screw on another shaft different than the one he took off.

So when is the appropriate time to change your shaft or is it an automatic forfeit.

Another scenario....playing a ring game with others.....if anyone stands up while I'm on the 10 ball.....I immediately pick the ball out of the pocket and rack them and collect my money. I take it as a sign they expect me to make it. They're waiting to pay me.
Click to expand...
It is a really bottom of the barrel shark move. I think you have just forfeited when you start that shit.
 
Because I was young and only in the pool hall by the grace of lesser gods, I quickly understood that it was best for me to be "seen and not heard". One of my first achievements was learning to eat potato chips and not make noise -- no bag rustling, no chip smacking, and do not guzzle your root beer like that. (Some of those old bastards were particular, especially when losing.) And, oh, who knew how much crap could ensue simply from me reading a newspaper? Many other lifelong lessons followed. In my case, scolding and threats of banishment were the repercussions, but I saw many heated arguments and more than one fist fight begun by an inadvertent cough or too loud chair squeak.
 
Last edited:
Black-Balled said:
I imagine the ring game participants probably tell you to shoot the 10 which remained on the table or you ain't getting jack shit, unless the stander is going to pay for everybody.

Stop making shit up.
Click to expand...
I mean, that's a pretty big shark move and I'd feel the same
 
Like 2 weeks ago at league a guy from the other team missed on the 8, got disgusted, and took his cue apart. As he was about to put it in his case, the guy on my team missed on the 8. So he puts it together again and misses on the 8 again. Then the guy on my team finally made it.

I sort of wanted to call the guy on the other team for taking his cue apart. But we won anyway so whatever. FWIW, the guy who took his cue apart is a division rep and sort of hyper anal about the rules.
 
MitchAlsup said:
I ask league operator about this one time and he stated: You have to ask referee if you can change shafts--which is pretty close to you have to declare and you can't do it while opponent is shooting.
Click to expand...
really??? what league was that......... In APA you can change shafts or cues at any time
Kim
 
Fatboy said:
If someone stands up when I’m on the $ ball. I just score the point, I don’t shoot it.

If they complain, fuck them. They either learn to show respect and give me the point or they learn to stay in their seat.

Normally if that happens I don’t make them shoot their next $ ball as a concession to get rid of any bad feelings(unless it’s a hard shot) Unless I want them pissed off, then I keep them pissed off. Some guys play better mad, some don’t. That factors into my way of managing my action.

I never stand up, I usually drop my cue lol j/k

Fatboy<——— knows a few moves
Click to expand...
Happened to me last Tuesday..... Twice! Shooting hard cut on 9 and as soon as i was on my back stroke he jumps out of his chair and coughed about six feet from me in my line of site. I missed! I'm not the shy type so i told him, his captain and his whole dam team. His response was "it's a f-ing pool room"! Now he is not a kid nor am i with both in our 50's, both been around pools rooms ect. Well, he made the 9 and put him on the hill and me with no wins needing 7 games. I'm on tilt ! Put my cue up and grab a house cue (known to shoot better with one. Yeah i know ...crazy!) He breaks and scratches, i run out to the 9 where he walks up to the table while i'm shooting and grabs the rack. I walk over to my D.coke without shooting the 9 and wait for him to rack knowing he will run his mouth about me not shooting. All hell breaks loose (i help in the chaos lol:) until his captain who is watching tells him repeatedly that i won and he forfeited the game by approaching the table. I was on tilt until that moment then got to chuckling to myself about his team coming down on him. Won the next 6 to win the match with a house cue that stroked like it had gravel in-bedded in it, had a coating that was somewhat sticky and could shoot around corners. Very pleasing evening in the long run, felt very OLD SCHOOL and i can't Wait to play him again!
 
Rospaw1966 said:
Happened to me last Tuesday..... Twice! Shooting hard cut on 9 and as soon as i was on my back stroke he jumps out of his chair and coughed about six feet from me in my line of site. I missed! I'm not the shy type so i told him, his captain and his whole dam team. His response was "it's a f-ing pool room"! Now he is not a kid nor am i with both in our 50's, both been around pools rooms ect. Well, he made the 9 and put him on the hill and me with no wins needing 7 games. I'm on tilt ! Put my cue up and grab a house cue (known to shoot better with one. Yeah i know ...crazy!) He breaks and scratches, i run out to the 9 where he walks up to the table while i'm shooting and grabs the rack. I walk over to my D.coke without shooting the 9 and wait for him to rack knowing he will run his mouth about me not shooting. All hell breaks loose (i help in the chaos lol:) until his captain who is watching tells him repeatedly that i won and he forfeited the game by approaching the table. I was on tilt until that moment then got to chuckling to myself about his team coming down on him. Won the next 6 to win the match with a house cue that stroked like it had gravel in-bedded in it, had a coating that was somewhat sticky and could shoot around corners. Very pleasing evening in the long run, felt very OLD SCHOOL and i can't Wait to play him again!
Click to expand...
The moment he got up, so should have you and moved the CB right into the kitchen, your break.

Never shoot unless you have “pulled the trigger” and can’t stop the shot.

When your at the table it’s your show. Learning how to manage and get the respect of who your are playing sometimes is almost impossible. Diplomacy usually works.

Managing a game against drunks or beginners or jackoffs is a lost cause. Learn how to ignore it and just win. Best medicine for them anyways

Good luck
Fatboy 💪🤠
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top