Defensive players

J

jimtauer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Anyone have any good stories about "defensive" players in 8 ball? I ran into one last night in leagues. I have never seen anything like it - I'd say at least 50% of his shots were safeties, he was attempting to block as many pockets and leave me without a shot as much as possible instead of making balls and getting position on his next ball. He did not try to run out once - even on the few times he had a wide open table. He also took a ton of time in between shots, as in several minutes. Also a ton of time getting down and actually taking a shot. I think he was trying to frustrate. Match took 2 hours, and I won 6 racks to zero.

My response to this "strategy" was to take just as much time as him on safety shots, and run out as efficiently as possible when I could. I can see where many players would get frustrated against this type of player and just start busting balls out. When I saw what he was doing I intentionally fouled, I think 5 times just moving/tying up his balls or the 8 ball to reposition the balls he was so delicately trying to move to block the pockets.

After my match was over, one of his team mates called us on "excessive coaching" in another match, more than a minute. Unreal.

He was a higher ranked player so this strategy must work enough to make it worthwhile; I just see it failing more often than not, giving an opponent that many times at the table... thoughts?
 
Celophanewrap

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
jimtauer said:
Anyone have any good stories about "defensive" players in 8 ball? I ran into one last night in leagues. I have never seen anything like it - I'd say at least 50% of his shots were safeties, he was attempting to block as many pockets and leave me without a shot as much as possible instead of making balls and getting position on his next ball. He did not try to run out once - even on the few times he had a wide open table. He also took a ton of time in between shots, as in several minutes. Also a ton of time getting down and actually taking a shot. I think he was trying to frustrate. Match took 2 hours, and I won 6 racks to zero.

My response to this "strategy" was to take just as much time as him on safety shots, and run out as efficiently as possible when I could. I can see where many players would get frustrated against this type of player and just start busting balls out. When I saw what he was doing I intentionally fouled, I think 5 times just moving/tying up his balls or the 8 ball to reposition the balls he was so delicately trying to move to block the pockets.

After my match was over, one of his team mates called us on "excessive coaching" in another match, more than a minute. Unreal.

He was a higher ranked player so this strategy must work enough to make it worthwhile; I just see it failing more often than not, giving an opponent that many times at the table... thoughts?
Click to expand...

I have been known to play like that every now and then. The problem is you get so involved in defensive play you
lose you judgment of when you should try to run out. For me that's one of the more effective ways to play a better
player, but you have to pick your moment and go for it. Playing that many defensive shots can be a really good strategy
in the right circumstances, but it's like playing football and always in the prevent defense - all it does in the end is prevent you from winning.
 
mvp

mvp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When I played apa years ago, I would do this on pourpose to practice them. I viewed the league as a qualifier to play apa tourneys so the actual matches played meant nothing so I would work on a safeties and setting myself up for them a ball or two early and I would also use it to anticipate what my opponent would do to make a hit. It was probably rude and inconsiderate of me to treat my opponent this way but it really improved my game! I was an Apa 7 so it wasn't a sand bagging thing at least for me.
 
HawaiianEye

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have played people like than many times.

I don't play in a league, but I play a guy on Sundays that somewhat plays like that. He is so "intent" on winning that he is afraid to go for anything that isn't a "lock".

I know I can "out run" him, so I will blast them open a lot and force him to go for something.

People like that are better at "stalling" than playing pool for the most part.
 
K

kcnate66

C Speed
As well as this type of player, my favorite is when a lower ranked league player thinks its an advantage to safety break a higher ranked player. I'm more patient then most so I'll punt balls as long as the other player wants to, often moving my set into a more advantageous position
 
Shannon.spronk

Shannon.spronk

Anybody read this?
Silver Member
I have at times played this way to some degree. Not real bad though. I actually enjoy when someone does it against me and my team likes it too. They know that I am more patient than about anyone and if someone is trying that hard to safety and slow play me that I am going to punish them. I will lock them up again and again. Fun
 
L

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
During regular season I may play a few safes every now and then. Mostly I try to get the match over as soon as possible because I have to work the next day.

Playoffs or higher is a different story. The last 8 ball tri cup I played in was a 45 inning marathon with me playing 25 safes and my opponent played 17 iirc.

One of the bed pieces of advice I ever received was ...if you can't run out...play safe..
 
J

Jeff Rosen

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Although probably not what the OP was thinking of I have a great/funny story about safeties in eight ball. I'm not knocking beginners here because we all were there at one time but this is too funny not to share. It's two beginners in a match in the Mega Bucks League which plays 8, 9, and 10 ball in alternate weeks.
They were playing 8 ball and one player tried a safety even though he had several easy shots. His opponent tried to kick and missed the object ball. The original guy did another lockup safety even though he had shots and his opponent missed again. The first guy then said "you're on two" and did another safety. His opponent fouled a third time and just as they were ready to scoop up the balls to rerack I quickly laughed and said "there's no three foul rule in eight ball!!" They were both surprised and said they didn't know that!!
 
cardiac kid

cardiac kid

Super Senior Member
Silver Member
Tim,

We have a guy here in Rochester whose favorite words are "safe shot, safe shot my friend". He'll do it with a wide open rack. Used to think it was funny. Drove a opponent nuts at Nationals one year. Thought the guy was going to hit our player. Like you, I just bide my time till I get a chance to put him in jail then tell him "safe sho........ Sad part is he can play. He just chooses not to.

Lyn
 
U

us820

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I will go safety mode if I play one of those super fast shooter guys.Drives them nuts and they do stupid stuff that sells out the rack.
 
Straightpool_99

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
I beat some Englishmen at their own game for some money(Uk 8 ball, world rules). They were trying to block the pockets, but I just ran out. There was a bit of luck involved, but that game is rife with people blocking pockets and being defensive. The small cueball, slow cloth and tiny pockets, combined with a small playing surface makes this strategy work really well.

In snooker you also have the people who run one or two colors and duck, over and over. Because of the general difficulty of snooker, this strategy can work well for a long time, even against good players.

In pool on the other hand, you'll likely screw yourself over playing this way. People are just too good these days. Like others have said, you'll lose judgement on when to run out, as well as take yourself out of stroke playing this way. It's also fairly high risk. One mistake and all the work will have been for nothing. I assuming we're talking about 8 ball here, although there are plenty of people trying this a 10 ball as well (excessive safeties). I'm not a super player by any standard, but I can tell you completely honestly, that I have NEVER lost to such a player at 10 ball. These people think they are so clever, but once you resafe them, kick a ball in or even jump a ball in, all the air leaves their lungs and they just deflate. Also it seems they can never get in rhytm properly. Even if they get ball in hand they seem to screw up a lot more than people who are generally aggressive, even if their shooting level may be on par with them in theory.
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'd say that type of play in 8/9/10 ball is only potentially successful with mid andto lower skill level.at some poin, you gotta shoot the balls in a pocket.

High level rotating games are slugfests, for the most part.
 
F

flyrv9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good or bad safeties are going to always be part of the game. In our league we have a 1 time out per rack (8 ball) and I think at times we should have a shot clock too.
 
V

vjmehra

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Straightpool_99 said:
I beat some Englishmen at their own game for some money(Uk 8 ball, world rules). They were trying to block the pockets, but I just ran out. There was a bit of luck involved, but that game is rife with people blocking pockets and being defensive. The small cueball, slow cloth and tiny pockets, combined with a small playing surface makes this strategy work really well.

In snooker you also have the people who run one or two colors and duck, over and over. Because of the general difficulty of snooker, this strategy can work well for a long time, even against good players.

In pool on the other hand, you'll likely screw yourself over playing this way. People are just too good these days. Like others have said, you'll lose judgement on when to run out, as well as take yourself out of stroke playing this way. It's also fairly high risk. One mistake and all the work will have been for nothing. I assuming we're talking about 8 ball here, although there are plenty of people trying this a 10 ball as well (excessive safeties). I'm not a super player by any standard, but I can tell you completely honestly, that I have NEVER lost to such a player at 10 ball. These people think they are so clever, but once you resafe them, kick a ball in or even jump a ball in, all the air leaves their lungs and they just deflate. Also it seems they can never get in rhytm properly. Even if they get ball in hand they seem to screw up a lot more than people who are generally aggressive, even if their shooting level may be on par with them in theory.
Click to expand...

World Rules do encourage dull defensive play, if you ever get the chance try Balckball rules, they encourage much more attacking play. There is still some blocking of pockets in the game, but much less than World Rules.
 
mvp

mvp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think everyone is missing my point, I believe the opponent could/can get out but was toying with the op! I did it myself years ago just to practice safes not to play a safety game. Nor was I scared I couldn't get out. I even did it once to a younger guy that thought he was awesome just to frustrate him (amusement porpoises) not proud now but that's what I think the op was experiencing!
 
couldnthinkof01

couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If someone does that just consider it a chance to prove your the smarter and more patient player. They usually give this strategy up quick after you beat them at their own game. I actually had someone unscrew mid match when they realized they couldnt win with this strategy in a tournament. Hilarious!
 
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