Tap or Snap?

Hepp-Cats

3RAILKICK said:

Who taps their cue when the opponent makes a particularly good shot?

Or do you snap your fingers?

Is there an unwritten code of which and when to do either or both?

Is tapping for the players, and snapping for spectators?

Anyone know how long this has been an expression of approval and recognition?

Tell me it's not a Maynard G Crebs coffee house thing...that caught on in the poolroom.

Click to expand...

First time I saw tapping the cue on the floor as approval was in the movie: The Hustler
Never saw anyone snapping their fingers for approval outside of a beat poetry house in the early 60's "Yeha man that cat is Way Gone... SOLID!::::snap snap snap snap:::::

Lesh

Tap...tap...tap

3RAILKICK said:

Who taps their cue when the opponent makes a particularly good shot?

Or do you snap your fingers?

Is there an unwritten code of which and when to do either or both?

Is tapping for the players, and snapping for spectators?

Anyone know how long this has been an expression of approval and recognition?

Tell me it's not a Maynard G Crebs coffee house thing...that caught on in the poolroom.

Click to expand...

I have found myself doing both, but snapping is primarily associated with ladies pool, from what I have seen.

Tap, tap, tap for me. I think my habit came from learning snooker first.

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I am a Tapper

Ive seen guys around where i play snap their fingers, but its only when the guy shooting is getting ready to play a money ball. They say they are trying to make him miss, but he cant hear the snapping so i guess its a superstitious thing. Dunno. I usually just tell the guy nice shot or nod

Tapping's been around a LONG time...I do it for my opponent when he makes a tough shot or a tough out...I never saw snapping until I was in Europe, they did it a lot in Cyprus...then, now I'm back, I see it in pool rooms all over the place. Not sure who/when that started, but it's apparently world wide, now.

I'm a tapper.

I associate snapping you fingers with 3-cushion billiards.

I have never heard a pool or snooker player snap their fingers.
...seen a few snap their cue, though.

I've always seen tapping but as of late I see a lot of the women players snapping. I play against a female pro on the regular and she started doing it. I was like "uh..."

my personal favorite is the way Alex Pagulyan does it by smacking his leg and going bizerk http://youtu.be/XfRx5w-D3fE 36:00 mark.

being an old guy, I guess I am old school, tap tap tap is the way for me

I thought this was going to be an MMA thread.

But to answer your question, I see and do the occasional tap tap tap, when appropriate. i guess I don't get out enough, as I've never heard anyone snapping.

I've actually never heard of snapping your fingers for a good shot. If I have my cue in my hand I will always tap the but of my cue about three times for a good shot. It's funny though I'm 29 years old and I know to do it. But the pool hall I play at has a lt of younger kids playing ages 16-22 and none of them even know to do it. It's kind of a shame little things like that are disappearing from the game.

tap..tap..tap
never saw anyone snap their nice shot recognition in the places ive played

3RAILKICK said:

Who taps their cue when the opponent makes a particularly good shot?

Or do you snap your fingers?

Is there an unwritten code of which and when to do either or both?

Is tapping for the players, and snapping for spectators?

Anyone know how long this has been an expression of approval and recognition?

Tell me it's not a Maynard G Crebs coffee house thing...that caught on in the poolroom.

Click to expand...

Snapping is done in 3C billiard circles. I credit Deno Andrews for spreading that tidbit to the internet masses on RSB. You can hear the snapping in many youtube 3C videos.

George Fels on Billiards and Finger Snaps

It doesn't take much to spread this at tournaments. Some of us started doing it at certain pro pool events. Before you knew it, much of the room was snapping their fingers.

Freddie <~~~ finger snapper

Tap tap tap for me.

I rarely tap my cue to the floor, with carpet floor and a bumper on a cue that doesn't seem to make much sense.

But I find it funny how, at least in my circles, the simple ''tap tap'' (usually done by snapping fingers but more frequently by clapping the chalk against the rail when on table, or against a table or a cue while sitting), is the only form of communication needed and essentially the only one allowed during a game.

Well, calling a pocket if needed aside, but I don't really consider that as communication but a part of the game.

The small ''tap tap'' or ''click click'' can have so many meanings:

- If I'm sitting and my opponent makes a particularly good shot, it means ''nice one'' or ''good shot''.

- If I get a lucky safe out of a missed shot, or luck in a shot, I'll tap the rail with my chalk meaning ''sorry for that, I got lucky''.

- When I come to table after a particularly good safe by my opponent, I'll tap the rail again, this time meaning something along the lines ''well played... how the f am I going to get out from here?''

So the simple tapping or clicking may mean almost whatever needed. No reason to talk, which I like.

Edit. And I've also heard the same expression made by clicking one's tongue, or tapping a fingernail against a glass. Usually two clicks or taps, sometimes three or four if very impressed etc. It doesn't matter how you do the noise, but this little noise is the way we communicate in billiards. For the record, I'm in Europe.

............

I've seen both, tap seems to be more universally common.

I really don't do either, both seem silly and potentially distracting.

I generally reserve comment till the money ball drops or maybe the side changes like in 1P.