B and C Players
- Thread starter matthew
- Start date
Matthew,
You answered your own question in your first post as Stick8 pointed it out. I think everyone has their own view on who an A-C player is and who is a professional caliber of player. I think someone posted an artical on this forum of the differences between an A player and a C player for pool rooms wanting to host handicap tournaments and they might post it again on this thread. The only real reason people lable players as such is because it gives a general comparison from one player to other players of how good he/she plays when in competition.
You answered your own question in your first post as Stick8 pointed it out. I think everyone has their own view on who an A-C player is and who is a professional caliber of player. I think someone posted an artical on this forum of the differences between an A player and a C player for pool rooms wanting to host handicap tournaments and they might post it again on this thread. The only real reason people lable players as such is because it gives a general comparison from one player to other players of how good he/she plays when in competition.
The better players are better because they are more consistent and have more experience (and that breeds confidence). There are so many different shots and situations that come in pool. How to deal with each situation on a case by case is critical.
I've only taken one pool lesson in my life and I still remember what I was told (must have been worth it). The guy told me "no shot in pool is exactly the same. You have to give each shot the respect it deserves." I remember joking to myself thinking that the guy was all drugged out or something . ..haha ..telling me to respect the shot, the balls, etc.
But, he was right. There is no shot in pool that is EXACTLY the same. The better players have learned to give attention to the game and respect each shot. The better players learn from each shot and situation and are able to apply that knowledge.
I dont mean to generalize or go off topic but this is partly why A's are better than B's and B's better than C's.
I've only taken one pool lesson in my life and I still remember what I was told (must have been worth it). The guy told me "no shot in pool is exactly the same. You have to give each shot the respect it deserves." I remember joking to myself thinking that the guy was all drugged out or something . ..haha ..telling me to respect the shot, the balls, etc.
But, he was right. There is no shot in pool that is EXACTLY the same. The better players have learned to give attention to the game and respect each shot. The better players learn from each shot and situation and are able to apply that knowledge.
I dont mean to generalize or go off topic but this is partly why A's are better than B's and B's better than C's.
IMO, C players are lucky if they can run 3 balls in 9b and they have very little idea where the cb is going to wind up. A B player consistently runs 4, 5 or 6 balls but just can't seem to get out very often. This is why a lot of B players lose because they'll make 5 or 6 balls and then miss a shot and leave a simple 3 or 4 ball run. Being a B is not a fun as a matter of fact it's very frustrating. Additionally, many B's are not as savvy when it comes to safeties and hooks.
matthew said:
I have seen definitions here, all of which were problematic IMO and here is why.
The first referenced things like being about to get out from the six 2 out of 3 times, etc. But that is 9-ball. So, as an 8 ball player, it is hard to relate to, and it would cause additional difficulty for 14-1 or op. For instance, I played op. I probably got lucky that time, but this example will suffice for what I am trying to say. The guy played me 8 ball and went out in 1-2 innings in the games we played, so I figured he is not a bad player. He had just told me the OP rules. So then we go to another table to play op and I would be a D in that guys 9ball definition, I guess,or in an sl one. But yet, I beat this guy 8-2 in op, who is at least a c+ in 8ball if not a b-, at least by my understanding. So, a d beating a b, with no spot, dead even? Granted it was only one game, even though it took as long as a race to seven in 9 ball typically does, but the point being, the two games or even op to 8ball are very different. Then if the game is 14-1, do you then rate by their typical runs, say 25, 50,75 balls or whatever? I do not think that the 9ball definition would make much sense to 14-1 either. How do you rate a player across all of the games or is it even possible, unless you come up with a rating for each game?
Then I have seen the one relating to sls. Like 2-3 d-, for example and on up the later with 7 typically a b or in a few cases, a. Then you have to realize this is too simplistic because the leagues vary from town to town and even sometimes in the same town. So a person who is a sl5 in one place may be a sl7 in another place or lord forbid (but i have unfortunately seen a few), an sl3. So is that person a b,c, or d?
The sl thing imo only makes sense when the league is typical, that is not an abnormally strong one, nor a weak one. I always thought that the one I came from was typical, but am now seeing that lots of folks who were sl3s in the previous one could beat the sl4s in the new one, whereas the sl6-7 in the new league seem like true sixes and sevens to me based on what they were in the previous one. Using the sl thing is perhaps imo, the hardest to tell where you are on the spectrum of b,c,d.
Then I have seen the one assuming 8ball, relating to how many balls they can run on an open table. This one may be better, but what about a player who has strategy, safety skills, only runs 3 balls but gets shape on those.They then play smart and duck so all their balls wont be off while the other players ball are on the table, and they are snookered. How then is that player worse than a person who runs 5, but has no shape or defense? some will say that all three grow together but while it is often the case, I have seen people who could pot any shot on an open table, say run 5 balls, have no shape or safe game also.
From previous posts, you sound to be pretty good to me, not going to try to put you in an a,b,c I think that many of us put ourselves in boxes, and even when we try to get out of that habit, when playing handicapped league, is all to easy to slip into. Open, no spot tournaments seem to take a person out of a box the best, IMo, because it does not matter what rank your opponent is because at that tournament, there are no rank, everyone playing dead even. You are just there to play hard and win as many matches as you can. JMO.
But as referncing b to c. All of the above but bs typical play smarter, imo. And sometimes, that can be the most important thing that makes them a b, strategy, but then that is assuming the game not to be 14-1.
Laura
matthew said:
First of all, I assume we’re only talking nine-ball here.
The difference between a “B” player and a “C” player is often defined in terms of the number of balls that would typically be run on an open table beginning with a fairly easy shot. For a “C, I believe it would be about 3, and for a “B” it would be about 5 or 6.
Still, I think this approach falls a little short. I play at “A” level, but compete in handicapped events frequently and will share my observations about players at “B and “C” level.
1) The “C” players are passable pocketers, but can execute only the simplest strokes with any consistency. Their use of inside english and stun is extremely limited. They play angles that are far from ideal, in part because their choice is restricted to the strokes they do best, in part because they lack a full comprehension of how to build patterns. This often costs them shape. In addition, their relatively unrefined speed control tends to cost them some shape and makes them highly unreliable in executing all but the simplest safeties. They often run out the last three or four balls, but they would be highly unlikely to run a whole rack more than once in a race to nine. Give them a multi-rail kick and they’ll usually miss it, their one-rail kicks are passable, but their cue ball or object ball control off a kick tends to be poor. Most “C” players have decent breaks.
2) The “B” players are good pocketers with good breaks and have decent power in their strokes. They have a fairly wide range of strokes, though their command of inside english tends to be limited. Their patterns are decent, but their level of execution is inconsistent. They play the simplest safeties well and play the more complex safeties only passably. Their one rail kicks are pretty good but their multi-rail kicks are only passable. Cue ball and object ball control off of kicks is passable, at best. I’d say a typical “B” player is about 40% to run out with ball in hand on the one.
On the whole, though, I think the biggest difference between the “B and “C” player is that the “B” has a good enough stroke and a sufficient range of strokes to do a fairly creditable job in pattern building, and the “C” generally does not. I agree that the "B" generally enjoys an experience edge, but I don't think it's nearly as important as this.
9 ball d-open player
Hi I got this on one of the threads, and IMO, it's prety accurate, (if so I'm a strong C, but accordilng to what I'm seeing, I'm alot better than I think LOL). I hope this helps.This might help-----
In a 9-Ball Tournament race to 7
Dec.1997 "All About Pool" magazine, article by Bob Cambell
Handicap rankings
(pardon my poor para-phrasing)
D- Player
-will not run a rack
-average run is about 3 balls
-with ball in hand, will get out from the 7, one out of 3 times
-rarely plays a successful safe
C-Player
-will probably run one rack, but usually not more than one
-avg. run is 3 to 5 balls
-with ball in hand, will get out from the 7, two out of 3 times
-mixed results when playing safe
-inning ends due to botched position, missed shot or attempting a
safe.
B-Player
-Able to run 1 to 3 racks
-avg. run is 5-7 balls
-with ball in hand will get out form the 5, 2 out of 3 times
-most of the time a "B" player will play a "safety" which maybe hit
easily 2 out of 3 times
-a typical inning will end with a missed shot, a fair safety, or a
won game
A-Player
-will string 2 to 3 racks
-avg. ball run, 7-9
-with ball in hand, will be out from the 3 ball, 2 out of 3 times
-typical inning will end with a well executed safety or a win.
OPEN-Players
-average 8+ balls
-string racks together more than once in a match
-is a threat to run out from every ball, from every position, every
Hi I got this on one of the threads, and IMO, it's prety accurate, (if so I'm a strong C, but accordilng to what I'm seeing, I'm alot better than I think LOL). I hope this helps.This might help-----
In a 9-Ball Tournament race to 7
Dec.1997 "All About Pool" magazine, article by Bob Cambell
Handicap rankings
(pardon my poor para-phrasing)
D- Player
-will not run a rack
-average run is about 3 balls
-with ball in hand, will get out from the 7, one out of 3 times
-rarely plays a successful safe
C-Player
-will probably run one rack, but usually not more than one
-avg. run is 3 to 5 balls
-with ball in hand, will get out from the 7, two out of 3 times
-mixed results when playing safe
-inning ends due to botched position, missed shot or attempting a
safe.
B-Player
-Able to run 1 to 3 racks
-avg. run is 5-7 balls
-with ball in hand will get out form the 5, 2 out of 3 times
-most of the time a "B" player will play a "safety" which maybe hit
easily 2 out of 3 times
-a typical inning will end with a missed shot, a fair safety, or a
won game
A-Player
-will string 2 to 3 racks
-avg. ball run, 7-9
-with ball in hand, will be out from the 3 ball, 2 out of 3 times
-typical inning will end with a well executed safety or a win.
OPEN-Players
-average 8+ balls
-string racks together more than once in a match
-is a threat to run out from every ball, from every position, every