Break sticks and impact of hearing..

Newton

Newton

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well, I guess it could be just me and the potential place where I play, but I have a sneaking feeling that my hearing could have been affected by the big "Slam" sound of the break.
We are in a brick room with not a lot of acoustical damping (hard wood floor) and we all break with Sledgehammer look-a-likes which makes a tremendous echo in the room and for sure a large boom.

In the beginning I felt uncomfortable with the sound level but now I don't react to it, but I have a feeling of "cotton" in my right ear now.

Anyone with similar experience? Do you play with ear plugs some times? In tournaments ?

And yes, I do wash my ears he he :rolleyes:

Kent
 
I break with a sledgehammer

Newton said:
Well, I guess it could be just me and the potential place where I play, but I have a sneaking feeling that my hearing could have been affected by the big "Slam" sound of the break.
We are in a brick room with not a lot of acoustical damping (hard wood floor) and we all break with Sledgehammer look-a-likes which makes a tremendous echo in the room and for sure a large boom.

In the beginning I felt uncomfortable with the sound level but now I don't react to it, but I have a feeling of "cotton" in my right ear now.

Anyone with similar experience? Do you play with ear plugs some times? In tournaments ?

And yes, I do wash my ears he he :rolleyes:

Kent
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I break with a sledgehammer and it does make a unique noise but I never thought it affected my hearing in anyway. If you believe it is affecting your hearing than take the necessary precautions because being deaf sucks.
 
I've never equated the sound of a break with losing any sense of hearing. Has anyone measured the decibel level of breaks before? I'm kinda curious now.
 
I expect that attorneys will be contacting you right away after reading about your dilema. I will be closely watching your case because I'm pretty sure - no, I'm positive - that my hearing has diminished over 50 or so years of pool playing, and everyone who has seen my game knows that I am generally sitting right there by the table when the breaks take place.
 
There's no question that close proximity to the dB created by the sound of a break is enough to damage your hearing.
 
Do you have sustained ringing in your ears after a long pool session? That would be a good indicator.
 
I have been tempted to bring our SPL level meeter and actually do a meassurement of the SPL. I'm pretty sure that the reading would be high,but I have a sneaking feeling that the frequency respons would be verry different between a leather tip cue and a phenolic break tip cue.

If there is any interest in it,I could post the results under this thread?

Have actually looked today at custom fitted ear plugs from a hearing aid supplier over here.Would be after a mould of my ear so it would not show as much as those stock orange ones :) Then I could block the bowling lanes and kids birthdays parties in the same time..

Kent
 
I say, it's time for a fashion risk - take in a pair of ear protectors, like they use at gun ranges, and wear them whenever breaking.

:D

Have you asked any other folks in your pool room whether they feel like their hearing is being affected by the sound levels of people breaking racks?

There could be multitudes of reasons why your hearing is affected, having nothing to do with pool. You should consider going and getting your hearing checked out. That's something you don't want to mess with.
 
ronhudson said:
I expect that attorneys will be contacting you right away after reading about your dilema. I will be closely watching your case because I'm pretty sure - no, I'm positive - that my hearing has diminished over 50 or so years of pool playing, and everyone who has seen my game knows that I am generally sitting right there by the table when the breaks take place.
Click to expand...
old age and racking the balls, a sorrowful and frequent combination. PS; funny post.
 
I have sensitive ears, so I plug my ears when I'm not breaking, if who I'm playing can pop them hard. I have one freind who smacks them harder than Larry Nevel it sounds like a gun shot.
 
Sound

Newton said:
I have been tempted to bring our SPL level meeter and actually do a meassurement of the SPL. I'm pretty sure that the reading would be high,but I have a sneaking feeling that the frequency respons would be verry different between a leather tip cue and a phenolic break tip cue.

If there is any interest in it,I could post the results under this thread?

Have actually looked today at custom fitted ear plugs from a hearing aid supplier over here.Would be after a mould of my ear so it would not show as much as those stock orange ones :) Then I could block the bowling lanes and kids birthdays parties in the same time..

Kent
Click to expand...
I can't say peoples break has affected my ears but the KARAOKE during some tournaments is killin me!:banghead:
 
Karaoke

tucson9ball said:
I can't say peoples break has affected my ears but the KARAOKE during some tournaments is killin me!:banghead:
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Now that I think about Thursday and Sunday Karaoke, there was an upside to me being banned.:D
 
tucson9ball said:
I can't say peoples break has affected my ears but the KARAOKE during some tournaments is killin me!:banghead:
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Karaoke *shudder*

I was once playing in a small local tournament at a bar/restaurant, where they would sometimes have karaoke. One time they had "kid karaoke", where it was mainly kids, from about five up to early teens or so.

What really made me both cringe and laugh at the same time was some of the songs the kids were singing to. There were several times where a single young girl, or maybe a pair of them, were singing these country songs, that can best be described as "my b/f cheated on me so I destroyed his private property", and "I'm a bar whore" type songs. I was like, WTF? These are eight, nine year old girls. Bizarre!
 
ScottW said:
Karaoke *shudder*

I was once playing in a small local tournament at a bar/restaurant, where they would sometimes have karaoke. One time they had "kid karaoke", where it was mainly kids, from about five up to early teens or so.

What really made me both cringe and laugh at the same time was some of the songs the kids were singing to. There were several times where a single young girl, or maybe a pair of them, were singing these country songs, that can best be described as "my b/f cheated on me so I destroyed his private property", and "I'm a bar whore" type songs. I was like, WTF? These are eight, nine year old girls. Bizarre!
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He he he. You had me laughing there.
How about when you have some of those 4-5 year old kids hanging by the table asking all kinds of questions and you are in the zone - head for the end rail and do a real slammer break with you're Phenolic break stick:
The kids almost $hit in their pant's and rush away because of the sound he he.

I would give you a update on my measuring (hope to do it this weekend) and let you know, for those who are interested. I have to admit I'm eager to see how hight the "boom" is in dB.

Anyone up for a "dB drag-race break" contest he he :thumbup: Is?nt that what the pimpmobil'ers do:smile2:

K
 
Roy Steffensen said:
Easy solution - start to play one-pocket
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You know me Roy, I'm way out on that one - to slow for me, as for "14-sweat";) Are you showing up in 2weeks for the 14-1 Championship ?

K
 
Newton said:
You know me Roy, I'm way out on that one - to slow for me, as for "14-sweat";) Are you showing up in 2weeks for the 14-1 Championship ?

K
Click to expand...

I will definitely be there - aiming for a medal! :D

One-pocket would be a great game for you, you just need to try it sometime. We can play some cheap 50 NOK each rack, I'll give you very good handicap also. I have to bank my first ball in each rack ;)
 
Roy Steffensen said:
I will definitely be there - aiming for a medal! :D

One-pocket would be a great game for you, you just need to try it sometime. We can play some cheap 50 NOK each rack, I'll give you very good handicap also. I have to bank my first ball in each rack ;)
Click to expand...

He he, well I learned my lesson in gambling in the 80's and have hardly gambled after that, so I think you would struggle to get me started on the gambling :p

Have not been practicing at all the last weeks so I'm most likely just show up just to check out the action at the 14-1 event.

See ya.

K
 
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