Brits and their chalk

W

wontonny

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
One thing I've noticed from all the video's I have watched with British pool/snooker players is that they never seem to put their chalk on the table between shots like Americans do. I've even seen some go as far as having a little leather chalk holster. I understand snooker players have the little pocket in their vest, but when they don't the chalk is put in a pocket. What is the issue with putting your chalk on the rail for the few seconds you're playing your shot?

Edit: Let the records show, I put my chalk on the table when I'm playing a shot, but I take t with me back to my chair when my inning is over.
 
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They also like to eat with a fork and knife...what exactly is the question or problem? Brits like their etiquette. No chalk on the table.

Nick
 
Maybe the blokes cawnt find their bloody chalk if they set it down farther than an awms-length away ;):D:D:D!!!

Maniac
 
I was playing my uncle who is from england a couple of years ago, and he was driving me crazy with that. Every time I put the chalk down he would move it off the rail! We were playing on my table and it was really pissing me off! He told me the chalk doesn't belong on the table. I told him I will keep that in mind next time I am in england, but for now it will stay on the rail.
 
its a real bad habit that a lot of the american players do. By doing this you are breaking your pre shot routine and not aligning properly, i take the chalk off the players and the table when i coach them.

unless you put the chalk on the table, then step back and walk into the shot properly, your alignment and sighting is off.

hope this helps - lee
 
Nick B said:
They also like to eat with a fork and knife...what exactly is the question or problem? Brits like their etiquette. No chalk on the table.

Nick
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Nothing to do with etiquette, everything to do with laziness. Chalk lives in the back pocket, where it doesn't mate with other cubes, don't get knocked off the table and doesn't mean you have to walk around the table looking for it.

I hadn't realised Americans don't stick it in their pockets. No wonder there was such an outcry over Kamui chalk!
 
It keeps the rails clean. Too many players ( even experienced ones) put the chalk hollowed side down on the rail creating a big mess. For some reason people don`t get that if they turn in over the chalk dust stays in the cube.
 
TheThaiger said:
Nothing to do with etiquette, everything to do with laziness. Chalk lives in the back pocket, where it doesn't mate with other cubes, don't get knocked off the table and doesn't mean you have to walk around the table looking for it.
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I'm still pretty new to more-serious (i.e., league) competition and stopping to look for the chalk breaks my concentration. So I always bring my own and keep it in my pocket. One less thing to worry about while I'm getting flustered over everything else. :)

Unfortunately, this habit has led me to unconsciously pocket the house-chalk as well which drives my opponents crazy... I gotta work on that.
 
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krupa said:
I'm still pretty new to more-serious (i.e., league) competition and stopping to look for the chalk breaks my concentration. So I always bring my own and keep it in my pocket. One less thing to worry about while I'm getting flustered over everything else. :)

Unfortunately, this habit has led me to unconsciously pocket the house-chalk as well which drives my opponents crazy... I gotta work on that.
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Unconsciously...right... :grin:

I've got tonnes of them at home, but am not a fan of masters. I use Blue Diamond, so you learn to keep hold of it after a while.
 
I first ran into it with the Aussie players, its totally the right thing for the game. As been said, keeps the top rails clean, keeps your hands clean, walking to the other side of a twelve footer is a waste of time/energy and if a piece falls off the rail and moves a ball in snooker match, isn't it a foul? It makes complete sense, but old habits die hard over here, and so it goes.
 
In world rules eightball the game that dynamite (one of the best players in the world at it by the way) transferred from there is a rule that states:

The referee will prevent any unauthorised marking of the table. If a player causes a block of billiard chalk or other foreign matter to be on any part of the table it is not a foul. However, the referee will ensure that the item is removed.

http://www.epa.org.uk/wrules.php (near the bottom of the page)


Hope this helps a bit?
 
Dave Mackay said:
In world rules eightball the game that dynamite (one of the best players in the world at it by the way) transferred from there is a rule that states:

The referee will prevent any unauthorised marking of the table. If a player causes a block of billiard chalk or other foreign matter to be on any part of the table it is not a foul. However, the referee will ensure that the item is removed.

http://www.epa.org.uk/wrules.php (near the bottom of the page)


Hope this helps a bit?
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Ah, the EPA and their love of rules...Wasn't it this degree of pedantry that helped persuade Daz to switch to 9 ball? Marbles loss is our gain...
 
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Its annoying to even watch people pulling chalk out of their pocket every shot. What's interesting is that Ike Runnels keeps the chalk in his bridge hand the whole time. He never lets go of it.s
 
lee brett said:
its a real bad habit that a lot of the american players do. By doing this you are breaking your pre shot routine and not aligning properly, i take the chalk off the players and the table when i coach them.
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How am I breaking my pre shot routine if that IS my pre shot routine?
 
Billiards

In billiards it is unaccepatble to leave your chalk on the rail. It is more about etiquite and keeping the rails clean than anything else. I have a magnetic chalk holder that attaches to my belt and I would be lost without it. I never get distracted looking around for chalk or asking the opponent if I can use the one he has.
 
lee brett said:
its a real bad habit that a lot of the american players do. By doing this you are breaking your pre shot routine and not aligning properly, i take the chalk off the players and the table when i coach them.

unless you put the chalk on the table, then step back and walk into the shot properly, your alignment and sighting is off.

hope this helps - lee
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cleary said:
How am I breaking my pre shot routine if that IS my pre shot routine?
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It wass a helluva generalization, wasn't it?
 
cleary said:
Its annoying to even watch people pulling chalk out of their pocket every shot. What's interesting is that Ike Runnels keeps the chalk in his bridge hand the whole time. He never lets go of it.s
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I'm guessing he got that from Bugs. He used to do the same thing.
 
I think Bugs was the back hand though. IIIRC, there is a story from Jon Henry (mcHenry) that when Bugs borrowed your linen-wrapped cue, it came back with a blue wrap.
 
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