Can't stand to watch "bangers" play anymore?

Billy_Bob

Billy_Bob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had nothing better to do Friday night, so I went and watched a local bar "banger" 8-ball tournament. They kept missing shot after shot, so were hitting harder to improve their aiming, rearranging all the balls on the table with each shot, missing about 10 times on the 8, etc.

This is a new tournament and I think being on a Friday at a bar attracted the worst of the worst.

Well I found I couldn't watch it!

I don't know what the words to describe this are... Painful to watch? Impatient to watch? Perhaps felt watching them play would rub off on me and not good for me?

Anyway I had to get out of there. I could not watch anymore of their playing.

Anyone else suddenly find they have difficulty watching bad players?
 
Billy_Bob said:
I had nothing better to do Friday night, so I went and watched a local bar "banger" 8-ball tournament. They kept missing shot after shot, so were hitting harder to improve their aiming, rearranging all the balls on the table with each shot, missing about 10 times on the 8, etc.

This is a new tournament and I think being on a Friday at a bar attracted the worst of the worst.

Well I found I couldn't watch it!

I don't know what the words to describe this are... Painful to watch? Impatient to watch? Perhaps felt watching them play would rub off on me and not good for me?

Anyway I had to get out of there. I could not watch anymore of their playing.

Anyone else suddenly find they have difficulty watching bad players?
Click to expand...


Its tough sometimes but I also try to get something out of it. At times watching only the good players you rarely see anything that is creative or crazy. I find that watching lower level players can show me some new shots or cueball routes especially for safety plays. Of course the players are not doing it on purpose.
I also think its easier to see why the players dont get out than it is to see why the good players do get out. When watching a lower level player we can see them getting on the wrong angles and haivng to power balls to much. Most use bottom for almost every shot and never notice easy safes.
As long as its not for a real long period I can watch and just try and get something out of it rather than fall into their world.

I play in a pool league. Its super frustrating watching players (even if they are not on my team) snatch defeat from the jaws of victory over and over. Their bad thought process bothers me more than them missing balls.
Of course if I had a choice I would watch the good players.
 
I feel the same way, alot of times i cant stand to be in the same room with someone who plays really bad, especially if i have nothing to do but watch, i will just leave. I understand you completely.
 
Billy_Bob said:
I had nothing better to do Friday night, so I went and watched a local bar "banger" 8-ball tournament. They kept missing shot after shot, so were hitting harder to improve their aiming, rearranging all the balls on the table with each shot, missing about 10 times on the 8, etc.

This is a new tournament and I think being on a Friday at a bar attracted the worst of the worst.

Well I found I couldn't watch it!

I don't know what the words to describe this are... Painful to watch? Impatient to watch? Perhaps felt watching them play would rub off on me and not good for me?

Anyway I had to get out of there. I could not watch anymore of their playing.

Anyone else suddenly find they have difficulty watching bad players?
Click to expand...


UR a real piece of work. 2 years ago U just started playin serious and now all U do is give advice to everybody and now U R looking down at "bangers"????? UR not that far above them, give me a break :rolleyes: :mad:

Brian
 
I'm the opposite. I enjoy watching players that play with joy, regardless of their level, though, admittedly, within that group, I'd rather watch the stronger players.

I'd rather watch a banger that plays with great joy and enthusiasm than a good player that always wears a frown and loses composure frequently.

What I can't watch is a player that doesn't seem to be derive any thrill or joy from playing pool.
 
Billy_Bob said:
I had nothing better to do Friday night, so I went and watched a local bar "banger" 8-ball tournament. They kept missing shot after shot, so were hitting harder to improve their aiming, rearranging all the balls on the table with each shot, missing about 10 times on the 8, etc.

This is a new tournament and I think being on a Friday at a bar attracted the worst of the worst.

Well I found I couldn't watch it!

I don't know what the words to describe this are... Painful to watch? Impatient to watch? Perhaps felt watching them play would rub off on me and not good for me?

Anyway I had to get out of there. I could not watch anymore of their playing.

Anyone else suddenly find they have difficulty watching bad players?
Click to expand...

I don't have any trouble at all. One of the very interesting things about these folks is they have absolutely no fear of trying what looks to be an impossible shot. Effren watches them play, and when they manage to make the shot, or do something incredible, he remembers it and tries to make it part of his repertoire. Watching a shot is one thing; making it yours is another.

A few months ago a pro in Chicago was shooting on the tight table at Chris's (#10) and was trying to cut in a ball that must have been pretty close to, and maybe more than, an 85 degree cut. The cue ball was 5 or 6 diamonds away, and he was trying to spin the ball in shooting with outside english. He set the shot up over and over, and after maybe 10 tries, still hadn't potted the ball. Someone suggested that instead of shooting it the way he was, that he try by shooting just a hair above center and with a hair of inside english. On the first shot, he overcut the shot. And he looks up and stares at the beginner who made the suggestion, and said, "look at this. I learn more from the beginners than anyone else. On the first shot, this guy has me already overcutting the ball!"

This pro has been at it probably for over 40 years. the beginner, a relatively short while.

Food for thought.

Flex
 
sjm said:
I'm the opposite. I enjoy watching players that play with joy, regardless of their level, though, admittedly, within that group, I'd rather watch the stronger players.

I'd rather watch a banger that plays with great joy and enthusiasm than a good player that always wears a frown and loses composure frequently.

What I can't watch is a player that doesn't seem to be derive any thrill or joy from playing pool.
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Great post SJM. Your outlook on pool is one of the reasons I always look forward to reading what you have to say.

As to the original question, it is VERY rare for me to not find some type of enjoyment watching any level of pool being played. When the players are of lower levels I like to try and decide what I would do if in their position. But I mainly try to study what they are doing and figure out what I would try to help them with if they wanted to get better.

Another good thing to do is figure out how they could have hit a shot differently to get a better result. If you watch long enough, and arent watching just to judge them, you can learn something from everyone.
 
BB, you are missing it completely. As an instructor, I work with all levels of players from pure beginners to pros. Regardless of the skill level, I usually learn something from every student I work with. Your post makes you sound like a bit of a snob. Unless you never miss a shot, you still have plenty to learn. Don't look down on someone who may not make as many shots as you do. You can always learn something new if you are willing and open minded.
Steve
 
myself love to watch these kind of games except when i have winners and the game takes like a half an hour to finish then i can't stand it but yeah these guys i like to watch play i don't know why either. Some of them are great shooters here with no position play and just fire that cueball a 100 miles an hour.
 
Can't stand to watch "bangers" play anymore

Since I work in a poolroom I get to witness all levels of players. Sometimes the bangers have the audacity to play on the first table in front of the bar. I just want them to take a rack of balls and go to the back of the room...I get so bored...and the only thing I could learn would be what not to do!
 
Joe, who do you like on table 12??...

I remember some of the most fun...and most exciting...games was when Joe S. and I would bet on a match between a couple of hackers...man, woman, or child...who had no clue what they were doing...or that we were betting on them...and we had to go by their rules lol...

Nothing serious for stakes...2, 5, or 10 $$...but enough to want to win...we would just sit by the counter and watch from a distance and sweat it out...

I don't know how many times we thought it was better than watching pros who never miss...yawn...seen that before...sweating out a game of 8-ball when each player has ten hangers apiece on case ball...Efren the magician??...I've seen hackers make shots that Efren wouldn't dream of lol...
 
I played some barbox pool last night and realized why i stopped and moved away from that game,not saying i cant pick up something from a night out with some "bangers" but there concept and everyone has there own rules part just sucks.I love to see there funny stances,bridges,and also when they are all jacked up,i try to help some of the ones that are sober enough to listen,like not jacking up for no reason.Playing safes will get you into fights as they call it ni&*er pool or dirty pool,real stupid if you ask me,the game in the bars for the most part is a joke,for the bangers.
 
Mike_Mason said:
Efren the magician??...I've seen hackers make shots that Efren wouldn't dream of lol...
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I saw one of those!

The setup was something like this:

START(
%AC7D0%B\1E7%CE3G8%DI8R4%Ep3Y9%F_4K3%GN3Q4%Hi5E0%IM9W4%Pr9Z9

)END

http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~wei/pool/pooltable2.html

The guy (beginner) jumps the 5 ball and the cue ball goes way up in the air and bounces down table, pots the 1, bounces off the long rail and comes out for position on the 2 ball. His opponent later said it was the shot of the night.

Could Effren pull that off? Of course, but seeing the cue ball do all that without bouncing off the table was something else.

Flex
 
I like watching players of roughly equal skill play each other rather they be C players or pros. I can't stand to watch an A player beat up on a C player. And I too have learned a lot from watching C players accidently do something new and creative that I could practice and add to my repretoire.
 
This may be the case, but you could still learned something.

Point taken.
Actually, my post sounded snotty, I'm not snotty but, have many opinions on this subject. What bothers me the most is the bangers hit the balls too hard, they don't have a clue as to the finesse and the beauty of this game. They also have no pool etiquette, walk on top of the people at the next table and don't realize that other people exist around them. And the final thing is they swear when they miss. I have a rule that if you haven't played in that poolroom for at least 15 years, you have no business saying the f word, cuz you just aren't good enough!

Poolhall Maven on her high horse!
 
I understand what your saying ! But watching Bangers is one thing playing them is another. I tent to rush to get it over with and make mistakes . Thats how bad habbits start. I allways win but it means nothing to me . I know ! , I know I should play my game no matter what or who . But that is far to easy to say then to do .I like to be callanged . Belive it or not i like when i get my ass kicked buy a stronger player then me. I learn from it. I get excited by it. I also learn from watch great players. This is the reason i agree With the postes.It's hard to watch the bangers.Yes i was a banger at one time . we all were. But we worked hard to improve . The worst thing is a banger who thinks there good . I love showing them there not . I'm the frist person to help someone when they ask . After all i'm still learning this great game myself.
 
pooltchr said:
...Your post makes you sound like a bit of a snob...
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Yes that is it exactly! I feel I am becoming a "snob" with my pool playing.

-Will only play certain players above a certain skill level if I can.
-And now seem to not even want to watch lower skilled players shoot.

And this is REALLY weird for me. I hate snobs generally. I am down to earth, wear T-shirts, etc. Total opposite of the "country club" types.

But I have been hanging around better players lately. They have been advising me to do just this. That is to *not* play lesser skilled players. They are telling me it will drag my game down. They say to only play the best players I can find.

So I guess I'm torn between being my regular "common" self or being a "pool snob".

I am quickly seeing the advantages of only playing better players though. There is an "A" player who I could never beat before and who I hated to play with because he always ran the table on me. Well now I am playing him regularly and starting to win games when playing him. He does not seem so difficult to beat anymore.

And I am getting the feeling that he is going to stop wanting to play me soon. I have gone through this a lot. I start winning games against someone, then they don't want to play me anymore. I see a certain look in their eyes when I walk in the door. They don't look happy to see me.

No one else wants to play this guy usually (because he wins so much), so this will be interesting to see what happens - if I start winning more games against him. Will he refuse to play me or continue playing me?
 
Everyone starts somewhere.

I shot as an APA SL2 for about eight months, learning the game. Trust you me, a SL2 is about a weak a player as you can find. You never know what they are going to do.

IMO the hardest thing to watch is someone pocket the wrong ball first, or not pay attention simple cue ball speed in order to get position on the next shot.
 
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