How do you deal with slow players?!

PROG8R

PROG8R

Gator Nation
Silver Member
My game has a tempo to it (fast and loose, I read tables while the other player is up so I don’t have to think about it too much when I get there) and when it gets going, the run outs are in high gear, but when I run into a slow player I go over the edge. Somehow I seem to get matched up with the fish that will look at a short stop shot out from every angle 10X! And the walk around and repeat. Example When I play tourneys, or matches I will usually jump out to a 4-5 game lead in less than 10 minutes!!, then the next 4-5 games will take like 45-60 minutes. During that time I am pulling out what hair I have left, bouncing around, and pretty much wanting to stick my cue straight through their hearts!
The most annoying time came in a tournament at the Northern Lights Casino, it was a race to 9, in the first 15 minutes I was up 5-1, during the next hour and 40-50 minutes he and I were on the hill, I ended un losing the set 8-9 because when I finally got the shot I tried to knock the back of the pocket out and sent the ball sailing into the seats.
 
slow play

if it is in tournament you can get director to check time on his,her shoots and if nessary put a time limet on them. if not in tourny, beat ther at thier on game go to rest room, any way to stall they will get the point!!!!!:D :D :D
 
How slow is too slow? If a guy is taking 30-45 seconds between shots, that's not fast, but to me not unreasonable and I do it myself sometimes. Watch Ralf Soquet.

It only bothers me when a person is taking a lot of time and clearly has no idea what they are doing. I try to occupy myself with other things and not worry about it.

Sounds to me like maybe people have your number, know it bothers you and let you psyche yourself out. If that's the case, blame yourself, not them.
 
Obviously this is effecting you mentally as you have stated that you make more mistakes when someone is playing slow. The best way to get rid of this is to change your mind set. As you have stated before, you are a tempo player. Its very possible that you maybe playing even faster when you play a slower player as you may be attempting to compensate for the time in between innings. Play your game and just make the most of your opportunities while at the table. Just my 2 cents.
 
I think what we need to determine in these types of posts is what is considered as slow play. Except for tournaments where shot clocks are used, there are no written boundaries as to what constitutes slow play. You, PROG8R, are toward one end of the spectrum while others need more time to size up a shot/layout. There are probably many poolplayers that shoot faster than even yourself, while there are many much slower than any player you've ever played. If a slow player isn't breaking any rule, then what's the beef? He's getting "in your head". His shooting style is different than yours and he's entitled to it. Different don't make it wrong. What if the slow player you played is logging on to a pool/billiard website and posting a thread about some guy he played (you) in a tournament that played TOO FAST ;) ??? Kinda puts things in perspective, huh? I personally take about 20 to 45 seconds (depending on the shot) between the time the opponents cue ball stops rolling and I take my shot. Sometimes longer if I've got a really tough kick or I'm thinking out a safety. This is fairly normal, but to some people I'm shooting fast, to some I'm taking "all day". I've played some of these slow players myself and I don't particularly like it either, but I've learned that that is just the way it is, and not to let it affect MY game. Until there is some written rule and a way to enforce said rule, there will always be the occasional slow player. We just gotta learn a better way to deal with it. Good luck!!!

Maniac
 
When I think of slow players I think of a minimum of 60 seconds between every shot. For the average guy who plays this slow, just play them safe. If you play them safe enough times and they give you ball in hand enough times, they usually fall apart. Plus, your tempo is still intact, because the time they are taking now, is what you forced on them. ;)
 
Shoot them !!!

Buy that keychain gun in the NPR section, and just shoot them, and then go tell the tournament director your opponent was unable to finish the match ...

You said an hour and 40-50 minutes to play the remaining 11 games in the match. Assuming the 3 games you won only took an average of 5 minutes apiece, that leaves 85-95 minutes for the 8 games he won, or about 10 to 11 minutes a game.

That tells me he is averaging somewhere around a minute per shot (less on some, more on others).

I play a race to 5 in 20-30 minutes, and a race to 7 in 40-45 minutes usually.

Most leagues anymore have a 2 minute time limit, otherwise an opponent can be warned/watched for slow play. He seems to be a little slow, but not excessively.

I know what you mean though because most shots I am done before 10 seconds is up, unless it is a difficult layout or shot, and when someone
excessively looks at a somple shot, and then still doesn't know what to do, I often feel like telling them what to do, and it can make you anxious.
 
It's funny, because I myself am a slow shooter (15 secs / shot probably). I wanted to pick up speed, but if it REALLY bothers people that much, I might just keep at it to keep you mad! :-)
 
I watched a match between Martin Daigle and Steve Bourada. Steve is a very slow shooter, and Martin is fairly quick.
By the time the match was 6-6 (race to 11) Martin was so pissed at Steve's slow play, that he started swiping up the balls when Steve got to the 7. He is a bit high strung as well, so that didn't help.
I don't think that's the way to deal with a slow player:eek: :eek: .
I usually concentrate on the table, and nothing else. The more you let it get to you, the more it will affect your game.
 
Here is how you handle it. When he is shooting just sit back and relax. As soon as he misses just ask him to wake you up when it is your shot. LOL!!
 
When I am playing someone with tempo going, I purposely try to slow down my game to throw that tempo off. Ill take the timelimit max if I have to. Ill even go one step further and take normal time again untill the other player is JUST about to get a good rythm going, then ill slow it down again.

Is this a form of sharking? I havent really considered it, but the last thing I want is my opponent to get a good rythm to beat me with.
 
Snapshot9 said:
I know what you mean though because most shots I am done before 10 seconds is up, unless it is a difficult layout or shot, and when someone
excessively looks at a somple shot, and then still doesn't know what to do, I often feel like telling them what to do, and it can make you anxious.
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Yes!!
That is a great description of how I feel while I am sitting there watching my beard grow waiting to shoot again. I like the Safety play idea. I am very very strong in that department. But then I can only imagine how long the match would go when I lock them to a ball, hell they take 45 seconds on straight in stop shot.
I think maybe I will start smoking pot before matches so then I will not be so keyed up to run out. We can just sit back and watch the dust collect on the cloth together.
 
i always take some food to eat when im playing with slow players.. and eat slowly hahaha
 
As for your question, the best answers have already been listed. I would add this though, the mental side of the game is tough enough without having to worry about what your opponent is doing while he is shooting. I have a deep admiration for the players that can ignore others antics and just perform when it's their turn.

Another thing worthy of mention is to never let your opponent know that what he/she is doing bothers you. A pool match is like a war, show someone your weakness and they will exploit it.
 
AZE said:
It's funny, because I myself am a slow shooter (15 secs / shot probably). I wanted to pick up speed, but if it REALLY bothers people that much, I might just keep at it to keep you mad! :-)
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Yes, that is my Achilles heel; it isn’t a weakness in game fundamentals, knowledge or stroke. It is a mental fundamental. My inability to tolerate slowness has gotten worse since I stopped drinking beer to excess during the night. Now it is all diet cokes and water. This is just something I need to learn to deal with.
 
The best way to deal with slow players...

Is to keep them sitting. You can't play slow if you don't get to play.

:D :D
 
PROG8R said:
The most annoying time came in a tournament at the Northern Lights Casino,
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A.There is not much one can do under the current rules in the mens tournaments.
B.WPBA have strict rules regards this matter.
C.you can tell the TD but nothing is going to come out of it.They will label you as a complainer.
D.few days ago one very good one pocket player approached me to play.I never met him before.I told him loud and clear that I WILL WALK OUT of the game if he played slow.He said that he will not play slow.Then we played.
E. Carry a Porn magazine of your choice like PentHouse or some thing like that and start looking at the pictures and make sure that your opponent sees that magazine.He may get curious to see those pictures and he may hurry up his game.:cool: :D :cool:
 
ill tell you what i did.

im considered a VERY fast player. (to fast, and i rarely take more then 2 adressing strokes.) one ive planned my runout, i dont see why i should take 1 minut to take a shot. im not a tony drago speed, but im close to ronnie o sulivan's speed.

now the solution:

1/ i slowed my own game down. taking more time to chalk, and make sure im walking to the table in a straight line with the shot, and having a good body aligment.
= i found out lowering my own speed, gives me more patience with slower players

2/ now this is probably the best advice i can give you... Ive teamed up and been training for a year with one of the slowest players in my country. Its VERY frustrating in the beginning, but it REALLY works in the long term. Now i dont have any problem playing vs slower players.

also im using the time im in my seet to do breathing exercises and lower my heartrate and imagine him running out the rack. when you are in the seet waiting, stressing is the LAST thing you should do. NOW, if he runs out. in my mind i was prepared for sitting down this long and i dont get stressed, if he doesnt, ill be totally calm and relaxed to runout in his place.
 
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I play against a guy who will stand studying a shot, get down and shoot, then if he misses just stands there staring at the balls as if they are going to continue moving until the ball he shot goes in. Irritating yes, but I take it in stride and when I able to shoot just try and run the table to keep him from getting back up.
 
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