How to handle slow players?

yumeul said:
Yeah I have my friend's table always but I think its a little disrespectful to run drills while in a match.
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Well, it's more than that. It's specifically forbidden by the rules.

I think a better way is to both go on a chess clock.

There used to be a very good player in this area. He would run at least 50 in a typical straight pool match. He would be down for a shot and then he would look back at his grip hand. Take a few strokes looking back at it. Then straighten up and take a few more warm-ups looking at the balls. Then back to his grip hand. Then after a couple of minutes of preparation, he would shoot the shot and make it. (Doc Elliott, for those from this area.) I don't mind if people do that and miss, but he hardly ever missed.

At one pocket, I don't mind if my opponent takes a couple of minutes. It probably means he's in a bad situation and is about to make a mistake. At nine ball where there are hardly ever any choices and at 14.1 where often there is at least one easy way to go on, shots should rarely take more than about 25 seconds.

I think it's a mistake to alter your game in response to slow play by the other player.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Well, it's more than that. It's specifically forbidden by the rules.

I think a better way is to both go on a chess clock.

There used to be a very good player in this area. He would run at least 50 in a typical straight pool match. He would be down for a shot and then he would look back at his grip hand. Take a few strokes looking back at it. Then straighten up and take a few more warm-ups looking at the balls. Then back to his grip hand. Then after a couple of minutes of preparation, he would shoot the shot and make it. (Doc Elliott, for those from this area.) I don't mind if people do that and miss, but he hardly ever missed.

At one pocket, I don't mind if my opponent takes a couple of minutes. It probably means he's in a bad situation and is about to make a mistake. At nine ball where there are hardly ever any choices and at 14.1 where often there is at least one easy way to go on, shots should rarely take more than about 25 seconds.

I think it's a mistake to alter your game in response to slow play by the other player.
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In tournament play I agree. But my example was specifically about a money game, a game in which the opponent was purposefully playing slow to try and gain an edge on me. This was my retaliation. It should be noted that he never had to wait on me to shoot. I did this for the sole purpose of keeping loose. In my opinion perfectly acceptable.
 
yumeul said:
Recently played a very slow guy in a tournament. The speed that he is playing really kills my rhythm.

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Whenever its your opponents turn at the table and it will probably be for awhile, I'd just walk to the other side of the room and turn my back on em till it was my shot. Slow players have ''difficulty'' with this course of action. It effects their play.
 
Slow play

Stare at their face like a junkyard dog and keep saying to yourself that they are trying to figure out a way to screw this up.
Also walk away from the table and hide behind something so they cant see you but you can see them. If they look for you then hide until they are shooting and watch them miss.
 
Something I wanna throw out there, being a slow player myself... unless someone actually admits to you that they're playing slow to shark someone, it's usually not a move. It's just their natural rhythm.

If someone has a reputation for playing slow all the time, then that's probably their normal speed. Seeing them shoot faster occasionally doesn't mean they've been faking it all along. Like a lot of slow players, I sometimes worry my default speed is somehow holding me back and I'll experiment with a faster pace. But the instant I miss that way, I go back to worrying about every ball and swear I'll never rush again.

It's not healthy to take slow play personally and act like the opponent's sharking you. This puts you in a kind of victim mindset where you give yourself an excuse to play bad... like "I missed cuz he took me out of my rhythm, I had to fade this obvious move". As much as possible you should try to make your opponent and his actions irrelevant.
 
This is one of the various sharking tricks to distract your focus.

Use this as an opportunity to sit back in your chair with closed eyes.

Force him to get your attention for your shot - then double-slow your shots. If he's going 40-60 seconds per shot, double that.

Slow-shooters rarely have sufficient patience when their tricks are used against them. When he starts hitting the ball harder than normal - you own him.

Above all - do NOT show irritation at these tactics. Use a poker-faced benign patient "Buddha" look.
 
I will say this, my friend shorty told me whenever your playing, if your sitting down, then you should be looking away from the table and not worrying about what's going on until its your turn!!! As far as slow!?!?! Well, you get a better look around the room!!!:)
 
liakos said:
I will say this, my friend shorty told me whenever your playing, if your sitting down, then you should be looking away from the table and not worrying about what's going on until its your turn!!! As far as slow!?!?! Well, you get a better look around the room!!!:)
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Use the time checking out any eye-candy. :D
 
CreeDo said:
unless someone actually admits to you that they're playing slow to shark someone, it's usually not a move. It's just their natural rhythm.
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After reading a few posts of people calling slow play a sharking tactic, I was going to say this also. I play with some slower players on a league team, and they play slow in league and in tournaments. People occasionally get mad about it, but I know for a fact that they aren't doing it to shark, and they are usually embarrassed about it.

But that's just my experience - maybe there are lots of people who do it intentionally.
 
yumeul said:
Recently played a very slow guy in a tournament. The speed that he is playing really kills my rhythm.

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I noticed if i give the first game and the second they speed up, and then hit them with 5 packs, they will never go back to slow any more!
 
Haha. I think Eric got it. Might not be the exact right way but that's exactly what I do.

I might take an extra one or two pee breaks. Fiddle with my chalk, whatever it takes to slow things down even slower.

I may chat with my team mates and make it look like I am not in the least bit worried or concerned over the game itself when it is my turn to shoot.
 
A guy that plays in the same league I do takes a long time on each shot. When he finally gets down to shoot he takes anywhere from 20-50 practice strokes. I am honestly not kidding. We like to have a game where we bet the over/under for number of practice strokes he takes. We get some laughs out of it and usually I forget how long he takes because I am busy counting :thumbup:
 
Used to drive me nuts but with today's technology I might pop in my ear buds and play some tunes... Check out Azbilliards or Read a book if I have my kindle....

What I think I may do next time tho is set my camera up and excuse myself for a smoke break... They can tap on the window when I need to come back inside...

All of these things are completely disrespectful but most slow players to me are disrespectful in their actions... I have heard the BS about it's their natural rhythm but if Johnny and Ralf can play under a shot clock gtfo and shoot....

In the old days I simply used to find someone to talk to... There are always rail birds willing to chirp....

Chris
 
I think people do have their own natural speed - a guy on my league team literally sprints around the table - and plays all the better for it. The question is really what constitutes 'unacceptably' slow play. I'm pretty sure in our league it's up to the captains to discuss initially and issue warnings if deemed appropriate.
I find that i tend to naturally slow down when I'm up against a stronger player - so maybe the OP should take it as a complement.

Going off-topic (but conected to the subject of rhythm) i can't stand playing in bars with sh*tty music on, it really throws my game - but taste in music is totally subjective. Maybe I'll start a thread on 'the best tunes to shoot to' if one doesn't already exist

Cheers

Bob
 
bobforest said:
I think people do have their own natural speed - a guy on my league team literally sprints around the table - and plays all the better for it. The question is really what constitutes 'unacceptably' slow play. I'm pretty sure in our league it's up to the captains to discuss initially and issue warnings if deemed appropriate.
I find that i tend to naturally slow down when I'm up against a stronger player - so maybe the OP should take it as a complement.

Going off-topic (but conected to the subject of rhythm) i can't stand playing in bars with sh*tty music on, it really throws my game - but taste in music is totally subjective. Maybe I'll start a thread on 'the best tunes to shoot to' if one doesn't already exist

Cheers

Bob
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Music is always changing and it has been awhile since a thread was posted about best tunes to shoot to... I am not sure how many new/younger members we have aquired in the last year or so but start the thread... I am always looking for new tunes...... If someone points you to the search function just ask em if they realize new songs keep coming out regardless of it they are still listening to Skinnnard on an 8track....

Chris
 
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