Is a 30 Second Shot Clock Enough Time?

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
What do you feel is enough time for a shot clock? I have always said 30 seconds is more than enough, but I’ve changed my mind on that. Close to 2 years ago I started playing pool again after a long lay-off because of health reasons. Basically I had to learn how to pocket balls again, draw, and just about everything else in between. For 50 years I shot very fast (10-15 sec.) and pocketed balls pretty darn good. Since coming back to the game I find I need at least double that time on some shots to pocket balls at my past level or better. I’ve always played by feel and now it seems I need to take a lot more time on most shots before I get that feel to pull the trigger. Slowing everything down from start to finish in my pre-shot routine has helped a lot. Johnnyt
 
From what I've seen in Mosconi Cup, 30 seconds is just not enough. It's OK for majority of shots, but it's just silly when someone has to run to get his jump cue or whatever and rush his shot.
 
30 sec is good as long as they have a rule where you can say something "extend?" and you get another 20 sec or something.
 
I think 40 seconds is perfect. The average rack of 10 ball takes about 6 minutes, or 360 seconds. Nine ball racks take about 4 1/2 - 5 minutes. A 30 second shot clock is too short, IMO to accommodate this. The routine shots are usually well under 30, but some need a little more. I also agree with the previous poster about having one extension per rack.
 
I've always used 45 sec on my events, with 1 extension per rack each, and clock doesn't start after the break but next shot.

This gives the players some time to plan before shooting, and still keeping the match on a nice speed
 
Roy Steffensen said:
I've always used 45 sec on my events, with 1 extension per rack each, and clock doesn't start after the break but next shot.

This gives the players some time to plan before shooting, and still keeping the match on a nice speed
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good way to do it. Johnnyt
 
For a game like 9-Ball, 30 seconds is plenty of time. For 8-Ball maybe 45 seconds in perfect....SPF=randyg
 
General question: When does a shot clock start and when does it stop? I always assumed it was as soon as the last ball stops moving, but I've never had it explained. Thanks, Matt
 
Generally speaking, the clock would start once the last ball stops moving & stops once the cue ball has been struck.

For the pros, 30 seconds with 1 extension is fine. For amateurs, I think 45 seconds should do it.
 
I know they'll never institute a shot time limit in my local league but I would be in favor of one for sure. I played against someone the other night that took about 1.5 minutes per shot. I know they were doing it just to keep me in my chair longer and try to make me anxious so I just kept my mouth shut and smiled.
Oh and I won 3 - 0 :thumbup:
 
30 seconds is a long time......30 seconds, 1 extension per rack for most games should work like a champ.....jump cues and break cues should already be prepped before the match....

For one pocket, maybe 45 seconds but no more....

The guys that sit there and stare at shots for minutes on end, or do the 40 practice strokes....they make me want to drink bleach and end my suffering :D

There is an old addage that says you measure twice and cut once......it says nothing about measuring 15 times, and then standing up, then measuring another 10 times, and then standing up and glaring at the table with a confused look for about 5 minutes....and then finally missing....on a 2 foot straight in shot......yeah, I love that so much....
 
Shot clocks are completely alien to me, being I have only just started playing pool after moving here to the States about 5 years ago. I used to play snooker in the UK and this March decided to get back to playing something with a cue! I found it strange that there was a shot clock at all, but after seeing a couple of local players recently in our local league I understand it. I thought one of them had either died (on his feet) or turned to stone he took that long over every shot. At a local league level here we have two time outs per game and nobody really enforces any shot clock, although it is possible to ask the opposing Captain to get with his player about speed, that seems fair.

For bigger Tournaments and Pro Players I would like to see a 45sec shot clock, even with 9 ball 30 secs seems a little short to me and one or two extensions per rack. It's not like the game takes all that long extending the shot clock to 45secs that would seem fair.
 
I think 40 to 45 is about right, especially for 8-ball. 30 can be a little restrictive, even in 9-ball, but 40 would be plenty.

Steve
 
My personal opinion is that 45 seconds is just right; 30 is not sufficient, 60 is excessive. One extension per rack.

And any sharking attempt by using a rotary dial phone to distract would be automatic DQ (man, oh, man, that thread sure got the techno-geek gears in me turning again :D)
 
We used a 40 second clock at this year's World Pool Masters in Vegas. That was more than adequate, even if a player had to grab his jump cue or reach for the bridge. They also got one extension per game, an extra 40 seconds. There was only one time clock foul called on all the TV matches. It's amazing what a difference it makes going from 30 to 40 seconds. 30 seems rather quick and the player must not waste his time, and 40 seems like enough time to actually study the shot. Just my observations.
 
45 seconds. But what is the context of the shot clock? There shouldn’t be one used at all unless it is needed. Is it being used from beginning to end on every table, only on a match by match basis to keep the tournament on schedule, or because one player or both are being jag-offs and trying to shark a player, or that one player is just over their head and can’t make a decision? As an example, I have been to numerous WPBA events here in the Chicago area and almost every time I saw a shot clock being implemented it was for the wrong reasons. The reason schedule play was so far behind was because of the constant *****ing over the damn racking, NOT from slow play. Fix the root of the issue, not the side effect.
 
Joe_Jaguar said:
45 seconds. But what is the context of the shot clock? There shouldn’t be one used at all unless it is needed. Is it being used from beginning to end on every table, only on a match by match basis to keep the tournament on schedule, or because one player or both are being jag-offs and trying to shark a player, or that one player is just over their head and can’t make a decision? As an example, I have been to numerous WPBA events here in the Chicago area and almost every time I saw a shot clock being implemented it was for the wrong reasons. The reason schedule play was so far behind was because of the constant *****ing over the damn racking, NOT from slow play. Fix the root of the issue, not the side effect.
Click to expand...

Magic Rack=fixed. Johnnyt
 
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