sharking

jsaxman

jsaxman

It's all about ass!
Silver Member
sharking - when your opponent trys to make you miss your shot!
- This can be visual or audio distractions.



They stand in your line of sight-wave the cue-shake the foot- make any kind
of movement to distract your attention from your shot!
They talk when your down on the shot-jiggle coins in the pocket-drop cue-
make any sound to distract your attention form your shot!


You just want to slap them!


Suttle sharking works the best. It's not obvious! Just a very little visual
or audio distraction to interfere with your concentration.




How do you deal with sharking????


Any input?


later,
sax
 
I don't let it bother me.

If your opponent sees you aren't rattled by anything he'll stop sharking you and start worrying about the game.
 
98.6% of all sharking events are self-inflicted fantasy's induced by your lack of confidence in your game, enhanced by performance anxiety, and the lack of focus towards the job at hand...suck on that...:)
 
There is one guy in the local pool room that always tries to shark me when we play. Usually its in the form of arguing over the rack, but he also jingles the coins in his pocket, moves around and is not against trying everything to win. Sadly he has gotten me hot before and affected my game.

I made a resolution to just play my game and be cordial to the guy. I think if I ignore him and can beat him, all this nonsense will end. Its really up to me to win though, because if I cannot overcome his games, then they will continue unabated from this guy.

I have had this with other people and this is the method I have to use. Its just tougher to do with some people because they are such jerks you want to get into it with them and respond.
 
cheesemouse said:
98.6% of all sharking events are self-inflicted fantasy's induced by your lack of confidence in your game, enhanced by performance anxiety, and the lack of focus towards the job at hand...suck on that...:)
Click to expand...

I agree with this 100%.

Well said.
 
Well:


For handling the opponent:
Wait till the rack if finished.
Acknowledge the opponent (or anyone who is sharking you in order to assist the opponent, and trust me, that has occurred as well) what they are doing.

Some opponents don't even know they are doing it. It best to let them know so that when they play other opponents, there are no unnecessary reprcussions.

For the opponets who do know that they are sharking, I normally tell them that it doesn't work on me (cuz it really doesn't). If they really need a reasoning behind your claim, give 'em a canned response like:
"Well, I am playing the table and for the money.... not you (thank goodness for that, as people like this aren't really worth a recycled aluminum can)."
or
"Well, it's sad that u have 2 resort to sharking to play jedi-mind tricks to win..."


If they still continue after you have acknowledged them, and it still bothers you:

You definitely gonna have a problem on ur hands or have difficulty on closing the set at the given time. I think, if anything, try to play your own game.

If the opponent is in the way, you can:

a) Go around the table to survey it. It's a good practice to do this, and the opponent will have to get out of ur way. Especially if you go round and round several times. Thinking critically.... meaning go round once to determine target, go round again to determine where the cb needs to lie, go round for any other disasterous things that might happen, and if the opponent is STILL in your way, then round once more and repeat. ;-) And although I stated "to play ur game" it's just something I can only think of,
b) Carry a hat, preferable something with a long-rim. Put on the cap so that your focul (if that is even a word) area only contains the cue ball, object ball, and the target.

if the opponent is making comments or making noise you can:
Use transference. Noises like jingling, you would have to imagine the opponent is tapping for good shot made on the previous shot. Noises like verbal comments, you'll have to imagine it being the opposite.



Now as far as personal development:
I believe this is mainly mental than anything else. Even if they are being a physical hamper. Luckily, i've taken many courses in college that has allowed me to be mentally strong in general (basically that is the reason why when people attempt to shark me i rather rely on my crtical thinking skills to assist me in beating the opponent).


I am certain many AZer's have opinions on this one, and more than likely a lot of books about the mental part of the game.


More than anything, play and focus on your game and take mental notes on what errors was made.

Just my 2 cents.
 
cheesemouse said:
98.6% of all sharking events are self-inflicted fantasy's induced by your lack of confidence in your game, enhanced by performance anxiety, and the lack of focus towards the job at hand...suck on that...:)
Click to expand...

I agree Cheese, it comes up so often it's boring. Like someone said, expect the self help mental book suggestions to start rolling in. I think some people are just looking for an excuse when they lose then blame it on sharking. :o

Rod
 
cheesemouse said:
98.6% of all sharking events are self-inflicted fantasy's induced by your lack of confidence in your game, enhanced by performance anxiety, and the lack of focus towards the job at hand...suck on that...:)
Click to expand...

It's not my fault that everyone who walks into the pool room's sole focus is to put me off my game.:D
 
In a BCA 8-ball league game this week, I experienced what I thought was blatent sharking. I broke and made nothing, and then my opponent ran 5 balls and missed, getting a good roll and leaving me with no shot, and no good safety that I could see. I tried a tough shot and missed. He finished his last 2 balls and missed the 8, leaving it right in front of the corner pocket.

So I had 8 balls to go, and now the pressure was on me to make what was a tough runout for me. Well, I guess he was starting to sweat because he started talking through the entire run. Basically, he was talking about almost every shot, oh, a lot of English, yatta yatta yatta. For most of the run, I was able to ignore it and not let it bother me, but I guess I didn't realize that my frustration was building.

I made some tricky position for my last two balls before the 8, getting the best position I could on my last stripe, a shot down the rail past the side. Definitely a missable shot for me. He steps it up, saying "I coulda had him 10-0. Anytime you have 7 balls on the table, and the other guys balls are gone, blah blah blah. That was an easy runout." (Of course, it wasn't really an easy runout, IMO, with, for example, the 8-ball blocking one of the pockets, and me wanting to avoid banking on this foreign barbox at all costs.) Yes, I was starting to get pissed, even though I know it just means his sharking was working.

So I waited for a few seconds, hoping he'd zip it and I'd be able to shoot, but my patience ran out quickly at that point. I turned and said the first thing that came to mind, which was, hey whenever you're ready to stop commentating, I'm ready to start shooting. He stopped talking right away, and I made my last stripe and then the easy 8-ball.

I shook his hand, and said good game, and then he says, well if I knew he was going to be a d**k, I would have tried harder. :eek: LOL. I really didn't think what I said was that bad at all, considering the fact that he really was commentating on my shooting and the game, loudly. I think I should have said or done something earlier, instead of letting it build up. Also, I forgot to remind myself what sharking says about the shark, which is that he is scared that you are going to win.

Anyway, his reaction made me wonder if what he was doing was really intentional or not. I guess maybe some people just don't realize how distracting they are being, and perhaps only subconsciously know that their sharking gives them more opportunities to win after it throws someone off their game. He shot well enough to know better, I would have thought, but after all, it was just a league at a bar. But hey, he wants that trip to Vegas, and so do I!

Well, after our brief bit of snapping at each other across the room, it died down, and fortunately, we were both rational enough to let it go and shake hands again when the league night was done. I definitely need to work on my anti-sharking skills, which was a big part of why I decided to join a league. :cool:
 
well maybe its childish on my part lol, and i havent seen anyone say this but the best thing that works for me is to shark the person back. It seems like if i say something, it leads to words.......or the person will make a big deal about how they ARENT doing anything on purpose and im taking it too seriously, and then you have everybody around you walking on eggshells..plus youre letting the guy know that he is getting to you.
Ive found when someone is sharking me........ill do pretty much the same thing back to them, its like a quiet little war between the two of us, we both know whats going on but nobody else does. Ive also found someone who is a sharker, sharking them back reallllllly gets to them, they know what theyve been doing and they know theyre getting it back now and it completely gets them out of their game.
 
i had a problem with a guy at a local bar tourney a month or so ago, he kept standing in my line of site when i was down on a shot, really rattled me. since then i've been going to this little dive bar on thurs. nights, Karaoke Night, if you can get used to drunks singing Rhinestone Cowboy and Devil Went Down To Georgia then theres not much else that will bother you, been working for me anyways
 
visual sharking

Most of the time, I have a baseball type cap on when playing pool.
I adjust the cap so I can only see the table, when down on a shot.
They can do whatever! I see only the shot!!!

Sharking is just part of the game. Some want to win so bad, They try
everything they can to get more turns at the table. I do not like it when
you are playing for cash!!!!!


Sharking is sometimes fun. I've had women do so some very revealing poses
to get me to miss. I miss-Not all the time-,maybe she does it again!!::D :D
It's just beer pool-having fun!!!


later,
sax
 
When i am playing some people for the cash and your on the money ball they like to grab the cash from there pocket and be extra loud about it,i used to not say anything but now that i realize it can be a shark teqnique i look at them and say "Do you concede and are going to pay me now?".
I dont really try to shark people,i dont think you can consider staring in there eyes when your in there line of vision wrong,im not moving but i believe there are times it messes with the opponent.:cool:
 
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