should pro tournaments ban the jump cue?

[DynoDan]

I agree to an extent. I think a lot of it could be solved with a shot clock. Many events with a clock are shorter in length. I think standard is 60 seconds, but I could see it being cut to 45 or even 30 if it became a televised thing.

I think the key for a general audience to understand the strategy is to have good announcers that talk about the strategy. Play it up and let them in on the "secret." In down time, they can talk about the basics, things like following the count, ruining the opponent's shots, danger zones, etc. It would take good announcers who were passionate about the game as well as teaching the spectators. There's nothing super "deep" about one pocket strategy, no more than other games, just it's much more important to be strategic. I mean, it's all basically, eliminate opponent's opportunity and create opportunity for yourself in the end.

The shot clock is not the issue, but instead the number of possible innings in a given rack. Even with a shot clock, races to three can take hours. The only real solution is Bob Jewett's recommendation of using a chess clock, to be reset after every rack. If running out of time is loss of rack, it would force the action and eliminate the completely unwatchable up-table games that have caused even this serious fan to walk away from a match.

Even better, would be some method of forcing aggressive play, like limiting the number of safety shots (without scoring) by inflicting a severe penalty (as in 14.1 with 3 fouls). Shot clocks are often needed, but the time limit should be reasonable, only so as to govern those who play ridiculously slow.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Could time control even be done in 1P ???

Very close to chess would work. The current chess clocks are very flexible.

 

[DynoDan]

Re: ‘One Pocket’: I used to play it, but realized I just did not have enough patience to be competitive. Barley have enough for 14.1 to keep from selling out. Aggressive play is what draws spectators from the general public. If horsepower was so limited with NASCAR as to prevent accidents/injuries, no one would watch. Strategy is important in auto racing also, but without a display of guts/overly aggressive driving, who would care?

 

[The_JV]

If horsepower was so limited with NASCAR as to prevent accidents/injuries, no one would watch. Strategy is important in auto racing also, but without a display of guts/overly aggressive driving, who would care?

The second reference to the Nascar mentality in this thread. The reason is simple. It illustrates well what draws in veiwers in the USA. Potential excitement. 1 pocket is definitely not exciting. Interesting without question, but not attention grabbing to the uninitated at all.

I wouldn't say a great display of kicking isn't great to watch, but again, not as attention grabbing as jumping. It as simple as that.

A chess clock in any pool game would be neat to see. Even if it was on some level of exhibition. Make the players responisble for their own time management. As it is, 30sec is more than short enough for the standard. Now in 10ball your allowed 300sec (5mins) for the rack but you can bank extra time by playing faster or take extra time at the expense of later. Kinda gimmicky now that I write that out, but could be funny.

 

[1Hole_Nut]

I think jump cues take away from the integrity of pool ......... learn how to use the rails and kick ...... I would much rather watch a great kick shot than a jump shot ( aka ) frog shot !!!!!

 

[ghost ball]

Yes.

 

[Island Drive]

The shot clock is not the issue, but instead the number of possible innings in a given rack. Even with a shot clock, races to three can take hours. The only real solution is Bob Jewett's recommendation of using a chess clock, to be reset after every rack. If running out of time is loss of rack, it would force the action and eliminate the completely unwatchable up-table games that have caused even this serious fan to walk away from a match.

Agreed.....here's my tv production per$pective.

Pool is so advanced in it's nuances that the average mind has difficulty, more so the impossibility of enjoying or understanding the difficulty of the what's in front of em, especially in long play.
When watching a sport of most any kind....
Audiences ....Want, like to see scoring, pocketing, great shots/moves on most every inning.
There are many pool players that can't stand to play or watch this game.
Getting a Non player interested in this game and then hooked, would take something quite different to create that moment.

 

[Geosnookery]

The most popular sports in the world by viewership are football, cricket, field hockey, tennis, table tennis...Billiards is far down the list but the two top viewed billiards sports are Snooker and Chinese 8 ball.

It’s a weird mix because some sports that are popular have large numbers that participate recreationally and other sports have a minutia of the population that participates. What is the most viewed sports in the United States. American football?... Almost no adults on your block suit up and get onto a playing field. The same with fastball. In contrast people do play golf and tennis.

The popularity of pro sports and participation is a nebulous one. Even those sports that are played by the population are often not played the same as at the pro level.... Cycling, swimming, slow pitch.

Millions in North America ride their bicycle but few follow pro cycling. Millions play American pool. It’s alive and well. Few watch pro pool. Millions fish but few watch pro fishing.

Jump shots, no jump shots...nobody cares outside of a 1000 people. It has zero impact on a million players who rack up balls in their basement or play games with friends in a bar.American pool needs new rules ...not just tweaking. Jump shots, a shot clock are just trying to revive a dead horse. American billiards needs to get beyond national borders.

Actually it exists...Chinese 8 ball. Re the subtleties of billiards discouraging an audience. Snooker’ Crucbke gets close to 80 million viewers. Chinese 8 ball is exceeding that at over 100 million.

 

[briankenobi]

I finally got around to shooting this video. There had been a comment about short jump shots being fouls. Here is a slow-mo video of a jump shot with the object ball only 1 chalk cube away from the cue ball. Using the Marty Cary jump cue for this shot.

 

[The_JV]

Jump shots, no jump shots...nobody cares outside of a 1000 people. It has zero impact on a million players who rack up balls in their basement or play games with friends in a bar.American pool needs new rules ...not just tweaking. Jump shots, a shot clock are just trying to revive a dead horse. American billiards needs to get beyond national borders.

Actually it exists...Chinese 8 ball. Re the subtleties of billiards discouraging an audience. Snooker’ Crucbke gets close to 80 million viewers. Chinese 8 ball is exceeding that at over 100 million.

Agreed... If there was a complete ban on jump shots tomorrow, all it would mean is there would be a large contingent of people pissed that they spent their money on a dedicated jump stick. It wouldn't stop the play of the game at all. My stance throughout has merely been that when someone is attempting a jump shot, generally those who see it about to happen, regardless if they like the idea or not, will stop to watch the outcome. It grabs the attention of those otherwise disengaged.

Regarding the viewership enjoyed by snooker and chinese 8 ball... Do you think it's due to the pedigree of the game, or its viewers...? I vote viewers...

 

[Island Drive]

Agreed... If there was a complete ban on jump shots tomorrow, all it would mean is there would be a large contingent of people pissed that they spent their money on a dedicated jump stick. It wouldn't stop the play of the game at all. My stance throughout has merely been that when someone is attempting a jump shot, generally those who see it about to happen, regardless if they like the idea or not, will stop to watch the outcome. It grabs the attention of those otherwise disengaged.

Regarding the viewership enjoyed by snooker and chinese 8 ball... Do you think it's due to the pedigree of the game, or its viewers...? I vote viewers...

The game is so tough on a 6' X 12' with small pockets., it offers ones mind the ''awe'' factor. This makes watching breakouts & snooker enjoyable.

Pool though looks too easy at times, for the average mind. Pool gets boring when the layout is too simple and the runouts are given. Now if there's a miss on a simple shot. ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh The crowd awakens .

 

[The_JV]

The game is so tough on a 6' X 12' with small pockets., it offers ones mind the ''awe'' factor. This makes watching breakouts & snooker enjoyable.

Pool though looks too easy at times, for the average mind. Pool gets boring when the layout is too simple and the runouts are given. Now if there's a miss on a simple shot. ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh The crowd awakens .

It's funny.... What impresses me the most with pro snooker is the incredible CB control in safety play. Parking such a small object behind an equally small object after >12ft of travel and multiple rails has that awe. ...an subsequently the opponent attempting an equally as difficult kick.