Slow player blues.

Time him,then when it's your shot,stay in your chair talking to someone,looking at TV,playing with your phone,etc.,just make sure to take a little longer on each shot than he does.If he complains tell him that's how you think about your next shot,you just happen to prepare differently than he does !!!
 
Not much you can do about slow play but adapt to it. I had a very hard time with it for a long time and here's what worked for me. I would sit down and make sure my cue was NOT in my hands when I was sitting. Part of slow play is YOUR anticipation of getting to the table. I wouldn't get out of my chair until my opponent would sit down. When I get up, I pick up my cue and go to the piece of chalk farthest away from me. I would basically slow my game down while my opponent was shooting and when I get to the table I would go back to my own rhythm.
 
I was watching Allen Gilbert (a great 3 Cushion player - RIP) play a match where his opponent was playing really slow, probably on purpose. He turned to me and said "nobody out slows me" and proceeded to slow the whole match to a crawl, including taking a break in the middle of a run. His opponent did speed up a little because of this tactic.

I think the tendency is to speed up your game when playing a slow player, so that's another challenge to overcome. You would be doing most of the sitting in this case. Try to take it as a compliment that they are trying their arss off because they respect your game. But nothing wrong after an excruciating inning by your slow opponent has finally ended, to place your cue on the table and take a bathroom break before your turn.

...or, bring porn to fill your free time waiting for them to shoot.

I am not a fan of slow play and it's awful for spectators, but it's a reality.

Dave
 
I call them table-time hogs. If you play for 2 hours, he's probably at the table for 1 1/2 of those 2 hours.

You should never split time with a slow player. You're basically paying for him to practice. (If you're playing on a home table, get him to a pool room for a "change of atmosphere.") Tell him you need a little incentive to stay focused and play him for the table time. This will help keep you focused on the game and he can pay for all the time he spent on the table, and yours as well. Obviously, you have to win for this to work.

Plus, I've noticed over the years, a correlation between very slow players and them being stingy with money. Maybe it's that selfish thing they've got going on. If he loses enough and complains about the table time, you can remind him that speeding up his play will cut down on the cost.

Don't feel guilty about doing this to a friend. Remember --- He's the one who has no problem making you sit in the chair while he ponders all the possibilities of each and every shot at the table.
 
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Players who take time walking around the table to figure out the shot and position usually dont bother me too bad but you occasionally get a player who will stand in one spot holding the table up for up to a couple minutes sometimes, that drives me nuts.:angry: I have a player on my team who can take excessive amounts of time on some shots, 2 or 3 minutes easily, I remind him that if he was playing like that at a tournament his opponent could put him on the shot clock.
 
alphadog said:
I found that, if you time them,many slooow players fall well within trnmnt shotclock times. That helped me with being a little
more patient.
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I suspect the vast majority of "slow players" who get called out as slow are actually within shot clock standards.

It's part of being a good player to not let what your opponent does get to you. If you find yourself getting aggravated because your opponent is more methodical than you'd like them to be then you need to work on your mental game.
 
Easy, play even slower than he does...so slow in fact that he takes notice and gets the hint. Take like 10 min per shot and keep walking around the table and looking again and again and again.

If you need to see how this is properly done, watch Alex play, he does it the best. :wink:

pigsRflying said:
So, once a week I play 8-ball with a friend of mine, who is an excruciatingly slow player. Studying the table at length after each shot and staying down on each shot a long time. I try not to let it bother me, but it does, and throws me off my game. I play moderately fast and just want to scream at him "just shoot the ball already". Does anyone on this forum have some kind of mental exercise or some other way that they use to keep focus on their game (and stay calm) in such a situation?

Would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks.
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On this day, if no other, be thankful you have a pool room to hang in, the sights and sounds of the game and someone to play, regardless of their speed (time wise or expertise)
 
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cardiac kid said:
One of my very favorite competitors used to play excruciatingly slow. Used to dread to play him. Decided one day to pay more attention to what he was doing. Damn if my 8 ball game didn't improve significantly. Now I don't study each shot to death but I at least want to see what the best route to my next shot might be. Where the open area is. Whats the best angle for the next ball.

Just started playing my fifty seventh year. Don't ever remember anyone ever accusing me of slow play. Quite the contrary, once I found a comfortable pace, the games went along quickly. Some of you on AZ have watched me play and I'm sure would agree. Last Saturday morning at 2 AM I won a match to move me further into the money at a regional tournament. Beat my opponent 4 - 0 in a one loss side match. Packed up and left for the night. Returned at 10 AM and was told my opponent had just slammed the balls around on his (infrequent) turn because I played way too slow! Now we're talking 9 ball. Too slow :shocked: ? Guess it takes all kinds.

Pigs, there are always lessons to be learned in the game we both love.

Lyn
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Great great post. Too bad more people couldn't take this approach. No surprise you have some big wins under your belt.

KMRUNOUT
 
alphadog said:
I found that, if you time them,many slooow players fall well within trnmnt shotclock times. That helped me with being a little
more patient.
Click to expand...

You couldn't be more right. Many (but of course not all) players that play fast tend to have issues with patience. They get uncomfortable in their chair and fear losing their "rhythm". If one is impatient, their perception of the passage of time is altered. I have many times related the story of an APA team that complained about my team being slow. So I timed *everything*. Every single shot by both players, every time out, every period in between matches picking players, etc. When all was said and done, they averaged quite a bit more wasted time than us. Amazing what facts do to perceptions.

Because the average person is, well, *average*...this means that most simply lack the capacity to learn how to be patient. That's a real shame, because patience benefits *everyone*, not just the person complaining.

KMRUNOUT
 
FranCrimi said:
I call them table-time hogs. If you play for 2 hours, he's probably at the table for 1 1/2 of those 2 hours.

You should never split time with a slow player. You're basically paying for him to practice. (If you're playing on a home table, get him to a pool room for a "change of atmosphere.") Tell him you need a little incentive to stay focused and play him for the table time. This will help keep you focused on the game and he can pay for all the time he spent on the table, and yours as well. Obviously, you have to win for this to work.

Plus, I've noticed over the years, a correlation between very slow players and them being stingy with money. Maybe it's that selfish thing they've got going on. If he loses enough and complains about the table time, you can remind him that speeding up his play will cut down on the cost.

Don't feel guilty about doing this to a friend. Remember --- He's the one who has no problem making you sit in the chair while he ponders all the possibilities of each and every shot at the table.
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Fran, sorry to say...most of your posts are ok, but this one sounds, well every adjective I think of would probably sound mean. Everyone plays at their own pace. Suggesting that that is motivated out of selfishness is highly ignorant and offensive. What possible data do you have to support this? Insisting that someone play at a very fast pace even if that isn't how they play just because it makes you feel better...that is very selfish. How can you not recognize this? You are *paying* to play pool with a friend. If you don't like it, don't do it. Speaking of being stingy...LOL! Are you the type who breaks out the calculator after dinner to figure out to the penny what everyone owes? I can't believe you would accuse people of being stingy and then go on to say that one person is using more table time than the other. You post sounds utterly foolish. Oops...maybe that sounds mean.

KMRUNOUT
 
Slow play used to bother me, but I've gotten used to it. I actually barely notice it anymore. I think there are a lot of things in pool/snooker/billiards that we've programmed ourselves to get bothered over. Sounds, movements, slow play etc., stuff we would never have thought of prior to picking up the game. I get sharked just much as the next guy/gal so I'm not judging, it's just something I've noticed and have worked a lot to change
 
KMRUNOUT said:
Fran, sorry to say...most of your posts are ok, but this one sounds, well every adjective I think of would probably sound mean. Everyone plays at their own pace. Suggesting that that is motivated out of selfishness is highly ignorant and offensive. What possible data do you have to support this? Insisting that someone play at a very fast pace even if that isn't how they play just because it makes you feel better...that is very selfish. How can you not recognize this? You are *paying* to play pool with a friend. If you don't like it, don't do it. Speaking of being stingy...LOL! Are you the type who breaks out the calculator after dinner to figure out to the penny what everyone owes? I can't believe you would accuse people of being stingy and then go on to say that one person is using more table time than the other. You post sounds utterly foolish. Oops...maybe that sounds mean.

KMRUNOUT
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No, you're wrong. My post is far from foolish. It's actually pretty accurate and comes from years of experience. I don't exaggerate or lie when I post because I post under my own name.
 
FranCrimi said:
No, you're wrong. My post is far from foolish. It's actually pretty accurate and comes from years of experience. I don't exaggerate or lie when I post because I post under my own name.
Click to expand...

I didn't say you exaggerated or lied. I said your assumption that slow play is motivated out of selfishness sounded ignorant, and your post came across as foolish. You experience really only makes it worse. You don't have to agree...its a rare person that can recognize when they have gone way wrong. I think it would take a certain kind of deceitful or cowardly person to post differently based on what name they use.
In any case, having played for 22 years, and having been an inquisitive and intelligent person for 42 years, and most specifically, being a slow player and knowing *why*, your post is offensive to me, and the contradictory claims you make unfortunately make you sound foolish. Your agreement really isn't necessary, but it might help *you*.

"Slow players tend to be stingy" yet "when playing with a friend you should nitpick about that table time". Sorry, but this is hypocritical and hence illogical.

KMRUNOUT
(Kerry McAuliffe if that makes you feel better)
 
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Wow I've read this thread and the OP voiced his opinion and by the end this thing has turned to something else, yet I've seen no one really acknowledge the fact that there are some really slow players out here, and really for no reason.

Most people I feel really don't have any idea how long they take to shoot, I really can't fathom that they do because, I honestly can't believe they would take as long as they do if they really realized the amount of time that they take.

We study the game, we practice the game, we watch tapes and read books all for the advancement of our game. So with all that we do once you reach a certain level there really is no real reason to take more than 30 seconds between shots, maybe 45 to a minute for a very difficult shot. If we are studying the layout and we get the leave that we want, we are planning 3 shots ahead, etc. etc. etc. one shot should be flowing into another. Otherwise we should be looking for a good safety.

Doing this allows the game to flow and move, if we are serious about the game it really shouldn't take all that studying, and re-calculating on each and every shot.

So my suggestion is to get a timer and start timing players as you play just to show them just how long their taking. If this doesn't help then I'd refrain from playing them.

When I'm in a Tournament I complain and get people put on the clock if they are taking a ridiculous amount of time. I to am completely thrown off my game by extended play.

Hope this helps.

Black Cat :cool:
 
Black Cat 5791 said:
Wow I've read this thread and the OP voiced his opinion and by the end this thing has turned to something else, yet I've seen no one really acknowledge the fact that there are some really slow players out here, and really for no reason.

Most people I feel really don't have any idea how long they take to shoot, I really can't fathom that they do because, I honestly can't believe they would take as long as they do if they really realized the amount of time that they take.

We study the game, we practice the game, we watch tapes and read books all for the advancement of our game. So with all that we do once you reach a certain level there really is no real reason to take more than 30 seconds between shots, maybe 45 to a minute for a very difficult shot. If we are studying the layout and we get the leave that we want, we are planning 3 shots ahead, etc. etc. etc. one shot should be flowing into another. Otherwise we should be looking for a good safety.

Doing this allows the game to flow and move, if we are serious about the game it really shouldn't take all that studying, and re-calculating on each and every shot.

So my suggestion is to get a timer and start timing players as you play just to show them just how long their taking. If this doesn't help then I'd refrain from playing them.

When I'm in a Tournament I complain and get people put on the clock if they are taking a ridiculous amount of time. I to am completely thrown off my game by extended play.

Hope this helps.

Black Cat :cool:
Click to expand...

Make sure to time yourself as well. It might prove interesting.

KMRUNOUT
 
There are definite known slow players in every league and tournament. What should be illegal though is to take > 10 minutes on a single shot, when it's physically impossible not to foul (cue ball is totally buried by opponents' object ball(s) then call a timeout, when you're the best player on the team. Any thoughts on what to do in that scenario? Next time I think I'm going to say I'm going for a walk and come back in 10 minutes.
 
FranCrimi said:
I call them table-time hogs. If you play for 2 hours, he's probably at the table for 1 1/2 of those 2 hours.

You should never split time with a slow player. You're basically paying for him to practice. (If you're playing on a home table, get him to a pool room for a "change of atmosphere.") Tell him you need a little incentive to stay focused and play him for the table time. This will help keep you focused on the game and he can pay for all the time he spent on the table, and yours as well. Obviously, you have to win for this to work.

Plus, I've noticed over the years, a correlation between very slow players and them being stingy with money. Maybe it's that selfish thing they've got going on. If he loses enough and complains about the table time, you can remind him that speeding up his play will cut down on the cost.

Don't feel guilty about doing this to a friend. Remember --- He's the one who has no problem making you sit in the chair while he ponders all the possibilities of each and every shot at the table.
Click to expand...

LOL. good advice Fran ;) I play on a team with one of the best bar box 8ballers in the state. So, I don't mind when he plays slow cause I'm not playing him in league or at state tourney.

But he wants to practice all the time and calls me. It's brutal. I timed him at 22 minutes for a break and run on a diamond 7 footer. But now I've upgraded to a smart phone so I can read AZB while he's shooting now, makes it a lot more enjoyable. We use to play loser pays the quarters... but NO MORE after reading your post ;)
 
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