Slow Players What are you thinking about?

I treat my time ate the table as if I'm eating my favorite meal. I want to lelax and enjoy my meal. If I hurry through my meal, I might puke at or near the end of it.
 
Favorite meals don't always show up on a pool table Tom. What if you are in a Fast Food joint?
Does this slow you down even slower because you don't particularly care for the food offered?



I treat my time ate the table as if I'm eating my favorite meal. I want to lelax and enjoy my meal. If I hurry through my meal, I might puke at or near the end of it.
 
Once I know somebody is slow I don`t play him again and I try to avoid socializing with them off the table.I don`t hate them but I don`t want to be bothered by them in my social life.
 
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Tom,

I have no clue what slow players are thinking about....unfortunately, I cannot think of a positive way to voice my disdain with the practice, so let's just say I agree with Qjunkie....

IMHO, about 30 seconds per shot is deliberate, exacting, and specific....while I don't often play that slow, I probably should....

I find taking over 60 seconds on the average shot to be inexcuseable....it takes away from my enjoyment of the game....there is deliberate, and there is downright slow.....if you play slower than 90% of the other players in your skill level, you play slow.....and IMHO, it borders on disrespectful....

If you're a golfer, you'll like this one.....great friend of mine, nice guy, but on the golf course, it's rediculous.....every time he addresses a shot, at least 3 practice swings, 3 waggles, and so on.....he has to look at every putt from all 4 angles....and he can't break 120.....the marshalls are always on use by the 4th hole, people hitting into us......a round takes at least 5 hours at best.....he is a good guy, but he is no longer invited to play......at some point, you have to be considerate on how your slow play can effect others....
 
I have to know after all these years... what is it that takes so long to think about before you pull the trigger? I'm talking 9 ball and 8 ball... not One Pocket or 14.1.

Please explain. I am dying to find out. I've never understood how anyone can take more than 60 seconds to consider a shot and table layout. Especially when there is only one ball on the table.

What is it that keeps you from shooting? What is it that you are thinking about.

I'd really like to know.

Guesses anyone?




Tom as you are the TD at Hard Time, what do you consider slow? Also for some player, slow is their speed. Are not there rules that prohibit play slow than x amount of time between shows. Personally i have more success when playing show.
 
Slow play really needs to be addressed somehow. It's not acceptable on any level in any arena so I don't care for the reasoning behind it.
 
As a player I consider anything longer than 60 seconds a shot too long.

What I really want to know is what SLOW players (that take more than 60 seconds a shot CONSISTANTLY) are thinking about.

Do you take more than 60 seconds a shot? if yes, what are you thinking about?

As a TD I have to also ensure the tournament isn't slowed down because of someone deliberately playing slow. This is why there is a shot clock. IT is very unfair to all the other players that are playing at a SPEED that is much quicker than 60 seconds a shot.

Would you mind explaining what is going through your head when you take so long to shoot?

And BTW, I've never seen a slow player win a tournament. NEVER

Tom as you are the TD at Hard Time, what do you consider slow? Also for some player, slow is their speed. Are not there rules that prohibit play slow than x amount of time between shows. Personally i have more success when playing show.
 
When I play someone that naturally plays fast I will slow my game down to keep them from getting into a rhythm. It can really annoy them. You also have to make sure you do not let your opponent's pace effect yours.
 
Has anyone ever played the character who wears the Harris tweed jacket, smokes a pipe, and thinks he's thinking?
 
Funny thing about slow players is that most that I know don't realize or don't admit that they are slow players.

I have a friend that every time we mention slow play, she tries to throw attention to another player that may (or may not) play slower than her. In her mind, she is not a slow player because in her mind, she is not as slow as the other player. It doesn't seem to matter that every tournament we go to results in at least one of her matches on a shot clock.

I have another friend that I don't think she realizes how slow she plays. It is agonizing to watch her size up the shot, look at the angle 4 times, get down into position, make sure her position is set, practice stroke 20 plus times, then shoot. It's brutal sometimes, especially because 50% of the time, the shot is missed.

I think pooltchr was right...
I think good, slow players are evaluating all their options, planning every detail of their shot, planning their shape, and making sure everything is right in their mind before they shoot.

I think some slow players don't have a clue what to do, and they are staring at the balls waiting for the pool angels to draw them a picture on the table.
 
Evaluating? ok... then it is a question of decision? or fear of making the wrong decision?

Could it be more of an 'acceptance' factor. The slow players will not want to pull the trigger because they haven't 'accepted' the fact that they cannot make a decision? once again, FEAR?

I think pooltchr was right...
I think good, slow players are evaluating all their options, planning every detail of their shot, planning their shape, and making sure everything is right in their mind before they shoot.

I think some slow players don't have a clue what to do, and they are staring at the balls waiting for the pool angels to draw them a picture on the table.
 
As a player I consider anything longer than 60 seconds a shot too long.

What I really want to know is what SLOW players (that take more than 60 seconds a shot CONSISTANTLY) are thinking about.

Do you take more than 60 seconds a shot? if yes, what are you thinking about?

As a TD I have to also ensure the tournament isn't slowed down because of someone deliberately playing slow. This is why there is a shot clock. IT is very unfair to all the other players that are playing at a SPEED that is much quicker than 60 seconds a shot.

Would you mind explaining what is going through your head when you take so long to shoot?

And BTW, I've never seen a slow player win a tournament. NEVER

60 second is a very long time between each shot, 30 seconds is not to me a long time, BTW I play slow, and have won a tournament or two.:wink:
 
As a player I consider anything longer than 60 seconds a shot too long.

What I really want to know is what SLOW players (that take more than 60 seconds a shot CONSISTANTLY) are thinking about.

Do you take more than 60 seconds a shot? if yes, what are you thinking about?

As a TD I have to also ensure the tournament isn't slowed down because of someone deliberately playing slow. This is why there is a shot clock. IT is very unfair to all the other players that are playing at a SPEED that is much quicker than 60 seconds a shot.

Would you mind explaining what is going through your head when you take so long to shoot?

And BTW, I've never seen a slow player win a tournament. NEVER

I've seen Greg Fix and Dick Lane win tournaments and they are slooooow. For me it depends on the circumstance. I'm not normally a slow player but sometimes in 8 ball it can take some time to figure out what to do....Now taking forever to shoot a straight in stop shot :grin:
 
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i think you have it wrong players that play slow most of the time play harder.


I have to agree with this somewhat, mental is just as important to actually taking the shot.


In a serious game I don't shoot until I am 100% focused on my shoot and satisfied with my planned let. If it takes 5 minutes to clear my head then it takes me 5 minutes to shoot. I try to be as quick as possible but in the end I won't shoot till I am ready. Also i try to approach my shoot mentally the same way every time and that takes a little extra time.

I try to do the same thing. If this requires that I slow down my game, so be it. If I am not ready to take the shot after I've gone down and taken a few practice strokes, I stand up and sight the shot again. Take a few deep breathes, then get down on the shot to pull the trigger. When I'm ready, I'm ready. If I'm not, I don't take the shot so I try not to. I try to make all my decisions about pocket choice, what bridge to use, speed, english, and set before I go down on the shot. The extra time helps keep a clear calm focus on the shot to block out everything else and to full commit to the shot chosen.
 
What makes a player stand up over a shot, take a minute or two to think about it and then get down and go through 20 or so warm up strokes and then get up again?

And repeat this over and over?

I would be embarrassed as a player to show my opponent that I can't make up my mind (if that is the reason for the delay)

This is my question. If it is a delay in the decision, why did you get down in the first place? and then what happened that made you get up?

Please, the slow players that know this answer, send me a PM so I can understand. PLEASE.
 
This is my question. If it is a delay in the decision, why did you get down in the first place? and then what happened that made you get up?

Please, the slow players that know this answer, send me a PM so I can understand. PLEASE.

I'm not a slow player, but there have been times when I have gotten up because I was uncomfortable with the shot to begin with, then when I get down, a light bulb comes on and I think of another way to shoot it.

Maybe slow players are doing this all the time... :)
 
I have to know after all these years... what is it that takes so long to think about before you pull the trigger? I'm talking 9 ball and 8 ball... not One Pocket or 14.1.

Please explain. I am dying to find out. I've never understood how anyone can take more than 60 seconds to consider a shot and table layout. Especially when there is only one ball on the table.

What is it that keeps you from shooting? What is it that you are thinking about.

I'd really like to know.

Guesses anyone?

Easy answer, everything

I'm curious what level do you play at and what speed?
 
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