Table Presence

[Runnintable]

Lately, I have been experiencing a higher level of "gamesmanship" during sets and match play. Had trouble fading an opponent that made efforts to maintain their presence at the table when it was not their turn.

Any pointers on how to clear the mind from distractions?

 

[rexus31]

Lately, I have been experiencing a higher level of "gamesmanship" during sets and match play. Had trouble fading an opponent that made efforts to maintain their presence at the table when it was not their turn.

Any pointers on how to clear the mind from distractions?

Wait until your opponent sits down after his/her turn before you approach the table.

 

[Biloxi Boy]

Do you mean maintaining a physical presence at the table during your inning? If not, what?

If I have it correctly interpreted, you don't fade it. You stop. A lot of folks that do this are brand new to pool and do not know better. In which case you should patiently explain that pool is a gentleman's game and such behavior will not be tolerated. In any other case, it is the rankest, no finesse, unimaginative, form of sharking seen in a pool hall, and you should not deign to contaminate your game with such garbage.

 

[MattPoland]

What’s the setting? League? Tournament? Gambling? Or just playing randoms at a bar?

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Safety them hard 5 times straight. They’ll sit down.

 

[rexus31]

Not to derail the thread but I had an opponent in a tournament final move my bead when I won. I didn't say anything the first or second time then the third time he didn't do it so I marked it then he resumed the 4th time. I firmly told him not to touch my beads; I'll mark my own score. I think he was pulling a move so I would forget to mark a game. All shapes and sizes.

 

[Biloxi Boy]

Properly performed, sharking is an art form almost deserving of admiration. Ideally, the victim is never even certain that sharking has occurred. Part of the art is getting in someone's head without them ever knowing you were there. At least that's what I was told . . .

 

[Jimmorrison]

Walk to where they are, and get ready to shoot from there. They will move back into your shot. Change your mind, and walk to where they are, make them move. If they stand behind you, get down on a shot. Change your mind, step back and air stroke. Keep this up until they finally walk away. You aren’t distracted, you’ve already decided what to do. Just do it.

 

[Jimmorrison]

You can’t be sharked by someone else. You can only do it to yourself

 

[sjm]

Two flavors are in play here. Some players take a long time to go back to the chair when their turn is over. Others are disrespectful, moving or making noises while in the chair.

Opponent is slow to go back to the chair
If there's no shot clock in play, just wait until opponent sits down before approaching the table. In most cases, opponent will realize that their gamesmanship isn't paying any dividends, and they might well stop trying to shark you in this manner.

The real problem is when opponents are slow getting back to the chair when a shot clock is in use. I've seen it happen often at pro level and it is a practice employed by a couple of very elite players whom I prefer not to single out. In theory, the shot clock shouldn't start until a player approaches the table, but in practice this is not how it ever goes down and one of the players is invariably shortchanged on the shot clock.

Opponent is disrespectful while in the chair
If, through noises or movement, opponent is sharking you while in the chair, ask them as politely as possible to sit still and quiet while you shoot, and if that doesn't work, get the tournament director. In a social or gambling watch, you might be out of luck, but you can choose which players you gamble with or play socially, so steer clear of those who shark you.

 

[middleofnowhere]

Lately, I have been experiencing a higher level of "gamesmanship" during sets and match play. Had trouble fading an opponent that made efforts to maintain their presence at the table when it was not their turn.

Any pointers on how to clear the mind from distractions?

If you try to get even with them you just end up sharking yourself. Just ignore them.

 

[boogieman]

Lately, I have been experiencing a higher level of "gamesmanship" during sets and match play. Had trouble fading an opponent that made efforts to maintain their presence at the table when it was not their turn.

Any pointers on how to clear the mind from distractions?

Find a few friends to play with. Make part of your practice routine to mercilessly shark one another at the most inopportune times. It really helps you to deal with sharking of all types when out in the wild and can sometimes get really creative. Obviously don't do this stuff when playing for real but it's good practice for when you play someone like that out in the wild. Never let a shark see blood or they go in for the kill.

 

[WoodyJ]

Do you mean maintaining a physical presence at the table during your inning? If not, what?

If I have it correctly interpreted, you don't fade it. You stop. A lot of folks that do this are brand new to pool and do not know better. In which case you should patiently explain that pool is a gentleman's game and such behavior will not be tolerated. In any other case, it is the rankest, no finesse, unimaginative, form of sharking seen in a pool hall, and you should not deign to contaminate your game with such garbage.

Yep, been a while since someone tried this with me (and it's been a while since I've played in bar tournaments). I'd just walk to the table and do and say nothing when it was my turn.

When the a-hole would ask what I was doing, I'd just wait for someone else I knew to say: He's waiting for you to shut up or quit standing in front of him while he's shooting or obviously trying to shark him somehow. If someone else says it, they usually they back off.

If they keep it up, it's the old Fast Eddie line, "I'm shooting now a-hole, you can play when I miss."

 

[Runnintable]

Thank you for all the replies to the thread.

 

[TheBasics]

Find a few friends to play with. Make part of your practice routine to mercilessly shark one another at the most inopportune times. It really helps you to deal with sharking of all types when out in the wild and can sometimes get really creative. Obviously don't do this stuff when playing for real but it's good practice for when you play someone like that out in the wild. Never let a shark see blood or they go in for the kill.

boogie, Howdy;

Kinda like a catcher getting used to being hit by foul balls. Get the team to stand at the mound and have them throw
balls at the catcher, all at the same time. After a few "innings" of that it just don't matter anymore. chuckle At least that's
how my coach explained it to me, way-back-when. chucklin'

hank

 

[easy-e]

Two flavors are in play here. Some players take a long time to go back to the chair when their turn is over. Others are disrespectful, moving or making noises while in the chair.

Opponent is slow to go back to the chair
If there's no shot clock in play, just wait until opponent sits down before approaching the table. In most cases, opponent will realize that their gamesmanship isn't paying any dividends, and they might well stop trying to shark you in this manner.

The real problem is when opponents are slow getting back to the chair when a shot clock is in use. I've seen it happen often at pro level and it is a practice employed by a couple of very elite players whom I prefer not to single out. In theory, the shot clock shouldn't start until a player approaches the table, but in practice this is not how it ever goes down and one of the players is invariably shortchanged on the shot clock.

Opponent is disrespectful while in the chair
If, through noises or movement, opponent is sharking you while in the chair, ask them as politely as possible to sit still and quiet while you shoot, and if that doesn't work, get the tournament director. In a social or gambling watch, you might be out of luck, but you can choose which players you gamble with or play socially, so steer clear of those who shark you.

I've seen this on the Las Vegas stream a couple of times over the past few days and it always irks me. The shooter will miss their shot, and the next player's shot clock starts ticking while the shooter is still trying to examine the angle he gave the incoming player. If I were a ref I'd give a warning the first time and then award the game to the incoming player on any future violations.

It's kind of like this local player in the Phoenix area. If I make the 5 ball and I get anywhere near hooking myself, he always gets up to come over and see if I have a shot. I'm not talking about him seeing if he'll need a ref to watch the shot (I'd be OK with that), I'm talking about the dude just wants to sweat my run out from anywhere but his chair. It got so bad that I just started sitting down to wait every time he got out of his chair. Telling him "take your time man, I know how stressful this must be for you".

 

[Maniac]

.
In theory, the shot clock shouldn't start until a player approaches the table, but in practice this is not how it ever goes down and one of the players is invariably shortchanged on the shot clock.

.

In theory, it would be even better if the shot clock didn't start until the outgoing players ass was firmly in his/her chair.

 

[Maniac]

I've seen this on the Las Vegas stream a couple of times over the past few days and it always irks me. The shooter will miss their shot, and the next player's shot clock starts ticking while the shooter is still trying to examine the angle he gave the incoming player. If I were a ref I'd give a warning the first time and then award the game to the incoming player on any future violations.

Then there's the ones that feel the need after a miss to pick up the chalk and chalk their cue before going back to their chair. There's one pro who is notorious for doing this. I won't mention his name, but he is a stone "cold" one-pocket player.

 

[Maniac]

A lot of folks that do this are brand new to pool and do not know better. In which case you should patiently explain that pool is a gentleman's game and such behavior will not be tolerated. .

Cue up Enter Sandman intro and bring in Earl Strickland. LOL

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Lately, I have been experiencing a higher level of "gamesmanship" during sets and match play. Had trouble fading an opponent that made efforts to maintain their presence at the table when it was not their turn.

Any pointers on how to clear the mind from distractions?

What you ask for is a skill that must be learned. Tuning everything out but what you face at table.

Many players are what I call sublimely sharks, they sit across from you doing tiny movement to distract you. So you blow it.

Guy I know wears glasses, his shark move is to move to adjust his glasses as someone else shoots.

This is the you must learn to tune out.