Talking while playing...what's your opinion?

inside_english said:
I have been told by some that they don't like playing me, even for fun, because I am "too serious". I guess they look at my face while I am shooting and think so, I dunno. I am just trying to concentrate.
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Ask yourself this, the people that tell you that you are too serious...is there game better than yours or worse?

I get the same thing but mostly from people who don't play as well as I do or who are trying to throw my game off as I play. The more serious you are about your game the better your game will be.
 
If you are playing with me, you had better be prepared to laugh and talk quite a bit, lol. I have no problem talking or being talked to while playing. I will talk until I get down on the shot, then I muster up some focus, shoot, and proceed with the conversation/dirty jokes! I know it makes me miss sometimes, but I am out to have fun. I dont gamble or play in tourneys so there is no money on the line for me. I can see the point that talking might be considered sharking, but I have never intended to shark anyone with my talking/joking. Maybe Im doing this all wrong, but I thought it was supposed to be fun? I will talk a little less when Im playing someone better than me, but Im not gonna be super focused and serious against lower level players. How fun is it to not talk, beat the sh*t out of your lower level friends, and not have a laugh? not for me, but I see where you guys and gals are coming from.




Joe
 
Watching the monthly 9 ball tourney at my favorite hall, I noticed one thing about the guy considered top dog there. If his opponent was a chatty type, he'd chat right along. If his opponent was serious & silent, he'd do the same. Either way, his excellent game never changed...controlling the table at his pace, not too slow, not too fast, shots well thought out.

That's what I'd call a learned talent...:)
 
Depends

In competition (league, tournaments, money game) I double dog agree with the following two quotes. I don't talk in order to turn off the speech center in the left side of my brain, maintain focus and keep an adreneline rush going through out the match:

Sweet Marissa said:
I usually don't say a word unless it's "nice shot". If I need to acknowledge a call or anything, I simply nod my head. And please don't speak to me until the match is over. If my opponent wants to talk great I just consider that a weakness of theirs to exploit and they can distract themselves all they want:

:)
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TX Poolnut said:
I don't care if you talk, yell, or jump in your seat.

I enjoy the game for what it is - a game.

If I feel that someone is trying to shark me, I just stop and let them finish. I won't shoot again until they are finished. No big deal. I don't mind waiting.
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As for non-competition games (shooting with a friend on a home table or for a challenge table in a bar), I still don't talk much while shooting but will chit chat to be sociable. The difference being that I don't get the adreneline rush, loose focus and don't shoot as well when the pressure is on to make a shot. I resign myself to that, play a looser game and expect to make a lot more unforced errors than ususal.
 
Drew said:
I think you might be taking it a little overboard. During serious play, I understand completely. But while knocking balls around or even while practicing, chit-chat keeps the monotony from becoming too much to bear. There's a decent amount of conversation in every sport; pool shouldn't be any different. You should also consider it a training exercise. Learn to play with ambient noise (pool isn't golf). Can you imagine a MLB pitcher asking the crowd to quiet down because he needs to concentrate? Playing seriously and concentrating is one thing, but don't be a grumpy pool player.
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"Grumpy pool player" does not describe me at all...:)
 
SpiderWebComm said:
I typically never say a word because I'm just not a talkative guy when I'm playing. Honestly, if someone recites the encyclopedia britanica to me while I'm playing, it wouldn't faze me the slightest.

If I'm gambling or in a tournament and they're chatting in an obvious attempt to shark, I'll say something. Otherwise, I honestly never hear it.

When I'm in the zone, someone could say.... "Dave, here's the money I owe you... I'm setting the c-note on the table" and all I hear is "wa wa wawa wa wa wa....wa C-NOTE wa wa wawa" like Charlie Brown's teacher.

Sometimes, however, being in the zone gets me into trouble. One time, this girl I knew said, "Dave, one of these days we should take up ride up to the zoo. I just bought a new Cadillac because my legs have been killing me. I wanna see the cheetahs, they're such cute pussy cats!"

All I heard was, "Dave, take a ride up my legs and see my cute......"

:)
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Excellent...:)
 
JasonCrugar said:
thats what im sayin. i dont care if you want to set off fireworks next to me. i mean if my opponent chooses to be quiet and sit there like someone killed his puppy that's fine. i will not. i have fun in whatever i do. talking chit playing around its all good as long as its in good spirits. this goes for money games, practice,tournys, banging balls, or whatever. if you want absolute quiet and inner peace and stuff, GO TO CHURCH OR YOGA or something and get the f outta the pool room fools
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That was harsh, and unnecessary.
 
JoeyA said:
When someone makes a nice shot, I like to tap the rubber bumper of my cue on the floor making a slight motion with very little sound. I find it to be a bit more courteous and less distracting than talking while they are still at the table.

Most of the time I just act like a mime even if they make an Efren Z shot. :D


JoeyA
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Actually, the acting like a mime during the great shot is a bit of a move.

It says that you're either unwilling to acknowledge their great shot, or their great shot did not impress you, both of which messes with their heads.

Of course, you were quiet and did not distract them in any way, so all you have to say is that you were being polite and did not want to shark them, but the damage has been done...:)

I used to play a guy who got upset when I did not say "nice shot". Unfortunately, most of his nice shots were routine shots for most above-average players.
 
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Sam Waltz said:
A couple nights ago I got matched up with an acquaintance of mine playin' some $20 one pocket games. I wasn't very focused and he won the first 4 games in no time at all. During that little run a mutual acquaintance decided to come over and interject his "knowledge", AKA his mouth, into our game and I was finding it very distracting. My opponent, also a very talkative individual, joined in the chit chat craziness and proceded to shoot his mouth off with the railbird everytime he wasn't hitting a ball. Oh well...

I bellied up to the ol' bar and ordered myself a glass of happiness and then returned to our match. Pulled out the earbuds and "plugged-in" my happy music...then proceded to beat his brains in the next four games. LOL

It was obvious that I hadn't appreciated his antics or his little "cheerleader" so when we hit even he made the following comment, "Hey Sam, I know you don't like my antics and my talking, so we can quit now if you don't wanna deal with it." My response, "Matt, your dancing around, beggin' for rolls and shootin' your mouth off just isn't gonna cut it anymore buddy. From now on I'm just gonna laugh at ya while your actin' a fool instead of gettin' mad about it. If you wanna quit, that's fine, or you can go ahead and keep playin', but either way...you can't win." He comes back with, "So you don't mind if I keep beggin' then?" LOL That was classic! He kept playin' thankfully and a little while later he handed me a C-note and departed my playground. :grin-square:

It's was nice to finally accept the problem as my own and find a way to overcome it 'cause God knows you can never control what somebody else is going to do. My suggestion...you can't change 'em so find your own way to conquer in the face of adversity! :thumbup:

Shoot well my AZ brethren and may the "focus" be with you! :grin:
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Nice post.
 
itsme74 said:
Ask yourself this, the people that tell you that you are too serious...is there game better than yours or worse?

I get the same thing but mostly from people who don't play as well as I do or who are trying to throw my game off as I play. The more serious you are about your game the better your game will be.
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It's usually people who are a little worse than I.
 
snipershot said:
If you are playing with me, you had better be prepared to laugh and talk quite a bit, lol. I have no problem talking or being talked to while playing. I will talk until I get down on the shot, then I muster up some focus, shoot, and proceed with the conversation/dirty jokes! I know it makes me miss sometimes, but I am out to have fun. I dont gamble or play in tourneys so there is no money on the line for me. I can see the point that talking might be considered sharking, but I have never intended to shark anyone with my talking/joking. Maybe Im doing this all wrong, but I thought it was supposed to be fun? I will talk a little less when Im playing someone better than me, but Im not gonna be super focused and serious against lower level players. How fun is it to not talk, beat the sh*t out of your lower level friends, and not have a laugh? not for me, but I see where you guys and gals are coming from.




Joe
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I guess "fun" can be interpreted differently for some.

I can have fun shooting the breeze, cracking jokes or whatever, and I can also have fun running out or just playing great. I can't have fun doing both...I just hope my opp can tell when it is time for chit-chat and when it isn't.

I refuse to play in bars. I am lucky to have a choice so I don't have to deal with the element of drunkeness.
 
I haaaaaaaaaaate talkers in any form of serious play. Casual play, I love to chat, but I really don't want to hear about my play while I'm shooting. There's a total n00b I know that refuses to shut his mouth for any reason. If I'm playing a pro then they can talk my ear off, on the right day I might even tolerate it from an equal, but I really REALLY don't need to hear it from someone who has less experience and skill than me.

The worst part is, I'm always studying these days, so I can't silence the chatter with runouts anymore =(. God how I am going to RELISH table time this summer...
 
IMO talking while your opponent is shooting, unless they are in the conversation with you, is nothing but a shark move.

td
 
inside_english said:
Actually, the acting like a mime during the great shot is a bit of a move.

It says that you're either unwilling to acknowledge their great shot, or their great shot did not impress you, both of which messes with their heads.
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WHATTTTTTTT?

JoeyA (gives the kudos when balls are being put away and the brewskies or beverage of your choice are being hoisted after the match).
 
Yes chit chat ruins the chance to seriously compete whether for money or honor. At those times I just chalk it up on the "had a fun conversation" side of my profit loss statement"
 
i hope everyone doesn't think that the only reason professional players are "miked" is so joe public can hear them say "eight in the side....." Johnny Archer plays like a robot but even he talks to himself while he plays..... personally i like hearing banter even as a spectator.

i guess i'm a pretty relaxed player at the table, i like talking to myself or others while i'm playing. never though to an opponent while he's shooting, unless of course he instigates it. I used to be one of those serious guys at the table, never saying one word, and it used to always rattle me when guys would talk......i couldn't get over it, when one day i realized that if i instigate the conversations, the talking wouldn't bother me at all. now i'm like YAPYAPYAP when i'm shooting. my favorite is imitating bert kinister when i'm playing.....no offence to bert.....;)
 
Im not really the talking while playing type but if i get a talker i break out my ipod.
 
I played a guy last night in League that would not shut his mouth when I was at the table and I completely ingored him and he asked me way I did so after the match and I told him I take every game seriously and Looked at me like " OH " . He lost and I wonder why ???. ;)

But if I'm shooting at home or some where else It's the same way .
 
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