The Shot Clock- Good - Or - Bad?

[THE SILENCER]

i'm split on this issue, on one hand, no shot clock, and johnny archer single handed kills pool. he takes more time to shoot than anyone. and it's not because he's thinking , it's because he just takes his sweet ass time. so yeah, the shot clock is good for us watching him. but in britian and british produced tournaments such as the mosconi and world, there are no clocks, i have to say, even though it's quite dull, the shots that they eventually come out with are stunning! i guess it's like having skilled professional carpenters working on your house. if you tell them you need a brand new room within two hours, it might end up looking like shit, but if you stood and watched them it wouldn't be too boring, on the other hand, if you tell them to take all the time in the world, the room would eventually look like the 8th. wonder of the world. so i feel the shot clock is good and bad, and ultimatly should be enforced, if and only if, the player is playing way, way too slow. and to add to that, here is how i really feel, the referee, should look at the player real carefully, and see if they have a nervous, get up get down get up get down get up get down, like johnny archer, if so, then the shot clock should be enforced. however, if the player is looking all around the table, and his eyeballs are scanning all around, and he's measuring with his cue, and he's looking intelligent, then forget about the shot clock, it's ralf souquet, and he's a genius, stand back and let him do his voo-doo.

 

[ajrack]

40 sec - 45 sec - 30 sec

Over a span of 30 years, I have watched hundreds of pool players, maybe even thousands, and have noticed that MOST players shoot between 30 and 45 seconds for each shot. If the racks do not break out very good, and the balls cluster up, then the time between takes a bit longer. In 3 cushion, there has been a 45 second time frame, and even that is a bit short for some layouts, played by the best players.
I have attended many women's pro events and have noticed that they play for one hour before the shot clock of 30 sec. goes into effect. And I have seen matches turn around dramatically with this timing in place. A distinct advantage for those who play a bit quicker.
I do not think that a shot clock is much of a GOOD thing to have for pool. There are only a few players who play slow (over 45 secs on occasion), so why penalise those normal players who may need a bit of extra time for those racks that have a bad layout.
If a clock is needed, my recommendation is for 45 secs......

***note*** I played in Australia for a couple of pool seasons and during their matches ...(they must shoot within 60 seconds), after 30 seconds ... there is an official time keeper who says ...loudly..."30 seconds"...
I usually play fast but even I get caught on occasion at the 30 sec time...before I shoot, just when your'e ready to pull the trigger... the time keeper says "30 secs"...quite a shock!!!
I now wait until they make the announcement ...then I shoot!

 

[mjantti]

What about Jeremy Jones ? This guy takes a long time to shoot because he goes to his chair to powder his hands and cue on every other shot... frustrating to watch !

 

[catscradle]

Shot clock good - Ralf "Slow As Molasses" Souquet bad.

IMO a 60 second time clock is overly generous. Pool isn't rocket science afterall. Just as I suffer the consequences of not have a stroke like a pro, then people who can't think fast enough can suffer the consequences. I've watched the Accu-stats tapes of Souquet beating Alex Pagulyan in the Open that time the shot clock was imposed then made even shorter due to TV time restrictions. It not only didn't harm Souquet's game to shot faster, I think it helped it.
A shot clock wouldn't be appropriate for you're local tournament because it would be an administrative nightmare, but for professional tournaments which are trying to be an entertainment it would be a godsend.

 

[Williebetmore]

I usually play fast but even I get caught on occasion at the 30 sec time...before I shoot, just when your'e ready to pull the trigger... the time keeper says "30 secs"...quite a shock!!!
I now wait until they make the announcement ...then I shoot!

Actually the rule on the WPBA (I've actually worked as a timekeeper at 2 WPBA events) is that a warning is given at 20 seconds (of the 30 second clock). If the player has assumed or is assuming her shooting stance then the timekeeper is supposed to keep quiet. If the player backs off her stance then the timekeeper is to announce the 10 second warning immediately (and the player then has 10 more seconds to either shoot or take an extension).

 

[kyle]

Trouble is you need someone to operate it for every match, I think it was mainly intended for better T.V viewing (like it's ever live anyway). The refs should be watching more for things like deliberate play. The shot clock could be unfair if a player is being distracted by an opponent etc, A good ref/T.D and you shouldn't need one. One ref that kinda bugs me be is the blonde guy (Cardiff,and I think Mosconi cup aswell) he's always late to position himself, I think Makayla would be very distracting in her own way.