U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship -EAR PLUGS
- Thread starter JoeyA
- Start date
Hmm, don't know if I agree with this one. It's pretty much the same as wearing headphones. What happens if I call a foul but you don't hear me and you keep on shooting? At that point it's too late to call a foul. You need to be able to hear your opponent and the referee.
Also what do people need ear plugs for? Is it that loud in there? Sounds more like a lack of focus to me. I'm pretty sure they don't play music at the US Open and it's pretty quiet. I could see if they had some country music blairing, then I would want some ear plugs.
Also what do people need ear plugs for? Is it that loud in there? Sounds more like a lack of focus to me. I'm pretty sure they don't play music at the US Open and it's pretty quiet. I could see if they had some country music blairing, then I would want some ear plugs.
Unless they've changed the rules,or I just didn't get caught,I wore foam ear plugs all 3 times I've played up there.
They were just ordinary foam plugs you get back in Sporting Goods at any Wal-Mart,designed for shooting guns and are rated at NRR-34.
I don't personally have a problem with loud music.
Where things can bug me is where the room is supposedly "quiet",but then every dropped cup,opened can,or creak in the bleachers stands out because one of the things I have always used to help keep me in tune is to listen to the ping of my cue when I make contact.
If I get the musical ping,I know before I even see the result if I stroked the shot correctly.
The ear plugs do NOT interfere with this,and do not completely shut out all sound,just the junk noise. You can still hear even a normal conversation volume,like in the case of having to talk to opponent,ref or TD,as long as they are reasonably close. Tommy D.
They were just ordinary foam plugs you get back in Sporting Goods at any Wal-Mart,designed for shooting guns and are rated at NRR-34.
I don't personally have a problem with loud music.
Where things can bug me is where the room is supposedly "quiet",but then every dropped cup,opened can,or creak in the bleachers stands out because one of the things I have always used to help keep me in tune is to listen to the ping of my cue when I make contact.
If I get the musical ping,I know before I even see the result if I stroked the shot correctly.
The ear plugs do NOT interfere with this,and do not completely shut out all sound,just the junk noise. You can still hear even a normal conversation volume,like in the case of having to talk to opponent,ref or TD,as long as they are reasonably close. Tommy D.
It's perfectly ok to disagree, however...............
I have worn ear plugs in the past and I have NEVER had someone say something to me where I ignored them because I couldn't hear them.
If a person didn't react to me calling a foul on them, I would get out of my chair and confront them.
I can hear people talk when I wear ear plugs. If you've never worn ear plugs you probably don't know what I am talking about.
Most of the time even without ear plugs, when it is necessary to speak to my opponent (which is seldome) I not only speak to them, but I use body movement, sometimes pointing to an object ball, then pressing my fists together to illustrate that the object ball is frozen to the rail. Sometimes I tap the rail next to the object ball to denote it is a frozen ball.
The bottom line is even if you don't have ear plugs, your opponent can ignore you and keep on shooting.
I think most of the perspectives against using ear plugs have finally been worn out. They really hold no value and I'm glad to see the this event taking the lead.
I'm sorry for all these years of oppression for ear plug wearers. I didn't realize the extent of the problem. [/sarcasm]
I used to wear earplugs ever day for work. So I'm quite aware of what you can and can't hear. You need to take them out just to have a conversation otherwise you cannot hear the other person hardly at all. So you are probably not going to hear someone call a foul unless they yell at you or start waving their hands.
I used to wear earplugs ever day for work. So I'm quite aware of what you can and can't hear. You need to take them out just to have a conversation otherwise you cannot hear the other person hardly at all. So you are probably not going to hear someone call a foul unless they yell at you or start waving their hands.
Hi Joey:
1. No offense, but I don't think you answered mnShooter's main question, bolded above. I, for one, would be interested in an answer as well.
2. Also, I'm assuming when you say "earplugs," that they are truly earplugs (noise-minimization/blocking devices), and not headphones or earbuds (which are used to reproduce music into your ears). Correct?
Let us know your thoughts on these two points,
-Sean
Every match is ref'd at the Open? I didn't know that.
1. I haven't worn ear plugs in a couple of years but when I did, I noticed that I simply enjoyed the lower volume of all sound. The noisy, distracting sounds didn't seem to impact me negatively as they sometimes do when I didn't wear ear plugs. When wearing the custom-fitted ear plugs, even the distracting noises were sedated in effect, at least for me. The ear plugs also for whatever reason, seemed to quiet my mind, not just the rest of the noises.
In talking to other people over the decades, I have come to realize that there are some players who hear every little noise and conversation (and who can play at an extremely high level) and then there are others who can play at an extremely high level who seldom ever "hear" any distracting noises even without ear plugs. By the same token there are people who don't play well with or without ear plugs.
What is ironic, is that I suffer from a hearing loss and actually have hearing aids. My hearing loss occured a long time ago and I had simply done without hearing aids. Even now, my hearing aids break too regularly for me to enjoy using them on a regular basis, so they sit broken until I get disgusted enough to send them back for repair.
I can hear quite well (without hearing aids or even with ear plugs), in a room where there is minimum or no background noises. Background noises like fans, smoker-eater machines, even loud airconditioning, as well as multiple conversations convolute the words I hear from others and make some of the words indistinguishable.
Another interesting thing is that when I do commentary, I seldom if ever have trouble understanding my co-commentator, unless they are from Liverpool. :grin:
What I don't quite understand is anyone having a problem with someone wearing ear plugs. It just doesn't make any sense to me. If you've used ear plugs, you (or at least I) know that the ear plugs don't impede you from hearing someone call a foul on you and if you didn't hear someone clearly, you could remove the ear plug and have them repeat it. To me it's just silly to ban ear plugs.
2. On the other hand, banning ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICE that can be placed in the ear, except hearing aids, should be a standard practice for all tournaments.
If you ban ear plugs from tournament play because someone might not be able to hear their opponent call a foul or because they couldn't hear the referee say, "Good Hit/Bad Hit", then you may as well ban all of the people who have hearing impediments. :grin:
:grin:
It doesn't matter if a referee is at a table or not. The banning of earplugs is just silly and based upon what? That the player with the ear plugs might not be able to hear his opponent..... :grin-square:
As you pointed out, there is no need for direct communication between players if a referee is present. But there is really little need for communication at all between players. Pool is a solitary game for all practical purposes of describing how it is played.
I play competively with people from all over the world and I never have a problem in hearing them question or call a ball frozen or that it is their break and not mine, etc and that's without my hearing aids.
Some people want to ban the ear plugs because they know that ear plugs can in some cases, mute the distractions of one player trying to get under the skin of another player of throwing out some smack-talk every now and then and that's sad.
Did Earl wear them at the US OPEN this year?
Did Earl wear them at the US OPEN this year? I know he likes wearing them because his hearing is above normal. I told him to get a doctors excuse and there would be nothing they could say or do to prevent him.
Did Earl wear them at the US OPEN this year? I know he likes wearing them because his hearing is above normal. I told him to get a doctors excuse and there would be nothing they could say or do to prevent him.
I don't know if Earl used earplugs this open or not.
The U.S. OPen 9 Ball Championship allows earplugs so he doesn't need a doctor's excuse for wearing earplugs.
He's got the best hearing and vision of anyone
He really needs them. He's got the best hearing and vision of anyone I've ever been around. I used to play golf with him and he could see how my ball was laying 290 yards away.
His senses are amazing, no wonder he's easily sharked sometimes.
He really needs them. He's got the best hearing and vision of anyone I've ever been around. I used to play golf with him and he could see how my ball was laying 290 yards away.
His senses are amazing, no wonder he's easily sharked sometimes.
Is that where your ear drums are HIV positive but the rest of your body is fine?
He really needs them. He's got the best hearing and vision of anyone I've ever been around. I used to play golf with him and he could see how my ball was laying 290 yards away.
I like the story that has been bandied about concerning Johnny Archer, where he is reportedly asked if two balls in question were frozen and he, carefully looking at the two balls and says, "Well, it looks like they're touching but they're not quite frozen". :grin:
As long as my opponent can hear me if i need to say something to him, like FOUL, or something like that I dont care what he puts in his ears.
When it goes as far is I have to feel like I am sharking him to get his attention then the plugs or whatever should be removed.
P.S. If you need ear plugs to play well, you don't play as good as you think you do. A pro should be able to play in all conditions.
When it goes as far is I have to feel like I am sharking him to get his attention then the plugs or whatever should be removed.
P.S. If you need ear plugs to play well, you don't play as good as you think you do. A pro should be able to play in all conditions.
I agree with your highlighted statement above. but............
Apparently the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship thinks Ear Plugs are a good or acceptable idea for professional pool players.
