World Championsips Need Too Change
- Thread starter Island Drive
- Start date
I'll side with the purists on tight pockets. The Hollywoodian formula of making every goddamn thing fast and flashy is repugnant to me. Soon there will be no room in any human activity for subtlety and sophistication. If snooker could be as successful as it was, I don't see why larger pocket sizes would of necessity add anything to the popularity of the sport.
I'll agree with anything that makes pool more widely available with the salvo that it doesn't cheapen the sport.
I'll agree with anything that makes pool more widely available with the salvo that it doesn't cheapen the sport.
I would opt for tighter pockets(like the one they use in this WPC). I mean, we always wanna see Efren, Busta and likes who stroke really well go deep in tournaments, but like some said those guys are top pros, a 1.8 ball width pocket should not be a problem for them; if it is, that's their fault i.e. Efren made too many potting mistakes against Ronnie Alcano. The only gripe I have about this year's WPC is that wing ball always goes in, and that soft breaks produce similar layouts.
I'm not really too keen about changes in the games. All players will play in the same scenario anyway. Soft cloth, tighter pocket, soft break, alternate breaks and such are really just annoying when it doesn't go your way, but the truth is everyone else is playing in the same condition as you. And besides, this is a group of extremely good players. Those conditions are just test of their playing experience. Those who can adapt faster deserve to win.
If you notice, regardless of any tournament, the cream of the crop always rises to the top. If the WPC changes some condition it has something to do with previous experience. They don't put in those rules/conditions just because they wanted to. It's like the NBA forcing a man-to-man defense because a "pure" zone defense will no longer cut it when you have a lot of players who can shoot jump shots really really good.
If you notice, regardless of any tournament, the cream of the crop always rises to the top. If the WPC changes some condition it has something to do with previous experience. They don't put in those rules/conditions just because they wanted to. It's like the NBA forcing a man-to-man defense because a "pure" zone defense will no longer cut it when you have a lot of players who can shoot jump shots really really good.
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Nostroke said:
when the pockets were wide, people complained that the game's too easy and everyone can beat even the top players. so they tighten the pockets to separate the chaff from the grain and now people complain that it's too hard! Make up your minds, people!
why do people always suggest changes to the WPC after the results don't turn out the way they wanted???
why do people always suggest changes to the WPC after the results don't turn out the way they wanted???
Renegade said:
sure is starting to sound like that.....
imo, it really doesnt matter. tight pockets,you still witness spectacular shots, have buckets and still people miss sitters... and yes every one is playing the same table. so whether you have buckets or little peepholes for pockets, the cream of the tournament still rises to the top.
Island Drive said:
If a player has to resort to incredible cue ball movement and spin, they're probably playing incorrectly. They're making it more difficult than they have to. Why would any competitive person want to do that?
You can't work the cue ball when you're out of line? That's the penalty. Don't get out of line. Besides, the great players of the world can often find a way to get out of those situations. That's why they're the great players of the world.
The general public may not care about the pockets being tight, but a lot of pool players do, and that's who the pool people are catering to. Let's face it, the general public doesn't care about the pockets being tight because they don't care about pool, period. If pool were like it is in Asia and Europe, where they have school programs and coaching unlike anything we have in the US, the general public might care. But they don't.
Look, I enjoy exciting shots, great shots, unbelievable shot making. But those are the kinds of shots that the pros need to pull out when they run into problems, not because I want to see the cue ball going 3 rails all the time (which I don't). I don't want to watch guys get sloppy on bigger pockets just because they think they can juice the CB and get their way out of it all the time.
suckershot said:
I'm not talking about SLOPPY/HUGE/BIG/LARGE/GIANT pockets or TINY/ITSBITSY/MINNIE/LITTLE, there is always a point where they are too small or too big. Golf as far as I know has the same size cup on each and every green all over the World, wonder why? 9-ball with all the movement and great shot making should have a standard size. In golf they have a stimph meter to make sure the greens aren't too fast or too slow, there is a reason. So answer me this, has the pocket size been the same every year for the past ten years at the championships? And if not can you tell me why?
Island Drive said:
Why cant we have......
9 ball texas express on tight pockets, simonis, break from anywhere behind the line, one ball racked on the spot.
Races to 7. WINNER BREAKS. Best out of 3 sets. If you break the first set. I break the second. IF we get to the 3rd set - exactly the same but change to ten ball texas express ???? What you guys think ?
I believe it was Steve Davis, years ago and in his prime, who was asked what he considered his greatest asset was for his winning record. He said, " The ability to adjust to the conditions faster than anyone else."
I have always followed the philosphy, " I don't how we play, just as long as we play by the same rules and on the same table."
I have always followed the philosphy, " I don't how we play, just as long as we play by the same rules and on the same table."
Island Drive said:
I'm not sure what this has to do with your argument of the pockets being too small. I don't know what the pocket sizes are for the past ten years. And it doesn't matter to me. I agree that the pockets should be a consistent size. Consistenly small. I believe a 4-1/4" pocket that has been done/cut/installed properly is tough but fair. The best players of the world probably don't have a problem with this.
I am not interested in seeing the pockets open up a little just so you can be entertained by crazy positional shots. Sure, it's fun to see such shots, but to see them too often encourages the wrong kind of habits. I am more interested in seeing how guys deal with adversity when they get out of line. I want to see the best pool played, and I want to see the best players get rewarded for playing well and precise. That generally happens under tough conditions; the cream rises to the top.
thoffen said:
Agreed. The tables seem tough, but fair.
What caught my eye was in the 14th game, score 9-4 Souquet shooting. The 6 was one diamond off the long rail about 3 diamonds from the pocket and the cue ball was 1/2 diamond out about 3+ diamonds from the 6 along the same rail. He had a shot on the 6 to come around 3 rails 'natural' back down table to get out. It was a shot that should of been taken. He ducked and then it became a bump and roll game.
Yade Yade I know, he should of gotten closer, or better shape or what ever. But to have a table set up too difficult to recieve this very shot with a high percentage from one of the best players in the world seemed unfair to the game of 9-ball.
Yade Yade I know, he should of gotten closer, or better shape or what ever. But to have a table set up too difficult to recieve this very shot with a high percentage from one of the best players in the world seemed unfair to the game of 9-ball.
Nostroke said:
You MUST see this one game. Superb safety play back and forth on the 5 and 6 balls, which are tied up. Finally Ralf gets a long tough shot on the 5. It is do or die if he shoots it. I felt like he would play safe. He frams it in and draws the cue off the side rail and back across the table for the 6. Everyone fell to the floor when they saw that shot.
Only Ralf and a few filipinos (like Ronnie) would have tried this shot. Most players would have ducked here. I mean it's hill-hill to get to the Finals, and Ralf comes with his biggest shot of the match. Now, that's a Champion.
In the finals Ronnie makes an even tougher shot on the 2 ball and goes two rails for position on the 3. The best shot I saw the entire tournament. It's not a hard shot, it's an impossible one! No one saw it coming. In the booth, Jerry almost fainted when he saw this shot. I was sitting right behind him. He said something like "Oh my God, what was that".
Ralf also makes a couple of hits from locked up positions that look impossible. Efren quality escapes. Some pretty high grade pool was being played on super tough tables. I like the tough tables. Separates the great players from the merely good ones.
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Island Drive said:
Ralf could have shot here. His decisions were not all good in the finals. Even in the first game, he had a shot on the 1 and ducked. I thought at the time, it is setting a bad tone for the match to be playing so safe early in a long, long race. One commentator (Jerry I think) said something to the effect that when you are not playing well (or at your best), you also do not think so well, and make the best decisions.
I think this was a good comment at the time, because Ralf did not play his usual heady game, and his table speed was never quite on. He kept falling long or short with the cue ball.
Stones said:
Are the pocket sizes in snooker for championships the same in every event or do they change it? I don't know, but I think I know 'that' answer.