Would I sound like a jerk?

hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If I asked the league to make a rule to ban "nice shot" "good try" type of chatter? Or at least ask the person I'm playing to hold off on that.

The issue I have is that during matches you are focused on the game, on the shot at hand, on strategy, a lot of stuff. Whenever someone says "nice shot" you are almost automatically brought out of that focus, you have to say "thanks", or something to acknowledge you heard the guy and appreciate it. For me, that takes my mind off the next shot and I more often than not either miss, or misplay position. It also gets you thinking that, ya, it was pretty nice, which does the same thing to bring you out of focus.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? Am I just being nitpicky?
 
what i do in this case is this. When i start a match i will tel the guy i am playing that i will not talk during the match. I will say i am not trying to be an ass i just want to play the best i can so i wont talk. Thankfully everyone has been ok with it. I feel this way they will get the hint. Try it and i am sure it will be ok. Good luck
 
Regardless of the intention of the person saying... "Nice shot" or... "Nice try.", in your mind you're being sharked. Deal with it directly and deal with it early.
 
I can see where it might throw you off but when I'm playing a game and someone says that to me, i will wait until my turn is completely over to say anything, so it doesn't have any effect on me. I'm pretty good on concentrating and zoning everyone else out when I'm shooting. There aren't to many things that bother me while I'm shooting because I pay no attention to them.

You may have a valid point but I do not think anything like that will ever be ban. You can just tell the guy to hold onto this comments til after the match. Also sometimes it's not even the person your shooting, you have to talk to both teams as well.
 
Something as minor as being told 'nice shot' or 'good try' should not be enough to break ones concentration. If it does, you should work on strengthening your concentration skills. When I am shooting well and in total concentration I don't hear/acknowledge/remember anything that goes on around the table while I am shooting. Sounds like nitpicking to me, but only my opinion..
 
I wear an mp3 player when I play, and that included when I participated in leagues. I have no idea if any opponent ever made a comment to me because I acknowledge them two times: wishing them luck before our game and shaking their hand after.
 
BuckinghamGuard said:
Nice post.


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Nice try.

On a serious note, I don't know that people would initially take you seriously. Even at that, I don't think this type of leagewide proposal would be be taken well. I would rate your level of chances at about a zero that this would be enforced in any capacity.
 
hang-the-9 said:
If I asked the league to make a rule to ban "nice shot" "good try" type of chatter? Or at least ask the person I'm playing to hold off on that.

The issue I have is that during matches you are focused on the game, on the shot at hand, on strategy, a lot of stuff. Whenever someone says "nice shot" you are almost automatically brought out of that focus, you have to say "thanks", or something to acknowledge you heard the guy and appreciate it. For me, that takes my mind off the next shot and I more often than not either miss, or misplay position. It also gets you thinking that, ya, it was pretty nice, which does the same thing to bring you out of focus.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? Am I just being nitpicky?
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You are being too nitpicky.
 
hang-the-9 said:
If I asked the league to make a rule to ban "nice shot" "good try" type of chatter? Or at least ask the person I'm playing to hold off on that.

The issue I have is that during matches you are focused on the game, on the shot at hand, on strategy, a lot of stuff. Whenever someone says "nice shot" you are almost automatically brought out of that focus, you have to say "thanks", or something to acknowledge you heard the guy and appreciate it. For me, that takes my mind off the next shot and I more often than not either miss, or misplay position. It also gets you thinking that, ya, it was pretty nice, which does the same thing to bring you out of focus.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? Am I just being nitpicky?
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I do this all the time and I never gave a thought that it might be affecting my opponent in a negative way because it doesn't bother me in the least. I'll try to keep that in mind from now on.
 
Even the pros talk to each other and make comments back and forth... what is the big deal?
 
It's obviously a very personal thing.

I've kinda gotten somewhat skilled (if that's the right word) of focussing thru such things. I think it comes from playing alot of sports in always very public places , tennis, golf, bowling , etc. There's always a car driving by , a car horn/alarm chirping , someone talking out of turn , something getting dropped near you or whatever. There's an endless list of annoyances. If you allow yourself to be distracted by those things it can become very hell like in a hurry. :)

I think true focus is when those 'typical' things don't phase you and if they do then perhaps your not as truly focussed as you could be. You might even become more focussed on the distractions , if that makes sense.
 
I never talk to an opponent when I am shooting, although I may hear him/her say nice shot during the game, I do not respond. Not being rude, I just don't choose to talk during the time that I am shooting/focusing. I have no problem with talking between racks but once I approach the table, the game mindset becomes engaged and I don't converse until the final ball or the rack drops.

Don't think you are going to get anywhere with your plea. My advice would be to work on your mental game, there are many good books on the subject. The MP3 player is not something that I would depend on, you cannot use it at the upper level BCA events and many others so why learn to rely on it? JMHO
 
If "nice try" or "nice shot" is sharking you, I would say you have a concentration problem that has nothing to do with your opponent. Try locking up in a money match (for enough jing that makes you REALLY try) and have people talk you to death when you're over game balls and fighting against hostile crowds.

In the end, it's you who makes YOU miss - not the other guy. I guess you can either always blame someone else's chatter, sharking or talking - or you can really practice your mental conditioning.

I recommend:

- Practicing 14.1 with the radio playing loudly (not music). If you keep your run clicking through those most annoying car "UNBELIEVABLE BLOWOUT SALES" commercials, you can play through anything.

- Practice 14.1 or play the 8-ball ghost (try to b/r 8-ball with no BIH, not 8-ball rotation) with a wife or girlfriend nearby. If you play through the complaining, nagging, wanting you to quit and spend time with them.... you can play through anything.

- If you have an ear-piece for your cell phone, practice 14.1 or the 8-ball ghost while in deep conversation. If you can run out while giving sound advice to a friend or while making plans for the weekend --- you'll never make another post like that again.

Dave
 
I love it when they refrain from saying anything on my nice shots on the 1 through 7 balls, but they do say "nice shot" on my 8-ball, especially when I end up with a semi-tough position on the 9-ball. :rolleyes: LOL.

I agree that any "nice shots" should be saved until the rack is over, but personally I try not to complain about it (except on here, LOL :D) because I feel that it's in my best interest to become desensitized to it.
 
I think you just need to learn to tone out what there saying, although I can see your point with saying thanks because your trying to be courteous and that can take you out of rhythm.
I think it comes down to a comfort level because I've played with people who talk to me while im shooting, and ive talked to them while i'm shooting as well, and it didnt affect my game because im comfortable talking to them.
 
IMO it is nitpicky.

none of this is directed at you, but here are my thoughts...

That has been my major complaint with leagues over the years, the nitpicking. A lot of league players act like its life and death and do way more immoral things than gamblers. For example, i've seen numerous league players allow an opponent to shoot "ball in hand" after a scratch, then call a foul on him, instead of having integrity and stopping him before he shoots. I also had my own team get mad at me for concieding a hanging 8 ball to a fellow gambler. I got pretty upset and told them, "i dont want to win because a player miscued on a hanging ball, If you don't like my judgement, too bad".

Sorry to get off track a little, but I think your whole game would improve if you would force yourself to toughen up mentally and block those "good shot" comments out.

Ian
 
hang-the-9 said:
If I asked the league to make a rule to ban "nice shot" "good try" type of chatter? Or at least ask the person I'm playing to hold off on that.

The issue I have is that during matches you are focused on the game, on the shot at hand, on strategy, a lot of stuff. Whenever someone says "nice shot" you are almost automatically brought out of that focus, you have to say "thanks", or something to acknowledge you heard the guy and appreciate it. For me, that takes my mind off the next shot and I more often than not either miss, or misplay position. It also gets you thinking that, ya, it was pretty nice, which does the same thing to bring you out of focus.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? Am I just being nitpicky?
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I say this to my opponents from time to time. Not trying to shark them in anyway though. I guess I never looked at it that way.
 
SpiderWebComm said:
- Practice 14.1 or play the 8-ball ghost (try to b/r 8-ball with no BIH, not 8-ball rotation) with a wife or girlfriend nearby. If you play through the complaining, nagging, wanting you to quit and spend time with them.... you can play through anything.



Dave
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HAHA...this is perfect. There is nothing more sharking than having my GF come down into the basement to "talk" while I am playing.
 
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