Hi Folks,
For the past two years, Mike Zuglan has been using the "all ball foul" rule at the Turning Stone Classic events. Recently, he added it to every stop on the Joss Tour. I'm not sure of the "drunken bar player" (mis) use. I grew up playing cue ball only fouls. Playing all ball fouls doesn't change anything in the game except keeping players honest!
Recently I was playing a local event final when my opponent fired a difficult shot end to end. The ball pocketed but he moved three balls with his fore-arm from their position further up table. One dropped in a pocket! He turned to the event director and asked how he should replace the balls. I called a foul. He looked incredulous. The director quoted the "cue ball only" crap and allowed him to run the table and win. My opponent knew it was a foul. He changed the lay of the entire table. Each of you probably has a similar story. Foul on all balls solves it. Bridging over a ball and moving it with the stroke ends. Jumping over a ball and moving a ball with your cue ends. No more arguments over whether the cue ball hit it or the cue.
Regarding the tight pocket issue. The tables used in past years for UPA/WPBA combined player events (Vegas and Mohegan Sun events come to mind) were so easy. It was necessary to placate the "lesser" Women Pro's. I know Karen, Allison, Ga, Jeanette and a few others can play on correctly executed small pockets. Its the rest of the field. Who wanted to watch players miss constantly? With the new "Asian" invasion, there are players capable of playing on the most difficult conditions available. Thats what I want to watch! Thats the condition I want to play on! If you only give players a difficult condition, they will do what's necessary to learn how to win.
There is a billiard game dying in this country. Three cushion is truely a "Gentleman's" game. The jump shot helped destroy that game. Why learn a discipline when you can grab a "shorty" and jump over a ball? Ending the jump shot will not only save three cushion but the cloth the game is played on. Imagine our young people learning the basics of the diamond system. Watching the faces of the young people in our room when someone is playing on the billiard table is fascinating. They ask questions. They watch. Then the ask why we waste our time! I might be the only player in the room without a jump/break cue. Even some of the beginners whip out their jump/break and jump balls. They think its fun. The only people against a ban are some of the cue manufacturers. A whole profit center gone. Perhaps with a jump shot ban, they will spend their "research" dollars designing shafts for billiard games! Incidently, the Joss Tour bans jump cues. You can jump with your full playing cue. Doesn't happen much!
Lyn
For the past two years, Mike Zuglan has been using the "all ball foul" rule at the Turning Stone Classic events. Recently, he added it to every stop on the Joss Tour. I'm not sure of the "drunken bar player" (mis) use. I grew up playing cue ball only fouls. Playing all ball fouls doesn't change anything in the game except keeping players honest!
Recently I was playing a local event final when my opponent fired a difficult shot end to end. The ball pocketed but he moved three balls with his fore-arm from their position further up table. One dropped in a pocket! He turned to the event director and asked how he should replace the balls. I called a foul. He looked incredulous. The director quoted the "cue ball only" crap and allowed him to run the table and win. My opponent knew it was a foul. He changed the lay of the entire table. Each of you probably has a similar story. Foul on all balls solves it. Bridging over a ball and moving it with the stroke ends. Jumping over a ball and moving a ball with your cue ends. No more arguments over whether the cue ball hit it or the cue.
Regarding the tight pocket issue. The tables used in past years for UPA/WPBA combined player events (Vegas and Mohegan Sun events come to mind) were so easy. It was necessary to placate the "lesser" Women Pro's. I know Karen, Allison, Ga, Jeanette and a few others can play on correctly executed small pockets. Its the rest of the field. Who wanted to watch players miss constantly? With the new "Asian" invasion, there are players capable of playing on the most difficult conditions available. Thats what I want to watch! Thats the condition I want to play on! If you only give players a difficult condition, they will do what's necessary to learn how to win.
There is a billiard game dying in this country. Three cushion is truely a "Gentleman's" game. The jump shot helped destroy that game. Why learn a discipline when you can grab a "shorty" and jump over a ball? Ending the jump shot will not only save three cushion but the cloth the game is played on. Imagine our young people learning the basics of the diamond system. Watching the faces of the young people in our room when someone is playing on the billiard table is fascinating. They ask questions. They watch. Then the ask why we waste our time! I might be the only player in the room without a jump/break cue. Even some of the beginners whip out their jump/break and jump balls. They think its fun. The only people against a ban are some of the cue manufacturers. A whole profit center gone. Perhaps with a jump shot ban, they will spend their "research" dollars designing shafts for billiard games! Incidently, the Joss Tour bans jump cues. You can jump with your full playing cue. Doesn't happen much!
Lyn