Shot selection?

[Jaymo9]

Play safe or go all out for the pot ??

[hotpot]

All depends on the shot on ,How difficult is it ? What are the percentages ? What are the frame scores ? what frame of mind are you in ? Is it a shot you fancy , or one you dont like ?.

All these and other things will have to be weighed up and on each occassion there may be a diiferent outcome .

[wildJONESEYE]

Play safe or go all out for the pot ??

WOW

if a pot is hanging over a pocket playing safe is normally not the wise thing to do like wise if you snookered trying to pot balls is suicidal.

[spike]

If your playing someone like O'Sullivan play safe, if you were playing someone like me then go all out for the pot..

[jrc750]

Play safe or go all out for the pot ??

If its a 50/50 shot i usually go for the pot, as i would rather lose playing a bad pot, than lose playing a bad safety

[wildJONESEYE]

If your playing someone like O'Sullivan play safe, if you were playing someone like me then go all out for the pot..

yes thats a good tactic lol

[Jaymo9]

So! What I gather is: to play a safety and let your opponent take the pot on that you wouldn't take?? What if he slams it in and clears up?? It is a juicy one isn't it...:-)

[jrc750]

Well if you play a good safety he can't pot it can he ??

[snooks1000]

is it just me or is this thread a bit pointless?! If you refuse a pot that is say, for arguments sake a pot that you would rate as 50/50, and you play safe instead and end up sticking the same shot up you have just refused then you haven't played a very good safety have you??

[Jaymo9]

Firstly it isn't pointless. The point is your not getting the point. What I am saying is if the only safety that you can play leaves near enough the same type of shot on that you have just refused and he slams it in...then surely next time it happens you should take the pot on as it could win you the match. What I am trying to get at is that these type of scenario's can make or break a player and the point of this thread is to see how people see it. It is not here to be pointless and as you can see snooks1000 a few other people don't see it as pointless. Feel free to your opinion, but if you want to appear as knocking what I'm saying then keep your opinion to yourself.

[snooks1000]

if you were giving a scenario of a shot and asking people what THEY would play then i can see the points of it. If the two players involved aren't that good then how likely is a big break gonna be the outcome of the pot going in/being missed?! There's certain players i play that i would be happy leaving certain shots on and other players i wouldn't want to leave a pot at anything...

[Terry Davidson]

First of all, in deciding on shot selection your opponent DOESN'T MATTER as you are at the table and he is sitting down and you are playing the table as your opponent.

Depending on the state of the frame score, I usually take on a pot that I will make 70% of the time in practice. I will also take on a pot if the safety is more difficult than the pot.

If I have a big lead and the pot is a little risky and may leave my opponent in then I will pass and play safe and keep the balls tied up if I can but if my opponent has a big lead and I need most of the balls than I might take on a risky pot if the reward is there and I can get good position.

In addition, even with a dead easy pot, if I can't get position I would likely pass and play safe if there happens to be a good one on like freezing him on the baulk cushion or even playing a snooker. If I can get position from a dead easy pot then I will take it on of course.

So in summary...it all depends on the state of the frame score/match score and a player may take on a pot he wouldn't normally or he may play safe on a pot he would normally take on. Each player has to decide on each shot in regards to his own skill level and the state of play.

There is no ONE answer to your question

Terry

[snooks1000]

hi terry, in theory it SHOULDN'T matter who your opponent is but from my experience, this is rarely the case at club level...

[Terry Davidson]

You must learn to play the table and not your opponent. If you do that you will never play well against an opponent you feel is better than you and will shy away from shots you should take on

Terry

[Jaymo9]

Hi Terry, totally agree with what you say. Playing the opponent isn't the issue for me, as you know I suppose it really boils down to how to how your feeling (confident etc). Maybe I'm thinking about it too much, but just feel that playing a good safety can in turn cost you the match. Just seems at the minute that this is the case for me, I know it's such an up and down game but it doesn't matter who you are obviously it affects everyone differently. Anyway, thankyou for your time and patience and to everyone that has bothered to reply to this thread.

Jaymo9.