The Les Edwards Snooker Challenge Thread

[lesedwards]

So what was your highest break against Cliff then? Or more to the point, in most frames, what was your highest break?

24 We did not finish many games as Cliff gets moving balls around and showing me things as we go if he sees me doing something wrong or if I miss a shot why did I miss it. He then chalks both balls and makes me keep shooting it until I can make it 75% of the time.

[tedisbill]

To be honest, you've got one of the best players that has ever played the game coaching you. You won't go far wrong listening to what Cliff has to say.

[lesedwards]

To be honest, you've got one of the best players that has ever played the game coaching you. You won't go far wrong listening to what Cliff has to say.

Thanks Ted, that makes me feel good coming from you. Cliff has become a real good friend of mine and we both have two things we love to do, Play Snooker and Play Golf. I know my game will come together some day in the mean time I continue to work through the challenges that you setup for me. We will see how it goes tomorrow. I am playing a guy that has to give me 8 in six reds best of 5.

[tedisbill]

Thanks Ted, that makes me feel good coming from you. Cliff has become a real good friend of mine and we both have two things we love to do, Play Snooker and Play Golf. I know my game will come together some day in the mean time I continue to work through the challenges that you setup for me. We will see how it goes tomorrow. I am playing a guy that has to give me 8 in six reds best of 5.

Good luck, Les! Be confident and just pretend you're trying to do the 6 red clearance challenge tomorrow. You know you've done well in practice with that, so be confident tomorrow!

[Leo]

I'd love to get hold of you not in a sexual way but teach you the game from the start, not in a politician way like some others have taught you with long drawn out unnesassary posts that belong in a university lecture class but that ain't going to happen so my advice would be listen only to the Grinder whether that's starting from a basic level or not.
Stop taking advice on here also we all play and suit different styles of play so what one may tell you another may not agree which will only send you round in circles again.

I echo what Ted said Good Luck.

[lesedwards]

I'd love to get hold of you not in a sexual way but teach you the game from the start, not in a politician way like some others have taught you with long drawn out unnesassary posts that belong in a university lecture class but that ain't going to happen so my advice would be listen only to the Grinder whether that's starting from a basic level or not.
Stop taking advice on here also we all play and suit different styles of play so what one may tell you another may not agree which will only send you round in circles again.

I echo what Ted said Good Luck.

Thanks Leo, yea I am sure the Grinder will be calling me the minute the plane lands. Well I am off to the tourney shortly, play at 10 against a guy that has to give me 8 in six red and if I can get by him I will play TD and he will have to give me 16.

[tedisbill]

How did the tournament go then, Les?

[lesedwards]

How did the tournament go then, Les?

Well let's just say it was not pretty. I started by warming up with Floyd as he was set to play a match on the table next to me. We practiced for about a half hour and I ran two blacks a blue and a brown in one break of course with only six reds and also ran a couple mid teen breaks. Then I went over to my table to start the match, I lost three straight made eight balls in total for three games with a high break of three. Packed up my cue and vanished. Came home set the colours up and ran them 3/5 put my cue on the rack and there it is going to sit until I figure this out. It has nothing to do with technique, cueing choice of shot or anything else. I know all this needs improvement but not the root of the problem. When Cliff says I am really hitting it good and Floyd tells me if I play like that with a 22 Hcp I would be tough to beat. It's all in my head and I have to straighten it out. I downloaded JP Nolan Snooker Mind Fitness which I will start to work on. Floyd mentioned that I did not even look like the same person he played fifteen minutes earlier. He said my cueing looked like I could barely deliver the cue as my whole body looked all tensed up even when I was sitting waiting for my shot.

[markz]

Well let's just say it was not pretty. I started by warming up with Floyd as he was set to play a match on the table next to me. We practiced for about a half hour and I ran two blacks a blue and a brown in one break of course with only six reds and also ran a couple mid teen breaks. Then I went over to my table to start the match, I lost three straight made eight balls in total for three games with a high break of three. Packed up my cue and vanished. Came home set the colours up and ran them 3/5 put my cue on the rack and there it is going to sit until I figure this out. It has nothing to do with technique, cueing choice of shot or anything else. I know all this needs improvement but not the root of the problem. When Cliff says I am really hitting it good and Floyd tells me if I play like that with a 22 Hcp I would be tough to beat. It's all in my head and I have to straighten it out. I downloaded JP Nolan Snooker Mind Fitness which I will start to work on. Floyd mentioned that I did not even look like the same person he played fifteen minutes earlier. He said my cueing looked like I could barely deliver the cue as my whole body looked all tensed up even when I was sitting waiting for my shot.

Think it was ted that explained tournaments tend to level out the standard that a player can play at. I wouldn't be wanting to go in to a competition knowing I can maybe just get a break in the teens or twenties. That's not tournament standards.

What are your aims or goals with snooker? When I started four years ago I just wanted to improve, win frames in fewest visits and make a century. Joining a league or playing tournaments never entered my head as I didn't think I was good enough for that level.

[Terry Davidson]

Well, one of the reasons Les and I play in tournaments is we are the Executive of the new provincial association and we sort of have to show the flag and play in a lot of these tournaments. This one was tough as a handicapped 6-red with 64 players although they had 58 registered and only 44 showed up. I ended up losing to Floyd 3-1 but I definitely had my chances to make it 3-1 the other way as we had 3 black ball games. Floyd is a tough man to beat.

The one thing I really disliked about the tournaments (maybe sour grapes) is they only paid down to the last 8 so I didn't win anything. Had I beat Floyd I was on $500. Top-loading the prize money does seem a little unfair to me since with all of these handicapped tournaments the best players make it to the final stages (as it should be) but paying down to the last 16 would encourage more players to come out I thing. It was a $200 entry fee, which is quite stiff so even if they had paid out $100 to the last 16 that's only $800.

I haven't looked at the results yet but I would be willing to believe the finalists will be some of the best players, like Floyd, John White, Erik H (can't spell his last name) but he's a pool pro.

[GeordieDS]

Well let's just say it was not pretty. I started by warming up with Floyd as he was set to play a match on the table next to me. We practiced for about a half hour and I ran two blacks a blue and a brown in one break of course with only six reds and also ran a couple mid teen breaks. Then I went over to my table to start the match, I lost three straight made eight balls in total for three games with a high break of three. Packed up my cue and vanished. Came home set the colours up and ran them 3/5 put my cue on the rack and there it is going to sit until I figure this out. It has nothing to do with technique, cueing choice of shot or anything else. I know all this needs improvement but not the root of the problem. When Cliff says I am really hitting it good and Floyd tells me if I play like that with a 22 Hcp I would be tough to beat. It's all in my head and I have to straighten it out. I downloaded JP Nolan Snooker Mind Fitness which I will start to work on. Floyd mentioned that I did not even look like the same person he played fifteen minutes earlier. He said my cueing looked like I could barely deliver the cue as my whole body looked all tensed up even when I was sitting waiting for my shot.

It's a classic case of bad competition nerves

[markz]

Well, one of the reasons Les and I play in tournaments is we are the Executive of the new provincial association and we sort of have to show the flag and play in a lot of these tournaments. This one was tough as a handicapped 6-red with 64 players although they had 58 registered and only 44 showed up. I ended up losing to Floyd 3-1 but I definitely had my chances to make it 3-1 the other way as we had 3 black ball games. Floyd is a tough man to beat.

The one thing I really disliked about the tournaments (maybe sour grapes) is they only paid down to the last 8 so I didn't win anything. Had I beat Floyd I was on $500. Top-loading the prize money does seem a little unfair to me since with all of these handicapped tournaments the best players make it to the final stages (as it should be) but paying down to the last 16 would encourage more players to come out I thing. It was a $200 entry fee, which is quite stiff so even if they had paid out $100 to the last 16 that's only $800.

I haven't looked at the results yet but I would be willing to believe the finalists will be some of the best players, like Floyd, John White, Erik H (can't spell his last name) but he's a pool pro.

As Les's snooker coach and friend do you think he's ready for tournament play, especially if it's paying a 200 dollar entry fee. You have been in the game years and genuine good player, then you have Floyd etc that are top players. Surely he would be better served putting more time in on practice table than worrying about playing with you guys even if he is part of your new snooker set up.

As for the prize money allocation, I think it's a better idea to reward the players that get deeper in to the event than water down the pay outs to give money lower down. Last 8 pay out sounds good and everyone knows the structure when they pay the entry fee.

[jrc750]

Yeah at $200 entry fee and at Les's standard in competition play I wouldn't be going anywhere near those comps!

[lesedwards]

It's a classic case of bad competition nerves

Yea I think your right even though I don't feel anything. I have felt nerves when I need to make a 4' putt on 18 to make the cut or to qualify, now that I have felt. But there is definitely a problem. I also find myself making up excuses 10 minutes into a frame why I lost. So of course I am going to loose. I also ran into a guy full of luck which we all do. He Fluked the black on a safety in the first game to win and after the match he apologized for his five Fluked balls which included anothr black and also a brown. Black he hit so hard it rattled and went in the far corner and brown rattled in the corner and went in the side. Not to mention his four fluke snookers with cue ball tight against a colour when trying to make a red.

As Les's snooker coach and friend do you think he's ready for tournament play, especially if it's paying a 200 dollar entry fee. You have been in the game years and genuine good player, then you have Floyd etc that are top players. Surely he would be better served putting more time in on practice table than worrying about playing with you guys even if he is part of your new snooker set up.

As for the prize money allocation, I think it's a better idea to reward the players that get deeper in to the event than water down the pay outs to give money lower down. Last 8 pay out sounds good and everyone knows the structure when they pay the entry fee.

No I am not ready for tournament play but for me it's like paying a guy to play with me. Both Terry and I live close to two hours from any of these venues where we play so other then tournament play we have no matches. Terry also lives about two hours from my place. I might not get another game untill our tournament in mid November.

[lesedwards]

Yeah at $200 entry fee and at Les's standard in competition play I wouldn't be going anywhere near those comps!

Yea I know this one was stupid for me but I want to play. It's not about trying to win the money for me it's about having a game. Like I said below I had to pay to get a game.