Wasteing Precious Hours

[jonny66]

Yep, roll ups are fine, no miss called, ever. It's not that uncommon for someone to hit it too soft and have to play out of the snooker themselves. What's the problem? It's a practice game, as in you practice everything that happens in a real match. Why do you not have to practice getting in and out of snookers?

[jonny66]

One more point. If it's your goal to play as you do in practice when you play a match, then why would you purposefully play two different styles of snooker in the two different settings?

[itsnoteasy]

Fair points Jonny , as I said each to their own, don't get me wrong there are lads who play them in knock about games and some I play have been county champions and give me a row for not doing it, but it's just not me, I feel it's sneaky and cowardly lol, Don't get me wrong there is nothing better than a well played snooker, just not an over hit red and a two inch roll up to a baulk colour, it just does nothing for me. My last question to you, if your not calling a miss are you not playing two different games as well? As it would be called one in a match especially if they dont reach.
I'm not having a go at anyone, just interested in how we all see the game differently.

[Cue crafty]

All that is spot on Splasher, it is a challenge to claw back a frame, it's the clawing I can't be arsed with. There should be no handicaps, if he's better than you he (or she) not only deserves to win, they should damn well do it every single frame you play, it's good for you to get spanked, it makes you go off and practice more and try harder. I just can't imagine getting any satisfaction of a win against a good player if he gave me a start or I deliberately messed things up, I would be embarrassed to take the win, each to their own though and I understand winning is all consuming with some, and it's nothing to do with performance, it's just not the way I look at the game or how I have gone about trying to learn the game,

Very interesting stuff this gents. The funny reverse of this seems to occur in golf where handicaps for instance seem a great idea and generally people like the level playing field it creates in a comp. even the low guys appreciate the guy who played really well to get in under his handicap. In snooker though, ever since I can remember the "I want to take your scalp" 30 break Orc's seem to be around, be it in a leaky old snooker hall, nice old social club, or even the country club! Why are there so many in snooker? Might just be my experience, but I'll never forget playing this useless young lad who I had to give a 70!! Start to (I'd won the handicap twice) long story short, he was so bad I still should have won but didn't. He was overjoyed and jeering at me and I just thought right that's me done with this crap.

[Tommykiid]

Wasteing Precious Hours

I think being a 30 break player that if you accept a handicap start always playing " pro safety " back to baulk and win games against lads you should never gloat which you shouldn't anyway but even that who takes a 70 point handicap that's huge

[itsnoteasy]

Very interesting stuff this gents. The funny reverse of this seems to occur in golf where handicaps for instance seem a great idea and generally people like the level playing field it creates in a comp. even the low guys appreciate the guy who played really well to get in under his handicap. In snooker though, ever since I can remember the "I want to take your scalp" 30 break Orc's seem to be around, be it in a leaky old snooker hall, nice old social club, or even the country club! Why are there so many in snooker? Might just be my experience, but I'll never forget playing this useless young lad who I had to give a 70!! Start to (I'd won the handicap twice) long story short, he was so bad I still should have won but didn't. He was overjoyed and jeering at me and I just thought right that's me done with this crap.

Golf is riddled with false handicaps CC there are many more cheaters in golf than in snooker I would say. Lost ball? Oh look I found it just sitting up on this tuft , there is no way I have just taken that out my pocket, there have been pros banned for deliberately false marking balls on the green, if there is one thing we all share ,I hope, and that is we would all call a foul on ourselves even if no one had noticed.

[Big Splash!]

Very interesting stuff this gents. The funny reverse of this seems to occur in golf where handicaps for instance seem a great idea and generally people like the level playing field it creates in a comp. even the low guys appreciate the guy who played really well to get in under his handicap. In snooker though, ever since I can remember the "I want to take your scalp" 30 break Orc's seem to be around, be it in a leaky old snooker hall, nice old social club, or even the country club! Why are there so many in snooker? Might just be my experience, but I'll never forget playing this useless young lad who I had to give a 70!! Start to (I'd won the handicap twice) long story short, he was so bad I still should have won but didn't. He was overjoyed and jeering at me and I just thought right that's me done with this crap.

Good points. The chap you played was obviously a knuckle dragger. Imagine being given a juicy handicap against your mate in golf. Then imagine that after he's hit his shot off the tee down the fairway, you also have the right to pick up his ball from where it lies and throw it into the worst rough you can find. Would that be fair?

But that's how is works in snooker because we play the same balls. There's no handicapping in pool, darts, tennis, table tennis or squash. My point has always been; handicaps are appalling. If you need a start, try a lower division instead. Players should be in each division on merit. Handicaps are a disincentive to practice and improve and players actually chuck frames towards the end of the season (if their team has nothing to play for and no relegation to fear), so that their handicaps stay the same or are improved. One first division team told me they all do this.

[Cue crafty]

I think being a 30 break player that if you accept a handicap start always playing " pro safety " back to baulk and win games against lads you should never gloat which you shouldn't anyway but even that who takes a 70 point handicap that's huge

It was an entry fee handicap (small beans £3) 20 ish people entering so not a big earner after you paid for the light too! I think after I won twice they had to make sure I didn't again. i agree though and support good sportsmanship in any sport, it gives stature to the game and elevates it from being just a game.

[markz]

The OP was about wasting your practice time. My view was more about getting confidence in the balls than playing safety. We all know a good safety may get you a better chance in a game but if you have no confidence in the balls your never going to get any better. I wasn't knocking styles of play, I'm attacking like INE and I know I'd not have improved as quick if I was worried about leaving a few chances in practice. Match play is different but I still don't roll up, but that's just me.

[OmaMiesta]

Not caring too much turns the tables in my experience.[/QUOTE]
Sorry man but thats about the worst advice I've heard. Any player with reasonable skill will punish you for "not caring". Carelessly playing a shot and leaving a decent player in will most likely result in you sitting in your chair for a while. So yea safety if pretty important at a higher standard of play.

[markz]

Not caring too much turns the tables in my experience.

Sorry man but thats about the worst advice I've heard. Any player with reasonable skill will punish you for "not caring". Carelessly playing a shot and leaving a decent player in will most likely result in you sitting in your chair for a while. So yea safety if pretty important at a higher standard of play.[/QUOTE]

Agreed Oma, a good safety will get a good player a better chance but if your a beginner wasting practice time you are never going to get any confidence in the balls for a game as you not learned the skills needed. You will always fall back on scoring and running. No one is going to get the confidence in matches if they can't do it in practice.

[Big Splash!]

The OP was about wasting your practice time. My view was more about getting confidence in the balls than playing safety. We all know a good safety may get you a better chance in a game but if you have no confidence in the balls your never going to get any better. I wasn't knocking styles of play, I'm attacking like INE and I know I'd not have improved as quick if I was worried about leaving a few chances in practice. Match play is different but I still don't roll up, but that's just me.

You're a better man for being that way, not just a better player. What I like to do against the grinders is outplay them at safety, then outpot them. Then explain afterwards that if they'd gone for pots instead, they may have had more chance of winning! A couple have become more adventurous as a result and improved. They realise they can't win by grinding so they may as well give gallantry a go instead. I think they're enjoying their games more as well, more freedom. You gotta teach em a lesson!

As for wasting practice time, like I said, play yourself, one side cautious/%s, the other side more adventurous, keep frame scores and take it seriously. See which side of you can win. This will be way more use for improving that doing line up, T or Xmas tree. It requires more snooker thinking because the reds are not in set positions and it is more interesting as well, not monotonous like line-up.

[Cue crafty]

The OP was about wasting your practice time. My view was more about getting confidence in the balls than playing safety. We all know a good safety may get you a better chance in a game but if you have no confidence in the balls your never going to get any better. I wasn't knocking styles of play, I'm attacking like INE and I know I'd not have improved as quick if I was worried about leaving a few chances in practice. Match play is different but I still don't roll up, but that's just me.

I'm always surprised when I speak to players who have never done anything other than play frames against other people. When I was a kid and my dad took me to his social, I enjoyed playing him, but as I got better the part I loved the most was when he ducked out, went to the bar started chatting and having a pint (I think he knew I just wanted to practice) was the bit I loved the most, it released my game, surprised me in what I could achieve and made me more confident. I still play solo once a week now to try stuff out, work on what's not great, and just indulge myself in what's good. I guess I can understand the element that some may feel exposed, you know the guys playing on his own?? Weird! People who like to ask...did you win? Groan!! Water off a ducks back for me having done this since a boy, I just let the sound of battered leather answer their concerns 😎

[itsnoteasy]

I can't find the quote about not caring, who posted that?, there seems to be cross purposes here, no one has said abandon safety, no one has said go for crazy shots, or don't try hard,it's all risk and reward, we are also not talking about match situations ,it's about practice time, and I would rather practice potting and break building than play roll up snookers because I need to win, I feel as Markz has said in the long run that's where improvement can be found and enjoyment, whether you beat your high break of eight or 146 that's what you enjoy, you don't remember the time you got 24 points from misses from a roll up snooker, well at least I hope not .
Personally if you want to improve your safety and knowledge of the table go and play some billiards, doesn't half teach you the angles round the table and how balls react off each other really quickly.

[Cue crafty]

I can't find the quote about not caring, who posted that?, there seems to be cross purposes here, no one has said abandon safety, no one has said go for crazy shots, or don't try hard,it's all risk and reward, we are also not talking about match situations ,it's about practice time, and I would rather practice potting and break building than play roll up snookers because I need to win, I feel as Markz has said in the long run that's where improvement can be found and enjoyment, whether you beat your high break of eight or 146 that's what you enjoy, you don't remember the time you got 24 points from misses from a roll up snooker, well at least I hope not .
Personally if you want to improve your safety and knowledge of the table go and play some billiards, doesn't half teach you the angles round the table and how balls react off each other really quickly.

That would be me. And I refer to freeing yourself from the straight jacket of pressure/tension not actually not giving a damm.