Naive Student needs help!

[ClaireMorris]

Hello I'm sorry to gate crash your forum, but I have an assignment on why people play snooker and what attracts them to the sport, I'm not that confident going into snooker clubs on my own as I'm a girl and thought that you might be able to settle my nerves or give me some good information!

All I want to know is what attracted you to snooker and why you keep on playing, and what you think makes a good club?

If anyone could let me know their opinions on this I would be very grateful!!

[nrage]

There are some existing threads on the forum about what people want in a club, try the "Advanced search" link (top right).

For me a good club needs to have the right balance of cost and for that provide quality equipment and an atmosphere that is conducive to playing snooker. It must, above all else, have staff who know what they're doing and have an interest in maintaining the quality of the club.

The best club I've played at to date is Frames in Coulsden. It has a snooker area which is separated from the pool/pub atmosphere and distraction and also has private rooms/tables for the truly serious player. The equipment is good and well maintained and the quality of the best tables is world class.

As for what attracted me to snooker. I come from NZ and in NZ pool is popular/common but snooker is relegated to RSA clubs (retired servicemen - older generation, from the war) so I hadn't any exposure to it until I came to the UK. In the UK I was looking for work and it just so happened that the world champs were on. I started watching and have been hooked ever since.

Initially the attraction for me was the tension on every shot, that the game can and does hinge on the result of every shot. I also preferred the strategy of snooker to that of pool (not saying pool has no strategy, just that it is different and I don't like it as much) - the fact that both players are potting the same balls, and that certain balls earn more points etc. So, I guess you could say I was initially attracted to the complications the game/sport posed and the tactics that emerge because of it.

Once I started playing, the thing that keeps me coming back again and again is the sheer difficulty of it and the challenge to improve. I am not a very good player, but the challenge to improve is what draws me in, the required focus and discipline seem to be worth striving for. This constant struggle for that perfection and the feeling that you are ever so slowly honing your skills toward an almost unattainable goal and doing it simply for the joy of those brief moments when you take another 1/2 step forward.

[ClaireMorris]

nrage thanks that's really helpful, Im trying to get upto speed but nervous keep getting in the way of going into clubs and its a summer assignment that I want to get out of the way now rather than leaving it too late!

[RogiBear]

Similar reasons to nrage really. Striving for perfection keeps my interest in the game. I guess the sense of achievement when you pull off a great shot or similar shots to the professionals.

I only started playing a couple of years ago when I started uni. At the time I needed to find a new sport as I had damaged my knee ligaments quite severely so I couldn't risk playing physical sports anymore. Snooker seemed the perfect ticket since I already had an interest in it, but purely as a spectator.

The best club I have played in has to be the NSC in leeds, they have website. Fantastic facility, including the 2005 world championship table at a very reasonable rate considering the quality. A very well maintained club all in all.

[nrage]

nrage thanks that's really helpful, Im trying to get upto speed but nervous keep getting in the way of going into clubs and its a summer assignment that I want to get out of the way now rather than leaving it too late!

I can understand your hesitation, a lot of clubs are very much old boys clubs, many are social clubs which do not allow women members .. well, they can be a member of a sort, but not a full member in their own right. They can only be a member if their husband is a member, and they're not allowed in the snooker room(s) unless accompanying their husband.

I was shocked to find this out myself, that in this day and age this was still "acceptable".

Which sort of club were you thinking of visiting? Do you have a friend who would come with you to give you a bit of support perhaps?

[ClaireMorris]

Thanks RogiBear, is snooker a game where you can keep improving constantly to feel the achievement thrill naturally or do you need different things to up the challenge and keep this thrill going?

[RogiBear]

Thanks RogiBear, is snooker a game where you can keep improving constantly to feel the achievement thrill naturally or do you need different things to up the challenge and keep this thrill going?

If you're committed and invest enough time both for solo practice and match play, pretty much every week you should see improvements. Any less than that, you probably won't see any. If you take it seriously enough coaching is an option, to get rid of bad habits in your technique. It should help speed up the process but only if you practice with discipline. At some points when you tinker with your technique you will feel as if you can't pot a ball to save your life, after overcoming the frustration and many expletives you should touch wood see a reward.

[ClaireMorris]

Hi nrage, family members have been telling me its an old boys club too thats why I'm nervous I am sure everyone would be friendly enough its just be actually getting inside, I think I am going to have to ask my brother to go with me but I am sure it will cost me! I just want to go to a few places where snooker id the focus and where the people will be serious about what they are playing and not mind being interrupted by a girl asking daft questions... :S

[nrage]

Hi nrage, family members have been telling me its an old boys club too thats why I'm nervous I am sure everyone would be friendly enough its just be actually getting inside, I think I am going to have to ask my brother to go with me but I am sure it will cost me! I just want to go to a few places where snooker id the focus and where the people will be serious about what they are playing and not mind being interrupted by a girl asking daft questions... :S

If the club is a serious snooker club, then the owner/person who runs it day to day may be the best person to approach initially. You would want to ask if they mind you being there, first and foremost, then ask if they can think of a regular player who wouldn't mind talking to you, and what sort of time might be best. If you're lucky, they may even approach the players for you to find out who is amenable to questioning.

There are a range of different sorts of players, from people who just like to knock a few balls around with mates, and those who are really focused on getting better. There are some who play only with mates, and some who play regular competitions, others in league teams, and lastly there may even be some professional players at clubs near you.

[Jetmech]

Hi,

For me, there are several reasons to play snooker:

- it's not a team sport (although of course there are team competions as well)
- it's one of the few sports where fair play is only obvious
- it's an indoor sport, and usually the environment around the table is peaceful an quiet
- the mental aspect of the game
- the possibility to continously improve your game: there will always be room for improvement, as us amateurs are unlikely to score
a 147 maximum break (most professionals will also admit that they can still improve, even Ronnie O'Sullivan is very rarely
satisfied with the way he plays)
- no 2 frames will ever be the same
- the satisfaction of potting that difficult ball, or getting inch perfect position, or laying that impossible-to-escape-from snooker

It's just an interesting game all together, or like I heared a TV commentator once say (was it JV?): "you just wouldn't believe the things that can happen on a 6 by 12 foot table"

Best regards,
GR.

[neptar]

I play in a social club. It's not the best, but it's cheap and local. Females are welcome, in fact they are encouraged to play. They are still a massive minority though, but I still think it's great that some are not put off and give it a go.

What attracts me to snooker?
I love the pace of the game, it's slow and relaxed but can be very intense too. When you are playing well and you are 'in the zone' it's all great and kind of easy. When you are not in the zone it requires a lot of concentration which can be mentally quite tiring. I don't play snooker to win, the reason I play is to get that feeling when you play well. I'd rather lose and play well rather than win and play terribly. For me improvement shows itself when you beat your highest break or other records. I have targets that I aim to beat, once I have reached that target, I increase it and aim for that.

There is something about the game which words can't really describe. When you are at the table, it really is like it's just you and the table. The rest of the world just fades away, it's a great form of escapism.

As others have mentioned, it really is a sporting sport. There is a culture in snooker based heavily on honesty and fair play.

As for the perfect club, I am not sure I can answer that. The dream club would have great quality tables, be cheap to play and quiet. I'm not bothered about other entertainment. I understand that clubs need the extras to make more money so they can keep running.

May I ask why you are doing this assignment? Do you have an interest in snooker and chose it as a subject or did someone else assign it to you?

[Jetmech]

There is something about the game which words can't really describe. When you are at the table, it really is like it's just you and the table. The rest of the world just fades away, it's a great form of escapism.

Indeed, that's very much true and applies to myself as well.

Best regards,
GR.

[ClaireMorris]

Thanks Guys I really appreciate your help! It interesting that everyone is saying the same things and how strongly you all feel about it, it sounds like snooker is addictive which I never imagined it to be, you are actually making me excited to go into a club and see it for myself! (With moral support and male guard!) Have you ever lost interest in snooker or been really frustrated by it? what brought you back to it?

Jetmech, its been assigned to me, it was one of those pick it our of a hat projects, I got Snooker, others got things like sweet shops, clothing stores, youth clubs... to be honest I am starting to think I'm lucky!

[neptar]

I think the frustration side is different for different people. People have different levels of patience. It definitely effects your game too. I know people who get frustrated rather easily and as soon as they show signs of frustration you know you have them beaten. Snooker requires concentration, as soon as your mind is thinking about a previous miss or a bit of 'bad luck' you are your own worst enemy!

Just look at Ronnie O'Sullivan. he has such greater technique and skill, but I could argue that his biggest weakness is his patience. It's the mental side of the game that he struggles with.

I stopped playing for a few years, because other things took a priority. It was a friend that spurred me to get playing again as he wanted to start playing. I wish I'd never stopped now though, as it was like starting again for me.

[Jetmech]

Have you ever lost interest in snooker or been really frustrated by it? what brought you back to it?

Well, I think this happens to every player at some point. It can have several reasons:
- simply being not in form, every player has ups and downs, sometimes when your not playing well it's better to quit for a while
- just missing that ball that would have improved your highest break
- missing the easiest of shots
- losing a (competition) match, which you really should have won but you lost because:
--- you didn't get the run of the balls,
--- your opponent fluked the frame ball,
--- you were cought in 3 fluked snookers in a single frame and gave away 20 penalty points (yes, my personal experience :disgust

But then again, (as mentioned before) I think every snooker player is a perfectionist, some to a higher degree than others, and we always come back to the table and just try harder.

Best regards,
GR.