2020 Tour Championship Discussion

[mikee]

Pockets may have been slightly bigger in the 80's and 90's ,but I think the shape of them these days ,seems a straighter flatter cut ,forcing the ball in ,rather than bouncing out ,I have played on tables with big looking pockets that just bounce out with speed shots .Either way If you could get used to the pace of these tables on tv I think most half decent club players would have no trouble knocking in a few decent breaks .Commentators can drone on all day about tight pockets ,but its not what we see watching it .

[fkhan]

Yan's cue has a lovely golden colour to it.

[vmax]

To me the table set up differences are just down to human error, I watched a video where the fitter took the template pushed it into the pocket opening and said , it should be a snug fit. Well a snug fit is open to interpretation, even from the same fitter on different days that could mean ever so slightly tighter or looser.

When you get the overhead view, which isn't often enough for me, you can see the pockets have wide jaws before the fall of the slate and are cut straight from the fall all the way to the leather. The tables in our club are old and pockets are cut with a taper from the fall towards the leather so any ball touching the jaws is deflected across to where the pocket narrows. It makes a huge difference with balls on or near the cushion. On our match table a black off it's spot is a tough shot if hit at pace because it wont' be deflected in if it goes in the high side of the pocket just inside the jaw, it stays out, you have to be spot on.
It's too tight to be honest but sorts out the men from the boys, many won't play on it even if it's the only table available.

[Danger Steve]

When you get the overhead view, which isn't often enough for me, you can see the pockets have wide jaws before the fall of the slate and are cut straight from the fall all the way to the leather. The tables in our club are old and pockets are cut with a taper from the fall towards the leather so any ball touching the jaws is deflected across to where the pocket narrows. It makes a huge difference with balls on or near the cushion. On our match table a black off it's spot is a tough shot if hit at pace because it wont' be deflected in if it goes in the high side of the pocket just inside the jaw, it stays out, you have to be spot on.
It's too tight to be honest but sorts out the men from the boys, many won't play on it even if it's the only table available.

After the slate fall my template opens out slightly towards the back of the pocket, only a couple of mm, to allow the ball to drop. This has also been mentioned in some of Geoff’s old posts as the correct way. I have a copy of the old match template from back in the 90’s.”

[Stony152]

What Ken Doherty just said about Chinese players having poker faces was full on racist. If he had done that on a telecast in N. America he'd be in big trouble right now.

[tomwalker147]

What Ken Doherty just said about Chinese players having poker faces was full on racist. If he had done that on a telecast in N. America he'd be in big trouble right now.

I don't see how it's racist, the chinese players don't seem to give anything away do they? If anything it's a compliment towards their temperament.

[Odrl]

I didn't hear what Doherty said, but it does sound like a pretty stupid generalisation. You can read some Chinese players like a book, and Liang Wenbo in particular is probably the most expressive player on the tour. :wink:

[Stony152]

I didn't hear what Doherty said, but it does sound like a pretty stupid generalisation. You can read some Chinese players like a book, and Liang Wenbo in particular is probably the most expressive player on the tour. :wink:

With what's going on in the world right know, to say something like that is at the very minimum tone deaf. To say that a whole race of people act in a certain way is racist. That's the very definition of racism. And the fact that it's obviously not true makes it stupid as well as racist. Listening to Ken Doherty and Allan McManus speak makes me think that all Irish and Scottish people are as dumb as a sack of hammers. Is it acceptable for me to say that? No? In the same way it's way worse to say that Chinese players have "poker faces"

[Nifty50]

Jeesus have you seen Shaun Murphy. Looks to have put on about 5 stone during the lockdown. Unlike Robbo he seems to have managed to get someone to run the clippers over his head.

[vmax]

Yan's cue has a lovely golden colour to it.

Pure tung oil finish I believe.

[fkhan]

Pure tung oil finish I believe.

Ok. The shaft is also very old I guess. I prefer dark golden Ash.

[mikee]

After the slate fall my template opens out slightly towards the back of the pocket, only a couple of mm, to allow the ball to drop. This has also been mentioned in some of Geoff’s old posts as the correct way. I have a copy of the old match template from back in the 90’s.”

mIne sound similar too ,straight slate fall ,no under cut on the rubber nose ,3.5 inches at the fall and at the back of the pocket ,middles are a bit nippy but will take a power shot straight in off the pink or brown spot if you accurate ,I have a set of the old templates also .

[trains]

Anyone else think yan bingtao as young as he is has reached his peak as a player and won’t go that much further , just doesn’t score well enough in the balls , you can only ‘ cat and mouse ‘ with safety and snookers for so long , got to put blocks of frames on the board over longer session matches .

[fkhan]

What a fluke by Selby. Ken's prediction came true.

[Neil Taperell]

Anyone else think yan bingtao as young as he is has reached his peak as a player and won’t go that much further , just doesn’t score well enough in the balls , you can only ‘ cat and mouse ‘ with safety and snookers for so long , got to put blocks of frames on the board over longer session matches .

I don’t think his average shot time helps him .....over thinks too many shots for me .