Putting your opponent off his game

[ryanah147]

I used to play competitive Snooker & Billiards in the 60s/70s until I `hung up my cue`in the mid 70s. I decided to take up the game again in the late 80s and when I opened my cue case I found 2 sticks of NTC Blue chalk in it. Since I had been away from the game Triangle Green chalk had become all the rage, but I couldnt play with it, in fact I loathed it.
I returned to practice and in a few months I made 3rd position on the A team.
In two of the opposing teams I always played my opposite number and they were the two same people in every match.I noticed I always won easily even though my opponents were `pound for pound`better players than me. Speaking to a mate of one of my opponents he told me that the reason I was beating his friend was that when I took a shot ,blue chalkmarks showed on the cueball and the cloth, and it was putting him completly off his game.
I never used this ploy intentionally, but I reckon it must have been worth `2 blacks`to me.
Those days of course was before cleaning the cue ball was all the rage. My 2 sticks of NTC have long gone, but Im glad to say that they have been replaced by Triangle BLUE !
Id love to hear any little idiosyncracies that put you off ?

Ahhh... Happy days when men were men, and pansies were flowers !!!!

[denden]

hello mate. if ever one of my mates start running aaway with a frame i either start talking about their x-girlfriends...... 1 of my pals is allergic to vinegar and if he takes a rathr commanding lead i'll treat myself to a bowl of chips with lashings of.......well you can imagine the rest.....

mmmmm cunning or conning???

[JamesFoster]

OK you're only messing but I am the only one who likes blue master more than green triangle.

[ryanah147]

Welcome to the club JamesFoster.... Im quite serious what I said in the above, and it is a true story.

[RocketRoy1983]

I dont believe in putting off my opponent but if it helps your game fair play. This isnt a dig by the way in any shape or form. The only way id attempt to put him off is on the table.

[MasterBreak147]

First of all blue chalk is annoying as hell for me anyway and i would at first chance grab it and jump all over it and hand you a sensible block of green

Maybe a tad off topic but here is some annoying things that used to happen to me allot lol

I used to practice fulltime with a guy who used what i would call mind torturing games on you.
He would never say sorry for a fluke if he did one he said "it annoys your opponents which if you can annoy your opponent half the battle is won", I'm not sure how true that is lol but hey bloody worked for me haha ggrrrrr.
He would often go for a crazy amount of snookers if he needed them knowing he couldn't get them but knowing its hitting your opponent in the head with "what the heck is he doing" questions..
He would make a outstanding frame winning break which would leave you needing a snooker ot two and instead of taking a rash shot on after making a 70+ break to try and get a ton he would stick you up colour and snooker you....I'm sure 90% of people after making a 70+ would take a 50/50% shot on to try and make a ton knowing your oppoent needs two snookers and all blacks to win....His advice was "Why should i give you chance to get your arm going if i missed"
He would sit there and meditate and syke himself up before a game and a tournament game he would never approach a mate or fan and comment on the game that's been played which so many people do these days... they may come away from a shot and say to a mate " God he is so lucky etc etc" but not him.
Much more he did to try and upset his opponents game but without anger if you know what i mean, I'm not sure if our coaches here at tsf can comment about things like this but let me tell you when he played (he don't play now) he was 7 times Yorkshire champion beating me 3 of them 7 in the final lol and a English amateur finalist which he represented England for many years so his style was effective for him and i know many players he used to annoy hahaha.

[RocketRoy1983]

I dont apologise for flukes but not for mind-game reasons simply because im not sorry. If I fluke a pot ill hold my hand up but if I get a lucky snooker I wont apologise. I say if it gives you an advantage do whatever you feel necessary.

[MasterBreak147]

If I fluke a pot ill hold my hand up

You just did say sorry by apologizing with your hand, i mean he didn't even do that lol

[RocketRoy1983]

Some dont. I remember Davis claiming he never apologised once.

[noel]

Putting your opponent off his game: Keep him in his chair.



=o)

Noel

[andyt1992]

Noel FTW =]

[noel]

Noel FTW =]

w00t.







=o)

Noel

[snookergr]

Putting your opponent off his game: Keep him in his chair.



=o)

Noel

The most decent thing to do really :-)
be a good sport you will enjoy it more !

[RocketRoy1983]

Theres nothing wrong with mind games to put your opponent off.....IF you can take it yourself that is.

[April madness]

Putting your opponent off his game: Keep him in his chair.



=o)

Noel

Ahh yes. I remember one accident at my school, a guy was glued to his chair with a chewing gum... the teacher wasn't happy.