Is it disrespectful to smash the pack open?

[ste bed]

i have a friend who plays in my team and depending on who he is playing will do this. he plays off -31 and it goes up to +35 but last year they limited the start no more than 70.now if he's giving a 50 start or more he will smash the pack to give himself the best chance of winning there's nothing wrong with tha.t if some of these players actually tried to get there handicapps down and practice instead of just relying on the handicap to win and boring you out of the game they would enjoy it a bit more the only thing a handicapp does is ruin it for the better players. tell them to sod off and keep doing it.

[ste bed]

[QUOTE=themayorofflair;469196]I am so glad to see so many people backing Burwat Champ, I too adopt the tactic against the hit & run merchants as I like to call them.....it definitely evens the odds when giving big starts away. Their hit & run tactics are designed to win them the frame using their specific talents at the game, their Ying to your pack splitting Yang if you like.

thats probably why they dont like it they cant play there game as you have split the table wide open it throws them off as they cant keep it tight. if there crap at safety which they should be there will always be a pot on it puts the pressure on them as they know there playing a good player and the crumble and then moan about it.

[1lawyer]

I think it depends on who you play. I think against a good player it would backfire but against someone who cant make 20 then it is to your advantage. Q Hann used to do this and argued he could pot one off the break. Many said he was being dis respectful. He was a 9 ball player playing on a fast cloth and he got into the top 16 doing stuff like this and I enjoyed watching him play. I would rather see this smash em and see approach to the break rather than the one Steve Davis uses on occasion when he shows too much respect by rolling into the back of the pack off two cushions. Smashing em can make frames faster more unpredictable and more exciting at a lower level, though your team mates may tell you off if it backfired in a match and it may annoy the other player.

Hell you should play to your strengths so why not I say go for it:snooker:

[mick.hinde]

I think if your league argue this point you should print out these replies and show them the opinion of the gentlemen and ladies of this fantastic game. I think this has come about from commentators talking about the professional game, where it COULD PERHAPS be construed as ungentalmanly.

[hotpot]

Disrespectful my arse , as others have said youre simply playing to your strengths , obviously you,ve got more chance of winning opening the the pack than keeping it tight .

Anybody in the same situation would do the same thing . You cant be dragged down to their standard . Simple as

[cazmac1]

spot on, keep doing what your doing. When spliting the pack like you are, your taking a risk, your saying to your opponent go on if your good enough beat me, there is nothing wrong with that. So many of these so called snooker players have no problem with tying the game up by putting the black safe and going for colours without playing position for the next red. when they miss, the colour goes on to a cush and your left with no shot. If any one has a right to complain it should be you having to give these sort of starts to players who have no interest in improving there game but only want to win at any cost

[RGCirencester]

as a really untalented snooker player who would be really happy with a 16 break at the minute, i have nothing against your tactics. i would never try to put high colours safe off a handicap. its just not cricket so to speak.
your playing the individual oponent and he has the same opportunity to pot a red when you split the pack.

[mick 142]

HI i know what you mean one frame snooker is the hardest snooker to play you can get beat of very average players you get dragged down to their level .so in my opinion there is no rule to say you cant break of like that so play to your strengths and if potting is then go for it . i play on wed and i might do the same thing sick off all the tipy tapy crap. .

[Mr O]

Totally agree with you, it's no your fault if they're so bad they cant string at least a 20-30 break fro you smashing them open.
Having said that if I were you I would probably play agressive safety instead, instead of glancing of the pack to send the white to baulk, hit them thicker so you open the pack while sending the white up the table.
I remember quinte hann being slated for doing it, what a load of bollocks

[wildJONESEYE]

its a poor tactic and it will cost you more frames than you win but its your choice and who ever complained needs to get a life and stop being a pillock.

[simon dent]

Breaking up the pack

Burwatchamp

I remember when Quinten Hann was accused of disrespect when he did this at World Champs. Clive Everton gave him a slating which surprised me as he knows Hann was 8 ball champ and he was trying to pot one off the break.

There are ways of breaking the pack and keeping it safe for yourself giving you an even bigger advantage. I am thinking where the white is near the top cushion and reds in middle of table. You dont have to do it at the break off shot.

Some leagues do need to haul themselves out of the dark ages, when you are giving the start, you get the points back the way you need to!

[jonplayer]

I do mainly agree with all here who say " go for it". But I wonder how you are splitting the pack? Hitting the pack thick and spreading the balls but getting the white safe is the right thing to do. Smearing them from the back with no clue where the white will end up I think is a bit cheeky. I know many will dissagree but i'm a bit old fassioned like that. I think it comes down to the whole repect for you opponent thing that is such a big part of snooker for me. At least look like your trying to get a safe white ball.

[tcollick]

Nothing wrong with that mate...the right tactics. I have a friend who does the same thing. He's easily the best player and always giving 40-50 points handicap.
He does it:
1. To split up the reds for break building opportunities.
2. To make sure the black doesn't go safe or get hampered when breaking off.

The complaint is a bit pathetic really isn't it, surely they would understand that this is the only (or best) way in which to close the gap given by the handy.

As for Quinten Hann I think its right he got slated...he was playing professionals.

[missneworleans]

I often do that with lots of screwback cos I know that if my opponent goes in he wont score much...thats how it is in Ukraine!
And flukes happen quite often too

[BoBnoGG!n]

haha i use to do this against guys who i knew werent very strong potters. see my strength is potting, not so much position, altho i am gettin better!
i use to spread the reds, and at the same time, make dead color balls live, so that even if he did get in a very small break, i would out break build him in the next turn. always worked if i figured out they werent the best shooters!

i played D grade (div. 4) and noone here could do 40+ breaks, so i always figured, itd make it a better game either way =] DO IT IF IT WORKS! =]