Should who you're playing affect shot selection?

[Looter]

Bit thought provoking this one so I don't know if there's a definitive answer. I know the scoreboard definitely affects the shot selection i.e putting a colour safe when well ahead but should you play differently depending on who you're playing?

One of the reasons I ask is because (not meaning to sound big-headed here) most of my practise partners are of a lower ability than me so I find I tend to push the boat out a bit and go for more risky shots. A friend of mine told me I really should be playing people of a higher standard to raise my game. I guess playing people of a higher standard means you get less chances in a frame but part of me thinks it shouldn't matter who you're playing when you're at the table. As a player trying to improve my game I'd welcome any opinions/advice, thanks!

[DeanH]

Should who you're playing affect shot selection?

to me this is "playing the percentage" where the skill level of the opponent determines how you play and the shots you take on. If, as you say, the opponent is lower skilled you do think the percentage of not getting the pot and them winning is lower so you "go for 'em"; if even or better then the percentage of them gaining the upper hand is greater so you tend to err on the side of caution more often.

Whether it "should" affect not sure but I definitely play like you
winning the frame is the point of the game :biggrin:

[jonny66]

I do the same, but I don't think it's the right way to play. Best to play to your strengths, if your safety game is worse than your potting it's best just to go for the pots, no?

[Cue crafty]

Bit thought provoking this one so I don't know if there's a definitive answer. I know the scoreboard definitely affects the shot selection i.e putting a colour safe when well ahead but should you play differently depending on who you're playing?

One of the reasons I ask is because (not meaning to sound big-headed here) most of my practise partners are of a lower ability than me so I find I tend to push the boat out a bit and go for more risky shots. A friend of mine told me I really should be playing people of a higher standard to raise my game. I guess playing people of a higher standard means you get less chances in a frame but part of me thinks it shouldn't matter who you're playing when you're at the table. As a player trying to improve my game I'd welcome any opinions/advice, thanks!

When you play good players regularly your question will be answered in the best way possible...with the results. You are right in playing better players your chances will be fewer. An upshot of this fact is that when your chances are fewer there will in turn be more pressure on you when you get that chance. This is due to you knowing should you not be able to take advantage of your opening/ chance your worthy opponent may well be able to and will probably take heart from the fact you did not. Test your nerve and technique in this situation, take your shots that you would normally take on, if you continue to make a good number of them and in the main win, you have a good technique and bottle for competition. If not strategy, putting balls safe etc will be an important element to add to your competitive play. The more experience you gain the more you will learn when to employ these tactics and when to go for your shots. There will always of course be A game days and B game days.

[bart07]

Bit thought provoking this one so I don't know if there's a definitive answer. I know the scoreboard definitely affects the shot selection i.e putting a colour safe when well ahead but should you play differently depending on who you're playing?

One of the reasons I ask is because (not meaning to sound big-headed here) most of my practise partners are of a lower ability than me so I find I tend to push the boat out a bit and go for more risky shots. A friend of mine told me I really should be playing people of a higher standard to raise my game. I guess playing people of a higher standard means you get less chances in a frame but part of me thinks it shouldn't matter who you're playing when you're at the table. As a player trying to improve my game I'd welcome any opinions/advice, thanks!

there is a difference between an amateur player and a professional player, the player to play in the professional circuit is obliged to know the game 100%, he knows that when his turn comes to play he is fully prepared to do the show pause 100 points, so much that both make great shots in a game which would be impossible if the player is trembling of fear or insecure, amateur players for not knowing the game in its totality make them insecure before the adversary x or y, snooker is relatively an individual game, at the moment of his stroke his opponent is sitting watching, each player will do his best to win the game within his resources, where want is not power ... the sulivan yesterday was relatively unfriendly in his moves because he already made it clear that not all of the circuit are prepared and this occurs both in the amateur quato in the professional, to know that his opponent is inferior the player tends to abuse more, maybe this explains ue the sulivan be far from the n1 of the world ... the message that stays is that who plays with fire always burns, maybe judd trump has gone through it in the last world!

[Csmith]

I'll push the boat out a bit more against lower level players. Im not taking absolute flyers, but generally I'm trying to get in early to get a good scoring chance. I find that lower level players tend to play a lot of negative safeties, resulting in a messier table. So playing a bit more aggressively allows me to get in before the black, pink and blue are tied up.

But generally speaking I try to play the percentages.

[JimMalone]

I think the shot selection depends indeed whom you're playing. I think the top players can be a bit more aggressive against lower ones, cause they don't have to be afraid their opponent will always make the frame deciding break with his first chance, but need more chances.
Vice versa it's not that simple. Cause on one hand the lower ranked player doesn't want to give the "better" player much chances, so he will be a bit cautious in taking risky pots and maybe rather try to play a strong safety and therefore get a better chance the next time. But on the other hand he knows he probably won't get many chances, so he also needs to grab them and take on a riskier pot to get into the balls.

[Ramon]

Bit thought provoking this one so I don't know if there's a definitive answer. I know the scoreboard definitely affects the shot selection i.e putting a colour safe when well ahead but should you play differently depending on who you're playing?

One of the reasons I ask is because (not meaning to sound big-headed here) most of my practise partners are of a lower ability than me so I find I tend to push the boat out a bit and go for more risky shots. A friend of mine told me I really should be playing people of a higher standard to raise my game. I guess playing people of a higher standard means you get less chances in a frame but part of me thinks it shouldn't matter who you're playing when you're at the table. As a player trying to improve my game I'd welcome any opinions/advice, thanks!

TO me , the answer to this question is : most definitely NO . You play the game the same way you practice. and you do the shot selection the same way as you always do without a second thinking about who your opponent is. The worst thing you can do in the game of snooker is to let dominating your mind by your opponent. You play your own game regardless of the standard of your opponent.

[Looter]

When you play good players regularly your question will be answered in the best way possible...with the results. You are right in playing better players your chances will be fewer. An upshot of this fact is that when your chances are fewer there will in turn be more pressure on you when you get that chance. This is due to you knowing should you not be able to take advantage of your opening/ chance your worthy opponent may well be able to and will probably take heart from the fact you did not. Test your nerve and technique in this situation, take your shots that you would normally take on, if you continue to make a good number of them and in the main win, you have a good technique and bottle for competition. If not strategy, putting balls safe etc will be an important element to add to your competitive play. The more experience you gain the more you will learn when to employ these tactics and when to go for your shots. There will always of course be A game days and B game days.

I think you're spot on here CC. The problem I've got is I'll practise with lower level players then I'll go in a pro-am thinking I can go for everything and get absolutely battered!