Just kidding about the subject there!
So here I find myself at 3 score and 10 semi-retired in Florida after 25 years in the States without snooker and maybe 15 before that home in Canada without playing - work work work - we're looking at maybe 40 years since the obsession became interrupted by life, a wife, kids, mortgages. From childhood to nearly 30 it was my favorite - well almost - favorite pastime, and then it was gone - oh silly me.
Next thing I know I'm in hospital and then recuperating from surgery at home, and Youtube comes to rescue me from boredom, and I rediscovered snooker. So now that I've seen every snooker match on Youtube several times (thanks to someone named David with the handle dlovellpwi for the new Grand Prix stuff!!!) I've got to get some questions answered.
1. What's with those hair-dos over the last decade or so? Ok, never mind that one - to each his own fashion sense.
2. The infamous "kick" I keep hearing the commentators lamenting. In slo-mo they show the cueball bounce in the air sometimes. Never heard of this back in Oakville Ontario Canada in the '40s and '50s. We just missed shots and cursed politely. Wish we had had "kicks" back then to blame that missed pot on. What is this "kick"? One of the commentators said it might have something to do with the cloth being thinner. That makes sense I suppose, less damping effect between ball and slate?
3. And for that matter, what is this "Oh he got a heavy contact!" (in the voice of Dennis Taylor). What? Did the weight of the cueball magically change on it's way to the pink? If someone can tell me why we never heard of such stuff and what these are I'd be able to appreciate what's going on much more.
4. What's with those hair-dos? Just kidding. What's with the bridge hand middle or ring fingers popping erratically up and down while aiming. Everyone seems to do it. Are they copying each other; has it been handed down over the generations; is it genetic; is it just nervous tension; is it taught by coaches for some purpose; I don't recall anyone in the "olden days" doing that but then I'm very old indeed and memories do fade and become all rosy.
5. How the HELL do they slam in those shots down the rails? There wasn't a snooker table in the universe you could do that on, again, back in the "olden days". Are the pockets wider? Shaped differently? Amazing if not!
6. Why does the cloth look so un-fuzzy? I've notice at the local pool hall here that all the cloth has absolutely no nap at all, or it's almost invisible. Are they doing that to snooker internationally? The balls do seem to roll faster and/or farther than I remember. But I've mentioned my memory . . .
7. O my god, why has this "miss" thing and it's eerie permutations crept into the game? It's appalling. Well I don't understand all of that yet, but I think I've seen threads on this so I'll read about that. Unless someone wants to comment.
Whew. Catharsis.
Did I ask about the hair-dos?
Cheers
Rod
![Smile](https://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/board/core/images/smilies/smile.png)
So here I find myself at 3 score and 10 semi-retired in Florida after 25 years in the States without snooker and maybe 15 before that home in Canada without playing - work work work - we're looking at maybe 40 years since the obsession became interrupted by life, a wife, kids, mortgages. From childhood to nearly 30 it was my favorite - well almost - favorite pastime, and then it was gone - oh silly me.
![Frown](https://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/board/core/images/smilies/frown.png)
1. What's with those hair-dos over the last decade or so? Ok, never mind that one - to each his own fashion sense.
2. The infamous "kick" I keep hearing the commentators lamenting. In slo-mo they show the cueball bounce in the air sometimes. Never heard of this back in Oakville Ontario Canada in the '40s and '50s. We just missed shots and cursed politely. Wish we had had "kicks" back then to blame that missed pot on. What is this "kick"? One of the commentators said it might have something to do with the cloth being thinner. That makes sense I suppose, less damping effect between ball and slate?
3. And for that matter, what is this "Oh he got a heavy contact!" (in the voice of Dennis Taylor). What? Did the weight of the cueball magically change on it's way to the pink? If someone can tell me why we never heard of such stuff and what these are I'd be able to appreciate what's going on much more.
4. What's with those hair-dos? Just kidding. What's with the bridge hand middle or ring fingers popping erratically up and down while aiming. Everyone seems to do it. Are they copying each other; has it been handed down over the generations; is it genetic; is it just nervous tension; is it taught by coaches for some purpose; I don't recall anyone in the "olden days" doing that but then I'm very old indeed and memories do fade and become all rosy.
5. How the HELL do they slam in those shots down the rails? There wasn't a snooker table in the universe you could do that on, again, back in the "olden days". Are the pockets wider? Shaped differently? Amazing if not!
6. Why does the cloth look so un-fuzzy? I've notice at the local pool hall here that all the cloth has absolutely no nap at all, or it's almost invisible. Are they doing that to snooker internationally? The balls do seem to roll faster and/or farther than I remember. But I've mentioned my memory . . .
7. O my god, why has this "miss" thing and it's eerie permutations crept into the game? It's appalling. Well I don't understand all of that yet, but I think I've seen threads on this so I'll read about that. Unless someone wants to comment.
Whew. Catharsis.
Did I ask about the hair-dos?
![Big Grin](https://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/board/core/images/smilies/biggrin.png)
Cheers
Rod
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