03-04-2003, 10:09 PM
I love reading the stories people post on the ccb and wanted to share a moment of grand stupidity with anyone who cares to read. Also, I'd be interested to know if anyone else has managed to do themselves physical harm while messing around on the pool table.
A bit of background first: I'm English and I'm used to playing at a relatively good level of snooker and English pool. I recently relocated to the US and am slowly learning some of the subtle differences between US pool tables and UK pool tables.
I was playing in a 9-ball pool tournament on a Thursday night, and the pool hall was fairly busy. Probably around 30 players and maybe around another 40 or so people located around the hall. My first match was called on Table 13 (ironic, I know) and off I went to give it my best.
My opponent was late to the table, which was when the trouble started. I think they'd headed out to the restroom or something so I had a couple of minutes to spare. Being of a polite disposition, I made the effort to remove all the balls from the pockets in preparation for my opponent's return and the coin toss. With cue ball in hand I choose to amuse myself at the break end of the table...
There's a rather curious shot that English pool tables make possible, but as I was about to painfully learn, isn't so useful on the US tables. The shot involves punching the white at a medium force into a rail, typically from a relatively close range of say 12 inches or less, with considerable top spin. The shape of the UK rails allows the white to "pop" in the air, providing a comparable effect to a jump shot. Its not entirely practical, and certainly not a shot for match situations, but after a few pints down the local pub its good for a laugh. You can be snookered (hooked) and make balls by "popping" the white of the rail and perfoming a kind of jump-bank.
My opponent's delay to the table, coupled with my spare minutes at the break end of the table with cue ball in hand, got me thinking: I wonder if I can pull off the jump-bank shot on the US tables? At this point, I was in no immediate danger. However, the moment I chose to start testing this theory by hitting the ball across the width of the table, such that the ball would ping directly back off the rail towards me, it was destined to end in pain. My first attempt was pitiful. I applied medium force, maybe about 50% of my break power, into the rail and the effect was for the ball just to ping back and forth across the rail. This motivated me to try harder, and consequently around 70% of power was applied, perhaps with even more top-spin stroke. Same result. At this point I'm thinking, hey that's interesting - the shape of the US rails just don't allow the ball to "pop". Given this I proceed to hit say 90% power, the ball POPS well and truly and richochet's off the rail straight into my forehead.
Funnily enough, my first thought wasn't one of pain. No it was shame. I was scared that if anyone I knew had spotted this moment of anti-glory, I would never be able to show my face in the pool hall again.
Miraculously, after a full glance around the pool hall to check to see if anyone had bursted out laughing at my misfortune, I realised I had got away with it. Well, in so much that nobody had seen it, since seconds later the pain took effect and I had to gulp down the agony.
Then, my opponent turns up and remarks "who did you upset?", referring to my profusely bleeding head wound.
/ccboard/images/graemlins/blush.gif
A bit of background first: I'm English and I'm used to playing at a relatively good level of snooker and English pool. I recently relocated to the US and am slowly learning some of the subtle differences between US pool tables and UK pool tables.
I was playing in a 9-ball pool tournament on a Thursday night, and the pool hall was fairly busy. Probably around 30 players and maybe around another 40 or so people located around the hall. My first match was called on Table 13 (ironic, I know) and off I went to give it my best.
My opponent was late to the table, which was when the trouble started. I think they'd headed out to the restroom or something so I had a couple of minutes to spare. Being of a polite disposition, I made the effort to remove all the balls from the pockets in preparation for my opponent's return and the coin toss. With cue ball in hand I choose to amuse myself at the break end of the table...
There's a rather curious shot that English pool tables make possible, but as I was about to painfully learn, isn't so useful on the US tables. The shot involves punching the white at a medium force into a rail, typically from a relatively close range of say 12 inches or less, with considerable top spin. The shape of the UK rails allows the white to "pop" in the air, providing a comparable effect to a jump shot. Its not entirely practical, and certainly not a shot for match situations, but after a few pints down the local pub its good for a laugh. You can be snookered (hooked) and make balls by "popping" the white of the rail and perfoming a kind of jump-bank.
My opponent's delay to the table, coupled with my spare minutes at the break end of the table with cue ball in hand, got me thinking: I wonder if I can pull off the jump-bank shot on the US tables? At this point, I was in no immediate danger. However, the moment I chose to start testing this theory by hitting the ball across the width of the table, such that the ball would ping directly back off the rail towards me, it was destined to end in pain. My first attempt was pitiful. I applied medium force, maybe about 50% of my break power, into the rail and the effect was for the ball just to ping back and forth across the rail. This motivated me to try harder, and consequently around 70% of power was applied, perhaps with even more top-spin stroke. Same result. At this point I'm thinking, hey that's interesting - the shape of the US rails just don't allow the ball to "pop". Given this I proceed to hit say 90% power, the ball POPS well and truly and richochet's off the rail straight into my forehead.
Funnily enough, my first thought wasn't one of pain. No it was shame. I was scared that if anyone I knew had spotted this moment of anti-glory, I would never be able to show my face in the pool hall again.
Miraculously, after a full glance around the pool hall to check to see if anyone had bursted out laughing at my misfortune, I realised I had got away with it. Well, in so much that nobody had seen it, since seconds later the pain took effect and I had to gulp down the agony.
Then, my opponent turns up and remarks "who did you upset?", referring to my profusely bleeding head wound.
/ccboard/images/graemlins/blush.gif