Hopes for the season ahead

Ash147 wrote:

Iranu wrote:

Ash147 wrote:1. Ronnie to win the World Championship
2. Judd to win another Triple Crown title
3. John Higgins to lose another World Championship final

I’m surprised you’d rather Ronnie win the Worlds than Judd. Any reason for that? Just the length of time since he’s performed well there?

Judd has just won it, and he's got plenty more years to win it a few more times. Ronnie hasn't won it in 6 years, and doesn't have time on his side. The World Championship is the only thing left for Ronnie to achieve, he's broken every other record.

Fair enough

1. Ronnie not to win a event
2. Ronnie's century ratio to decrease sharply
3. Judd not to win a event
4. Tactical play becomes EXTREMELY common
5. The 40+ players become more competitive
6. That there are plenty of overseas event winners

HustleKing wrote:1. Ronnie not to win a event
2. Ronnie's century ratio to decrease sharply

Snooker must be an unpleasant sport to follow for people who don't like Ronnie...

D4P wrote:

HustleKing wrote:1. Ronnie not to win a event
2. Ronnie's century ratio to decrease sharply

Snooker must be an unpleasant sport to follow for people who don't like Ronnie...

Dunno - quite enjoyable if you are a Judd fan or a fan of amateur players.

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:Jimmy to win the World Championship.

Flying in practice.

Ding will need to work on his second serve to stand a decent chance at the WC

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Ding will need to work on his second serve to stand a decent chance at the WC

The good news for Ding is that the WC is played on green baize, which is his favorite surface.

D4P wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Ding will need to work on his second serve to stand a decent chance at the WC

The good news for Ding is that the WC is played on green baize, which is his favorite surface.

Good point actually - they should play snooker on different surfaces to test out different players aptitudes.

I am particularly interested in the concept of 'air snooker' played on an air sprung surface similar to those found on 'air hockey' games popular in UK arcades in the 1980s.

I have been working on a prototype table in my workshop using two Dyson airblades that I have acquired from a nearby pub that has been repossessed. I am using butchers/greengrocers faux grass for the surface as the balls do not contact it anyway.

I am having trouble equalising the upthrust generated by the blades at the moment and as a consequence of this, some balls are hovering higher than others. This has led to many fouls and misses but I am convinced this format will take off. I am hoping to take it to the Dragon's Den sometime in 2020 and have contacted Matthew Selt by email as I hope he will be an ambassador for this exciting new variation on the sport.

Badsnookerplayer wrote: I am having trouble equalising the upthrust generated by the blades at the moment and as a consequence of this, some balls are hovering higher than others. This has led to many fouls and misses but I am convinced this format will take off. I am hoping to take it to the Dragon's Den sometime in 2020 and have contacted Matthew Selt by email as I hope he will be an ambassador for this exciting new variation on the sport.

You might also contact Ricky Walden and other players who suffer from back trouble that limits their ability to bend down to reach a regular snooker table. If you were able to not only equalize the upthrust but to also develop an adjustable upthrust that could put the balls at (e.g.) shoulder height, "air snooker" could become a popular, standing alternative for mobility-challenged players.

D4P wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote: I am having trouble equalising the upthrust generated by the blades at the moment and as a consequence of this, some balls are hovering higher than others. This has led to many fouls and misses but I am convinced this format will take off. I am hoping to take it to the Dragon's Den sometime in 2020 and have contacted Matthew Selt by email as I hope he will be an ambassador for this exciting new variation on the sport.

You might also contact Ricky Walden and other players who suffer from back trouble that limits their ability to bend down to reach a regular snooker table. If you were able to not only equalize the upthrust but to also develop an adjustable upthrust that could put the balls at (e.g.) shoulder height, "air snooker" could become a popular, standing alternative for mobility-challenged players.

Cheers D4P - much appreciated.

Currently I am developing telescopic 'croquet-like' mallets so players can reach the balls that hover at ceiling height. I am using liquorice allsorts as prototype cuetips. Can't really see how this will fail.

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Currently I am developing telescopic 'croquet-like' mallets so players can reach the balls that hover at ceiling height. I am using liquorice allsorts as prototype cuetips. Can't really see how this will fail.

Well, this is clearly something you've put a thought of time and thought into, which I'm sure will prove to be well spent.

Just one humble suggestion: if you were to attach a "croquet-like" mallet head on the butt end of a cue that is used for regular snooker, players could alternate between playing the balls at regulation height on the baize and playing them at ceiling height without having to bring separate cues and "croquet-like" mallets to the match. They could just bring a single implement.

D4P wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Currently I am developing telescopic 'croquet-like' mallets so players can reach the balls that hover at ceiling height. I am using liquorice allsorts as prototype cuetips. Can't really see how this will fail.

Well, this is clearly something you've put a thought of time and thought into, which I'm sure will prove to be well spent.

Just one humble suggestion: if you were to attach a "croquet-like" mallet head on the butt end of a cue that is used for regular snooker, players could alternate between playing the balls at regulation height on the baize and playing them at ceiling height without having to bring separate cues and "croquet-like" mallets to the match. They could just bring a single implement.

Fergal stays on the tour
Murphy out of Top 16
Ronnie to not play any majors to see if hes a man of his word.

The_Abbott wrote:Fergal stays on the tour
Murphy out of Top 16
Ronnie to not play any majors to see if hes a man of his word.

I have no reason not to believe ROS.

#manofhisword

Badsnookerplayer wrote:

D4P wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Ding will need to work on his second serve to stand a decent chance at the WC

The good news for Ding is that the WC is played on green baize, which is his favorite surface.

Good point actually - they should play snooker on different surfaces to test out different players aptitudes.

I am particularly interested in the concept of 'air snooker' played on an air sprung surface similar to those found on 'air hockey' games popular in UK arcades in the 1980s.

I have been working on a prototype table in my workshop using two Dyson airblades that I have acquired from a nearby pub that has been repossessed. I am using butchers/greengrocers faux grass for the surface as the balls do not contact it anyway.

I am having trouble equalising the upthrust generated by the blades at the moment and as a consequence of this, some balls are hovering higher than others. This has led to many fouls and misses but I am convinced this format will take off. I am hoping to take it to the Dragon's Den sometime in 2020 and have contacted Matthew Selt by email as I hope he will be an ambassador for this exciting new variation on the sport.

Different tournaments using different sizes and weights of balls would be good. Let's have a tournament where ping pong balls are used instead. Might as well make it a ranking tournament.

Another with marbles would be great.

mick745 wrote:Different tournaments using different sizes and weights of balls would be good. Let's have a tournament where ping pong balls are used instead. Might as well make it a ranking tournament.

Another with marbles would be great.

This seems like a logical next step. It would make sense to hold the marbles-based events in China, where chopsticks could be used as cues.

Iranu wrote:

Ash147 wrote:

Iranu wrote:

Ash147 wrote:1. Ronnie to win the World Championship
2. Judd to win another Triple Crown title
3. John Higgins to lose another World Championship final

I’m surprised you’d rather Ronnie win the Worlds than Judd. Any reason for that? Just the length of time since he’s performed well there?

Judd has just won it, and he's got plenty more years to win it a few more times. Ronnie hasn't won it in 6 years, and doesn't have time on his side. The World Championship is the only thing left for Ronnie to achieve, he's broken every other record.

Fair enough

He could lose early in all the tournaments he entered as long as he won that damn World Title.

My feeling is he will win a regular ranker and be the record holder of ranking titles, and at the Worlds do something... by something I'm not expecting anything past Quarter-Finals... if he does pass that stage, then its a different story.

1. Joe Perry or Ryan Day to win a proper ranking event.
2. David Gilbert or Mark Davis to win a ranking event (even a "Mickey Mouse" one).
3. Judd Trump to break the Crucible Curse.

1. Robbo to win WC
2. Judd to shave his head
3. Murphy to do punditry in a toilet break of one of his most important matches and then drop off the tour

1. Judd to carry on as he is
2. Ronnie to be barred from twitter and press conferences.
3. Murphy to be barred from commentary.