How to encourage a social player to improve their game

RunningSide wrote:Interesting post,could easily be talking about my sessions with my mate. We are both in late sixties and played for over 40 years. Like your mate mine goes for nearly everything usually at the wrong pace,no thought of percentage play. We get on great and don't think we could upset each other. A few weeks ago I said if I don't knock a 30+ in I'm considering packing up. He suggested playing for £2 a frame and high breaks 50p per point. I said don't want to put strain on relationship but he said let's try,best of 3 see what happens. Strangely standard improved for both, and we now have 4 frames no money involved, followed by bof7 money match.

Holden Chinaski wrote:

RunningSide wrote:Interesting post,could easily be talking about my sessions with my mate. We are both in late sixties and played for over 40 years. Like your mate mine goes for nearly everything usually at the wrong pace,no thought of percentage play. We get on great and don't think we could upset each other. A few weeks ago I said if I don't knock a 30+ in I'm considering packing up. He suggested playing for £2 a frame and high breaks 50p per point. I said don't want to put strain on relationship but he said let's try,best of 3 see what happens. Strangely standard improved for both, and we now have 4 frames no money involved, followed by bof7 money match.

This is a great idea.

Dan-cat wrote:I think you need another snooker bud.

Prop wrote:Yep, and you can apply that rule to anything, not just snooker or pool.

We’re booked in for Sunday morning anyway. I’m going to see how the colours game goes. I won’t mention my intentions, just see if something clicks with his cue ball. If he enjoys it, I’ll see it as a step in the right direction.

Facebook - never used it, never will.

Dan-cat wrote:

Prop wrote:Yep, and you can apply that rule to anything, not just snooker or pool.

We’re booked in for Sunday morning anyway. I’m going to see how the colours game goes. I won’t mention my intentions, just see if something clicks with his cue ball. If he enjoys it, I’ll see it as a step in the right direction.

Facebook - never used it, never will.

Ok then how to find players? There must be a way!

Prop wrote:

Dan-cat wrote:

Prop wrote:Yep, and you can apply that rule to anything, not just snooker or pool.

We’re booked in for Sunday morning anyway. I’m going to see how the colours game goes. I won’t mention my intentions, just see if something clicks with his cue ball. If he enjoys it, I’ll see it as a step in the right direction.

Facebook - never used it, never will.

Ok then how to find players? There must be a way!

I’m getting a flight to Spain. Heard there’s some guy goes by the name of The Big Cat of Valencia Apparently he’s different gravy, so I’m heading over to do a few exhibitions with him.

Dan-cat wrote:

Prop wrote:

Dan-cat wrote:

Prop wrote:Yep, and you can apply that rule to anything, not just snooker or pool.

We’re booked in for Sunday morning anyway. I’m going to see how the colours game goes. I won’t mention my intentions, just see if something clicks with his cue ball. If he enjoys it, I’ll see it as a step in the right direction.

Facebook - never used it, never will.

Ok then how to find players? There must be a way!

I’m getting a flight to Spain. Heard there’s some guy goes by the name of The Big Cat of Valencia Apparently he’s different gravy, so I’m heading over to do a few exhibitions with him.

Always welcome!!

Pink Ball wrote:You could turn it into a game of Saw. Nothing focusses the mind like the threat of extreme violence or even death.

Pink Ball wrote:You could turn it into a game of Saw. Nothing focusses the mind like the threat of extreme violence or even death.

mantorok wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:You could turn it into a game of Saw. Nothing focusses the mind like the threat of extreme violence or even death.

You could be onto something here, every ball you pot is placed into a sock, at the end of the game you each get a chance to smash the sock with your accumulated balls into the face of your opponent.

That should inspire them

Prop wrote:

mantorok wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:You could turn it into a game of Saw. Nothing focusses the mind like the threat of extreme violence or even death.

You could be onto something here, every ball you pot is placed into a sock, at the end of the game you each get a chance to smash the sock with your accumulated balls into the face of your opponent.

That should inspire them

“Where’s ya tools?”
“What tools?!”

Prop wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:You could turn it into a game of Saw. Nothing focusses the mind like the threat of extreme violence or even death.

There’s a threat of respiratory illness from the mouldy walls, so we’re on the right track.

RunningSide wrote:What club you member at?

rekoons wrote:As already mentioned if the will to improve or learn isn’t there, it’ll be difficult to force (unnoticed).

Even if someone has that desire, they then would still have to realize and accept that it’s bloody difficult, will take time, will require more focus and attention to details they never knew existed, the one step back and 2 steps forward principle, ‘boring’ routines to get basics (cueball control) right,…. And so on and so on…You get the idea.

For most folks it’s just not worth it. I’ve got a mate who’s got some talent I believe, but just doesn’t care to practice because of the ‘boring factor’.

Practice with like-minded players, a little less good or better than yourself.

rekoons wrote:I remember a game I once played involving every player (more than 2 possible) tossing a few coins on the table, if you maneuvered the white so it rolled over or touched a coin, it’s yours.

Don’t remember the details, so don’t know if you had to pot a ball AND touch a coin, or not. Or if there were other rules.

Could make it more attractive to consider the path of the white?

Juddernaut88 wrote:One of my mates that I play with like once a month or so texted me yesterday letting me know he made a 56 break in a match in a tournament at my snooker club. That has been one of his targets for the past year or so making a 50+ break, quite impressive for him to do it in an actual tournament though. I'm not looking forward to giving him a game any time soon!

Prop wrote:

Juddernaut88 wrote:One of my mates that I play with like once a month or so texted me yesterday letting me know he made a 56 break in a match in a tournament at my snooker club. That has been one of his targets for the past year or so making a 50+ break, quite impressive for him to do it in an actual tournament though. I'm not looking forward to giving him a game any time soon!

You should be looking forward to it! It’ll make you a better player. Do you usually both start on 0 points when you play each other? Pretty common practice in the amateur game to play to a handicap, so maybe he gives you a 20 start next time?

Juddernaut88 wrote:

Prop wrote:

Juddernaut88 wrote:One of my mates that I play with like once a month or so texted me yesterday letting me know he made a 56 break in a match in a tournament at my snooker club. That has been one of his targets for the past year or so making a 50+ break, quite impressive for him to do it in an actual tournament though. I'm not looking forward to giving him a game any time soon!

You should be looking forward to it! It’ll make you a better player. Do you usually both start on 0 points when you play each other? Pretty common practice in the amateur game to play to a handicap, so maybe he gives you a 20 start next time?

We usually just play it normally. I may ask for a handicap next time. I can usually take a frame or 2 off him but now it looks like he may have improved even more since I last played him which means getting 1 frame off him will be even trickier.

Prop wrote:...
Tbh the thread was more about discussing games like Scrub (I keep calling it that and I might be wrong). Things that might feel like a novelty to him but take the potting out of the game.
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