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Post by Ros on Jan 8, 2008 11:22:07 GMT
After much discussion about table quality in several different leagues, I think most would agree that the perfect table does not exist, with even the best tables having the occasional "bad hair" day.
What is your most disliked table trait?
My personal "bete noir" is whippy pockets. Tarrats recovered a number of tables last year and set the pockets slightly proud, which makes accurate potting very hard.
Having suffered in the past from a home table that varied dramatically during the evening according to temperature (there was a warp on the right hand rail) that comes a close second (and I think that affects the home team more than the away team)
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Mark James
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Mark James
Posts: 596
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Post by Mark James on Jan 8, 2008 12:14:23 GMT
I have voted for "other", as one thing that irritates me is when the table location means that there is insufficient room to get down properly on the shot.
Being on the tall side, this probably affects me more than the majority of players. And, on many occasions when the layout of the venue makes it unavoidable, one strives to remain philosophical about it. Nevertheless, it remains a particular dislike of mine.
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Post by Ros on Jan 8, 2008 12:26:20 GMT
Yes, my apologies Mark. :-[ There should be:
Restricted access for some shots
I've also thought of another that I've missed:
Erratic spotting/ rolling off D
Could a moderator add both of the above and if possible move Mark's vote across to the first please?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2008 12:31:50 GMT
I have voted for 'table too slow'. Usually means it's just been left in a cold room without receiving any TLC.
The harder I have to whack the balls to make something happen, the more I lose in accuracy.
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Post by Chris_Sav on Jan 8, 2008 13:02:22 GMT
Could a moderator add both of the above and if possible move Mark's vote across to the first please? I have had a look at the highest admin level and there does not appear to be any way of editing the poll. Your only option would be to delete and restart Sav.
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Post by Ros on Jan 8, 2008 13:40:23 GMT
OK, thanks for looking Sav :)
I can't delete the poll either, only my own post, so it's probably better to leave well alone now, no doubt there will be other pet hates that I hadn't originally considered, such as lighting that particularly affects those who wear glasses.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2008 15:27:29 GMT
I hate slow tables, they do as Tommo suggests "force" you to whack the ball more losing the delicate shots I love to play.
I think the worse one was Six Mile Bottom SSC, espiecially in the Pairs final ::)
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Post by keithmacdonald on May 27, 2008 9:53:38 GMT
Having played Johnny in the Pairs final I can't think why he then says Six Mile Bottom is the worst one?? ;DI know there are several quality players, some playing for England, who loved to come and play on that table!! ;D
Although most people prefer a quick table, that's OK if the table is level if not then that just enhances the whip?? At least with a slower table you can control the power. :P
Keith
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2008 10:30:06 GMT
Having played Johnny in the Pairs final I can't think why he then says Six Mile Bottom is the worst one?? ;D ;D Well it was ridiculously slow that night, However you can over come the slow tables with focus. Which I have now learnt the hard way ::) :( You and Pete fully deserved the victory, you two played awesome 8-)
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Lolly
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Chris Lawman
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Post by Lolly on May 27, 2008 13:55:25 GMT
Over the period of one night at our venue you would need to select..... ' or all of the above' !!!! :-/ :-/ :-/
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Post by H on Sept 24, 2008 22:11:45 GMT
Just to resurrect this thread, and may I point out this is out of curiosity - yes i played awfully tonight on a table i considered to be a bit rubbish, but don't think this is me having a tantrum, i just want to know what others think...should there be some sort of minimum standards on table quality?
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Post by Q on Sept 24, 2008 22:44:59 GMT
I'm quite suprised you found it THAT bad H :o I haven't played that top for 18 months, I know that it was always difficult, but they used to spend a lot of time trying to get it right.
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Post by specialone on Sept 24, 2008 23:05:30 GMT
Hello H I Don't get involved in this debate, but this table was slagged last season and I got 9k break on it, and I aint that good. Played golf last week. Hated the long par 3's because I hit the ball like a little girl. Loved the tight drives because I'm straight off the tee. At the end of the round, felt I had plotted my way round quite well, but lost the plot on one hole. Like a season in 4 hours. Did not always like what was in front of me but thought about it and did my best, enjoyed it. Shaun
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Post by H on Sept 24, 2008 23:17:12 GMT
please don't get me wrong. just curious on people's views. I have played the brewers top and scored well before. tonight it wasn't to be. I played badly, didn't adapt, but at the same time I don't expect to come away from any table with only 1k.
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Post by Chunky Monkey on Sept 25, 2008 9:00:40 GMT
please don't get me wrong. just curious on people's views. I have played the brewers top and scored well before. tonight it wasn't to be. I played badly, didn't adapt, but at the same time I don't expect to come away from any table with only 1k. You may find you have a few more games like that in Mid Sussex H. There are worst tables to come mate.
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Post by H on Sept 25, 2008 9:46:37 GMT
Maybe, maybe not. It was my mates birthday yesterday and I had been drinking all day and attempted to sober up in the evening. Not the best of circumstances to try and get your head down and play a challenging top. We'll just have to see how i take to the other tops in the league, but the others i have played on outside of league matches so far I have found very nice. Apologies to anyone from the Brewer's, its nothing personal, I had just had far too much to drink yesterday to be perfectly honest and slipped a little bit back into my old ways. All the best everyone.
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Post by BB Warrior on Sept 25, 2008 9:52:47 GMT
All credit to you for your honesty H......... 8-) hope the hangover isn't too bad this morning! ::)
With regards to the tables you have yet to play in Mid-Sussex, there are some really nice ones....... but there are also a couple that may drive you to drink again.....!! >:( :'(
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DA-DM
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Post by DA-DM on Sept 25, 2008 9:55:26 GMT
so... 2 thoughts for the day.
1. take henry drinking on match days so it inhibits his ability. ;D ;)
2. if a table plays squiffy when i'm sober - will it play straight if I'M squiffy .....?? ;D ;D :-X
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Post by BB Warrior on Sept 25, 2008 10:01:44 GMT
so... 2 thoughts for the day. 1. take henry drinking on match days so it inhibits his ability. ;D ;) 2. if a table plays squiffy when i'm sober - will it play straight if I'M squiffy .....?? ;D ;D :-X Well, Number 1 seems like an excellent proposal....... ;D 8-) ...... but, on the basis of the practice night on Tuesday - Number 2 definitely does NOT work!! :P ::) :-*
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DA-DM
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Post by DA-DM on Sept 25, 2008 10:57:31 GMT
I'd had a very bad day..... :'(
besides, our table isn't squiffy. quirky maybe but not squiffy. ;D
my comment was more aimed at the unfriendly ? table at the watermill........ :-/
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2008 11:34:50 GMT
You've hit the nail on the head there, Warrior. (NOTE : Warrior has since deleted his own post saying "It does not always play bad, only after it has been moved without being re-levelled afterwards" - which is to what this refers) On our first visit there last season the table was very benign and we all said it was potentially the best table in the league.
But shortly afterwards we visited again, and I took it on trust and didn't insist on testing the level of the table before the start - silly me.
The table was 'back to its old ways' and cost John Turner his game and a good score when he ploughed straight through the black for no apparent reason !
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Post by everybodyshappy on Sept 25, 2008 12:01:26 GMT
Is there an option for "playing a better player?" that always anoys me! ;D
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Post by BB Warrior on Sept 25, 2008 12:12:16 GMT
Yes, I did delete a post about it....... thought it was probably unfair to make a comment (after doing it.... ::)) about the table before we had played on it this season - in other words, I was trying NOT to be controversial - for once! :-X
But, having been caught out (by eagle-eyes Tommo!) I guess that just makes it even more controversial.....!! ::) :'(
So, to revert to type, here are my thoughts.......
Yes, the table at the Watermill can be rather unpredictable...... it did play well there when I played there last season (after BB Reaper had spoken to opposition captain a few days before the match!) but the table does get moved around a lot and it would seem that often it is not set up again properly afterwards. ???
A couple of weeks after our match there, I went down to watch the semi-final of the Charity Cup match that was played there...... the only (polite!) words that I could use for the table that night would be "totally unplayable"..... :o :o
We are playing there next week...... will have to keep my fingers crossed that it will be playing well again! :-/
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2008 15:01:06 GMT
Okay, here's a thought that might appeal to you.
This thread was started with good intentions as a poll, but really the choices were too diverse and therefore the results not very conclusive.
But there is a way that we could have a bit of fun here, which may even have a knock-on effect. :-/
How about you resurrect that tabulation of last year on the tables, and we have a sort of ladder, whereby if any of us on here give a table a star rating it goes up a place - and down a place if someone has a 'mare.
Forum only, completely unofficial. Stick the USC and the Fish in at half-way, and the Fish rises a place straightaway on the back of Henry's 16.9k of last week.
Hurstpierpoint starts at the top, and stays there after Sir KT's 14.8k of last night. And you can elevate the Sportsman table by one thanks to your own 11k.
What do you reckon ?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2008 16:00:38 GMT
Okay, here's a thought that might appeal to you. This thread was started with good intentions as a poll, but really the choices were too diverse and therefore the results not very conclusive. But there is a way that we could have a bit of fun here, which may even have a knock-on effect. :-/ How about you resurrect that tabulation of last year on the tables, and we have a sort of ladder, whereby if any of us on here give a table a star rating it goes up a place - and down a place if someone has a 'mare. Forum only, completely unofficial. Stick the USC and the Fish in at half-way, and the Fish rises a place straightaway on the back of Henry's 16.9k of last week. Hurstpierpoint starts at the top, and stays there after Sir KT's 14.8k of last night. And you can elevate the Sportsman table by one thanks to your own 11k. What do you reckon ? I like the idea Tommo however you can't base a table on one player scoring 15,000. This "unnoficial" league should base the scores scored by the away team only, as home advantage gives a biased view. So if KT scores 20k on a away table that is more merit to the table then if he does this at home. Wouldn't do one in Cambs though, we will still finish bottom ;) :-X
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Post by BB Warrior on Sept 25, 2008 17:43:31 GMT
Okay, here's a thought that might appeal to you. This thread was started with good intentions as a poll, but really the choices were too diverse and therefore the results not very conclusive. But there is a way that we could have a bit of fun here, which may even have a knock-on effect. :-/ How about you resurrect that tabulation of last year on the tables, and we have a sort of ladder, whereby if any of us on here give a table a star rating it goes up a place - and down a place if someone has a 'mare. Forum only, completely unofficial. Stick the USC and the Fish in at half-way, and the Fish rises a place straightaway on the back of Henry's 16.9k of last week. Hurstpierpoint starts at the top, and stays there after Sir KT's 14.8k of last night. And you can elevate the Sportsman table by one thanks to your own 11k. What do you reckon ? I "resurrected" the tables table from last season earlier today in the Mid-Sussex Section........ but not sure how we could work it as a ladder when the teams appear in different orders for home and away...... ??? To be honest, I doubt if it will do anything to improve any of the tables that are near the bottom...... all it will tell us that the better tables last year are still the better tables this year. ::) But, maybe I just don't believe in miracles any more....... :-X
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2008 18:12:00 GMT
Just an idea to achieve just that - a running commentary as to which tables are good and which are bad. Gentler than naming and shaming.
Johnny has made a point about big scores on home tables not having the same premium as on away ones. While this is fair comment, some tables are set up so badly, that even the home players can't manage anything half decent.
As this is only meant to be 'for fun' - like Tipsters Utd, for instance - I'm gonna steam ahead and do it anyway. There's no obligation to join in. :-/
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Post by bigtj on Sept 26, 2008 7:01:09 GMT
Great idea and bet we mostly know those that will come on top, but the challange is for those thatare not so good toimprove them with a bit of tlc. I believe that you will improve as a player for playing the table at it`s best, you may take a hiding or two on a good table, but at least when you get your go it gives you a chance to score well yourself.
Those who think tha by having a poor table will stop good players getting high scores maybe right to a degree, but you will still get beaten by a top player as they will adapt to the table conditions, the only difference is that you gain no confidence when you have to ply away from hme and your own game will not progress. Those just starting out can only gain from learning on a straight table.
It would be very boring to have all tables exactly the same and variation is the joy of playing, but surely if you can improcve the playing conditions of your table you should want to get it playing its best. If you yourself are not able to set a table up, there are plenty around if spoken would only be too willing to lend a hand.
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Post by BB Warrior on Sept 26, 2008 7:16:53 GMT
Very true Tony....... but even at places where there are people who know how to set up a table, sometimes these players will set it up to suit themselves - sometimes even to the detriment of the rest of their own team! :o :-X
The most common response I get if I comment on a table playing poorly is "it's the same for both teams".....!! ::)
True enough..... and as you say, a good player should be able to adapt and still win the game, even if their score is lower than usual.
But the home team players will then struggle when they play on a better table and will not be able to improve their own game.
A team I used to play for had a notoriously difficult home top (very slow, lots of quirks and a difficult break) that every visiting team complained about...... but the rest of the team were proud that we only lost 1 game at home all season! They conveniently chose to forget that we lost every away game as well......... ::) >:(
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Post by H on Sept 26, 2008 7:33:56 GMT
You guys have pretty much summed up my feelings on this. I think tables should be set up to their best. "Quirks" are a good thing for a home advantage, and something to adapt to, but when basic fundamental shots, played correctly, are doing something completely obscure, that is the point when I would say the table needs sorting...
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