Playing wearing a bow tie

[ace man]

Do you guys have trouble playing all dressed up according to standard dress code?
I find I have to alter my normal head position. The cue pressing onto bow tie (or the other way around) was driving me mad the last tournament I played.
This may seem like a silly question, but I'm at a loss as to how to cope with waistcoat and a bow tie? The whole feeling while cueing was very different compared to cueing while wearing regular everyday clothes.

[Inoffthered]

I had the same problem. I'm sure I'd have the same problem again if I was put into that kind of match situation. The only advice I can give you is to wear these while practising and practice hard! Good luck m8.

[MasterBreak147]

It drives me mad playing with a bow tie since my so called adams apple is quite large every swallow and every cueing i feel the bugger even though i have tried having it slack and tight and even to the side i still to this day find it obstructing but something i must get used to.
I play at a WMC and to practice like this would give some funny looks for sure so something i have never even contemplated really.

[damienlch]

I imagine it would be quite uncomfortable, being all stiff and stuffy with waistcoat and bowtie. Would be interesting to know if anyone or any of the pros practice with their "full battle order" on to get used to match conditions.

[ace man]

Ok, so I'm not alone in this. I've found some footage on youtube of the very best pro players practicing, but all of them were wearing t-shirts and jeans. Seems to me like the cue must rub against the bow tie also. 5th contact point?
I play only twice a year with a bow tie, rest of the tournament season it is just waistcoat required so no major issues.

[1blonde]

It drives me mad playing with a bow tie since my so called adams apple is quite large every swallow and every cueing i feel the bugger even though i have tried having it slack and tight and even to the side i still to this day find it obstructing but something i must get used to.
I play at a WMC and to practice like this would give some funny looks for sure so something i have never even contemplated really.

Get one of those floppy bow ties, that judd trump wears, or a sick note from your doctor like Alex Higgins did

[damienlch]

Get one of those floppy bow ties, that judd trump wears, or a sick note from your doctor like Alex Higgins did

I thought I read somewhere that Stephen Maguire got one from his doctor too... Just wondering what ails him... allergy to bowties? hmmm...

[1blonde]

from what you have said you wont be lying, you have a big adams apple and its resticting your breathing swallowing wearing one and it distracts you too.

Stupid rule anyway for any tournament except the World Championship (Where it is tradfitional)
I think the players should be smart for every event but a little modernisation would not go amiss. This I think would help attract younger people and (clothing) sponsors to the game too.

[Terry Davidson]

I wear a bow tie a lot for our invitational tournaments and the Canadian Championships. I've found that I have to buy shirts with the neck size one inch larger (I'm 15-1/2" and I bought 16-1/2" necks) and I also leave the top button undone and have the bow tie holding the top of the shirt closed, but loosely.

We have the Canadians in June and it's very hot and humid in the club and the AC just can't hack it so I recently bought a cummerbund to replace the waistcoat and although you still have to wear the bow tie it was a lot more comfortable.

also, you don't actually have to wear a bow tie but rather a tie of some accepted sort. If you wore a regular dress tie it might be easier to loosen and still keep the top of the shirt intact

Terry

[wildJONESEYE]

when you think about it what other sports makes you wear something thats uncomfortable to play in ?

women Tennis players in high heels and a dress and the men in tuxedo.

[damienlch]

when you think about it what other sports makes you wear something thats uncomfortable to play in ?

women Tennis players in high heels and a dress and the men in tuxedo.

Lol, couldn't have said it better myself... Players should be smartly attired but bowties? How often do we see players starting to "undress" when the final frame is beyond their reach if not for the simple reason that they couldn't wait to get out of their uncomfortable outfit.

[wildJONESEYE]

Lol, couldn't have said it better myself... Players should be smartly attired but bowties? How often do we see players starting to "undress" when the final frame is beyond their reach if not for the simple reason that they couldn't wait to get out of their uncomfortable outfit.

no wander some players cant bring their practice form on to the match table they practice in a totally different way to their match .

ive never dressed to play snooker but ive been at weddings wearing a suit and playing a game of pool in the bar after the reception and even a shirt isn't flexible enough to be able to play comfortable after taking the tie off.

[magicman]

It's not just the bow-tie either. No decent player, whether amateur or pro, practices in a long-sleeved shirt. The cuff is a potential problem when bridging over a ball, and the stiff collar rubs against your cue, as does the afore-mentioned bow-tie. Dress shoes are often slippy, which can be problematic when stretching or standing on one leg.

Just about every sportsman in the world practices in what he/she competes in. Athletes wear spikes and running shorts, footballers wear boots, shin-pads and kit, swimmers wear trunks and goggles and all of them have benefited from advances in clothes and equipment. We must be the only sport on the planet that actually deliberately hinders it's competitors by forcing players to wear inappropriate garb.