How to fight a destructive player?

[Byrom]

Just play the right shot - if it frustrates you then you have a weakness yourself.

[j6uk]

if you wanna improve then stay away from shi7 players and referees

[dcrackers147]

if you wanna improve then stay away from shi7 players and referees

thats not what the OP has asked for he wants to know how to beat Selby's

[perpetualboredom]

thats not what the OP has asked for he wants to know how to beat Selby's

With a heavy club would be my preference..

[j6uk]

roll him in a heavy nap first. the less slebys there are the better

With a heavy club would be my preference..

[sharkster63]

How to play against a desatructive player? He comes in, puts a red one an d a coulored. Finally he goes for a safety and never tries to continue his game. Aaargh, that sucks.

sounds like he is winning and you are not getting him back to safe.

[cyberheater]

sounds like he is winning and you are not getting him back to safe.

Well it can be winning strategy. Slowly picking up the odd red and colour and going safe and continually frustrating their opponent so they go for low percentage shots and miss and they pick up another red and play safe etc.. Yes, they can win that way but it's a horrible way to play a game.

[Byrom]

Some frames just go like this - balls go safe and it can become a war of attrition sometimes - a player needs to map the table and play accordingly - frustrating the other bloke especially if he is an overly attacking guy and then picking him off can be a successful tactic sometimes.

I like to use a balanced approach as there are times I feel more confident than others. If someone does this to me - I think of it differently - like a challenge - a game of chess and the other side to the game that must be mastered. You need to give it them back and just play the correct shot.

Like I say if this frustrates you then you have a weakness in your game - either don't play this type of player or only play them now and again when you have to and try and see it as a challenge to enjoy - a chance to improve your own shot selection and safety play.

I find the best want to play a negative player is to show patience - give it them back punish them when they make a mistake and play them safe and try your hardest to get in front at the beginning of a frame because if they cannot break build they will struggle to catch up as they are more used to holding onto and protecting a lead and usually their game will more often fall apart under pressure when they are chasing it needing to score points.

[Csmith]

If he is only making a maximum of 8 points when he gets in, you can push the boat out a bit further knowing you won't get punished. Take on a few extra risky pots to get in. Also, look for safeties to develop balls off the rails or break up clusters. I've been taught when playing safe to not only get the cue ball into a trap but develop the table into a position where if they make a mistake they leave better chances for you.

[Byrom]

play everyone with the respect you think they deserve.
and if you don't enjoy playing someone then don't play them, or play just two frames then say your gonna practice

That is just what i do

[mythman69]

When I play 6 reds (10 minutes time limit) I have to give start to most players and the first thing they do is put the black safe and run away. Then they put the blue safe and run away. Then they try and waste the remaining time. Frustrating but I like a challenge. I try and push a red or two up towards the baulk colours and make smaller breaks and then leave them with the cue ball on the cushion safe. Snookers can be fun too!

[denja]

Destructive player or Tactics that is the question ? if he drives you mad and you end up losing who is the better player ! I have played a destructive game against players who I know have a bit of a short fuse and will start missing pots when they get frustrated, is that destructive play or just the right tactics on the night.

[thelongbomber]

I also play someone like this on a regular basis - strange shot choices, negative play, weird table layouts, the list goes on. The MOST important thing to understand about this game is that the table is YOURS when its YOUR turn to play. You can't control what the opponent will do, and you SHOULD NOT do anything that doesn't follow YOUR game plan. What the other player does is IRRELEVANT to you and you shouldn't let their actions get under your skin. As you play snooker and gain more experience, you develop your own game plans for situations: how to play safe, how to break build, etc.

Remember, when you play snooker, you are playing 2 games: the game against your opponent, and the game against yourself. Since you can't control (at the very most, you can predict) what the other player does, it's more advisable to play the game the way you believe it's meant to played. Respond to the table, the score, and your own frame of mind at a given moment, and not the opponent.

[denja]

I would compare the destructive player in snooker to a game of Chess you learn all the moves,gambits, and openings of great player then you come up against a player who plays in a unconventional way with no strategy this can throw you ! "Whats going on" Panic, you lose. I think (thelongbomers) remark (You are playing 2 games one against your opponent and one against yourself is a very valuable bit of observation.

[luke-h]

Then there are the players that are so lucky, this is very hard to play against if the player is a good player. I play someone who is very good at break building but gets more than his fair share of luck, just the other week i was winning 3 game's got him in a snooker on the yellow whacks the ball either gets a snooker back which is hard to hit or fluke's the yellow and pot's the rest....it's really demoralising