Concentration and observation as skills; the factors of the playing surface — board level, smoothness, frame bounce, pocket behaviour, coin properties.
QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR A PLAYER TO BECOME CHAMPION
I have discussed the qualities required for a player to become champion in my last book “carrom Technique and skill”.
Here I am going to discuss few more qualities and trying to give more material for the qualities already discussed.
Concentration
What is concentration? Concentration is
Ability to focus attention
Ability to broaden the focus of attention
Ability to shift focus of attention
Concentration is very essential in this game. You have to concentrate on carrom board only. I have seen many players looking out of the board during their match. If you concentrate on the board you feel after sometime that the pockets of the carrom board are bigger. On the other hand if you do not concentrate on the board you feel that the pockets are smaller. Therefore if you concentrate on the carrom board you automatically gain confidence. Concentration from the very beginning is essential. No figure skater can afford lack of concentration. No driver can afford lack of concentration even for a small drive. In the same way all players must consider each practice and every second of competitive play to be their major challenge, responsibility and opportunity to prove the stuff they are made of.
Once I was playing a match in Bombay. One of my relative had come from Pune to watch my match. I was playing that match with a strong opponent. I had to play three games with him and won the match. After finishing the match my relative came to me and said that he was trying to divert my attention towards him by standing t the every corner of the board but I did not see him. I told him If I had not concentrated so much, I would have lost the match. Mahendra Tambe’s concentration is wonderful. Once I was playing a match with him. When I was playing and whenever my striker was going near
to his frame he was pushing the striker he was pushing the striker only an inch or two. Towards me His gesture frustrated me and I looked at him nearly for 10seconds but to my surprise he did not even notice that I was looking at him. All the time he was looking at the board. He won the match. I shall quote the best example of concentration from Mahabharata. Dronacharya, the greatest teacher of all times, held an examination by aiming by arrow for his students. He placed a statue of a parrot on a tree and told his students to pierce the eye of the parrot He asked all his students what they could see. All of them except Arjuna told their teacher as they could see all like sky, tree, parrot etc. on the tree. Only Arjuna replied differently He said that he could see only the eye of the parrot. Such was his concentration. You should aim the hitting point of the coin and concentrate fully on it.
Observation
Concentration is an art. There is a vast difference between seeing, watching and observing. Observation requires not only open eyes but open mind too. Many times we only see and watch but a very few people observe. You should always ask yourself a question ‘why’. Then you will really understand what carrom is. You should not only play the game but you must study it. There is a need to observe lot of things in the game of carrom. A few of them are stated here.
Rhythm
Level of the carrom board
Running of the carrom board
Bounce of the frames
Pockets vomiting coins
Running of the coins
Weight of the coins
Diameter of the coins
Level of the coins
Playing over offence or over defense
Strong points and weak points of your opponent’s and yours.
Rhythm
Every player has his/her rhythm of playing. Some players play fast, some play slow and some players play very slow. Every player takes his/her own time to play each stroke. As long as you are playing in accordance with the rules and playing good game, you should not change your style of playing. I remember D.
K. Sumra from Mumbai was playing very fast game in his younger days. His play was so fast that in one of the matches, he finished the game in four boards in just seven minutes against Abdul Jabbar who was a great player from Mumbai and was in very good form. Sumra’s game was basically a brushing game, which was a very complicated game. He could think his plans very fast. It was amazing. He produced his best game when he beat Suhas Kambli in finals in just 25 minutes. The best example of a very slow player in our time was Paramsivam of Trichanapally. He was taking 28 to 29 seconds for every stroke when the time limit was 30 seconds. He was very accurate. He beat all the great players including Abdul Jabbar and reached finals in the 1961 nationals at Mumbai. He played his final against Suhas Kambli and lost. It was a very well fought match He lost third game on 26 points. When he was on 26 he made a break and didn’t know that he had pocketed white coin. Everybody thought he was taking his own time as usual to play his next stroke. Suhas knew that Paramsivam didn’t know about he had pocketed white coin. Paramsivam thought that it was Suhas’ turn. When umpire declared time up, Paramsivam put his striker on the carrom board to play; Umpire told him that it was his time up It was bad luck for Paramsivam. His big mistake was he did not count the coins on the board.
Many players ask me that they play better game in practice than in tournaments. My simple answer to them is when they play in practice they play fast game and when they play in the tournaments they play slow game. It means their rhythm is changed. If you want to perform better in tournaments, you should try to keep the same rhythm in practice and in tournaments.
Level of the Carrom Board
I suggest all of you to level the board before the match. Many times there is a manufacturing defect in the carrom board. You should always observe the carrom board in every tournament. Without sitting on the carrom board when other players are playing, you can observe on which pocket the players are missing. Sometimes players cannot even touch the coin on the pocket when the level of that particular pocket is up. Sometimes players cannot pocket coin which is on the pocket because the striker travels down due to a slope in the pocket area. This may also happen when the carrom board is not leveled properly. In all tournaments including Nationals and Internationals, carrom boards are just placed on the stands and they are never leveled. Players must level the boards themselves. It is not easy for the sub juniors and cadets to level the boards. In our time the organizers of the tournament were leveling the carrom boards. You should learn to level the carrom board and also learn how to pay on unleveled or the boards that have manufacturing defect. In Ambernath Nationals all boards had a common manufacturing defect. All the carrom boards had their center area up and are on all four pockets was down. I was watching a match of a champion. He could not break successfully and in each break his striker was not hitting white coin on the targeted point but the striker was just touching the coin. The coins were not scattered, as he wanted it to be scattered. After the match he came to me and asked me why it happened like that. I told him the condition of the carrom boards and suggested him to aim at the black coin instead of white coin. In the next match he did what I had told him to do and he was successful. Immediately after the match he came to me and thanked me. It was his greatness that in spite of being a National champion, he went to somebody for the solution of his problem and not only that he also came and thanked.
Smoothness of Playing Surface
I have seen in many championships including National and International tournaments carrom boards are not maintained properly. After playing for a few matches powder gets stuck up on the carrom boards due to the perspiration of some players. To maintain smoothness of the carrom boards this stuck powder should be removed by wiping the carrom boards with a wet cloth if the carrom boards are waterproof or by emery paper or by fine wire
gauze if playing surface is not waterproof. You can learn this process. You can do it by rubbing two pieces of emery paper on each other to remove all glass particles from it and then rubbing the emery paper on the playing surface in small circular motions. There are two types of papers available in the market. They are for wood and for metal. You have to use the paper that is used for the wood. The number of the paper should be 120 or 150.
Sometimes, particularly in the afternoon the smoothness of the carrom boards is in excess and it becomes difficult for the players to control the speed of the striker. In one of the National championships in semifinal I was playing with him. The board was too fast. In the trial board we both could not control the speed of the striker. In fact because of my easy grip it was easy for me to play on that carrom board. Suhas Kambli had a difficult locking grip and therefore it was difficult for him to play on that carrom board but he adopted a different tactic. He pocketed some coins hard into the pockets in trial board and noticed that the pockets were not vomiting cons, he started to pocket them in his usual force directly into the pockets accurately. He won the match. I had another problem. My nails were grown up and I was afraid of cutting it and bring it to normal level. I thought that if I cut my nails I could not have played a better game but I was wrong. I rectified this mistake in other matches. Whenever I felt that my nails were grown up, I cut it and played a better game. I always used to carry a nail cutter with me. Then I started to give advice to everyone to carry a nail cutter.
Bounce of the Frame
In olden days pure rosewood was used for the frames in manufacturing carrom boards. Rosewood is a dense wood and therefore it has a good bounce. After some period rosewood became rare and it was replaced by hardwood. In hardwood frames there was no stroke and therefore was no bounce. It became very difficult for junior players to compete with senior payers, as the biggest disadvantage for them was break because they had no strength and the game became of power more than the skill. I tried to improve bounce of the frame by artificial way. I suggested my idea to Surco the no. 1 company of carrom manufacturers at that time but he never took interest because such boards would have more life and his business would suffer. Ultimately the owner of precise Industrial Corporation, Mr. Mahendra Bhalani approached me. He
wanted to manufacture carrom boards. He was manufacturing wooden TV cabinets. When I saw the carrom board I was very happy because he had used the same idea, which was in my mind for many years. He had used a Bakelite strip in the frame, which was giving a big sound when striker was hit on it. We changed the material. Another idea was to make a playing surface waterproof. Then we introduced the product in the market. My dream of several years came into reality, which could benefit the players. Now all manufacturers started to manufacture carrom boards with same technique.
I have seen many players applying maximum force for the break in spite of frames are having very good bounce resulting in the failure of the break. Therefore you should study the bounce of the frames of the carrom boards and apply correct force for the break. If the payer applies full force then some coins are hitting the base frame and come back and jumble with each other, spoiling the position of the coins on the carrom board.
Pockets Vomiting Coins
Sometimes there is a manufacturing defect in the pockets of the carrom board. Generally a coin pocketed hard accurately, the pockets should not vomit it. In such conditions you should be able to apply limited force as if the coin is just dropping into the pocket.
Running of the Coins
Speed of coins depends on two factors, weight of the coin and smoothness of the coin. The denser is the coin it is smoother.
Weight of the Coins
If the weight If the weight of the coin is less then running of the coin is more and therefore you should apply less force. If the coins are heavy then there running is less and therefore you should apply more force.
Smoothness of the Coins
If the coins are well polished then there will be no burr and therefore the running will be more.
Weight of the Coins
Weight of the coins affects two things.
Running of the coins
Deflection of the striker
Running of the coins is discussed above. The more the weight of the coins, more is the deflection. Dense wood is always heavy. Dense wood can be polished well. Red and black coloured wood is generally heavy. Deflection of the striker will affect two strokes. Namely brush and glance. Therefore you should always use different coins for practice, which will allow you to understand the deflection and judge it.
Diameter of the Coins
The diameter of the coin should be 3.18 cm according to rules, but sometimes is less. You can judge it by observing the arrangement of the coins in the outer circle. If they are very much inside the circle then you can conclude that the coins are smaller in diameter. Or you can check it by placing a coin on the red base circle and judge it because the diameter of the coin and the base circle is 3.18 cm. If the coins are small they are easy to pocket and therefore you can play more confidently on such coins. Generally it happens when a manufacturer makes a rod of 3.18 cm in diameter first and then polishes it by emery paper, which reduces it in diameter. Coins made out of such rods become smaller in diameter. In one of the tournaments I was playing a match, our umpire told me to place Queen correctly in the center circle occupying it fully, when I arranged the coins for the break. I brought it to the notice of the umpire that the coins were smaller in diameter. I removed all coins except the Queen from the circle. He could see that the Queen was smaller than the center circle and was convinced.
Level of the Coins
Sometimes there is a point at the center of the coin if the coins are not polished on sand paper properly. Such coin rotates after the break when the coins are scattered. If the players do not notice the rotating coin and touch the striker then umpire will declare a foul. You should notice which
coin is rotating. After the board is finished you should tell the umpire to replace it. If you try to pocket such coin with your usual force it will not reach the pocket. If you do not notice this coin you may lose the board.
Playing More Offence or More Defence
There are many good players who have lost their matches due to over offensive game. The players play over offensive game because of the spectators’ appreciation. Whenever they play good offensive stroke, they get appreciation in the form of clapping from the spectators. They are so happy to get clapping that they even don’t think about the position of the other coins, which could come to the disadvantageous position to them or advantageous position to their opponents after such stroke is played. Nalini Bolinjkar is the best example for over offensive game. In Faridabad I practiced with her every morning and stopped her every time she wanted to play a complicated stroke and explained to her how the position of the other coins will not be favourable to her after playing such stroke only for the pleasure. She was releasing opponent’s difficult coins making everything easy for the opponent. I told her that she should stop playing complicated strokes but she should think when it is advantageous and when it is not. She listened to my advice and won the National championship.
David Joseph is the perfect example of over defensive player. He could pocket all coins more accurately and consistently than other champions but never took the risk and always played defense. If you want to become champion then you should take a risk. A perfect combination of offence and defense makes a player champion. Suhas Kambli and Maria Irudayam are the best examples that used offence and defense very cleverly against their opponents.
Strong Points and Weak Points of You and Your Opponents
You must know strong points and weak points of you and your opponents. Particularly in the national, international and in all major tournaments you should watch the other players’ game not only as a spectator but you should study their game. Only then you can know their strong and weak points. Sometimes great players may have simple weak point for example Arun Kedar, a national champion from Maharashtra developed
psychological problem for the thumbing of which many players of Mumbai started to take advantage of his weak point. In one of the matches in doubles, Jagan Bengle purposely pushed Arun Kedar’s last coin to his base frame as a defense knowing his weak point. Arun Kedar could not reach his striker to the coin and therefore it remained difficult for his partner also. Nobody would dare play such a defense but Jagan had a full confidence of his opponent’s weak point. Suhas Kambli knew the weak point of Tamilnadu players. Tamilnadu players couldn’t play on wrongly leveled boards. Suhas never tried to level the boards and he took advantage of the weak points of his opponents who could not play on wrongly leveled carrom boards.
Middle finger flat grip or scissor grip players are very good on their left side because of the natural generated in the striker due to their flat grip, but they have generally problems to play on their right side. I could take advantage of this weak point of Abdul Jabbar, Ivon Marquis and SriLankan players who had such grips. When I played with these players, I even changed the side of my break and forced them to play on their right side, which was their weak side.
Generally the players who play very fast and very good in pocketing how can you stop them. If you play back game and do not open position and do not allow them to pocket too many coins they will get frustrated and after some time even miss the simple coins. Suhas Kambli used this strategy, when he played in one of the National championship final against Gopalkrishna of Karnataka. Suhas took nearly 15 minutes to complete trial board. Suhas did not pocket his coins but he blocked pockets thereby not allowing Gopalkrishna to pocket coins. Gopalkrishna got frustrated and after some boards Suhas attacked and won the match.
Vijay Sangam was taking advantage of Suhas Kambli’s back game and played some powerful strokes, which not only spoiled the position of Suhas’ coins but also favoured position for Sangam. Vijy Sangam had such powerful strokes that none was able to understand. Spectators were saying it as hathoda (Hammer) and his opponents were always saying it as a fluke. How can a player get always a favourable position every time if it is a fluke? That means Sangam had played all these strokes intentionally which were beyond the imagination of other players. His favourite stroke was cut back.
He was playing this stroke with amazing accuracy and speed of the striker. I have not seen any other player playing this stroke in this fashion.