This was first posted in the straight pool forum and even if you don't play straight pool it's worth watching. After he finishes running balls he answers questions from the crowd.
Somebody asked a question which isn't quite legible, but I think it had to do with a breakthrough in his confidence.
Ray Martin: Yea, when I won my first world title. It was the first one I ever got into. Here I am playing all these guys like Balsis, Crane and Lassiter. Every time they'd throw me one of those lines I'd knock them off. Then came the next line and the next line and when the end of the tournament came I had won it.
When you start to beat better players it does something for you. You start to realize I can play this game too.
Another question that I couldn't quite make out.
Ray Martin: Once you learn to handle that cue ball and pocket balls then it's all up here (points to his head). More so now than what it is before. It's mental. Depends on your personality too. Some guys can't handle it. Some guys will make the effort and will say "I'm going to conquer this". That's all your individual personality. That's why there is only a handful of champions. The other guy blows up and throws his cue stick across the room, says the hell with this, bangs on something. That guy's never gonna make it. He can't handle it.
You gotta learn to take your mistakes. So I went of the balls bad, so I wound up down at the end of the table. Shoot the next one and get back in line. It's the mental aspect.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8294808311951707336
Great video, and rep to dmgwalsh for posting it.
Somebody asked a question which isn't quite legible, but I think it had to do with a breakthrough in his confidence.
Ray Martin: Yea, when I won my first world title. It was the first one I ever got into. Here I am playing all these guys like Balsis, Crane and Lassiter. Every time they'd throw me one of those lines I'd knock them off. Then came the next line and the next line and when the end of the tournament came I had won it.
When you start to beat better players it does something for you. You start to realize I can play this game too.
Another question that I couldn't quite make out.
Ray Martin: Once you learn to handle that cue ball and pocket balls then it's all up here (points to his head). More so now than what it is before. It's mental. Depends on your personality too. Some guys can't handle it. Some guys will make the effort and will say "I'm going to conquer this". That's all your individual personality. That's why there is only a handful of champions. The other guy blows up and throws his cue stick across the room, says the hell with this, bangs on something. That guy's never gonna make it. He can't handle it.
You gotta learn to take your mistakes. So I went of the balls bad, so I wound up down at the end of the table. Shoot the next one and get back in line. It's the mental aspect.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8294808311951707336
Great video, and rep to dmgwalsh for posting it.
