Was it just an extension? It seems everyone has a extension these days. The 8 inch extension that came with my cue is just a cheap plastic light weight piece.
I wonder if one of us duplicated a layout on a neutral table and took a picture of it, if the pro that shot it would immediately recognize it, where it was, who his opponent was, etc. Just like the video did with Magnus.
I think there are some 3-cushion players who would remember critical hard shots from particular games. Maybe it would be the same for 9 ball. For both, individual positions are nearly always pretty close to a dozen other layouts they have already played.