The Filipino Stroke...

sidepocket7

sidepocket7

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ok, so I have been watching alot of professional pool over the last year. Everything from Accu-stats, TAR, BigTruck, on and on...you get the picture. In my effort to broaden my knowledge of how real pool is supposed to be played, the Filipino players, especially Bustamante and Reyes, seem to have a stroke much different than the Americans and the Europeans. It seems to be much smoother, long, and very fluid. What are they doing different? Is it a different technique? I tell you, they look very very smooth. I know that the Americans and the Euro's play the game just as well, and drop just as many balls, but this stroke the Phils have is amazing. Any insight is appreciate!
Thanks
-Dave
 
They are short people. Their stance is more compact, and they use the same length of cue. I am a pretty short guy, and I have a very long stroke.
My friends hate it that I have a better stroke then them. But I can't help it.
I use a shorter break cue because of how compact my arms are. The control factor is not because of how long the stroke is. Its how refined their stroke is. They cue the ball perfect with the right speed (different to every shot), How can you lose. But in the pino's case, How can you lose with the state of mind they play in. "Life or Death" kinda deal. Just what I have come up with studying the greatest pool playing country in the world.
 
Efren used to have a bicycle stroke as well.
My theory is the Simonis cloth ended it.
The newer generation of Filipino pros seem to have lost that bicycle stroke as well ( Manalo , Orcullo, Gomez, Gabica and Corteza for example ).
Efren and Busta grew up on slow nappy cloth and no AC in the poolhalls.
Most were open windows even.
 
That's the kind of stroke that requires hours and hours of muscle memory. I studied that stroke for years and even imitated it and it ruined my game. It wasn't until I got lessons from a real pro that my stroke was cured from all that movement. That stroke may look smooth, but if I were you, I would pay attention to Danny Harriman. Now, that's a real stroke.
 
If you watch Mika Immonen play, this "bicycle stroke" is extremely apparent. Despite the fact that there's more movement compared to the traditional stroke, it seems to stabilize the cue more.
 
what is a 'bicycle stroke'?? is it like when u stroke, ur cue butt move in a up n down manner juz like the peddling of the bicycle?
 
Efren is not short, 5,10 I think. Also been told his cue is 60 inches. The man to me has the most fluid stroke every. But I'm just a fan. :smile::smile: Skip
 
almostgood said:
They are short people. Their stance is more compact, and they use the same length of cue. I am a pretty short guy, and I have a very long stroke.
My friends hate it that I have a better stroke then them. But I can't help it.
I use a shorter break cue because of how compact my arms are. The control factor is not because of how long the stroke is. Its how refined their stroke is. They cue the ball perfect with the right speed (different to every shot), How can you lose. But in the pino's case, How can you lose with the state of mind they play in. "Life or Death" kinda deal. Just what I have come up with studying the greatest pool playing country in the world.
Click to expand...

neither one of them is that short.
 
Descente36 said:
If you watch Mika Immonen play, this "bicycle stroke" is extremely apparent. Despite the fact that there's more movement compared to the traditional stroke, it seems to stabilize the cue more.
Click to expand...

his isn't the same though. his is a little more jerkey
 
Descente36 said:
If you watch Mika Immonen play, this "bicycle stroke" is extremely apparent. Despite the fact that there's more movement compared to the traditional stroke, it seems to stabilize the cue more.
Click to expand...

Go talk to Mika, he will tell you why. =)

We can see Mika has some form of pumping action (not as defined as the pinoys) and almost always drops elbow.
 
I always wondered what happened to Billy Squire after the eighties. He moved to the south Pacific and started playing weddings. And yes it is an amazingly smooth stroke.
 
skip said:
Efren is not short, 5,10 I think. Also been told his cue is 60 inches. The man to me has the most fluid stroke every. But I'm just a fan. :smile::smile: Skip
Click to expand...

Actually, Efren is more like 5'7". He's short, not tiny but not hat tall. Also, he plays with the standard 58" cue, (at least his judds were).


Eric
 
a music lover in our midst!

Elephant Man said:
I always wondered what happened to Billy Squire after the eighties. He moved to the south Pacific and started playing weddings. And yes it is an amazingly smooth stroke.
Click to expand...

Actually his name is spelled ,"Squier," and he live in New York's upper west side. Had a good sound . It reminds me a lot of Band of Skulls doing ,
"Death by Diamonds and Pearls." Check it out.
 
12310bch said:
Actually his name is spelled ,"Squier," and he live in New York's upper west side. Had a good sound . It reminds me a lot of Band of Skulls doing ,
"Death by Diamonds and Pearls." Check it out.
Click to expand...

Yah I had it spelled Squier but spell check tricked me... Not to hijack but had an interesting Billy Squier encounter. He was playing free at a record store in Austin. He came out rocking. Then he started dissing his old record company and went on to play all new acoustic original music. I felt really bad as everyone slowly left the building and he ended up playing to a one couple audience that knew every word.
 
Efren is pretty close to 5'10". I am 5'8", and he is taller than me. I have stood next to him many times.

-Brandon
 
brandoncook26 said:
Efren is pretty close to 5'10". I am 5'8", and he is taller than me. I have stood next to him many times.

-Brandon
Click to expand...

I'll have to dig up a pic of him standing next to me. He's shorter than me(more than an inch) and I'm 5'11". Maybe he's 5'8"?


Eric
 
I don't think Efren's stroke is that much more "fluid" than many other great players from all over the world when he's shooting firmly. He does maintain a loose grip and avoids tension when shooting firmly, but that's nothing but text-book stroke technique. It's simply what every good player should strive to do.

When shooting softly, however, I do see a difference. He still takes a relatively long stroke even when he's hitting the ball very lightly, and it's a bit of a unique thing. Coupled with the movement of his elbow, it creates a very noticeable wavy stroke, and makes it seem almost magical that he can still hit the ball so accurately. The way he thins the object ball with that type of stroke is other-worldly. I can't imagine having that kind of control while using a stroke that looks so careless.

-Andrew
 
Beside Efren being relatively short, More pinos are shorter, than taller. The majority of the players there have very compact forms. Alex P. Is a little guy
very long stroke, not really bicycle, but long and accurate either way. pay attention to how close their arms are to each other when in stance to shoot.
 
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