I mentioned this topic in another thread a few days ago.
Most seasoned and veteran pool players can, and do, adjust to foreign equipment much more quickly than the younger players. This is just a fact that due to their experience competing on a variety of equipment, it helps one to figure out how to adjust fast.
I remember a tournament in Rhode Island, I think it was, when one player beat Ronnie Alcano 9-zip on a table that begins with a "G" that had cloth that was like an ice-skating rink. None of the players at this Joss event could pocket a ball, but the seasoned player who ended up winning had no problem adjusting to the strange equipment. This is an advantage to veteran players who have, in fact, played on a variety of equipment.
Another example is how road players when playing in pool rooms across the country, they have to also figure out how to play on sometimes shoddy equipment. When you go in pool rooms today, not all the tables are level, contain fresh felt, and have rails that accept a bank correctly. Not to mention that in the old days, the road players would use a house cue while their opponents sometimes played with custom-made cues. :grin-square:
Earl Strickland, I was told, did, in fact, play snooker in his younger life. Most pool peeps from the South ran across a snooker table from time to time. I can remember going in the Baker's pool room in Tampa during the '80s and there was a ring game of 9-ball with Steve Mizerak, et al., on a snooker table. It was brutally tough to get a shot with the crew that frequented this joint back then. They were all champions.
Earl also played on a 10-footer in Detroit in his younger life.
So Earl does, in fact, not only have the advantage of seasoning, but he's also knowledgeable about how the 10-footers play as compared to the 9-footers, how a ball rolls down the rail differently with the two different cloths when they meet a tight pocket.
It was a brilliant move for Earl to have this kind of equipment. I am glad to see him score a win. It will do wonders for his self-confidence. I'd also like to see him score a win against Johnny Archer. That would be the icing on the cake for Earl.
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