Mike Sigel's stroke -- elegant in the simplicity of its components

JolietJames said:
I have yet to play on ANY brand table that doesn't allow me to fire a ball from the center of the table into a corner pocket. Not quite sure what the comment about 1.21 in the video was meant to say exactly. That being said, I've fired a couple balls into the corner pockets of valley tables only to have them disappear then fly back up onto the table again. It happened to me twice at last year's ACS state tourney.
Click to expand...
as long as the OB goes to the heart of the pocket, no difference in the GC/ Diamond...I will agree.

Shoot that shot like that 1000x- forcing CB instead of rolling it- and there will be more missed balls on the Diamond than the GC.

Not sure I've ever played on a Valley
 
Black-Balled said:
Shoot that shot like that 1000x- forcing CB instead of rolling it- and there will be more missed balls on the Diamond than the GC.
Click to expand...

Can you explain this statement please? - forcing CB? Did you mean OB?

BTW, I have shot on my Diamond for umpteen years now and an OB shot hard directly into the pocket has NEVER come out.

Didn't Mosconi had a ball jump back up on the table out of the pocket during his 526 ball run, and everyone agreed he should continue shooting as if nothing happened. I believe this was on a 4x8 table (Brunswick ?) Certaintly not a Diamond.

I also disagree STRONGLY with your statement about gold crowns - you hit the rail within the pocket (jaws) and you will see the trampoline effect more more than on Diamonds. My Diamond with 4.25" pockets takes balls better than any Gold Crown any day of the week. The pockets are CUT better. That is why I don't like Gold Crowsn, other than the better banking angles.
 
whitewolf said:
[...]
Didn't Mosconi had a ball jump back up on the table out of the pocket during his 526 ball run, and everyone agreed he should continue shooting as if nothing happened. I believe this was on a 4x8 table (Brunswick ?) Certaintly not a Diamond.
[...]
Click to expand...

Say what? I never heard of that. The more we talk about Mosconi on these boards, the more wive's tales seem to come out. The only discrepancies about Willie's run are the following:

1. The specifications of that table, and how they compare to today's specificaitons (e.g. "generosity" of the pockets on that 4x8 table)
2. What happened to end the run -- what happened at shot #527. In "Willie's Game" he says he missed and was relieved to have the run come to an end. However, in public interviews, Willie says he just got tired and quit:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qRKw56oAA-E#t=7m15s

-Sean
 
comments inserted...

whitewolf said:
Can you explain this statement please? - forcing CB? Did you mean OB? Nope...he forces/ stuns the CB, making it trafel as a result of the shots force, not rolling it. That style of play is not advised on a Diamond, for us mortals.

BTW, I have shot on my Diamond for umpteen years now and an OB shot hard directly into the pocket has NEVER come out.

Didn't Mosconi had a ball jump back up on the table out of the pocket during his 526 ball run, and everyone agreed he should continue shooting as if nothing happened. I believe this was on a 4x8 table (Brunswick ?) Certaintly not a Diamond.Please give us your source there. Never heard that before.

I also disagree STRONGLY with your statement about gold crowns - you hit the rail within the pocket (jaws) and you will see the trampoline effect more more than on Diamonds. My Diamond with 4.25" pockets takes balls better than any Gold Crown any day of the week. The pockets are CUT better. In my experience, GCs play softer than Diamonds. I agree that Diamond's tables are more technically pperfect than Brunswick's. That is why I don't like Gold Crowsn, other than the better banking angles.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
metallicane said:
Thanks for posting. Love watching Sigel play. I love listening to him to. He knows so much and is more than willing to tell you.
Click to expand...

Then this rare older (1989) video, when Mike was 36 years-old will be enjoyable to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7we59K8kms&feature=related

The quality as posted to Youtube is terrible (a little shaky and fuzzy) but you do get to see him run 150 and out in about an hour against Rempe in the 1989 BCA US Open 14.1.

His run starts at only a minute or two into the video when he makes a nice narrow side-pocket shot to escape Rempe's safety. A truly luckless roll after a fine table-length opening shot from the head rail forces Jim to play that safety with balls spread everywhere in the table.

The last rack is kind of fun and more than a little awkward as Sigel's characteristic fidgety-ness mounts, beginning at the point where Mike needs only 9 more. He's so nervous and getting a bit overheated, that he starts fanning himself with his hand to keep his composure and concentration.

Rusty Miller was offering on the side, several hundred dollars for tournament high run, and young Mike is quite aware that he's just about to be guaranteed that if he gets thru this final rack and completes the 150-ball run. Naturally the satisfaction of the accomplishment is a far more important reward to him, and the money's icing for the feat.

You'll also enjoy this more contemporary and unusually-formatted Sigel 14-1 match where each of the players (separately) comes back into the commentating booth after he leaves the table to give his comments on what just happened during the play in the previous rack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRj1AK9udCo&feature=related

Arnaldo (a major Sigel fan)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top