World Pool Masters (22-25 May2021) Winner $25K
- Thread starter spartan
- Start date
hey stu, appreciate your POV on josh- I've seen him execute some excellent safeties (vs. shane in mosconi comes to mind),
but I admittedly never thought of him as elite in that dept.
two things come to mind as to why, one I'm sure of:
1. my own ignorance..I'm still very much a pool student.
2. shot-making generally seems to steal the headlines over heady play, and josh, of course, is a brilliant offensive player.
to use another tennis example (a sport I know better), roger federer is known best for his own shot-making abilities, his flashy play, his winners-
but what most gloss over is the fact that he too, is an elite defensive player, and in fact, it's often the great defense that allows fed to execute offensively.
I think it's similar in other sports. michael jordan was a great defender, but he's celebrated for dunking the ball, etc.
"scoring" just sells, and rightfully so. we generally have to put balls in pockets to win. but if we want to appreciate sport for all it's worth,
we have to pay attention to the process, not just the end result. if we want to know the book, we have to read the book.
Just as much Canadian as our olympic sprinters...lol
This is well said. I think there's much truth in the suggestion that Filler's amazingly straight shooting is so overwhelming that few give him credit for his keen defensive insights. By the age of 20, he was already using some of the advanced techniques in tactical play one typically only sees form the Filipinos. I remember how astonished I was when I fist saw it, for the last player that I saw that had that kind of tactical insight at such a young age was Alex Pagulayan, the best defensive player of the nine ball era not named Efren. Filler's high playing IQ gets overlooked far too often. Nobody in their right mind would suggest that Josh executes at a level of Alex, Efren, or Orcullo, but as he has already shown that he sees so much of what they see at such a young age, he has a chance to be one of the game's greatest tactical players if he tidies up his tactical execution a bit. We'll see if he gets there.
Your tennis analogy is right on point, as the great ones must play in a way that maximizes good chances to hit that winner that is the only shot we'll remember. In nine ball, similar subtleties are in play, and the great ones not only break big and execute the offense, but usually squeeze a few extra chances out of their games with tactical mastery. Sometimes, that tactical mastery is hard to see. All the top players do an admirable job of executing the shots they select, but the greatest tacticians show a) slightly better defensive angle management, b) slightly better speed selection and control, c) slightly better downside management when playing both offense and defense, and d) slightly better choices with respect to object ball placement.
Last edited:
This tournament is great, even though a few of the most elite are missing. Matchroom's move in the direction of tighter equipment (seen in the Mosconi, the Predator League Championship and the World Pool Master) is providing a stiff test for the game's greatest players. The many who always whine about nine ball being too easy may be complaining that it's too difficult before the curtain drops on this World Pool Masters. The runouts usually have to be earned, and that's just how it should be. I'll add that race to seven is certainly long enough given the setup. Thank you Matchroom.
Last edited:
Melling asks for the CB to be cleaned. So instead of asking for the clock to be stopped, the ref tries to do it as quickly as possible and ends up dropping the CB on the floor. Then he asks for the clock to be stopped and cleans the ball.
He then asks for the clock to be started before he's even out of the way. Fortunately it didn't really matter in the end, but still pretty funny.
He then asks for the clock to be started before he's even out of the way. Fortunately it didn't really matter in the end, but still pretty funny.
That's because the clock doesn't stop for cleaning, it's on the players time.
missed the filler - melling match but i assume fireworks and few misses?
Pretty good match between Filler and Melling, other than the commentary, which was biased and very Melling friendly. Yes, Melling had a skid, but seriously, for Phil Yates to throw a near tantrum because Filler nearly missed a seven ball on four inch pockets is ridiculous. In addition, at 5-3 down, Melling had to negotiate a tricky three ball that would surely decide the rack, as the four was leaning over a pocket. He missed it by quite a bit, but fluked a snooker, so he won the rack anyway. There wasn't a peep from the commentators regarding what could have proven a match deciding roll. It seems the commentators were fine with Melling getting a huge roll. Perhaps the commentators are on four inch pockets like the players. The commentators will need to shoot a little straighter if they hope to dog it a little less. Jayson Shaw, in his in-match interviews, did aa far better job.
Filler deserved to win, but to be fair, he's not at his sharpest quite yet. As we saw at the World Cup of Pool, however, he sometimes finds ways to win even when he's not firing on all cylinders. It should be fun to watch. Matchroom delivers again!
Filler deserved to win, but to be fair, he's not at his sharpest quite yet. As we saw at the World Cup of Pool, however, he sometimes finds ways to win even when he's not firing on all cylinders. It should be fun to watch. Matchroom delivers again!
Last edited:
Ah I wasn't aware. thanks
Think he's going to crush it here