Recent content by Bert van Manen

The sarcasm is appreciated in good spirits Moe. But Caudron (average shot time well under 20 sec) really plays almost exclusively on feel. His exploits in the world of systems are mostly borrowed from / in collaboration with Dutchman Frans van Kuijk, who is one of the world's authorities on...

Food for thought. My – long ago – practice partner had a “system” for tickies. As all systems guys, he never ever questioned the system itself. If something went wrong, it was his stroke or his aiming or something else, but never was the system at fault. He confidently hit the top long rail...

Not a lot has changed in the Low Countries since I wrote that column about Belgium eight years ago. The classic disciplines still exist, but they are on life support. It's sad really, because there is such delicate beauty in balkline and one-cushion. I grew up in 18/2 and have never regretted...

I suggested you explore and discover in practice. In your quote, you do it in the middle of a match. There's a big difference.

You get better at tickies by playing them often in practice, especially if you explore and discover, make yourself try out counterintuitive combinations of english and thickness. There's no such thing as a "system" for tickies.

Congrats Black-Balled. You've just made the most American comment imaginable.

I've seen Hoffman, Hofmann and even Hoffmann. It's the double n in Glenn that messes with people's heads. His last name is Hofman.

The weak player in the field is a Chinese with a wildcard for the organizing country. That's not uncommon.

Those are good questions, but I am afraid there is no formula or simple answer. An inch here or there can make the difference between a "comfortable" SLS (as you say, often 1/4 ball and no english or close to it) and a SLS that needs more work. In my experience, using a little more of the object...

There's a Dutch player who uses the longest grip / wrap I've ever seen. It starts an inch from the top of the butt and goes all the way down, leaving about five inches bare at the bottom end. Which is where his right hand is when he plays.

The pic with Byrne and Jeanette is from 2005, Carom Cafe. Byrne was a visitor, he didn't play. But Jeanette did, and she found herself in a flight with Mike Massey and Dennis Dieckman! We saw some unusual shots, innings were thankfully not kept, and everybody had fun.

It's indeed hard af, the learning curve is long, there's no instant gratification and the frustration of getting poor results can be sky high. Which is why we should stop comparing 3C to other, more commercially succesful sports. 3-cushion is and will always be a small, niche sport globally. I...

I sort-of know the guy who runs that site (Bert Piepers) but I've never done business with him. Never heard a bad story, I must say. But always be careful with cues! There are more knock-offs on the market than most people know, and a "certificate of authenticity" is photoshopped in minutes.

I think I can explain that ubiquitous and totally annoying fifties jazz in French billiard rooms. it's the only music they can play without paying copyright fees. That's not to be snarky, I asked a room owner and that was his explanation.

Friendly warning: once the 3-cushion virus has you, that's it. No known cure.