Anyone remember,know or play with a hustler named Toby Sweet?
Toby Sweet
- Thread starter madhatter44
- Start date
Back in 1988 I lived on my sail boat docked behind his apartment. He had a pool hall in Hollywood Fla. at the time, where he gave me a few lessons.
If anyone has his phone number, please PM me!
Dan
If anyone has his phone number, please PM me!
Dan
Here are a few pics of Toby
I have a few pics of him.
I have a few pics of him.
Played him and saw him play many times. Back when he was at his best he played 9 ball about as good as the game could be played. I am not talking about this guy was better then that guy or any of that, I am talking about from a technical stand point. His overall pool game was perfect. He did very little, no unnecessary movements or strange habits, his game was flawless. This was later evidenced buy how well he played after years of not playing at all. He just picked up a stick again and went back to his very simplistic way of playing and it still worked.
I have been around pool for over 50 years and I would say of all the players I have seen play, Toby would be the best for any player trying to learn the game to emulate. It seems like every player regardless of who they are from world champ to banger have some bad or goofy habits or quirks. Toby has none. He makes the hardest things look easy. In fact after watching him for a short while he makes "anyone" watching feel like they could just pick up a cue and do it to. Im not kidding, just watching him play will make your game jump up. I am running out of words to explain how good his game was.
Exactly. I've played him recently. Great guy and player. He is still around. He usually spends the summer in NY and winter here in the West Palm Beach area.
In the late 70s I had the privilege to watch him play a lot, he hanged out @ the Hi Cue in Elizabeth NJ that's where a lot of the great players used to play A.Hopkins, R.Martin. S.Mizerak ,J.Colavita, P.Margo,J.Frady,even Danny Gartner who was in his 80s and still played good hanged there,well Toby played all of them and held more than his own that's how good Toby was, a great player.
Please tell him Jay from L.A. says hi. Thnx
Toby is a very good player, a real grinder !
He would catch a ride with me to some of the Florida Tour stops we played in.
He was a good friend at that time. I have not been to Florida for a long time.
On another note, the redhead girl just above Toby's elbow ( last pic in post #5) looks like
Bonnie Hoffman. She was starting to climb up the rankings but then she
kind of vanished from the scene. Her sister Corrine was the TD on the Fla Tour.
I heard she passed away. Their father was a great guy too.
He was a regular at CM's Place in Seminole.
:groucho:
He would catch a ride with me to some of the Florida Tour stops we played in.
He was a good friend at that time. I have not been to Florida for a long time.
On another note, the redhead girl just above Toby's elbow ( last pic in post #5) looks like
Bonnie Hoffman. She was starting to climb up the rankings but then she
kind of vanished from the scene. Her sister Corrine was the TD on the Fla Tour.
I heard she passed away. Their father was a great guy too.
He was a regular at CM's Place in Seminole.
:groucho:
I hope someone shows Toby this thread. Seems like he would really enjoy reading the comments about him.
Anyone want to volunteer to do this?:thumbup:
Anyone want to volunteer to do this?:thumbup:
I saw Toby once, at the NYS 9 ball Championship in the early or mid '80s. He had a great rep as one of the best gamblers in the country at the time. A guy with Joe Kerr, I think it may have been Lyle Gay(sp?), tried to make a game with Toby with the wild 8 but Toby offered the call 8, they never did play. Toby seemed very quiet and reserved, not real concerned whether they played or not.
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I played Toby in 1969 in Memphis at the Highland Cue. He was with "Cuban Joe", Toby ran 11 racks on me on a Gold Crown, I guess he could play a little lol !
His name came up yesterday in remenicent conversation between some former pro players and it was agreed that he had one of the best Q balls....Ever.
And could play with anyone. Believe it.
And his one handed game was on par with almost anyone alive.
And could play with anyone. Believe it.
And his one handed game was on par with almost anyone alive.
I saw Toby play many times when he was at his best. He was the last guy to spot Buddy (the eight ball) in the late 60's. Toby was this innocent looking, slender little hippy kid, who was quiet and reserved. He never spoke loud, and I never heard him cuss or yell. He wouldn't argue about making a game. He would offer a spot and if you liked it the game was on, and if you didn't there was no game.
Even at the table he was not as impressive as guys like Hippy Jimmy, Mataya, Buddy, Cole or Keith. His stroke did not stand out so much to impress you. He didn't draw the ball all around the table. And he wasn't firing in long rail Banks and running out. He didn't have to! His position was flawless and he never seemed to miss a ball. His power of concentration may have been the best all time in pro pool. He was the original Zen pool player, until that animal Wu showed up at age 16.
Probably the only two players who missed as few times as Toby, were Lassister and Sigel. And they might miss one ball an hour at the most. Toby became a killer player simply by not missing and playing simple but effective position rack after rack. He could play that way all day and all night. Most other players (even today) have lapses in concentration. Nothing ever seemed to bother Toby. He would just smile and keep making balls! Hard to beat a man who never misses!
Only other player who played that tight close position all the time was Don Watson, also a great money player. The one time I saw them together, someone tried to match them up. Don took his head out of the newspaper (studying the lines) and took a long hard look at Toby and shook his head NO. He knew Toby from somewhere and had no interest in playing him, backer or not.
Boy, what secrets are contained in his head. He knows some things about pool that most of us are seeking to learn. As for me it's all about the power of pure focus and concentration on ALL shots! Worked pretty well for Toby for a long, long time.
Even at the table he was not as impressive as guys like Hippy Jimmy, Mataya, Buddy, Cole or Keith. His stroke did not stand out so much to impress you. He didn't draw the ball all around the table. And he wasn't firing in long rail Banks and running out. He didn't have to! His position was flawless and he never seemed to miss a ball. His power of concentration may have been the best all time in pro pool. He was the original Zen pool player, until that animal Wu showed up at age 16.
Probably the only two players who missed as few times as Toby, were Lassister and Sigel. And they might miss one ball an hour at the most. Toby became a killer player simply by not missing and playing simple but effective position rack after rack. He could play that way all day and all night. Most other players (even today) have lapses in concentration. Nothing ever seemed to bother Toby. He would just smile and keep making balls! Hard to beat a man who never misses!
Only other player who played that tight close position all the time was Don Watson, also a great money player. The one time I saw them together, someone tried to match them up. Don took his head out of the newspaper (studying the lines) and took a long hard look at Toby and shook his head NO. He knew Toby from somewhere and had no interest in playing him, backer or not.
Boy, what secrets are contained in his head. He knows some things about pool that most of us are seeking to learn. As for me it's all about the power of pure focus and concentration on ALL shots! Worked pretty well for Toby for a long, long time.
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Hey Jay,
Toby just spent the whole summer here in NY. He was at my poolroom everyday, mostly just hanging around with all of us. Every once in a while Toby and I would just bang them around. As a kid I used to go to Toby's room in New York which was right up the road from where my room is today. I would watch my father play, and many times Toby would be in action. I ended up years later working there, and playing there for about 15 years. I've heard almost every road story from Toby, and have been on a few. He could write an amazing book. Back in the late 60's,70's,and into the 80's No one had to like it, and played almost everyone.
Jay,
I did tell him you said hello.. He remembers you well.
Best,
Ken