Your Favorite Players to Watch?

9 Ball Fan · Jun 11, 2019

Mine:

Earl Strickland, Johnny Archer, Efren Reyes, and SVB; in any combination.

There are many other great players, but I watch theses guys over and over again. There are moments of absolute greatness, and sometimes they also show that they are still human.

jrctherake · Jun 11, 2019

Me.........

People say, and its true to an extent, that watching better players helps "you" play better by seeing what, how, when and maybe even, why they do things.

Well, like i said, i agree that watching others has a benefit but, thats not what specifically ask.

You ask who is my favorite person to watch play.

Its me. Why? Well, i learn more by watching videos of me under the gun (high pressure matches) and comparing them to my ghost play to see the .....what, when, how.....and try to figure out the "why" i did it whether it was good or bad.....

By doing ^^^^^^^ im able to come up with decisive and aggressive game changing plans/drills that i cant find by watching someone else play.......even the greats.

Jeff

GoldCrown · Jun 11, 2019

Tom Wirth..... watching Tom play 1Pocket is a show. He finds/creates a shot and runs out.

JazzyJeff87 · Jun 11, 2019

I like watching myself play as well. I record a lot of my play to look for problems and such and I save videos of playing really well for when I need a little boost lol.

If I had to pick one player I like watching it would be Corey deuel. He isn’t the straightest shooter out there but he can definitely come with it and he’s got an amazing pool brain.

skogstokig · Jun 11, 2019

tony chohan, joshua filler, rodney morris, chris melling

retired or past their prime: efren, earl, cliff joyner, tony drago

least favourite: orcullo, bergman, ouschan

dbgordie · Jun 11, 2019

Pagulayan :thumbup:

jrctherake · Jun 11, 2019

JazzyJeff87 said:
I like watching myself play as well. I record a lot of my play to look for problems and such and I save videos of playing really well for when I need a little boost lol.

If I had to pick one player I like watching it would be Corey deuel. He isn’t the straightest shooter out there but he can definitely come with it and he’s got an amazing pool brain.

Most people dont know what to look for when watching themselves on vids. So, that means they aren't shooting the vid from correct angles.

Recording ghost play is a huge way to find problem areas "if" you know what to look for.

Most people think recording play is for bragging rights mostly.....ive got a few vids to "prove" i did or can do something when called down. Eventhough, i dont really care to prove anything anymore. It was a phase i went through...lol.

Lol......when i first joined, i got called out SEVERAL times about my ghost play during conversations on here.

They (certain people) dont call me out anymore...lol.

Be warned though, if you claim you "claim" that you can/did do something, well, you better have a vid, because some will call you out like they did in the old west...lol.

It a good thing, its called "accountability". Everyone should have some.

Jeff

sjm · Jun 11, 2019

There has never been a more interesting player to watch than Efren, so let's get that right out of the way.

But if we omit Efren from the conversation, who I want to watch has changed many times over the years.

I first watched pro pool in 1966, so this is the fifth full decade I've watched, My favorite player to watch by decade was:

1970-79 Irving Crane
1980-89 Mike Sigel
1990-99 Efren Reyes
2000-09 Ralf Souquet
2010-19 Alex Pagulayan

WildWing · Jun 11, 2019

sjm said:
There has never been a more interesting player to watch than Efren, so let's get that right out of the way.

But if we omit Efren form the conversation, who I want to watch has changed many times over the years.

I first watched pro pool in 1966, so this is the fifth full decade I've watched, My favorite player to watch by decade was:

1970-79 Irving Crane
1980-89 Mike Sigel
1990-99 Efren Reyes
2000-09 Ralf Souquet
2010-19 Alex Pagulayan

Good list. Here's mine:

1960 - 69 Luther Lassiter
1970 - 79 Babe Cranfield
1980 - 89 Mike Sigel, and Earl Strickland, tied
1990 to Present - Take your pick, Shane, Mika, a dozen others.

All the best,
WW

Maniac · Jun 11, 2019

I enjoy watching Alex Pagulayan and Chris Melling the most because they have fun playing and demonstrate it at the table. Most players (with their "game faces" on) look like they are walking around the table with a two-by-four up their asses.

I do NOT enjoy watching players who stand up and go back down for a shot over and over and over again. Drives me nuts. Bergman and Orcullo are two of the worst.

Maniac

Black-Balled · Jun 11, 2019

thanks for telling us your way is the right way.

jrctherake said:
Most people dont know what to look for when watching themselves on vids. So, that means they aren't shooting the vid from correct angles.

Recording ghost play is a huge way to find problem areas "if" you know what to look for.

Most people think recording play is for bragging rights mostly.....ive got a few vids to "prove" i did or can do something when called down. Eventhough, i dont really care to prove anything anymore. It was a phase i went through...lol.

Lol......when i first joined, i got called out SEVERAL times about my ghost play during conversations on here.

They (certain people) dont call me out anymore...lol.

Be warned though, if you claim you "claim" that you can/did do something, well, you better have a vid, because some will call you out like they did in the old west...lol.

It a good thing, its called "accountability". Everyone should have some.

Jeff

Scratch85 · Jun 11, 2019

Nothing has entertained me more than the magic of Efren. But since it hasn’t been mentioned, I really like seeing any player that catches that high gear. Shaw is one that I find very entertaining when he catches that gear. His pace of play, confidence and great shot making are very entertaining. It’s not that it is Shaw though. Filler caught that gear in the Open Many players have done it and I am entertained every time.

Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums

HawaiianEye · Jun 11, 2019

I would have to say "Earl in his prime".

When Earl was "on", he was a "machine" and a "fast" machine.

I love the way he walked around the table, with his eyes looking like laser beams, and he just fired balls in left and right from everywhere.

He would "finesse" balls if he needed to and he would "fire" them in with power strokes and send the cue ball multiple rails for position, if needed.

NOBODY plays that way TODAY!

jrctherake · Jun 11, 2019

Black-Balled said:
thanks for telling us your way is the right way.

Your welcome BB.

I didn't know what I didn't know, until someone that held a 14.1 and 9 ball champ title told me, then showed me......

Guess what, im still needing directions and ive chose Mark Wilson and Nick Varner to be the ones to give it.

I believe it will be money well spent.

Ive had help from one of those two before and he was the one that showed me i was using the cameras wrong and said that most everyone did it wrong as well.

BB, dont shoot the messenger.

BTW, like you've said many times:

Were probably more alike than not....or something like that.:grin:

Jeff

9ball5032 · Jun 11, 2019

My favorite player to watch is Rodney Morris, especially when he is practicing. He does not take long to shoot and plays simple patterns. Watching him motivates me to play.

mark187 · Jun 12, 2019

Tony Drago and Earl are my top two. So natural and fluent. Currently I like Joshua Filler, SVB and Rodney Morris. Pretty much dislike the whole 2018 European Mosconi Cup team, too slow to do anything.

Straightpool_99 · Jun 12, 2019

I've watched Mike Sigels 150 ball run against Zuglan more times than I care to remember, dissecting his patterns and position play. For Entertainment I love watching vintage Strickland, Reyes (obviously) and Filler. I like to watch Natural players when I want to be entertained. When I want to learn from present day players, I watch Feijen and Souquet who are more deliberate and easier to analyze.

Cornerman · Jun 12, 2019

9 Ball Fan said:
Mine:

Earl Strickland, Johnny Archer, Efren Reyes, and SVB; in any combination.

There are many other great players, but I watch theses guys over and over again. There are moments of absolute greatness, and sometimes they also show that they are still human.

Anyone that entertains the crowd, whether by shooting, by talking or both. Of all the pool I’ve watched live, Keith McCready easily takes the top spot.

Probably my second choice is Bustamante, whose name I didn’t see get mentioned. When he’s on a table, he always is the coolest guy in the room. And did anyone notice that this over-the-hill HoFer is the current back-to-back DCC One Pocket Champion?

Freddie <~~~ 2nd

Saturated Fats · Jun 12, 2019

I'll watch any of the below players at every opportunity.

For fun:

Alex
Melling
McCready

For accuracy:

Shaw

For creativity:

Chohan
Deuel
Efren

korey · Jun 12, 2019

Entertaiing

Naoyuki Oi always makes an entertaining match.

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