I saw a thread buried in the NPR Forum by JAM and thought I'd post this here, in hopes that she might move her post (or a link) here.
I wrote this post almost 6 years ago in a land far away and some may have seen it then, but most have not.
<insert flashback music Here>
http://groups.google.com/group/rec....t+shot,+kenny+miller+group:rec.sport.billiard
Doug
Newsgroups: rec.sport.billiard
From: SmorgassBo...@webtv.net (Smorgass Bored)
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 02:03:03 -0500 (EST)
I'm sorry that I can't access & use the online table and balls (the
Wei table) to display this shot, but I'll try to 'describe' it.
I don't play very well, but I've seen plenty of players shoot some
great shots over the past 40 plus years. As all my friends and many here
know, I love to travel to watch great players and great matches. I've
seen some amazing shots made under trying circumstances and conditions.
With that said, I'd like to try to explain the greatest shot that I've
ever witnessed first hand.
My friend and Planet 9-Ball owner Ken Miller is a quadriplegic in a
wheelchair and a damned fine poolplayer. He wasn't a one-pocket player,
because there are many shots on the table that he simply can't reach.
Because of my new found love for one-pocket, Ken has taken to practicing
with me on a fairly regular schedule. We play on a fairly fast and tight
Ebony Robertson table that was Buddy Hall's 'special table' while he was
house Pro at P-9-Ball. We call it 'The Buddy Table' and action on this
table usually draws a crowd of onlookers (including a least a half dozen
or more 'prejuidiced' locals that always pull for my opponent and won't
let me get away with ANYTHING). They've been known to scream at the end
of my inning, "HE OWES A BALL", "HE'S TAKING THE OWED BALL OUT OF
**YOUR** POCKET" and my all time favorite " NOTHING HIT A RAIL." I
mean, don't they have JOBS or something ? Someplace else they just
HAVE to be ? Anyway, I digress....
Kenny and I were playing one-pocket and while I never 'intentionally'
leave the cueball in a spot where he can't reach it, it sometime
happens. As you face the rack of balls, Ken has the right corner pocket
and I have the left. Most of the balls are still in the rack area and I
left the cueball 'just to right' of where the head ball would be and a
few inches uptable from the rack spot. The four ball is about four
inches off the end rail and about fifteen inches from the side rail by
his pocket (almost by the center spot on the footrail) . I'm right
handed and if it were MY shot, I'd have to lean out over the table and
attempt to THINLY cut this ball into my pocket. I figure to make it
about 2-3 times out of ten.
Kenny has a small portable 'bridge' (you may have seen him use it on
one of his appearances on ESPN) that has a small round brass base and
what looks like a brass letter C protruding upward from the base. This
allows him to use the base of the letter C as his bridge and then lift
the whole thing up off the table by using the top of the letter C.
Ken is right handed and it was immediately evident that from the end
rail, he would be almost a foot short of being able to use his bridge
and actually HIT the cueball. Kenny used an extra amount of time (for
him) to place the tip of his cue on his portable bridge and aim the tip
at EXACTLY where he'd need to hit the cueball in order to cut the four
ball across to his pocket. I don't know what was taking so damned long
for him to aim a shot that he couldn't possible reach. I finally
hollored, " c'mon Kenny, SHOOTEMUP."
I'm sorry that I doubted him. Kenny proceeded to wheel his chair
around the table, while leaving his cue lying on the table with the
forward part of his shaft resting firmly in his portable bridge. He
rolled snuggly up to my side of table, by the side pocket, BUT, facing
the wrong way. He's right handed, but he picked up his cue with his LEFT
hand. Remember, the tip of the cue, the bridge, the cueball and the four
ball are all BEHIND HIM. He kept moving the butt of his cue back and
forth, while looking at the inside of the corner pocket that he was
facing. This would be the corner that is cater-corner from his pocket,
nine feet away. I finally and impatiently asked him what he DOING...
(he just LOVES to toy with me)
He said that he was 'finding his spot' in the corner pocket and aimimg
at it with the butt of his cue. With one quick glance over his shoulder,
he stroked a couple of times and then SHOT, backwards,left handed, in
the opposite direction, without looking and hit the cueball perfectly
sending it towards the end rail BEHIND HIM, where it made contact with
the four and thinly cut it into the corner. My face turned red, my ears
started to tingle & burn, I felt feverish and I managed to croak,
"ggggood shot". I sat paralyzed, while Ken "The Rolling Shark" Miller
went on to beat me 8-0.
I mean, come ON. Where do these people come up with shots (to beat ME)
?
Why does it always happen to ME ? Why do they play their career best
against ME ? What have I done to anger the pool gods, that I deserve
THIS ? I mean, oy-vey. No, really, OY- friggin-VEY ! What's next, Ray
Charles running out a nineball rack for my total bankroll ?
My hat's off to Ken Miller. That was a Great shot. The best I've
seen. It reinforces my love of the game and the people that play it so
well.
I aspire to oneday become half the player that you are. I'm glad that
you're my friend.
Doug
~>*(((>< Big fish eat Little fish ><)))*<~
.
I wrote this post almost 6 years ago in a land far away and some may have seen it then, but most have not.
<insert flashback music Here>
http://groups.google.com/group/rec....t+shot,+kenny+miller+group:rec.sport.billiard
Doug
Newsgroups: rec.sport.billiard
From: SmorgassBo...@webtv.net (Smorgass Bored)
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 02:03:03 -0500 (EST)
I'm sorry that I can't access & use the online table and balls (the
Wei table) to display this shot, but I'll try to 'describe' it.
I don't play very well, but I've seen plenty of players shoot some
great shots over the past 40 plus years. As all my friends and many here
know, I love to travel to watch great players and great matches. I've
seen some amazing shots made under trying circumstances and conditions.
With that said, I'd like to try to explain the greatest shot that I've
ever witnessed first hand.
My friend and Planet 9-Ball owner Ken Miller is a quadriplegic in a
wheelchair and a damned fine poolplayer. He wasn't a one-pocket player,
because there are many shots on the table that he simply can't reach.
Because of my new found love for one-pocket, Ken has taken to practicing
with me on a fairly regular schedule. We play on a fairly fast and tight
Ebony Robertson table that was Buddy Hall's 'special table' while he was
house Pro at P-9-Ball. We call it 'The Buddy Table' and action on this
table usually draws a crowd of onlookers (including a least a half dozen
or more 'prejuidiced' locals that always pull for my opponent and won't
let me get away with ANYTHING). They've been known to scream at the end
of my inning, "HE OWES A BALL", "HE'S TAKING THE OWED BALL OUT OF
**YOUR** POCKET" and my all time favorite " NOTHING HIT A RAIL." I
mean, don't they have JOBS or something ? Someplace else they just
HAVE to be ? Anyway, I digress....
Kenny and I were playing one-pocket and while I never 'intentionally'
leave the cueball in a spot where he can't reach it, it sometime
happens. As you face the rack of balls, Ken has the right corner pocket
and I have the left. Most of the balls are still in the rack area and I
left the cueball 'just to right' of where the head ball would be and a
few inches uptable from the rack spot. The four ball is about four
inches off the end rail and about fifteen inches from the side rail by
his pocket (almost by the center spot on the footrail) . I'm right
handed and if it were MY shot, I'd have to lean out over the table and
attempt to THINLY cut this ball into my pocket. I figure to make it
about 2-3 times out of ten.
Kenny has a small portable 'bridge' (you may have seen him use it on
one of his appearances on ESPN) that has a small round brass base and
what looks like a brass letter C protruding upward from the base. This
allows him to use the base of the letter C as his bridge and then lift
the whole thing up off the table by using the top of the letter C.
Ken is right handed and it was immediately evident that from the end
rail, he would be almost a foot short of being able to use his bridge
and actually HIT the cueball. Kenny used an extra amount of time (for
him) to place the tip of his cue on his portable bridge and aim the tip
at EXACTLY where he'd need to hit the cueball in order to cut the four
ball across to his pocket. I don't know what was taking so damned long
for him to aim a shot that he couldn't possible reach. I finally
hollored, " c'mon Kenny, SHOOTEMUP."
I'm sorry that I doubted him. Kenny proceeded to wheel his chair
around the table, while leaving his cue lying on the table with the
forward part of his shaft resting firmly in his portable bridge. He
rolled snuggly up to my side of table, by the side pocket, BUT, facing
the wrong way. He's right handed, but he picked up his cue with his LEFT
hand. Remember, the tip of the cue, the bridge, the cueball and the four
ball are all BEHIND HIM. He kept moving the butt of his cue back and
forth, while looking at the inside of the corner pocket that he was
facing. This would be the corner that is cater-corner from his pocket,
nine feet away. I finally and impatiently asked him what he DOING...
(he just LOVES to toy with me)
He said that he was 'finding his spot' in the corner pocket and aimimg
at it with the butt of his cue. With one quick glance over his shoulder,
he stroked a couple of times and then SHOT, backwards,left handed, in
the opposite direction, without looking and hit the cueball perfectly
sending it towards the end rail BEHIND HIM, where it made contact with
the four and thinly cut it into the corner. My face turned red, my ears
started to tingle & burn, I felt feverish and I managed to croak,
"ggggood shot". I sat paralyzed, while Ken "The Rolling Shark" Miller
went on to beat me 8-0.
I mean, come ON. Where do these people come up with shots (to beat ME)
?
Why does it always happen to ME ? Why do they play their career best
against ME ? What have I done to anger the pool gods, that I deserve
THIS ? I mean, oy-vey. No, really, OY- friggin-VEY ! What's next, Ray
Charles running out a nineball rack for my total bankroll ?
My hat's off to Ken Miller. That was a Great shot. The best I've
seen. It reinforces my love of the game and the people that play it so
well.
I aspire to oneday become half the player that you are. I'm glad that
you're my friend.
Doug
~>*(((>< Big fish eat Little fish ><)))*<~
.
Last edited: