Joshua Filler … Psyops?

sunnyone · Mar 23, 2020

Like a lot of folks these days, I have more free time than usual. In fact, I’m quarantined at my parents’ home in NYC with my mother, father, and one older brother.

I watched some of the Quarantine 10-Ball Match between Filler and James Aranas. What a spanking! When Filler hits a certain gear, it’s like he can’t race around the table fast enough to get to the next shot.

One aspect of his game struck me as odd. While Aranas almost always removed the rack (Magic Rack?) before taking his first shot. Filler often left it on the table for the entire runout.

Why?

Was he so focused on his game that he didn’t even notice it? Or so confident that he couldn’t be bothered?

In these heady days of conspiracy theories … well, here’s my contribution:

Leaving the rack on the table was an in-your-face gesture to Aranas. A mental middle-finger to an opponent. “I’m so superior that even physical distractions can’t … um, distract me.”

A reverse form of sharking, if you will. Or if you won’t.

Stay well, everyone.

Sunny

CESSNA10 · Mar 23, 2020

sunnyone said:
Like a lot of folks these days, I have more free time than usual. In fact, I’m quarantined at my parents’ home in NYC with my mother, father, and one older brother.

I watched some of the Quarantine 10-Ball Match between Filler and James Aranas. What a spanking! When Filler hits a certain gear, it’s like he can’t race around the table fast enough to get to the next shot.

One aspect of his game struck me as odd. While Aranas almost always removed the rack (Magic Rack?) before taking his first shot. Filler often left it on the table for the entire runout.

Why?

Was he so focused on his game that he didn’t even notice it? Or so confident that he couldn’t be bothered?

In these heady days of conspiracy theories … well, here’s my contribution:

Leaving the rack on the table was an in-your-face gesture to Aranas. A mental middle-finger to an opponent. “I’m so superior that even physical distractions can’t … um, distract me.”

A reverse form of sharking, if you will. Or if you won’t.

Stay well, everyone.

Sunny

Not sure about your theory but I heard a couple of announcers say he is a bit full of himself

ideologist · Mar 23, 2020

Shane does it also

Duane Remick · Mar 23, 2020

I watched some of the Quarantine 10-Ball Match between Filler and James Aranas. What a spanking! When Filler hits a certain gear, it’s like he can’t race around the table fast enough to get to the next shot.

I was watching an old straight pool vid....
"One of the commentators stated the same thing about Willie Mosconi-
"Once Willie got in stroke,
he would practically be running around the table to shoot"
I sure would like to see some OLD Mosconi vids :smile:

sjm · Mar 23, 2020

ideologist said:
Shane does it also

Yeah, I think Josh and Shane are just flaunting the fact that nothing will interrupt their concentration, least of all the magic rack remaining on the table. In each case, it is simply a display of confidence.

garczar · Mar 23, 2020

Psy-ops??? Seriously?? What brand of tin-foil is your hat? Alcoa? Reynolds?

I've seen a lot of top players play the whole game with the template down. I think you're readin' too much into this.

9andout · Mar 23, 2020

sunnyone said:
Like a lot of folks these days, I have more free time than usual. In fact, I’m quarantined at my parents’ home in NYC with my mother, father, and one older brother.

I watched some of the Quarantine 10-Ball Match between Filler and James Aranas. What a spanking! When Filler hits a certain gear, it’s like he can’t race around the table fast enough to get to the next shot.

One aspect of his game struck me as odd. While Aranas almost always removed the rack (Magic Rack?) before taking his first shot. Filler often left it on the table for the entire runout.

Why?

Was he so focused on his game that he didn’t even notice it? Or so confident that he couldn’t be bothered?

In these heady days of conspiracy theories … well, here’s my contribution:

Leaving the rack on the table was an in-your-face gesture to Aranas. A mental middle-finger to an opponent. “I’m so superior that even physical distractions can’t … um, distract me.”

A reverse form of sharking, if you will. Or if you won’t.

Stay well, everyone.

Sunny

sjm said:
Yeah, I think Josh and Shane are just flaunting the fact that nothing will interrupt their concentration, least of all the magic rack remaining on the table. In each case, it is simply a display of confidence.

Call it a template if you must. It's not a Magic Rack.
...
Give the man his due!
It's Chris Renfro's Accu Rack.
From Outsville.com
Made in USA!

Black-Balled · Mar 23, 2020

I always leave it on the table when I play. In rotation games, one rarely hits the ball so lightly that the magic template (!!) would affect any aspect of a given shot.

And...I have never been beat by filler or svb.

Hmmmm.

Scratch85 · Mar 23, 2020

IMO, just full on confidence! Even players like me can get singularly focused, on the shot, and forget about the template. If you’re focused on using the template as a sharking move, you’re not wholly focused on the shot. I doubt a peanut butter sandwich on the table would affect Filler in dead stroke.

Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums

TxOnePocket · Mar 23, 2020

CESSNA10 said:
Not sure about your theory but I heard a couple of announcers say he is a bit full of himself

As he should be, he has tortured some of the worlds best players, on the world of pool's largest stages, to win some of the worlds biggest accolades in the sport at the age of 22.

one stroke · Mar 23, 2020

sjm said:
Yeah, I think Josh and Shane are just flaunting the fact that nothing will interrupt their concentration, least of all the magic rack remaining on the table. In each case, it is simply a display of confidence.

And something I highly doubt DD gave one second of thought about either way ,
If DD was sidetracked in concentration by anything that would be from being away from his family for long periods of time ,,

1

straightline · Mar 23, 2020

garczar said:
Psy-ops??? Seriously?? What brand of tin-foil is your hat? Alcoa? Reynolds? I've seen a lot of top players play the whole game with the template down. I think you're readin' too much into this.

I gotta ask, why not? They gotta do something in peace time.

Low500 · Mar 23, 2020

CESSNA10 said:
Not sure about your theory but I heard a couple of announcers say he is a bit full of himself

At the pool table in action...NOBODY was more "full of himself" than Mosconi.
In the fight ring...NOBODY was more "full of himself" than Muhammed Ali.
What of it? It ain't bragging if you can do it.
Filler is a great player and becoming even greater.

JAM · Mar 24, 2020

It's called rhythm. Keith McCready does the same thing when he's on a roll.

I love Joshua Filler, one of my faves now.

jay helfert · Mar 24, 2020

Duane Remick said:
I watched some of the Quarantine 10-Ball Match between Filler and James Aranas. What a spanking! When Filler hits a certain gear, it’s like he can’t race around the table fast enough to get to the next shot.

I was watching an old straight pool vid....
"One of the commentators stated the same thing about Willie Mosconi-
"Once Willie got in stroke,
he would practically be running around the table to shoot"
I sure would like to see some OLD Mosconi vids :smile:

I've seen a lot of seriously fast players, and Earl at his best was one of them. He wasn't nearly the fastest though. Two others who played damn good and were a lot faster than Earl were Luc Salvas and Tony Drago. And then there was Machine Gun Lou Butera! Bang, Bang, you're dead! He was far and away the best and fastest of them all. He beat Hopkins in the finals of the World Straight Pool, running 150 and out in something like 21 minutes. Or maybe it was 18. Either way it was ridiculous to be able to play that fast and shoot so straight. Lou would literally race around the table and wait for the cue ball to stop and then shoot with NO practice strokes, and still play perfect shape. And he didn't miss! You had to see it to believe it. All I can say all these years later is that the human mind is the fastest computer there is, still to this day. No computer could analyze all the data that goes into a difficult pool shot and execute it instantly. Remember this, every single pool shot is different. No two shots are exactly the same.

Can you imagine playing someone where you labor over a 9-Ball rack for five minutes to win one game and then your opponent races through five racks in the same amount of time. It can be a little disheartening. I saw Lou gun down some top name players in 9-Ball (he liked to play 20 a game, no more, no less) and make them look silly. He had a big family to feed (seven kids I believe) and no time to waste. :wink:

haystj · Mar 24, 2020

jay helfert said:
He beat Hopkins in the finals of the World Straight Pool, running 150 and out in something like 21 minutes. Or maybe it was 18.

I believe this to be true but this is really hard to believe! I can't imagine what this must have looked like.

Icon of Sin · Mar 24, 2020

garczar said:
Psy-ops??? Seriously?? What brand of tin-foil is your hat? Alcoa? Reynolds? I've seen a lot of top players play the whole game with the template down. I think you're readin' too much into this.

I never take mine off the table. If its going to be in the way I just move it out of the way.

It's not a distraction.

alstl · Mar 24, 2020

There are other videos of Filler leaving the template on the table. Apparently it doesn't bother him.

garczar · Mar 24, 2020

jay helfert said:
I've seen a lot of seriously fast players, and Earl at his best was one of them. He wasn't nearly the fastest though. Two others who played damn good and were a lot faster than Earl were Luc Salvas and Tony Drago. And then there was Machine Gun Lou Butera! Bang, Bang, you're dead! He was far and away the best and fastest of them all. He beat Hopkins in the finals of the World Straight Pool, running 150 and out in something like 21 minutes. Or maybe it was 18. Either way it was ridiculous to be able to play that fast and shoot so straight. Lou would literally race around the table and wait for the cue ball to stop and then shoot with NO practice strokes, and still play perfect shape. And he didn't miss! You had to see it to believe it. All I can say all these years later is that the human mind is the fastest computer there is, still to this day. No computer could analyze all the data that goes into a difficult pool shot and execute it instantly. Remember this, every single pool shot is different. No two shots are exactly the same.

Can you imagine playing someone where you labor over a 9-Ball rack for five minutes to win one game and then your opponent races through five racks in the same amount of time. It can be a little disheartening. I saw Lou gun down some top name players in 9-Ball (he liked to play 20 a game, no more, no less) and make them look silly. He had a big family to feed (seven kids I believe) and no time to waste. :wink:

Lou's fast run you refer to was in an exhibition not a tournament.

jay helfert · Mar 24, 2020

garczar said:
Lou's fast run you refer to was in an exhibition not a tournament.

It was done in the Final match of a major tournament held in Los Angeles in 1971 or 1972. Fred Whelan produced the event for several years in a row and all the top players came out to play in it. I was there!

Joshua Filler … Psyops?

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