3 Cushion has killed carom

i8ap4t

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I did a bit of traveling and came upon the realisation that 3 cushion is killing, or has killed carom.

While in Vietnam it was not even mildly hard to find a carom table, but it was near impossible to find a pool or snooker table.
They only seem to play libre in Vietnam, but the level of play I was witness to was incredible. I saw a great amount of players with 100+ averages, and heaps of beginners, and students trying to learn, with heaps of afterschool coaching taking place.

I went to Korea after this, and billiard halls were just as prominent, with maybe 1-2 pool tables per hall for the girls.
They play a game in Korea called 4 ball, which is basicly straight rail with an extra ball.
I also noticed that they only watch 3 cushion, and 3 cushion had a high reputation there, with more focus out on it, and with players learning by watching it.

While in Korea, I went to HEAPS of halls, and saw some great 3 cushion players, but only saw two people with an average over 25 in the free game. They all play 3 cushion shots, and care not where the first ball is going, but only where the cue ball is going. Resulting in every shot being over powered, lots of kissing, and a very slow game with low runs.

There seemed to be no middle ground like there was in Vietnam. There were crap players who couldn't manage runs of 10, and there were near champion 3 cushion players, who 'knew how to make shots' but not how to control the three balls on the table.

My reasoning behind 3 cushion killing carom is that it's simply too hard a transition for a beginner to make without a proper base in the classic games. We are loosing new players as they are not getting any better. They have nowhere to learn.

It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree -- make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.

I do not know the situation in America, so I would like to hear everyones thoughts.
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
as a newb to carom billiards the game that got into it was 3c
I see a few guys playing straight rail and im planning on it myself, as well as 4 ball I find pretty interesting as well

but in the states its barley known at all, and 3c is the bigger game,
as I said though ill be playing some straight rail and 4ball once I get my table but ill have no one to teach me the fundamentals you speak of, and your right im only concerned with where the cue ball goes, no idea at all how to play position in carom billiards
 

zensteve

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member

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Azazello

Registered
3C killed off staright-rail a long time ago in the US, like the 1920s. Long runs with very little ball movement were boring for the fans. The immortal Wille Hoppe wrote this in 1941:
"Perhaps the reason straight-rail is not more generally played is the fact that most players, unless they are just starting to learn to play, have the false idea that it is too easy. Try to make a run of 50 points at straight-rail some time – and you’ll find out how “easy” it is. You will, but with “reverse” English."
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
I tried straight rail for the first time today
i found it much much more difficult than I ever imagined and very intriguing
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
I try to warm up with straight-rail whenever I can, hoping that more awareness of where the 1st object ball goes will help me avoid kisses. Watch Caudron in this vid, it takes him about 4 minutes to gather the balls for a big run. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A9VCXPc0vk

sweet video
I love seeing when they do that miniscule amount of masse like he used at around 11 min mark
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
wow I just started watching that video with sound
the corner angle rule adds another dimension to it
no doubt added so that you cant hang around in the corner scoring till the cows come home
 

Azazello

Registered
wow I just started watching that video with sound
the corner angle rule adds another dimension to it
no doubt added so that you cant hang around in the corner scoring till the cows come home
Exactly, first, you can't crotch 'em in the corner, then balk lines, then, finally, ya' gotta' get 3 cushions. Caudron has another one for 3C, same thing, he takes you through his thought process while he runs a few. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKHgJ7OULYE
 

SlickRick_PCS

Pool, Snooker, Carom
Silver Member
I did a bit of traveling and came upon the realisation that 3 cushion is killing, or has killed carom.

While in Vietnam it was not even mildly hard to find a carom table, but it was near impossible to find a pool or snooker table.
They only seem to play libre in Vietnam, but the level of play I was witness to was incredible. I saw a great amount of players with 100+ averages, and heaps of beginners, and students trying to learn, with heaps of afterschool coaching taking place.

I went to Korea after this, and billiard halls were just as prominent, with maybe 1-2 pool tables per hall for the girls.
They play a game in Korea called 4 ball, which is basicly straight rail with an extra ball.
I also noticed that they only watch 3 cushion, and 3 cushion had a high reputation there, with more focus out on it, and with players learning by watching it.

While in Korea, I went to HEAPS of halls, and saw some great 3 cushion players, but only saw two people with an average over 25 in the free game. They all play 3 cushion shots, and care not where the first ball is going, but only where the cue ball is going. Resulting in every shot being over powered, lots of kissing, and a very slow game with low runs.

There seemed to be no middle ground like there was in Vietnam. There were crap players who couldn't manage runs of 10, and there were near champion 3 cushion players, who 'knew how to make shots' but not how to control the three balls on the table.

My reasoning behind 3 cushion killing carom is that it's simply too hard a transition for a beginner to make without a proper base in the classic games. We are loosing new players as they are not getting any better. They have nowhere to learn.

It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree -- make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.

I do not know the situation in America, so I would like to hear everyones thoughts.

If you only knew how much I was badly beating that horse to death....
:deadhorse::deadhorse::eek:uttahere:
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
This should be a stickey thread for this forum

And hopefully my last post


3c has indeed killed carom
Its a big flashy WOW kind of game
Once people get on it, they have no desire for the incredible conrtrol of 1bande and balkline games
Boring indeed, a niche game, like fine arts
Only appeal to a certain crowd of people

Like portrait sculpting, only appeals to those that do, and see the beauty in the hard work and decades of dedication required to attain the skill and style



Video linl to caudron playing freegame aka libre aka straight rail

https://youtu.be/r-sJiAjnUaE
 
Last edited:

skinnyguinea

Registered
I used play a lot of three cushion as a kid, I'm now going on 71, retired, with a lot of time on my hands and a bad back, which limits my time on the golf course. I would love to get back into the game but its very difficult. Carom tables are scarcer than hen's teeth, at least where I live. My summer home is in No. Virginia, just 26 miles outside of DC. Until a few years ago I could find ONE establishment with a table and that was an hour away and in Washington traffic it could be more than that. In the winter I live in Southern Florida, several hours north of Miami. Same thing, found one place with a carom table and that's almost an hour away also. When I ask other places why they don't have a carom table, the usual response is, "nobody plays". Of course, the lack of a table has a lot to do with that. I'm surprised that with the advent of YOUTUBE and more people being exposed to this great game the the sport still remains very much on the backburner, at least from what I've seen. Very discouraging.
 

wildwilly

Woooozy
Silver Member
I used play a lot of three cushion as a kid, I'm now going on 71, retired, with a lot of time on my hands and a bad back, which limits my time on the golf course. I would love to get back into the game but its very difficult. Carom tables are scarcer than hen's teeth, at least where I live. My summer home is in No. Virginia, just 26 miles outside of DC. Until a few years ago I could find ONE establishment with a table and that was an hour away and in Washington traffic it could be more than that. In the winter I live in Southern Florida, several hours north of Miami. Same thing, found one place with a carom table and that's almost an hour away also. When I ask other places why they don't have a carom table, the usual response is, "nobody plays". Of course, the lack of a table has a lot to do with that. I'm surprised that with the advent of YOUTUBE and more people being exposed to this great game the the sport still remains very much on the backburner, at least from what I've seen. Very discouraging.

europa billiards in Boynton Beach has 4 heated 5x10 tables. Great place.
 

HomeBrewer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I learned to play in South Florida in the mid 2000s and there were always tables around, never more than a 20 minute drive between West Palm and Miami to find one along that route.

I could name several off the top of my head that have closed, but I hope at least one or two have opened since then as well.
 
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