Comments on Willie Moscont

barrymuch90

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
From what we can tell, Mosconi's run was 11 in the first rack, then 36 full racks of 14, then another 11 before missing. (37 break shots)

If someone were to run 526 starting with BIH on a break shot of choice, it would require 37 full racks plus another 8 balls. (38 break shots)

At the end of the old mosconi straight pool tutorial that's posted earlier in the thread at the end he's briefly interviewed and says his high run is 526 and that it took over 2.5 hours and that he's didn't miss but just stopped because he got tired. I'd hope he wouldn't straight lie but idk for sure how it ended either way.
 

AtLarge

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
At the end of the old mosconi straight pool tutorial that's posted earlier in the thread at the end he's briefly interviewed and says his high run is 526 and that it took over 2.5 hours and that he's didn't miss but just stopped because he got tired. I'd hope he wouldn't straight lie but idk for sure how it ended either way.

Yes, I'm aware of that. See post #42 above for what Mike Shamos wrote about it (although Mike was wrong about what Willie's autobiography says).
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Long ball matches used to be the US Open where the final two contestants
played a series of 150 point games of 14.1 in a race to 2500 points. Now for
those who have doubts, go look at how many people had runs over a 100
& also how many times. Then go look at how many players ran the 150 points
consecutively. Now count up how many times Mosconi's name comes up
versus "everybody else" not just one or two players....I mean everone else.
Debating his greatness is pointless since unless you have knowledge of that
era & saw Willie play in competition, you can't appreciate his cue ball wizardry.

Good post. Seeing Mosconi play in his youthful years would've been something special. Unfortunately, most video footage of Mosconi is post-1960's.
 

Jedivman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Willie never missed in his record run, he quit shooting since he had nothing more to prove.
 

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The only thing that doesn't get discussed on Az, which amazes me, is that Willie played for years on 10 ft.tables in US Open Championship Competition.

Ralph Eckert observed in one of his articles (June 4, 2013) ......"there definitely was a huge setback in 1949; until then, standard pool tables measured 10 ft!"

It was at that time that 9 ft tables were adopted as regulation size pool tables, at least that's what I've
learned from my research. How many readers out there have actually played much pool on 10' pool
tables? Lots of us have experience 10' snooker tables and of course, billiard tables but I am talking
about a pool table with 4.5" pockets (playing surface 60" x 120")...tables that Willie, Balsis, Lassiter,
Greenleaf, Crane, et al competed on in US Open 14.1 Championship play.....2500 points.

Folks, I am telling you it's a much more difficult game; you have to have a superb stroke in order to
make high runs because squirt, english deviation & cue ball speed using 1, 2 and 3 rails is different.
So give credit where credit is due when it comes to reviewing Willie's incredulous tournament records.
When he ran 526, he had to play on that 8' Brunswick table since his contract said "Brunswick tables only".
 
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lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
"On March 19, in Springfield, Ohio, I ran 526 balls, a record that still stands. I was playing a two-hundred point match against an amateur by the name of Earl Bruney in the East High Billiard Club. He made three balls off the break, then I ran two hundred and just keep going. The run took two hours and ten minutes, which means that over that span I averaged four balls a minute. I finally missed a difficult cut shot, but by that time I was weary; it was almost a relief to have it come to an end."
Willie Mosconi
from "Willie's Game"
his autobiography

Lou Figueroa
 
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WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
A lot of comments have been recorded on how Mosconi was beyond his prime on the videos shown above. I agree. Sadly, there is next to no good footage available with Mosconi in his prime. A glimpse though, may be seen in the "I've Got a Secret" video below, a popular 60s tv show. If you can excuse the usual trick shot banter, Willie does run a rack of balls with pretty much the fluidity he had in his younger days, even though he doesn't set up a break shot at the end of the rack. But, I think you get the point with respect to his skill. If he wanted to set up a break shot, I think he could have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ts7YqHRrjc

All the best,
WW
 

pdcue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
"On March 19, in Springfield, Ohio, I ran 526 balls, a record that still stands. I was playing a two-hundred point match against an amateur by the name of Earl Bruney in the East High Billiard Club. He made three balls off the break, then I ran two hundred and just keep going. The run took two hours and ten minutes, which means that over that span I averaged four balls a minute. I finally missed a difficult cut shot, but by that time I was weary; it was almost a relief to have it come to an end."
Willie Mosconi
from "Willie's Game"
his autobiography

Lou Figueroa

There was an article about the record run printed in the Springfield newspaper a few days later.
It describes the shot he missed.

Dale
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
The only thing that doesn't get discussed on Az, which amazes me, is that Willie played for years on 10" tables in US Open Championship Competition.

Ralph Eckert observed in one of his articles (June 4, 2013) ......"there definitely was a huge setback in 1949; until then, standard pool tables measured 10 ft!"

It was at that time that 9 ft tables were adopted as regulation size pool tables, at least that's what I've
learned from my research. How many readers out there have actually played much pool on 10" pool
tables? Lots of us have experience 10' snooker tables and of course, billiard tables but I am talking
about a pool table with 4.5" pockets (playing surface 60" x 120")...tables that Willie, Balsis, Lassiter,
Greenleaf, Crane, et al competed on in US Open 14.1 Championship play.....2500 points.

Folks, I am telling you it's a much more difficult game; you have to have a superb stroke in order to
make high runs because squirt, english deviation & cue ball speed using 1, 2 and 3 rails is different.
So give credit where credit is due when it comes to reviewing Willie's incredulous tournament records.
When he ran 526, he had to play on only Brunswick tables since his contract said "Brunswick only".

The actual playing surface on a 5x10 table is 56"x112".
 

MCP

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A lot of comments have been recorded on how Mosconi was beyond his prime on the videos shown above. I agree. Sadly, there is next to no good footage available with Mosconi in his prime. A glimpse though, may be seen in the "I've Got a Secret" video below, a popular 60s tv show. If you can excuse the usual trick shot banter, Willie does run a rack of balls with pretty much the fluidity he had in his younger days, even though he doesn't set up a break shot at the end of the rack. But, I think you get the point with respect to his skill. If he wanted to set up a break shot, I think he could have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ts7YqHRrjc

All the best,
WW

if you notice after the break shot he studies the table
for a moment - and it seems like he has the whole pattern layed out
In his mind.
Looks like he is using a nice Palmer cue.

Mcp.
 

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
Looks like he is using a nice Palmer cue.

Mcp.

Nope. For the sharp-eyed, he is using a Rambow cue.

For the extra sharp-eyed, given the inlays in the butt sleeve of the Rambow, it is very likely the Rambow that he ran the 526 with.

All the best,
WW
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A lot of comments have been recorded on how Mosconi was beyond his prime on the videos shown above. I agree. Sadly, there is next to no good footage available with Mosconi in his prime. A glimpse though, may be seen in the "I've Got a Secret" video below, a popular 60s tv show. If you can excuse the usual trick shot banter, Willie does run a rack of balls with pretty much the fluidity he had in his younger days, even though he doesn't set up a break shot at the end of the rack. But, I think you get the point with respect to his skill. If he wanted to set up a break shot, I think he could have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ts7YqHRrjc

All the best,
WW

Mosconi on "To Tell The Truth?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdUm0Sq81IY
 

pdcue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nope. For the sharp-eyed, he is using a Rambow cue.

For the extra sharp-eyed, given the inlays in the butt sleeve of the Rambow, it is very likely the Rambow that he ran the 526 with.

All the best,
WW

Actually, I would bet more than lunch it is Paradise.

Dale
 

pdcue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
if you notice after the break shot he studies the table
for a moment - and it seems like he has the whole pattern layed out
In his mind.
Looks like he is using a nice Palmer cue.

Mcp.

I thought so for a moment, but the show was aired before there was a Palmer Cue.

Dale
 
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