haven't seen the whole match, but that was a wild sequence
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Another sick escape by Melling
- Thread starter skogstokig
- Start date
haven't seen the whole match, but that was a wild sequence
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
Melling is a sicko.
Powderclayfelt
New member
Did he call it?
I think a few players are going to go into modern history as having a lasting impact on the game, as in there is a line before and after they came into it. Efren, Earl, Shaw, SVB and Melling.
He just has this mix of fearless shooting that Shaw brought in and the crazy shots that Efren does where he shoots things no-one else sees or expects. While guys like Hall, Sigel, Archer, even Filler etc.. are super good and consistent, I don't think they added a different element in the game that was over anyone else where you can get overpowered out of situations while playing with them. Filler to me is like a younger bit more accurate Shaw, but nothing really new on his own. A bit like Gorst, he feels like an extension of Buddy Hall with supreme control and even better mechanics if that is possible LOL But again nothing really new like when Shaw came in with his super firepower on hard shots.
He just has this mix of fearless shooting that Shaw brought in and the crazy shots that Efren does where he shoots things no-one else sees or expects. While guys like Hall, Sigel, Archer, even Filler etc.. are super good and consistent, I don't think they added a different element in the game that was over anyone else where you can get overpowered out of situations while playing with them. Filler to me is like a younger bit more accurate Shaw, but nothing really new on his own. A bit like Gorst, he feels like an extension of Buddy Hall with supreme control and even better mechanics if that is possible LOL But again nothing really new like when Shaw came in with his super firepower on hard shots.
I'm always curious what players are measuring with their sticks and/or what system they are using for a bank.
1. I don't know what Chris was doing when he first started measuring by putting his stick over the upper right corner pocket.
2. Then it looked like he walked around the table and did a mirror image from the OB to the rail using the center of the ghost ball to the edge of the rail.
3. Then he measured from the edge of the rail with his cue and sighted down the mirror point at what? Typically, you sight at the CB and where that line crosses the edge-of-the-cushion/line-of-diamonds/rail-groove is your aim point.
4. But then he went to a point on the upper end rail and marked a point with his finger, which doesn't look like it was on a line parallel with the long rail that intersected the OB. How did he choose that spot?
5. Then it looked like he put his cue over the spot in #4 and pointed it at his aim point on the long rail.
6. Then it looked like he did a parallel shift over to the CB.
My question is why the parallel shift? Did he sight at the point in #4 when he did his mirroring? Why didn't he just sight at the CB when he did his mirroring?
1. I don't know what Chris was doing when he first started measuring by putting his stick over the upper right corner pocket.
2. Then it looked like he walked around the table and did a mirror image from the OB to the rail using the center of the ghost ball to the edge of the rail.
3. Then he measured from the edge of the rail with his cue and sighted down the mirror point at what? Typically, you sight at the CB and where that line crosses the edge-of-the-cushion/line-of-diamonds/rail-groove is your aim point.
4. But then he went to a point on the upper end rail and marked a point with his finger, which doesn't look like it was on a line parallel with the long rail that intersected the OB. How did he choose that spot?
5. Then it looked like he put his cue over the spot in #4 and pointed it at his aim point on the long rail.
6. Then it looked like he did a parallel shift over to the CB.
My question is why the parallel shift? Did he sight at the point in #4 when he did his mirroring? Why didn't he just sight at the CB when he did his mirroring?
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Melling is in the conversation for best-ever kicker along with Efren. One of his finest ever matches came in the semifinals of the 2018 Derby City 9-ball against Orcullo. Here's how I reported on it in my 2018 DCC trip report:
... Orcullo drew Melling and this proved to be one of the greatest matches ever played at the Derby. Trailing 7-6, after a brilliant lock-up safety by Orcullo, Melling faced a difficult two rail kick, and many of us felt that to even hit it would be a solid shot, but Chris wanted more. After lining it up (and you could see that he was lining up the kick-in) for what seemed an eternity, he confidently kicked it in and ran out. It is among the finest shots ever played at the Derby and the crowd went nuts ...
Chris rode this win to the title at the 2018 Derby City 9-ball. Well done!
... Orcullo drew Melling and this proved to be one of the greatest matches ever played at the Derby. Trailing 7-6, after a brilliant lock-up safety by Orcullo, Melling faced a difficult two rail kick, and many of us felt that to even hit it would be a solid shot, but Chris wanted more. After lining it up (and you could see that he was lining up the kick-in) for what seemed an eternity, he confidently kicked it in and ran out. It is among the finest shots ever played at the Derby and the crowd went nuts ...
Chris rode this win to the title at the 2018 Derby City 9-ball. Well done!
Nice post.
I agree with most of this, but you're selling Josh Filler short if you don't see him as an innovator in the game, specifically in the area of tactical judgment. At the UK Open this June, I recall how he found a way to play a difficult carom on the six ball two ways in a way that I'd never seen any player ever find. His downside management in both offensive and defensive conceptualization is something he rarely gets credit for, but rest assured that he plays with as much imagination as almost any player that has ever screwed a cue together.
i have no clue. he's said that he has a kicking system derived from two other systems, but he hasn't to my knowledge elaborated on how it works.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
So the two kicks were made on a Joy table with four seconds left.
I love that man
I love that man
I really enjoy watching Melling's numerous amazing shots. One thing, though, is it seems like he is as often in a predicament due to his own misplay as he is due to someone locking him up. So from that perspective, he gets at least twice as many opportunities for "amazing" shots as most other pros. Watching him, I'm always left wondering how successful he could be if he could just rein in his relative loose cannon approach to position play.
He has to compensate for the slide off the cushion which makes the cue ball go long. Notice how much higher/shorter he hit on the rail than for the simple mirror. He seems to have found a method of compensating that works.
yes, very inconsistent player. in this rack he obviously put himself in trouble one way or another before the sequence.
it seems he's settling with heyball now (?), which probably is wise. jumping around between 3-4 cue sports doesn't make sense (on a pro level)
The things that's most impressive to me with so many of these Melling highlight vids, is the way he strings hero shots together. For most of even the elite players, you see a video posted of a great shot they pulled off in a match. Many times they don't get out after too. For Melling, time and time again he strings together multiple low percentage shots to win the game. In this case, to do it playing chinese 8ball on those pockets makes it even more impressive. He's such an impressive player when it comes to creativity and holding his nerve to get out of a jam.