at the KOH i saw johnny archer do something so incredibly nuts i almost laughed out loud, he was in the mother ship room in the middle of a match, he was at the table, and started picking imaginary lint of the cloth, and then he went down onto the carpet, i swear! and started picking lint off the carpet, WOW, is that wild or WHAT?!!!!
Archer Gets Down, Can You Believe It???
- Thread starter 8-ball bernie
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I saw that too. Amazing. He still remained pretty focused though.8-ball bernie said:
That is wild, doing some house cleaning huh.
Maybe a little OCD? Lint bothers him, bothers him, bothers him. 
I hope he has to play my husband who leaves a huge white swath of powder wherever he plays. ROFL. Sorry Johnny!
I hope he has to play my husband who leaves a huge white swath of powder wherever he plays. ROFL. Sorry Johnny!
I just wish my eyes were still that sharp, so that I could actually see if there was any lint on the table. Oh, to have 20/20 once more! 
I think some players believe that cloth lint and even minute particles of dirt will affect shots.
I've seen Earl Strickland wipe every single ball with a white cloth vigorously before he racked the balls. It was stated to me that even a speck of dirt can be detrimental with precision shooters. Me, I'm lucky to even hit the head ball square, especially if I'm hitting it with all my might.
At one of the KOTH matches, Buddy Hall was slow-rolling a ball, and it kind of zigged, when it really should have zagged, because it rolled over a black paper spot which altered its path. He handled it well, took it in stride, and then patiently waited for another chance back at the table.
I'll tell you what, though, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. playing back to back matches, the players will have to build up their endurance for sure.
How about that Guido the Cue Mechanic! Looked like he was staying busy throughout the week. Keith got a new hard Moori before he left! He was playing with a thin tip during the whole tournament, but was afraid to change it midstream. I've never seen a player go through so many tips.
JAM
I think some players believe that cloth lint and even minute particles of dirt will affect shots.
I've seen Earl Strickland wipe every single ball with a white cloth vigorously before he racked the balls. It was stated to me that even a speck of dirt can be detrimental with precision shooters. Me, I'm lucky to even hit the head ball square, especially if I'm hitting it with all my might.
At one of the KOTH matches, Buddy Hall was slow-rolling a ball, and it kind of zigged, when it really should have zagged, because it rolled over a black paper spot which altered its path. He handled it well, took it in stride, and then patiently waited for another chance back at the table.
I'll tell you what, though, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. playing back to back matches, the players will have to build up their endurance for sure.
How about that Guido the Cue Mechanic! Looked like he was staying busy throughout the week. Keith got a new hard Moori before he left! He was playing with a thin tip during the whole tournament, but was afraid to change it midstream. I've never seen a player go through so many tips.
JAM
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Last May in Vegas at the BCA Open, my brother and I were watching Mr. Archer play and noticed he kept pulling balls out of pockets and putting them in other pockets where he intended to shoot the next object ball. I couldn't figure out why on Earth he would do what would be the exact opposite of what you'd expect. Well, after watching him repeatedly do this during several different matches, my brother couldn't take it anymore and decided to just ask him why he was doing this. The answer was simple. He said the Connolly (sp?) tables they were using had pockets that weren't keeping the balls down, so he was loading them to kill any ball bounce in the pocket. I had never heard of anyone doing this until then. I guess Johnny does things for his own reasons. Apparently it works for him.
I have heard everything from drugs to being a bit crazy
I read, somewhere, an article with JA.
He said moving balls around was because TV lighs reflect off them and distract him... Sounds reasonable...
He said the table grooming was a habit or something similar. He is aware of it and surely knows it is pointless, for the most part...
I read, somewhere, an article with JA.
He said moving balls around was because TV lighs reflect off them and distract him... Sounds reasonable...
He said the table grooming was a habit or something similar. He is aware of it and surely knows it is pointless, for the most part...
As for the drug part i was going to mention'd i once had some drug addict pick lint off my shirt before, i was like what the hell you doing lol, that was the first thing that came to my head when i read this thread.
He also moves balls in the buckets around.
Johnny played his best in the mid-90's.
He'd bend over and look at the shot once then shoot.
Why in the world did he deviate from that?
Johnny played his best in the mid-90's.
He'd bend over and look at the shot once then shoot.
Why in the world did he deviate from that?
I don't think Johnny has yet fully recovered from that long slump that he was in. He has won a few tournaments since then but he doesn't shoot with the confidence that he used to. He also misses balls that he would never even come close to missing in the early-mid 90's. I am pretty sure the reason why he plays so slow now adays, and has these nervous habits like picking lint off the table or moving balls in the pockets, is because his confidence is 'iffy' and it takes him alot longer to be ready to pull the trigger. He seems to get back in stroke once in a while, but he just doesn't seem to be in the zone every time like he used to be.
TheConArtist said:
Now that's funny....
Well, you know what has to be done.
If anyone ever has a match against him, all you need to do is grab a handfull of lint out of a dryer, and keep it in your pocket.
Sprinkle it all over the table before the match, and whenever he goes to the bathroom. Watch him completely lose his mind.
As for the putting balls into the drop pockets before the shot, I remember like 4 years ago at the BCA, that Strickland was hitting balls with Corey, and was saying that he didn't like the drop pocket Connellys because the pockets spit the balls out a lot.
Not 2 seconds after that, he rifled a ball in the side pocket, and it went in the hole, spun around a couple of times, and flew right back on the table.
He then got all sorts of pumped up that his claim was correct, and was like "DIDN'T I JUST SAY THAT, DID YOU SEE THAT!?!?!" to which he set up the shot again, rifled it in again, and it flew back on the table AGAIN.
It was pretty funny that he made it happen twice in a row, but the next 10 minutes was spent by us trying to figure out which shots flew back out, and which ones didn't.
Seemed like they flew back out more when the ball went in on the side of the pocket instead of right in the middle. The ball would go in like a basketball that doesn't swish, and spin around the edge of the pocket IN the pocket, and occasionally spin right back out of the hole.
Throwing a ball in the hole stops that process for the most part.
Most likely, a player isn't gonna put a couple of balls in the hole, unless they have to crush the ball. THAT'S when they fly back out.
If anyone ever has a match against him, all you need to do is grab a handfull of lint out of a dryer, and keep it in your pocket.
Sprinkle it all over the table before the match, and whenever he goes to the bathroom. Watch him completely lose his mind.
As for the putting balls into the drop pockets before the shot, I remember like 4 years ago at the BCA, that Strickland was hitting balls with Corey, and was saying that he didn't like the drop pocket Connellys because the pockets spit the balls out a lot.
Not 2 seconds after that, he rifled a ball in the side pocket, and it went in the hole, spun around a couple of times, and flew right back on the table.
He then got all sorts of pumped up that his claim was correct, and was like "DIDN'T I JUST SAY THAT, DID YOU SEE THAT!?!?!" to which he set up the shot again, rifled it in again, and it flew back on the table AGAIN.
It was pretty funny that he made it happen twice in a row, but the next 10 minutes was spent by us trying to figure out which shots flew back out, and which ones didn't.
Seemed like they flew back out more when the ball went in on the side of the pocket instead of right in the middle. The ball would go in like a basketball that doesn't swish, and spin around the edge of the pocket IN the pocket, and occasionally spin right back out of the hole.
Throwing a ball in the hole stops that process for the most part.
Most likely, a player isn't gonna put a couple of balls in the hole, unless they have to crush the ball. THAT'S when they fly back out.
My thoughts ...
I think the lint thing can kind of start accidently by
noticing a ball do a little bump roll thing, or how many
of you have gotten down on a shot, just about to
shoot, and all of a sudden your eyes focus on a little
piece of your tip that has frayed out, and is sticking
up right in your line of aim? After 1 of those 2, I
automatically start checking the cloth too.... never
the carpet though ... lol
I think the lint thing can kind of start accidently by
noticing a ball do a little bump roll thing, or how many
of you have gotten down on a shot, just about to
shoot, and all of a sudden your eyes focus on a little
piece of your tip that has frayed out, and is sticking
up right in your line of aim? After 1 of those 2, I
automatically start checking the cloth too.... never
the carpet though ... lol
I know if I am shooting and something is in my peripheral vision on the floor it might bug me. Most times I can tune it out, but some times I HAVE to pick it up and throw it away since it is bugging me. A few years ago I ran a pool hall so I don't like to see things like this in ANY pool hall so I clean on a very slight level if I see something that needs to be done.
And no I don't move the balls or pick lint off of the table for hours on end, it's just little things like that sometimes turn into big things for some people.
And no I don't move the balls or pick lint off of the table for hours on end, it's just little things like that sometimes turn into big things for some people.
Can you do that?
What is the rule on picking things off the table or brushing an area of the cloth, with your hand or anything else, during a game? Is removing lint allowed? What are the parameters?
In golf, when putting you can remove loose impediments from the green and brush off the path with your hand, but cannot use a towel, glove, hat, etc. I have never seen anyone do it during a game of pool though.
What is the rule on picking things off the table or brushing an area of the cloth, with your hand or anything else, during a game? Is removing lint allowed? What are the parameters?
In golf, when putting you can remove loose impediments from the green and brush off the path with your hand, but cannot use a towel, glove, hat, etc. I have never seen anyone do it during a game of pool though.
Str8PoolMan said:
I really don't know but i do know they do it all the time, i have seen Karen Earl Francisco clean the table while in play, shoot you can even have them clean the cueball if you want too while in play so i guess there ain't no rule against it huh, i don't know personally speaking.
DougT
Illustrated Principles
Too funny! Yeah, I get a little of that too, well, maybe more than a little.rackmsuckr said:Maybe a little OCD? Lint bothers him, bothers him, bothers him.
Truth is, there's no harm in being a little obsessive, if you don't get carried away. Then again, who's to say how much is too much tho.
I catch myself kicking any loose paper, trash, etc, under the table, or picking it up. When I'm walking around the table, it just catches my attention and it's easiest just to deal with it than worry about why it bothers me, but it does.