best pool role models?

I always thought Jim Rempe was one of the great "decision makers" of the game. He also had a good pace / good rhythm. Rock solid fundamentals. Just a great all around pool player to study IMO.

Oh Edit to add: I'm not an instructor. Listen to them before you listen to me lol.
 
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Best examples I had were the hustlers trying to make a buck in the tough action. Showed me there's a real life component to "the thrill of victory".
 
Back when Morra was in his late teens I got to witness him building up that 'repeatability' in his stroke. He took pool balls onto a snooker table and set up the cue ball behind the balk line about 2feet from the side rail and had a friend continue to replace an object ball at a similar position on opposite end of the table. He just kept firing them in for what seemed like forever. Even saw him get help from 2 guys continually replacing both the object ball and cue ball as he'd stay down in his stance and fire in like 5 straight before getting up.
Why not emulate this guy? He grew up around cue sports, the son of a snooker pro, and has such a deep knowledge of the game and stroke that he was able to switch hands due to neck cramping and remain competitive at a world class level. What I love about his stroke is that it is locked down mechanically but retains a sense of flow and personality. Would be a treat to see him play right handed for a full match rather than just go rightee for breaks and finesse shots tho, cuz that raw stroke I remember from back in the day before all the kinks were ironed out had a ton of personality to it. A thing of beauty.

One other guy to consider including in this thread is Darren Appleton who is widely regarded among pros as the best 8ball player in the world. At that level, everyone gets out all the time, what sets Darren apart is how quickly he sees optimal patterns and how adept he is at maneuvering balls around in difficult non-run racks.
And his hero is Ronnie O’Sullivan. “It’s all about the cue action mate”
 
I like Mike Sigel's game. He seems like the most accomplished player that a regular person can really learn from. What I mean by that is guys like Earl and Efren are so gifted that I can't do what they do. Mike, while obviously gifted, has a game that doesn't seem to necessitate such superhuman ability. It seems like a mere mortal's game, just performed with incredible precision and strategy. I don't see him doing unimaginable things with a cue ball, he just does the things I do but with much more precision and reliability.
One session I was watching Mike in person and for about two hours he ran Nine Ball with the cue ball going where I would place it by hand. I mean THAT much shaping and stroking and position play ability. Super-human!
 
Here's another one I like:
In the entire match the are only a few impressive shots because their speed control is so good and their routes are so well planned that there is no need for death defying cueball stunts. Just smoooooooth. A fair player could make most of the shots and send the cueball in the right direction but planning and having the ball stop where you need is why they are so amazing.
 
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