Billiards greatest strokes
- Thread starter Barboxlegend21
- Start date
Yes, but Mike had a little loop in his stroke.crawfish said:
Harold Worst
Powerful stroke?
Johnston City IL, middle 60s. U.J. Puckett had for years dazzled the crowd with his specialty shot, a five rail draw with the cue ball at least 5 diamonds away from the object ball. I could diagram the shot, but that's not the point of this discourse. Harold Worst watched Puck do the shot and then asked him if he could try it. Worst got down on the shot and got seven rails on the first try! Puckett never showed that shot at Johnston City again. I seen that with my own eyeballs. There was no stroke shot that Worst couldnt execute.
the Beard
Powerful stroke?
Johnston City IL, middle 60s. U.J. Puckett had for years dazzled the crowd with his specialty shot, a five rail draw with the cue ball at least 5 diamonds away from the object ball. I could diagram the shot, but that's not the point of this discourse. Harold Worst watched Puck do the shot and then asked him if he could try it. Worst got down on the shot and got seven rails on the first try! Puckett never showed that shot at Johnston City again. I seen that with my own eyeballs. There was no stroke shot that Worst couldnt execute.
the Beard
Coltrain fooled quite a few
I'm sure Mike would thank you for your comment. He was like my little cousin for quite a while. I would stir up quite some kind of action when he was about 16-19. He would be in shorts, flip-flops, and wearing beads. I would try to get down, and then offer the guy to give my "little cousin" some weight. Got quite a few of'em with that run-down. That kid just "saw it." Know what I mean. Good mechanics. His father used to rack the balls over and over again for him.JoeyInCali said:
Let's get international here....
Top five of the most powerful strokes...
1) Semih Sagyner 2) Mike Massey 3) Efren Reyes 4)Earl Strickland 5) Russian Billiard players! (Focusing on Evgeny Stalev)
Top 5 Most beautiful stroke category...
1) Jasmin Ouschan 2) Allison Fisher 3) Thorsten Hohmann 4) (Tie) Raymond Ceulemans and Torbjorn Blomdahl 5) snooker players! (Ronnie O'Sullivan and Steve Davis on the lead)
Top 5 of the worst stroke....
1) Allen Hopkins 2) Corey Deuel 3) Chao Fong Pang 4) myself **and last but not least** 5) the POOL MASTER!! lol
Top five of the most powerful strokes...
1) Semih Sagyner 2) Mike Massey 3) Efren Reyes 4)Earl Strickland 5) Russian Billiard players! (Focusing on Evgeny Stalev)
Top 5 Most beautiful stroke category...
1) Jasmin Ouschan 2) Allison Fisher 3) Thorsten Hohmann 4) (Tie) Raymond Ceulemans and Torbjorn Blomdahl 5) snooker players! (Ronnie O'Sullivan and Steve Davis on the lead)
Top 5 of the worst stroke....
1) Allen Hopkins 2) Corey Deuel 3) Chao Fong Pang 4) myself **and last but not least** 5) the POOL MASTER!! lol
I often wondered about that, Jennie. I've played Keith, and I've seen him play top players, but he never breaks hard. I just assumed he traded power for accuracy. I wouldn't imagine there was any reason Keith couldn't swing harder if he wanted to. I don't think it's his lack of follow-through, but rather a decision not to use a power generating stroke. Perhaps his sidearm setup does not lend itself to power generation; although Medina breaks almost sidearm (like I right cross puch in boxing), and few break harder than he.JAM said:
Doc
Mike used to come in at Hard Times with those long shorts and flip-flops but everyone knew who he was. Luat gave him the 7-ball a few times and Mike robbed Luat. He was running out better than Luat.crawfish said:
Saw Mike go to the final 4 at the world 8-ball in Riviera but lost to Bustamante. Busta did not miss more than 2 balls that Sunday against Mike, Wetch and Archer.
Did Mike ever marry his very pretty gf? She was very pretty and very nice and came with Mike during his short stint here in LA.
Sorry to hear Mike to quit b/c of his shaking. I never saw anyone hit balls as softly as he did.
Power strokes
I saw Larry Nevel shoot some draw and follow shots at Q-masters billiards when we asked him to show us a few shots and i've never seen anyone move the cue ball like that. I heard Bill Incardona comment during an Accu-stats match between Larry Nevel and Mika Immonen that if anyone thought they knew someone who could draw the ball further than Larry Nevel they had action. Billy knew most of the top players and he said that Larry Nevel had the most powerful draw stroke he'd ever seen!
I saw Larry Nevel shoot some draw and follow shots at Q-masters billiards when we asked him to show us a few shots and i've never seen anyone move the cue ball like that. I heard Bill Incardona comment during an Accu-stats match between Larry Nevel and Mika Immonen that if anyone thought they knew someone who could draw the ball further than Larry Nevel they had action. Billy knew most of the top players and he said that Larry Nevel had the most powerful draw stroke he'd ever seen!
Dallas West! smooth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have seen many of those games ...
These were the only folks that had the guts and or the money to play him !
Cis' would come out to Amityville where I lived and play way into the night with all kinds of characters from Jimmy the painter (who was the local paint contractor) and folks like the local plumber who was Janet Duboise the actress (from TV GoodTimes) husband up to Basil who was a previous European pocket pool champ and at the time owned the only other pool room in town which was located behind his barber shop!Blackjack said:
These were the only folks that had the guts and or the money to play him !
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gulfportdoc said:
I don't believe it's the side arm stroke that impedes his break, if you've ever seen Jack Madden break he uses a sidearm stroke and breaks incredibly hard
Jake
Credit to Bob Olsen, we left out one very important guy in this discussion. The big man with the even bigger heart, JAY "SWANEE" SWANSON!!!
For such a big man, he had this beautiful delicate stroke, that allowed him near perfect cue ball control. And if he needed to put the whip to it, LOOK OUT, that cue ball would be humming. Probably on a par with Larry Nevel and Mike Massey in what he could do, with one very big difference.
Swanee could shoot these remarkable stroke shots when required in the biggest of money games. Once more, I will make note of the fact that NO ONE played better 9-Ball for super high stakes. I'm not talking $1,000 set. I'm talking $1,000 a game action in the 80's. Swanee could execute amazing shots under the pressure of playing a top player and betting the Moon! He was the guy that got flown in somewhere when someone showed up who was gambling high and beating everyone. Just ask Johhny sometime about who Swanee was.
Sigel (or Larry Hubbart for that matter) wanted no part of Jay Swanson for serious money. Everyone ducked Jay, and San Diego was one place that pool hustlers crossed off their maps.
Remember the great Gabby or how about Jack Hynes. It was Sayonara $$ when they tried gambling with Swanee. A young Earl got the cure too. Swanee may have been the only guy that Parica didn't seek out.
For such a big man, he had this beautiful delicate stroke, that allowed him near perfect cue ball control. And if he needed to put the whip to it, LOOK OUT, that cue ball would be humming. Probably on a par with Larry Nevel and Mike Massey in what he could do, with one very big difference.
Swanee could shoot these remarkable stroke shots when required in the biggest of money games. Once more, I will make note of the fact that NO ONE played better 9-Ball for super high stakes. I'm not talking $1,000 set. I'm talking $1,000 a game action in the 80's. Swanee could execute amazing shots under the pressure of playing a top player and betting the Moon! He was the guy that got flown in somewhere when someone showed up who was gambling high and beating everyone. Just ask Johhny sometime about who Swanee was.
Sigel (or Larry Hubbart for that matter) wanted no part of Jay Swanson for serious money. Everyone ducked Jay, and San Diego was one place that pool hustlers crossed off their maps.
Remember the great Gabby or how about Jack Hynes. It was Sayonara $$ when they tried gambling with Swanee. A young Earl got the cure too. Swanee may have been the only guy that Parica didn't seek out.
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One name that hasn't been mentioned, but who IMHO has one of the prettiest strokes in pool is Jose Garcia, the renowned straight pool (and 9-ball) player out of New Jersey. There is a match on Accu-stats between him and Tony Robles, and it ranks in my mind as one of the most flawless matches I've ever seen. And don't talk about the stroke--to die for!
I agree. That is one of the best Accu-Stats matches I have ever seen. If anyone hasn't seen this match do yourself a favor and pick it up...VIProfessor said:
-Andy