CJ defeats Earl and a Special Thanks to this Forum
- Thread starter Cardigan Kid
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I figured you wanted to talk about a topic or two. Instead, we're done and back to bashing people. Got it.
It's the ole "tail wagging the dog" you want to say away from......
It's much better to use the larger muscles, especially the hips to initiate the downward motion. Most players bend down to the shot, their backs and shoulders change positions and it's difficult to replicate time after time. It also puts unneeded stress on their back which can lead to issues.
The bridge hand is the same principle, you want to maintain the "eye/bridge" relationship as consistently as possible when going down on each shot.
It's the ole "tail wagging the dog" you want to say away from, and in this analogy, the tail is the tip and head.
Play Well, the GAME is our teacher......
It's much better to use the larger muscles, especially the hips to initiate the downward motion. Most players bend down to the shot, their backs and shoulders change positions and it's difficult to replicate time after time. It also puts unneeded stress on their back which can lead to issues.
The bridge hand is the same principle, you want to maintain the "eye/bridge" relationship as consistently as possible when going down on each shot.
It's the ole "tail wagging the dog" you want to say away from, and in this analogy, the tail is the tip and head.
Play Well, the GAME is our teacher......
It's much better to use the larger muscles, especially the hips to initiate the downward motion. Most players bend down to the shot, their backs and shoulders change positions and it's difficult to replicate time after time. It also puts unneeded stress on their back which can lead to issues.
The bridge hand is the same principle, you want to maintain the "eye/bridge" relationship as consistently as possible when going down on each shot.
It's the ole "tail wagging the dog" you want to say away from, and in this analogy, the tail is the tip and head.
Play Well, the GAME is our teacher......
CJ Hi, a big thanks for the information you share. I especially enjoyed your TOI tips and videos. In the past i favoured the touch of outside approach and became very familiar with all the positional results as a concequence of that. But more often than i like i would hit a ball to "fat" and miss. So i really worked hard for the last few weeks and started taking the majority of shots with toi. I like the fact that now i can aim a smidge on the inside of the contact piont of the ob and take a firm stroke at it knowing that the slight deflection as a result of inside will nail the ball down. Also i'm finding a much easier to control cue ball off the rails, and more positional options off shots that i would have normally hit with a bit of outside. So yeah! very happy with my progress, it was a big confidence booster in shooting down those longish type open table shots. It just feels better, thanks.
St.
if it's overdone, the outside of the pocket still "gobbles up" the ball
You got it, my friend, this is one of the biggest advantages of the 'Touch of Inside' system of play. I rarely under-cut shots, so I can favor the inside of the pocket and utilize the 'Three Part Pocket System' so the pocket becomes more of a zone. I still calibrate my shots to the center, although this is NOT where I'm aligning.
The acceleration is what deflects it slightly into the center, and if it's overdone, the outside of the pocket still "gobbles up" the ball. Either way, the shot is made and if it's favoring one side or the other, I IMMEDIATELY take this into account on the very next shot. Constantly calibrating shots improves and maintains focus and concentration imho
You got it, my friend, this is one of the biggest advantages of the 'Touch of Inside' system of play. I rarely under-cut shots, so I can favor the inside of the pocket and utilize the 'Three Part Pocket System' so the pocket becomes more of a zone. I still calibrate my shots to the center, although this is NOT where I'm aligning.
The acceleration is what deflects it slightly into the center, and if it's overdone, the outside of the pocket still "gobbles up" the ball. Either way, the shot is made and if it's favoring one side or the other, I IMMEDIATELY take this into account on the very next shot. Constantly calibrating shots improves and maintains focus and concentration imho
His eyes by now felt like they were probing my very soul and I shifted..........
I was hanging out at my pool room "CJ's" behind the bar of all places....I really didn't spend a lot of time back there, but this day was the exception. An older man came in, sat down and ordered a soda...I knew how to "mix" that one so I got it for him and set it down.
The man said "you are the professional pool player CJ aren't you?"....I replied "yes, that's me, unless I owe you money - LoL"....he laughed, took a drink and said, "no, you don't owe me money, but I would like to ask you a question that may result in some."
I suddenly felt him get serous and wondered what this older man was up to -
"sure, you can ask me whatever you want" I said, leaning against the cooler.....the man pointed at the pool table and ask "what are you trying to achieve playing that Game?"....
I hesitated, thought and replied "I'm trying to be the best player I can be, maybe even the best in the world, at least for a time-being".
The man place his napkin between us, looked into my eyes and said firmly -
"you know this Game you play is already perfect....it's up to you to uncover it" and immediately turned over the napkin and looked under it.....
"Do You Understand" he said firmly again "The Game is already perfect, it's just up to you to uncover that Perfection", again he lifted up the napkin, looked under it and then quickly back into my now de-focused stare.
His eyes by now felt like they were probing my very soul and I shifted a bit, suddenly feeling more clear, answered "I think I understand.....it's not me that has to be perfect, it's the game, so I don't need to try to be perfect, I just need to Uncover the Perfection that's already been placed there...in the Game.....by...uhhhh".
He smiled at my hesitation and finished "by the Breath of the Universe or The Breath of a Higher Power, right now that's not as important as you having Faith that it's true!
He then told me to hold on for a minute and went to his car and brought back a book called 'A Parenthesis in Eternity', that I read and still have to this day.....this was one of those occasions that influenced me so much I find myself wondering if this old man was really an old man.....or.....angel (messenger)....no, that would be silly now wouldn't it?.....hmmm, I still can't help but wonder...?"
I was hanging out at my pool room "CJ's" behind the bar of all places....I really didn't spend a lot of time back there, but this day was the exception. An older man came in, sat down and ordered a soda...I knew how to "mix" that one so I got it for him and set it down.
The man said "you are the professional pool player CJ aren't you?"....I replied "yes, that's me, unless I owe you money - LoL"....he laughed, took a drink and said, "no, you don't owe me money, but I would like to ask you a question that may result in some."
I suddenly felt him get serous and wondered what this older man was up to -
"sure, you can ask me whatever you want" I said, leaning against the cooler.....the man pointed at the pool table and ask "what are you trying to achieve playing that Game?"....
I hesitated, thought and replied "I'm trying to be the best player I can be, maybe even the best in the world, at least for a time-being".
The man place his napkin between us, looked into my eyes and said firmly -
"you know this Game you play is already perfect....it's up to you to uncover it" and immediately turned over the napkin and looked under it.....
"Do You Understand" he said firmly again "The Game is already perfect, it's just up to you to uncover that Perfection", again he lifted up the napkin, looked under it and then quickly back into my now de-focused stare.
His eyes by now felt like they were probing my very soul and I shifted a bit, suddenly feeling more clear, answered "I think I understand.....it's not me that has to be perfect, it's the game, so I don't need to try to be perfect, I just need to Uncover the Perfection that's already been placed there...in the Game.....by...uhhhh".
He smiled at my hesitation and finished "by the Breath of the Universe or The Breath of a Higher Power, right now that's not as important as you having Faith that it's true!
He then told me to hold on for a minute and went to his car and brought back a book called 'A Parenthesis in Eternity', that I read and still have to this day.....this was one of those occasions that influenced me so much I find myself wondering if this old man was really an old man.....or.....angel (messenger)....no, that would be silly now wouldn't it?.....hmmm, I still can't help but wonder...?"
I'll always remember this lesson Omaha John Shuput and the Game taught me
Thanks, I've learned a lot from the players I've had the opportunity to travel with through the years. 'Omaha John' made a big impression on me when I was still a teenager. Here's a story of one of the adventures I was on with 'Omaha' in South Carolina.
"Omaha John" and I were touring around on a road trip and ended up in a small bar in South Carolina. The owner of the bar was a BIG gambler and would take the 5 and the break from anyone playing on the bar table with the Big Cue Ball.
We had been going through a tough time and I was "breaking even" with everyone. Usually I would get ahead, then start "letting up," they would come back, "get even" and quit. This was getting annoying and I was beginning to question if I had enough "heart," to be a champion player.
This was a big thing in the gambling days, if you have the heart to close someone out. To put them away. And it was happening again, I had got up over 2k for $200 a game and now we raised it to $300. a game and the guy beat me 7 IN A ROW and we were just $100. winner.
Omaha John came up to me and said "if you're ever going to be a great road player you better do it now. I'm not out here "for my health," I have a wife and kid at home and I have to win, breaking even is for "suckers!"
He was serious, so, standing my cue against a near by stool, I stopped playing and went to the bathroom - it was "now or never," I thought, looking in the mirror, starring straight into my own eyes - "do you really want to be a pool player, do you really have what it takes?" I hesitated slightly, waiting for the answer to come from my "Inner Self"..... not the answer I wanted to hear, I HAD to know the truth....I needed to know and my life would change from that moment.
Finally the answer had come - I knew in my "heart of hearts" that the moment had arrived. "The Moment of Truth," I couldn't be a sucker, "stuck" at my current level, struggling to break even and making up excuses.
There was only one choice - to become a winner and break out of that "victim level" and do whatever it would take to learn the Truth about pool and what it takes to be the best.
I made that decision right then because I had to. And it's a decision that continues because life's much more about the "journey," than the "destination." Life is the best teacher, and at that moment my life was the game and for an instant they melded into One...The Game is the Teacher!
Often times we are held back because we don't need to win, we don't have to get better. I didn't have the luxury that day and I thank Omaha John for putting me in a situation where I had to be honest with myself. No one else matters when you're trying to get to the "next level,"{in life} it's all about ourselves.... it's about looking ourselves in the mirror and "real eyesing" that the answer we've been searching for is not outside, it's inside ourselves.
I went back out there and was like an entirely different person. John had been telling me to stop spinning my ball and playing low percentage shots....so I did. Others had made comments about my game that I had ignored because of my ego, so I incorporated those suggestions too - my perception had changed, the Game had given me a vital spiritual experience.
From that point I beat the guy out of over 8K and he looked like he had been drained of all his energy. I didn't care what it took I made myself shoot the correct shot, in the right way and forgot forever my childish reasons for not playing the Game correctly. To be a Champion at anything we must keep doing "the next right thing," whether we like it or not.
Looking back I can't help but think the chains of mediocrity had been broken, and I had started to become a player. From that moment on I had a "6th Sense" about pool and knew what I HAD to practice to improve - and what I needed to ignore. "The chain breaks at it's weakest link" and that became the motto of my practice routines.
I'll always remember this lesson Omaha John Shuput and the Game taught me in that bar in South Carolina.... and the mirror that reflected what I needed to have "eyes that could see my self".
Thanks, I've learned a lot from the players I've had the opportunity to travel with through the years. 'Omaha John' made a big impression on me when I was still a teenager. Here's a story of one of the adventures I was on with 'Omaha' in South Carolina.
"Omaha John" and I were touring around on a road trip and ended up in a small bar in South Carolina. The owner of the bar was a BIG gambler and would take the 5 and the break from anyone playing on the bar table with the Big Cue Ball.
We had been going through a tough time and I was "breaking even" with everyone. Usually I would get ahead, then start "letting up," they would come back, "get even" and quit. This was getting annoying and I was beginning to question if I had enough "heart," to be a champion player.
This was a big thing in the gambling days, if you have the heart to close someone out. To put them away. And it was happening again, I had got up over 2k for $200 a game and now we raised it to $300. a game and the guy beat me 7 IN A ROW and we were just $100. winner.
Omaha John came up to me and said "if you're ever going to be a great road player you better do it now. I'm not out here "for my health," I have a wife and kid at home and I have to win, breaking even is for "suckers!"
He was serious, so, standing my cue against a near by stool, I stopped playing and went to the bathroom - it was "now or never," I thought, looking in the mirror, starring straight into my own eyes - "do you really want to be a pool player, do you really have what it takes?" I hesitated slightly, waiting for the answer to come from my "Inner Self"..... not the answer I wanted to hear, I HAD to know the truth....I needed to know and my life would change from that moment.
Finally the answer had come - I knew in my "heart of hearts" that the moment had arrived. "The Moment of Truth," I couldn't be a sucker, "stuck" at my current level, struggling to break even and making up excuses.
There was only one choice - to become a winner and break out of that "victim level" and do whatever it would take to learn the Truth about pool and what it takes to be the best.
I made that decision right then because I had to. And it's a decision that continues because life's much more about the "journey," than the "destination." Life is the best teacher, and at that moment my life was the game and for an instant they melded into One...The Game is the Teacher!
Often times we are held back because we don't need to win, we don't have to get better. I didn't have the luxury that day and I thank Omaha John for putting me in a situation where I had to be honest with myself. No one else matters when you're trying to get to the "next level,"{in life} it's all about ourselves.... it's about looking ourselves in the mirror and "real eyesing" that the answer we've been searching for is not outside, it's inside ourselves.
I went back out there and was like an entirely different person. John had been telling me to stop spinning my ball and playing low percentage shots....so I did. Others had made comments about my game that I had ignored because of my ego, so I incorporated those suggestions too - my perception had changed, the Game had given me a vital spiritual experience.
From that point I beat the guy out of over 8K and he looked like he had been drained of all his energy. I didn't care what it took I made myself shoot the correct shot, in the right way and forgot forever my childish reasons for not playing the Game correctly. To be a Champion at anything we must keep doing "the next right thing," whether we like it or not.
Looking back I can't help but think the chains of mediocrity had been broken, and I had started to become a player. From that moment on I had a "6th Sense" about pool and knew what I HAD to practice to improve - and what I needed to ignore. "The chain breaks at it's weakest link" and that became the motto of my practice routines.
I'll always remember this lesson Omaha John Shuput and the Game taught me in that bar in South Carolina.... and the mirror that reflected what I needed to have "eyes that could see my self".
don't shut the door on new ideas, beliefs or attitudes
Yes, this is much like reading a book a few years later. I've read 'Zen in the Art of Archery' 7 times and each time I see parts that I missed before. It's really about levels of learning, we each have a foundation that changes almost daily.
My perception of pool is much different than it was in my teenage years. I couldn't have started where I am now, this had to develop naturally, as my experience and knowledge evolved. This is true for all of us that keep an open mind and don't shut the door on new ideas, beliefs or attitudes.
Yes, this is much like reading a book a few years later. I've read 'Zen in the Art of Archery' 7 times and each time I see parts that I missed before. It's really about levels of learning, we each have a foundation that changes almost daily.
My perception of pool is much different than it was in my teenage years. I couldn't have started where I am now, this had to develop naturally, as my experience and knowledge evolved. This is true for all of us that keep an open mind and don't shut the door on new ideas, beliefs or attitudes.
In many martial arts disciplines, the higher belts cannot be obtained until you've reached a certain age. My son has been taking jujitsu for a while-he is nine. There are higher levels that he cannot comprehend at this stage in life so his belt progression is limited.
I can see how in pool, a professional may be able to excel even at an advanced age in this same way. You stated it here perfectly, CJ.
Didn't Mike LeBron start later than most?
You are doing the right thing getting your son involved at such a young age
Martial arts and pool have many similarities. I've been a 2nd Degree Black-Belt for over 20 years, and have trained to test for 3rd Degree a few times (business got me side-tracked). My understanding now is much higher than when I tested 21 years ago, and my training is a solid foundation of my life.
You are doing the right thing getting your son involved at such a young age, I wish I would have had that opportunity. I don't think there's anything I've done that's improved my over-all life as much as martial arts. Without it I would not have reached the levels I have in competing and teaching pool.
Yes, Mike started playing professionally in his late 40s I believe. He won the US OPEN when he was 53, and was one of the top players in the country for several years.
Mike was underrated by many people, however, I knew the "inside scoop" on his game and it was certainly championship level. On any given day Mike was able to beat anyone in the world well into his 50s.
Martial arts and pool have many similarities. I've been a 2nd Degree Black-Belt for over 20 years, and have trained to test for 3rd Degree a few times (business got me side-tracked). My understanding now is much higher than when I tested 21 years ago, and my training is a solid foundation of my life.
You are doing the right thing getting your son involved at such a young age, I wish I would have had that opportunity. I don't think there's anything I've done that's improved my over-all life as much as martial arts. Without it I would not have reached the levels I have in competing and teaching pool.
Yes, Mike started playing professionally in his late 40s I believe. He won the US OPEN when he was 53, and was one of the top players in the country for several years.
Mike was underrated by many people, however, I knew the "inside scoop" on his game and it was certainly championship level. On any given day Mike was able to beat anyone in the world well into his 50s.