clem metz continuedin

[billycarrelli]

IN 1966 I MET CLEM IN MERGARDs he was practicing because he had not played for a while being a guest of the state,i asked him to play one handed one-pocket for ten dollars a game ,figuring he could not run over me onehanded,and I could learn some basic moves .I had a broken left arm two years before and I played pretty well one handed. we played for about 3hours,he beat me out of 40dollars but during the games he would tell me my mistakes and give me advice.Ilearned more in that session than I had all year .Like I thought he did nothing fancy so I got to see alot of basic good fundamentals which I still remember. I was surprised he tutored me. then we did something two handed and the first thing he told was to keep my left arm totally staight ,he said you must keep your bridge arm straight and that I would never see a great player who didn't keep that arm straight.ITHOUGHT WE WERE BECOMING FRIENDS. when mergards closed at 2.30 we went outside and started lagging quarters closest to the wall about ten feet away. well I have never lost lagging and figured I would get my 40 back. I was winning then he turned on me and began to cheat taking all close lags and saying my quarter was his when they touched,normally this would have started a fist fight because I didn't let anybody muscle me .thats when I realized you could not do any business with him ,so I quit even still down 40 I NEVER GAMBLED WITH HIM AGAIN. we stayed friendly from then on. but I had learned valuable things about one-pocket,he played old school one-pocket ,which was like a war never leave a shot never do anything fancy keep your apponent on the rail or froze to the stack.LATER I PLAYED JOEY SPAETH WHO HAD JUST WON THE ONE-POCKET at johnson city. He played even tighter than clem ,both had great basic fundamentals. Igot to know what they were going to do before they shot.they did the usual unusually well always on the rail. I WAS ON THE RAIL SO MUCH i BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT MISCUING .Then I finally trapped joey froze to the stack with a couple of balls in front of my hole.Thats when I learned about intentional scratches ,man I thought this was bullshit,and I realized I would never get a shot so I QUIT.Clem was known to take ten intentional scratches in a row. thats when they changed the rules at tournaments to three scratches in arow you lose. LATER on when I thought I could really play I INVENTED SOME AGRESSIVE MOVES ,I wuld have been better off sticking to the basic fundamentals . more later mergards was a very cool pool hall and bowling alley with a cocktail bar called the peacock lounge in cincinnati .

 

[billycarrelli]

IN 1966 I MET CLEM IN MERGARDs he was practicing because he had not played for a while being a guest of the state,i asked him to play one handed one-pocket for ten dollars a game ,figuring he could not run over me onehanded,and I could learn some basic moves .I had a broken left arm two years before and I played pretty well one handed. we played for about 3hours,he beat me out of 40dollars but during the games he would tell me my mistakes and give me advice.Ilearned more in that session than I had all year .Like I thought he did nothing fancy so I got to see alot of basic good fundamentals which I still remember. I was surprised he tutored me. then we did something two handed and the first thing he told was to keep my left arm totally staight ,he said you must keep your bridge arm straight and that I would never see a great player who didn't keep that arm straight.ITHOUGHT WE WERE BECOMING FRIENDS. when mergards closed at 2.30 we went outside and started lagging quarters closest to the wall about ten feet away. well I have never lost lagging and figured I would get my 40 back. I was winning then he turned on me and began to cheat taking all close lags and saying my quarter was his when they touched,normally this would have started a fist fight because I didn't let anybody muscle me .thats when I realized you could not do any business with him ,so I quit even still down 40 I NEVER GAMBLED WITH HIM AGAIN. we stayed friendly from then on. but I had learned valuable things about one-pocket,he played old school one-pocket ,which was like a war never leave a shot never do anything fancy keep your apponent on the rail or froze to the stack.LATER I PLAYED JOEY SPAETH WHO HAD JUST WON THE ONE-POCKET at johnson city. He played even tighter than clem ,both had great basic fundamentals. Igot to know what they were going to do before they shot.they did the usual unusually well always on the rail. I WAS ON THE RAIL SO MUCH i BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT MISCUING .Then I finally trapped joey froze to the stack with a couple of balls in front of my hole.Thats when I learned about intentional scratches ,man I thought this was bullshit,and I realized I would never get a shot so I QUIT.Clem was known to take ten intentional scratches in a row. thats when they changed the rules at tournaments to three scratches in arow you lose. LATER on when I thought I could really play I INVENTED SOME AGRESSIVE MOVES ,I wuld have been better off sticking to the basic fundamentals . more later mergards was a very cool pool hall and bowling alley with a cocktail bar called the peacock lounge in cincinnati .

 

[billycarrelli]

Clem metz continued

IN 1966 I MET CLEM IN MERGARDs he was practicing because he had not played for a while being a guest of the state,i asked him to play one handed one-pocket for ten dollars a game ,figuring he could not run over me onehanded,and I could learn some basic moves .I had a broken left arm two years before and I played pretty well one handed. we played for about 3hours,he beat me out of 40dollars but during the games he would tell me my mistakes and give me advice.Ilearned more in that session than I had all year .Like I thought he did nothing fancy so I got to see alot of basic good fundamentals which I still remember. I was surprised he tutored me. then we did something two handed and the first thing he told was to keep my left arm totally staight ,he said you must keep your bridge arm straight and that I would never see a great player who didn't keep that arm straight.ITHOUGHT WE WERE BECOMING FRIENDS. when mergards closed at 2.30 we went outside and started lagging quarters closest to the wall about ten feet away. well I have never lost lagging and figured I would get my 40 back. I was winning then he turned on me and began to cheat taking all close lags and saying my quarter was his when they touched,normally this would have started a fist fight because I didn't let anybody muscle me .thats when I realized you could not do any business with him ,so I quit even still down 40 I NEVER GAMBLED WITH HIM AGAIN. we stayed friendly from then on. but I had learned valuable things about one-pocket,he played old school one-pocket ,which was like a war never leave a shot never do anything fancy keep your apponent on the rail or froze to the stack.LATER I PLAYED JOEY SPAETH WHO HAD JUST WON THE ONE-POCKET at johnson city. He played even tighter than clem ,both had great basic fundamentals. Igot to know what they were going to do before they shot.they did the usual unusually well always on the rail. I WAS ON THE RAIL SO MUCH i BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT MISCUING .Then I finally trapped joey froze to the stack with a couple of balls in front of my hole.Thats when I learned about intentional scratches ,man I thought this was bullshit,and I realized I would never get a shot so I QUIT.Clem was known to take ten intentional scratches in a row. thats when they changed the rules at tournaments to three scratches in arow you lose. LATER on when I thought I could really play I INVENTED SOME AGRESSIVE MOVES ,I wuld have been better off sticking to the basic fundamentals . more later mergards was a very cool pool hall and bowling alley with a cocktail bar called the peacock lounge in cincinnati .

 

[Doug]

Clem Metz

Just curious if during your conversations with Mr. Metz if happened to mention playing a friend of mine, Vernon Elliott? Buddy Hall was with Vernon when they played. If memory serves me correctly they played in St. Louis.

 

[Black-Balled]

you can say that again.

IN 1966 I MET CLEM IN MERGARDs he was practicing because he had not played for a while being a guest of the state,i asked him to play one handed one-pocket for ten dollars a game ,figuring he could not run over me onehanded,and I could learn some basic moves .

I had a broken left arm two years before and I played pretty well one handed. we played for about 3hours,he beat me out of 40dollars but during the games he would tell me my mistakes and give me advice.Ilearned more in that session than I had all year .Like I thought he did nothing fancy so I got to see alot of basic good fundamentals which I still remember. I was surprised he tutored me. then we did something two handed and the first thing he told was to keep my left arm totally staight ,he said you must keep your bridge arm straight and that I would never see a great player who didn't keep that arm straight.

ITHOUGHT WE WERE BECOMING FRIENDS. when mergards closed at 2.30 we went outside and started lagging quarters closest to the wall about ten feet away. well I have never lost lagging and figured I would get my 40 back. I was winning then he turned on me and began to cheat taking all close lags and saying my quarter was his when they touched,normally this would have started a fist fight because I didn't let anybody muscle me .thats when I realized you could not do any business with him ,so I quit even still down 40 I NEVER GAMBLED WITH HIM AGAIN.

we stayed friendly from then on. but I had learned valuable things about one-pocket,he played old school one-pocket ,which was like a war never leave a shot never do anything fancy keep your apponent on the rail or froze to the stack.

LATER I PLAYED JOEY SPAETH WHO HAD JUST WON THE ONE-POCKET at johnson city. He played even tighter than clem ,both had great basic fundamentals. Igot to know what they were going to do before they shot.they did the usual unusually well always on the rail. I WAS ON THE RAIL SO MUCH i BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT MISCUING .Then I finally trapped joey froze to the stack with a couple of balls in front of my hole.Thats when I learned about intentional scratches ,man I thought this was bullshit,and I realized I would never get a shot so I QUIT.

Clem was known to take ten intentional scratches in a row. thats when they changed the rules at tournaments to three scratches in arow you lose. LATER on when I thought I could really play I INVENTED SOME AGRESSIVE MOVES ,I wuld have been better off sticking to the basic fundamentals .

more later mergards was a very cool pool hall and bowling alley with a cocktail bar called the peacock lounge in cincinnati .

 

[billycarrelli]

Clem metz continued

Just curious if during your conversations with Mr. Metz if happened to mention playing a friend of mine, Vernon Elliott? Buddy Hall was with Vernon when they played. If memory serves me correctly they played in St. Louis.

no he never talked about vernon clem didn't remember names ,buddy hall asked clem in louisville if clem rememberd him ,clem said who are you . buddy said i'm buddy hall ,clem replied who is buddy hall . I knew vernon well he was a great player and a character

 

[book collector]

Clem Metz

Great stories Billy , I hope you keep posting.
This place has some knockers but a lot of good guys too. We played some one pocket at the place in Florence a few years ago when I came down to meet the professor. I took a picture of you and a friend, Don I think was the fellows name. {Sorry if thats wrong , memory is shot.} If you PM me an address I will find the pics and send them to you, or wherever you want .