Earl Strickland's ability

[jay helfert]

The best shot I ever saw Earl make was against Mizerak in the finals of Red's tournament in Houston in 1984. It was late in the match and Steve played safe, leaving the cue ball at one end of the table and the eight ball on the end rail at the other end. The nine ball was on the same end rail as the eight. Earl stared at the shot and finally leveled on it to shoot. I had no idea what he was going to do. He fired the eight at warp speed and banked it down in the far end pocket, SWISH! The cue ball bounced off the end rail and came out near the side pocket, reversed course and slowly rolled back up to the end rail for position on the nine. That shot ultimately won him the match as Steve was weak after that. I don't think Mizerak was ever the same player after the two beatings Earl put on him at Tahoe and now Red's.

 

[alstl]

Earl's talent is not due to his emotions. Earl has a more powerful and straighter stroke then pretty much anyone this game has ever seen. He is the most naturally talented pro player on the planet. Earl's emotions did not cause that stroke or talent, they simply get in the way of it.

I don't entirely disagree but perhaps his emotions cause him to focus harder and practice more than most people and in that way his emotions drive him to be better. During the matches it is true his emotions sometimes are his worst enemy and he loses to people who don't have anywhere near his talent.

I remember reading that he started playing at a young age and used to slide a box around the table to stand on. It's no secret the brain learns easier at a young age.

 

[Bobby]

Earl was in NYC for a tournament and he was practicing along with a bunch of other pros at Amsterdam Billiards. Our own AZer SJM was at a table with a few pros and he had set up a scenario he had come across in a match and was asking what they would do in that situation. Every pro came up with a safety of some kind as there was no apparent run out option. Earl was walking passed the table and they asked him...he looked for two seconds at the table and said "I'd run out" like it was the most obvious thing in the world! Then he kept walking. That's just how he thinks.

 

[Diamond Jack]

Thanks for shooting pool, you are a good guy Earl...

I only seen him "live" in Europe, Bergheim in Germany, Egmond an Zee in the Netherlands and 2times in Cardiff - Wales,GB.

Everytime it was a pleasure to watch him play his fast and fearless game...:smile:

 

[mnShooter]

Earl's problem

Earl's problem is the break. He can't break 10 ball and he can't break 9 ball when it's break from the box. He was a great breaker in 9 ball but so was everyone else. 9 ball break from the side is a thing of the past.

If he would spend some time figuring out the 10 ball break and use the cut break at the US Open 9 ball he would still be near the top of the money list.

His pocketing ability, position, kicking and safety skills are top notch. Yet he is either too stubborn or has given up on trying to figure out the 10 ball break.

 

[Masirib5]

I see it as most of you do. Early was the greatest 9 ball player along with Efren.

But now, I think not. For example here is a match: 2011 Derby City Classic Huidji See vs. Earl Strickland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW6KJ6wP5IU

(Maybe this was even posted in this thread or somewhere else on AZ)

And this is exactly how I see him competing against the new world class players.

I still hold Earl in high regard for his physical skills. So many memories!

 

[Spider1]

Besides his firepower, he was known in his prime for his ability to "come" with a shot which would be a difficult and game deciding effort....One of the best I ever saw was a straight in long shot from one corner to the diagonally opposite corner...the cue ball was practically in the pocket on one end, the object ball was somewhere in the middle of the table, but lined up straight to the other pocket....He basically jacks up and fires the eight ball (?) into the far pocket with enough draw to come back for the nine ball....at that point, his opponent (I think it was Danny Diliberto) just concedes the hill-hill match.....to me it was an amazing shot for the difficulty of it.....

I remember that match, its off an old accustats tape.

They were hill/hill, danny d breaking, 9 almost goes in. Danny is yelling at the crowd, but the 9 does not drop. However another ball does drop. Danny goes for a combo, and while it is rolling starts his routine again. He misses the combo, but leaves Earl bad, he walks away jawing. Earl does the shot you describe. Fires in from deep in one corner into a tough cut shot on the other end. Brings the ball back PERFECTLY for a combo on the 9. Earl gets down to shoot and danny interrupts him to shake his hand, not allowing him to sink the 9.

That was a super match.

Someone upload that hill/hill game to youtube or something, it was a pretty awesome ending! :smile:


Edit: The first time I saw that game was on the "Accu-Stats 10-10 Volume 2 The Second Collection Of Hill-Hill Matches" vhs tape, but the whole match is floating around out there somewhere, I've seen it on vhs also. Someone has to have it.