ending the infamous 526

[Rich93]

Interesting thing about that rack shows me how simple he made the game. He ran 15 balls and only went to a rail 8 times with no rail on 7 shots.

Considering that the show was probably live, or at least unedited, he seems to have been lucky that his break left no clusters. Or was it luck?

He had only one problem ball and he got rid of that on the first shot. Notice how he caromed his first shot off the ball that was in a bad position right near the side pocket. He shot very fast but that was just about the speed I recall him shooting in those days.

Although he is quoted as saying there are only two shot speeds in pool - slow and slower - he seldom rolls a ball, he'll stun-forward instead. Pretty good left-handed too.

 

[pdcue]

I guess a heart attack was the immediate cause of death, but I doubt that his son would be wrong about the Alzheimer's.

Here's a link to a 1962 appearance on I've Got A Secret. At about the 6:00 minute mark he sets up a break shot and runs off 15 balls. I hadn't seen this before and it shows Mosconi close to his prime - he was probably doing lots of exhibitions around that time (The Hustler was released the year before). Decide for yourself whether Willie's stroke qualifies as a slip stroke. You can see it well, and the wrist snap, in the break shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ts7YqHRrjc

O...M...G.. not the dreaded slipstroke mis-information again.

Did you ever see him play?

No one who knows what a slip stroke is would ever accuse Willie
of shooting with a slipstroke.

Find yourself a video of 'Cowboy' Jimmy Moore, then report back
to the group.

Dale

 

[pdcue]

big pockets!

Irrelevant - if you had ever seen him play 14.1, you would understand why.

Dale

 

[pdcue]

I think when Mosconi said he got tired and quit the run, he was confusing it with a different run. Charlie Ursitti, Mosconi's manager, said he witnessed him running 589 or 598 in practice and just quitting the run unfinished. Maybe over the years Mosconi confused the two runs.

Not too likely - the practice run you refer to took place - IIRC
in the late 70s. Willie had been telling the 'got tired and quit' story
for years by then.

Dale

 

[Scott Lee]

Dale is correct here. Cowboy Jimmy Moore did play with what is referred to as a slip stroke (the grip hand slides back on the cue, rather than the cue sliding forward in the hand...often called a stroke slip). Mosconi did not play with a slip stroke.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

O...M...G.. not the dreaded slipstroke mis-information again.

Did you ever see him play?

No one who knows what a slip stroke is would ever accuse Willie
of shooting with a slipstroke.

Find yourself a video of 'Cowboy' Jimmy Moore, then report back
to the group.

Dale

 

[Fenwick]

I guess a heart attack was the immediate cause of death, but I doubt that his son would be wrong about the Alzheimer's.

Here's a link to a 1962 appearance on I've Got A Secret. At about the 6:00 minute mark he sets up a break shot and runs off 15 balls. I hadn't seen this before and it shows Mosconi close to his prime - he was probably doing lots of exhibitions around that time (The Hustler was released the year before). Decide for yourself whether Willie's stroke qualifies as a slip stroke. You can see it well, and the wrist snap, in the break shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ts7YqHRrjc

I play with a gentleman who has the best and biggest slip stroke I've ever seen. He's a scratch golfer and a steady 30, 40, 50 ball runner.
I would not say Mr Mosconi uses a slip stroke.
Great link BTW. I was 12 in 62 and saw the show live.

There's Gary with a smoke in one hand and cute Betsy Palmer on the panel. http://www.google.com/search?source...lz=1T4ADSA_enUS380US380&q=betsy+palmer+photos

 

[lfigueroa]

O...M...G.. not the dreaded slipstroke mis-information again.

Did you ever see him play?

No one who knows what a slip stroke is would ever accuse Willie
of shooting with a slipstroke.

Find yourself a video of 'Cowboy' Jimmy Moore, then report back
to the group.

Dale

Saw Willie play several times. He did not use a slip stroke.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Island Drive]

big pockets!

Your probably right, but his pattern play was rock solid, that's 99% of straight pool once you can make balls.

 

[Celtic]

For reasons known only to him, he said for years he quit due to being tired.

I am going to guess it is because Fats who ran around saying he never lost a money match and was the best pool player the world has ever seen gained such fame and legend status due to his "tall tales" and Mosconi was taking a page from Fats' book. The only problem is Willie was a natural world class pool player the likes the world has not seen since but he was nowhere near the showman not did he have the charisma of Fats so the tall tale simply did not come off in the same way that the stuff Fats said. Part of that is probably due tot he fact everyone knew Fats was telling tales, Mosconi did not tell many falsehoods about the game so people did not know how to take it when he did in this instance and he finally gave it up.

That 1962 video is awesome, the oldest video of Mosconi playing actual straight pool as close to his prime that I have ever seen. What I noticed is he switched left handed on a couple of those shots without even blinking. That table was REALLY fast too.

 

[Gerry]

this turned into a great thread! Willie always brings out good conversation.

I have always wondered what allows the super high ball runners to maintain focus on the long runs? You watch Willie run balls and he looks a lot like many of the old school guys, but he could run 100 on command.

Babe Cranfield was another unassuming looking guy, but he ran #'s into the 600's!!! makes me wonder how or why?!

G.

 

[Island Drive]

this turned into a great thread! Willie always brings out good conversation.

I have always wondered what allows the super high ball runners to maintain focus on the long runs? You watch Willie run balls and he looks a lot like many of the old school guys, but he could run 100 on command.

Babe Cranfield was another unassuming looking guy, but he ran #'s into the 600's!!! makes me wonder how or why?!

G.

I would think their mental game was due to the depression era, if you miss, you don't eat.

 

[Rich93]

Saw Willie play several times. He did not use a slip stroke.

Lou Figueroa

Where's George Fels when I need him?

Oh, and Dale (pdcue), I put the slip stroke line in just to tweak you. It worked!

 

[pdcue]

Where's George Fels when I need him?

Oh, and Dale (pdcue), I put the slip stroke line in just to tweak you. It worked!

Well Rich, I never would have guessed I was so important in your life.
Perhaps you should try to get out more.

You are not alone in wanting to define Willie as a slip stroker,
if that is what you actually believe.

IMHO - it is all due to the fact that there is some video of adjusting
his right hand back slightly just before he shoots.

Dale