How Many Miss Mr3Cushion, Comments or Knowledges??
One of the old School guy in America that his knowledges is overlook... along with others!
One of the old School guy in America that his knowledges is overlook... along with others!
How Many Miss Mr3Cushion, Comments or Knowledges??
- Thread starter billiardshot
- Start date
How many billiarshoot read internet
I've known the one and only Mr. 3Cushion for 45 years now. He's a fountain of knowledge and experience. He's 87 years old and lives near Mechelen, Belgium.
His grandson plays pretty good, too.
I miss seeing him play in major tournaments but life moves on.
I had the honor of playing him in the Dutch League a few months ago. He beat me fair and square, at 87 years of age, 40-34 in 32 innings. He closed it out with a textbook-perfect run of 9.
many billiarshoot read internet
I've been living in Cocoa Beach for the last 20 years.
I'm not sure about the OP's intention.
My 'Username' is Mr3Cushion!
I also feel I'm pretty knowledgeable about the game of 3 cushion after playing for 60 years!
I'm only confrontational/obtuse when I 'know' someone/something is Wrong about what they speak!
I've won over 100 3C tournaments in my life in the USA.
Here's a little part of it.
2010:
1992:
1982:
1975-1982:
Here's a little part of it.
2010:
- Wrote and Published my book "The Concise Book of Position Play" and DVD and the DVD sequel to it, “The Secrets EXPOSED Consecutive Scoring For a Higher Average”
- Became an instructional member of the Old School Pool School team, which holds seminars and clinics for straight pool, one pocket, bank pool, nine ball, and 3 cushion billiards
- Held the first Old School Pool Clinic at Ultimate Billiards in Fort Pierce, FL.
- Began writing monthly instructional articles for On The Break News, The Break, Rack'em, and Stroke magazines
- Began instructing in pool and carom In Florida
- Scored 58 points in 11 innings at The Green Room Billiards in Downers Grove, IL. The room had a plaque made to commemorate that day
- Made 50 points in 12 innings (final score: 50-3) against Tommy Scherher at Chris's Billiards in Chicago, IL.
- Finished 9th in the first Carom Corner International Tournament held at Chris's Billiards, in Chicago, IL. Defeated such players as Semih Syginer, Francis Forton, Eddy Leppons, and Pedro Piedrabuena.
- Played in the team championships in Viersen, Germany (has played in 5 Grand Prix) tournaments in Europe.
1992:
- Finished 2nd to Sang Lee in the first US Nationals held at Chris's Billiards in Chicago, IL.
- Wrote instructional articles for Billiards Digest
- Finished 7th place in Abel Calderon International 3C event, with High Run (16) in Finals against Martin Spoormans
- Became general manager of Hollywood Billiards, in Hollywood, CA.
- Started hosting 3 cushion billiards clinics
- Won the Midwest Qualifier (18-man round robin) in Jacksonville, IL. Went undefeated, with a high run of 14 against my dad, Merhl.
- Finished 6th in US National Championship.
- Had my High Run (16) in a tournament against George Ashby at the Chicago Billiard Cafe in Chicago, IL
- Finished 5th in US National Championship.
- Broke all ABA records since Harold Worst. Won 62 consecutive ABA tournament games without a loss, and in doing so won 8 consecutive tournaments.
- Personal high run of 24 (exhibition game) at State & Madison Billiards in Rockford, IL. Best tournament average: 1.756 in finals at same venue.
- Finished 4th in US 3C National Championship.
1982:
- Had my best ABA Tournament game against Gene Johnson of Lansing, MI. at High Pockets Billiards. Made 40 points in 12 innings. Also won 32 consecutive ABA tournament games in a row without loss, and 3 consecutive tournaments.
- Finished 4th in US 3C National Championship.
1975-1982:
- Had high runs of 15 to 21 on every billiard table at Chris's Billiards in Chicago, IL. more than once
- Won the Chicago City Championship at the age of 23 at Howard and Paulina Billiards
- Won the Chicago City Championships for 8 consecutive years
- I started playing 3 cushion at 18 under the instruction of Ernie Presto, at that time the most knowledgeable player on the History/Players of the 20th Century. He also played every World 3C Champion from Alfredo DeOro to Raymond Ceulemans.
Last edited:
I've always been a big proponent of trying to simplify shots in 3 cushion billiards.
One of the ways I figured out around the early 80's was 'Half Ball Shots'. Especially when applying 'Vertical English' on the CB.
Here's a common shot that arises in a game several times in 50 points.
I devised this sort of 'Aiming System/Strokes' for varying distances from the object ball. "Always Aiming the cue tip at the edge of the OB."
The Strokes and Follow Through
The past and present strokes in 3 Cushion Billiards
One of the most common faults of amateur players is the incorrect concept of the proper stroke and follow-through in 3 cushion billiards. Unfortunately years ago in the pre-modern game era, 30’s 40’ and 50’s, the equipment in the United States was vastly different. Modern tables are heated. Synthetic rubber is used for the cushions. Phenolic balls are used instead of Ivory and the woolen tablecloth slowed the cue ball down more than today's cloth. The statement, “You must follow-through on all shots”, was misleading. The professionals of that era should have said, “Apply the proper follow-through for each individual shot”.
The modern game of 3 cushion billiards has evolved into a precision game. In order to achieve that consistent precision, you must have a stroke that is free from flaws. A certain amount of natural hand-eye coordination will give some player’s more consistent results. But the proper stroke and follow through can be taught to the level of any player’s natural ability.
The start of the proper stroke
The proper stroke starts in the pre-setup routine. After analyzing the position that waits for you, determine what kind of stroke is needed to achieve a point. Before the player addresses the cue ball, he needs to decide on the rhythm and tempo for that particular shot. Use a couple of warm up strokes to get the feeling.
When addressing the cue ball, the cue tip should be fairly close to the cue ball before you start your backswing. The player should learn to develop the same number of warm-up strokes on every shot. This provides the rhythm component of the stroke.
I personally believe in the continuous straight, horizontal and vertical stroke method, and not pausing. If the player interrupts the rhythm, he may lose the timing and tempo he was trying to achieve. Another very important part of the stroke is crescendo, (increasing speed), never decelerating. Just remember, whatever number of warm-up strokes you choose to take, embed that into your game.
The five basic strokes to simpler billiards
It’s time to talk about the real basis for being able to play better and get better position with less effort. There are five basic strokes used in 3 cushion billiards. They are the: normal, short, rapid, slow, and dead ball strokes. These and their combinations are used to avoid kisses and play position. Knowing when and how to use these strokes is the core to being a better than average player. When the player knows the correct strokes to use for certain shots, they need not be concerned on contacting the first object ball exactly, that’s the one thing that makes 3 cushion billiards more forgiving than pocket billiards.
The normal stroke
Now to the different strokes, the normal stroke can be defined as a stroke that has a follow through approximately twice the length of the bridge the player is using for that specific shot. This stroke is used for most shots that have a natural angle from the cue ball to the object ball and then to the first cushion. We can generally use the normal stroke for natural angle cushion first shots (banks),
The short stroke
The next stroke is the short stroke. The name explains it all. The short stroke is probably used by better players more often than any other, especially on new cloth. This stroke is not an abrupt jab, but a well-timed shortened stroke with a shorter follow through than the length of the player’s bridge,
A little trick to help facilitate the effect is to use a shorter bridge than normal. Keeping the cue tip on the cue ball for a shortened time gives a purer hit. This makes sense. The common use of the short stroke is to make extremely thin hits on the object ball, keeping the cue ball from rolling forward on perpendicular angles into the first ball. Less wrist action helps with these types of shots.
The rapid stroke
The rapid stroke is used for giving pace to the cue ball without really hitting the cue ball hard. It’s like a discus thrower winding up before he releases. It will give momentum to the shot. The rapid stroke simply means that the warm-up and delivery-strokes are moving faster than the normal stoke. This stroke is employed on five, six, and seven cushion shots, especially with full hits on the first object ball, to avoid a kiss, or drive that ball a lengthy distance.
The slow stroke
Using the slow stroke will allow the player greater accuracy when playing half-table, short-angle shots, where the first ball is hit less than half full. Another application of the slow stroke is to help impart extreme English to the cue ball. During the delivery strokes the cue will swing slower than the normal stroke. This will help facilitate an exaggerated follow-through at impact, combined with more impetus. This results in a high rate of spin on the cue ball, thus making it possible to maintain English on 3, 4, or even 5 cushions.
The dead-ball stroke
And finally, the last basic stroke is called the dead-ball stroke. This stroke is very useful when playing steep angle across the table shots and full-length table short-angle shots. The dead ball stroke is really a combination of the short stroke, grip and the technique used for this stroke.
The technique for this stroke uses no wrist action and only the forearm moves from the elbow. There is no wrist-break with the dead-ball stroke. Don't open and close the hand around the cue. This gives less rotation to the cue, so less effect. With this technique, using the short stroke with no wrist action, the player is able to control the natural forward motion of the cue ball on very full hits. The long table full ball shots do not need much force. Thus, the player will have better control.
Check it out.
One of the ways I figured out around the early 80's was 'Half Ball Shots'. Especially when applying 'Vertical English' on the CB.
Here's a common shot that arises in a game several times in 50 points.
I devised this sort of 'Aiming System/Strokes' for varying distances from the object ball. "Always Aiming the cue tip at the edge of the OB."
The Strokes and Follow Through
The past and present strokes in 3 Cushion Billiards
One of the most common faults of amateur players is the incorrect concept of the proper stroke and follow-through in 3 cushion billiards. Unfortunately years ago in the pre-modern game era, 30’s 40’ and 50’s, the equipment in the United States was vastly different. Modern tables are heated. Synthetic rubber is used for the cushions. Phenolic balls are used instead of Ivory and the woolen tablecloth slowed the cue ball down more than today's cloth. The statement, “You must follow-through on all shots”, was misleading. The professionals of that era should have said, “Apply the proper follow-through for each individual shot”.
The modern game of 3 cushion billiards has evolved into a precision game. In order to achieve that consistent precision, you must have a stroke that is free from flaws. A certain amount of natural hand-eye coordination will give some player’s more consistent results. But the proper stroke and follow through can be taught to the level of any player’s natural ability.
The start of the proper stroke
The proper stroke starts in the pre-setup routine. After analyzing the position that waits for you, determine what kind of stroke is needed to achieve a point. Before the player addresses the cue ball, he needs to decide on the rhythm and tempo for that particular shot. Use a couple of warm up strokes to get the feeling.
When addressing the cue ball, the cue tip should be fairly close to the cue ball before you start your backswing. The player should learn to develop the same number of warm-up strokes on every shot. This provides the rhythm component of the stroke.
I personally believe in the continuous straight, horizontal and vertical stroke method, and not pausing. If the player interrupts the rhythm, he may lose the timing and tempo he was trying to achieve. Another very important part of the stroke is crescendo, (increasing speed), never decelerating. Just remember, whatever number of warm-up strokes you choose to take, embed that into your game.
The five basic strokes to simpler billiards
It’s time to talk about the real basis for being able to play better and get better position with less effort. There are five basic strokes used in 3 cushion billiards. They are the: normal, short, rapid, slow, and dead ball strokes. These and their combinations are used to avoid kisses and play position. Knowing when and how to use these strokes is the core to being a better than average player. When the player knows the correct strokes to use for certain shots, they need not be concerned on contacting the first object ball exactly, that’s the one thing that makes 3 cushion billiards more forgiving than pocket billiards.
The normal stroke
Now to the different strokes, the normal stroke can be defined as a stroke that has a follow through approximately twice the length of the bridge the player is using for that specific shot. This stroke is used for most shots that have a natural angle from the cue ball to the object ball and then to the first cushion. We can generally use the normal stroke for natural angle cushion first shots (banks),
The short stroke
The next stroke is the short stroke. The name explains it all. The short stroke is probably used by better players more often than any other, especially on new cloth. This stroke is not an abrupt jab, but a well-timed shortened stroke with a shorter follow through than the length of the player’s bridge,
A little trick to help facilitate the effect is to use a shorter bridge than normal. Keeping the cue tip on the cue ball for a shortened time gives a purer hit. This makes sense. The common use of the short stroke is to make extremely thin hits on the object ball, keeping the cue ball from rolling forward on perpendicular angles into the first ball. Less wrist action helps with these types of shots.
The rapid stroke
The rapid stroke is used for giving pace to the cue ball without really hitting the cue ball hard. It’s like a discus thrower winding up before he releases. It will give momentum to the shot. The rapid stroke simply means that the warm-up and delivery-strokes are moving faster than the normal stoke. This stroke is employed on five, six, and seven cushion shots, especially with full hits on the first object ball, to avoid a kiss, or drive that ball a lengthy distance.
The slow stroke
Using the slow stroke will allow the player greater accuracy when playing half-table, short-angle shots, where the first ball is hit less than half full. Another application of the slow stroke is to help impart extreme English to the cue ball. During the delivery strokes the cue will swing slower than the normal stroke. This will help facilitate an exaggerated follow-through at impact, combined with more impetus. This results in a high rate of spin on the cue ball, thus making it possible to maintain English on 3, 4, or even 5 cushions.
The dead-ball stroke
And finally, the last basic stroke is called the dead-ball stroke. This stroke is very useful when playing steep angle across the table shots and full-length table short-angle shots. The dead ball stroke is really a combination of the short stroke, grip and the technique used for this stroke.
The technique for this stroke uses no wrist action and only the forearm moves from the elbow. There is no wrist-break with the dead-ball stroke. Don't open and close the hand around the cue. This gives less rotation to the cue, so less effect. With this technique, using the short stroke with no wrist action, the player is able to control the natural forward motion of the cue ball on very full hits. The long table full ball shots do not need much force. Thus, the player will have better control.
Check it out.
Last edited: