Good news though. It's the stick does the hitting.If you can't hit the cue ball within .5 - 1 mm of center or where you aim consistently, forget about becoming a world beater.
Good news though. It's the stick does the hitting.If you can't hit the cue ball within .5 - 1 mm of center or where you aim consistently, forget about becoming a world beater.
was basically regurgitating what a famous coach from this area told me. But as you said, why would you want to unless ...When I tested that very thing I found that most people weren't trying to hit an exact spot. When I told them where to hit the nine ball that I was using as a cue ball or to hit the spot on the cue ball for the spin I wanted they didn't pay much attention to where they hit the cue ball and even A+ players and shortstops didn't hit the exact spot. Only when I told them the purpose of the test was to hit the exact spot on the cue ball did they do so.
It wasn't that they couldn't hit the cue ball with great precision, they didn't feel the need to even shooting a pretty tough cut shot. Not sure how that plays into overall skills, might hurt them on really tough shots though.
Hu
Oh No!!! Not that arrow/indian thing again!!Good news though. It's the stick does the hitting.
Oh
Oh No!!! Not that arrow/indian thing again!!![]()
Most certainly the arrow.Oh
Oh No!!! Not that arrow/indian thing again!!![]()
That's too funny, In a sad sorta way. I get it tho. I never carried my axe in with me. Stayed in the trunk until I determined If, and that's a big 'if', I could bring it in and play with it. Most times the competition wasn't such that I'd need my axe and some of those old dufferins or Brunswick and valley cues hit pretty damn sweet.I always played off the wall gambling. That means I beat some elite players with them using their cue and me playing off the wall. The sticks I played with were a lot less than perfect but since the road players were usually coming to me I was usually familiar with the stick I was playing with. I was also used to playing off the wall so even when traveling I quickly adapted to a stick. Indexing the bend of a stick was so automatic that I still turn the CF shaft looking for the sweet spot that doesn't exist sometimes.
Hu
Caroms are so fun... the more sloppy it looks the madder they get.They didn't notice that you were always on your next ball as much as a shot they couldn't make, like a big draw, some forced follow or a difficult bank. Had to avoid all that if possible and concentrate on center ball slow roll. Break out clusters by slamming 3 and 4 rails or Carom off other balls makes it look like a lucky shot. (Turning the cue ball loose to a knowledgeable player)
If you went 3 rails and broke out a ball, that wasn't as bad as making an obvious break out shot that puts em on their guard. Had to beat them playing their game.
That's too funny, In a sad sorta way. I get it tho. I never carried my axe in with me. Stayed in the trunk until I determined If, and that's a big 'if', I could bring it in and play with it. Most times the competition wasn't such that I'd need my axe and some of those old dufferins or Brunswick and valley cues hit pretty damn sweet.
Besides, most of it was big ball bar box stuff and a nice axe isn't gonna perform much better than one of those off the wall one piece beauties anyway. You know... The crooked ones with awful tips. I especially liked playing with those big ol glue over ferrule tip combos so many places I played in had on their cues. Most went 14mm plus!!You had to beat em on their terms.
It's deceptively simple to roll that big ol cue ball around and put balls down. Good shape was the key. They didn't notice that you were always on your next ball as much as a shot they couldn't make, like a big draw, some forced follow or a difficult bank. Had to avoid all that if possible and concentrate on center ball slow roll. Break out clusters by slamming 3 and 4 rails or Carom off other balls makes it look like a lucky shot. (Turning the cue ball loose to a knowledgeable player)
If you went 3 rails and broke out a ball, that wasn't as bad as making an obvious break out shot that puts em on their guard. Had to beat them playing their game.
I tried to avoid making any shots the locals couldn't make themselves. Endears you to the pack right out of the box. Buy a round or two and you're good to go.
Never play harder than you have to to win.
Besides, I didn't want to humiliate anybody. Just wanted their money.
Heck, I even made a few friends. People often get the wrong impression of road players. Find a successful one who did it their way and they probably won't have a Fargo, a stroke as sweet as honey and a very likeable, charming persona. Disarmingly so. You'd never guess this guy's a killer.
He will convince you otherwise. A master of self deprication.
Rabbit holes. Sheesh.
only if we are playing really "large", ten cents a game is my max.Will you give me the last 3?? You're way better than I am.![]()
A Top All Around player from the mid 60's - mid 80's was Mexican Johnny!The "old masters" weren't trying to make a better cue. They were trying to make a cue that played as well as a one piece but had a joint to be toted around easily.
The big cue ball was my friend. That eight hundred pound gorilla was easier to control than a cue ball the same size and weight as the other balls. It was what was common when the phrase "draw for show, follow for dough" was coined. If you could draw that thing a few feet people were awed!
Generally the worse the warp the better the tip since nobody played with it. Too, I tried to make a point of rolling it on the table while my opponent watched the tip hop up and down. "Good enough for me the way I play."
Wouldn't it be fun to have a big cue ball event on seven foot or even nine foot Diamonds? That would probably blow some minds! They have wooden racquet tennis matches so why not? I'm sure people would line up to play if the dollars were right.
Hu
A Top All Around player from the mid 60's - mid 80's was Mexican Johnny!
He Only played Pool to fuel His racetrack habit!
He didn't drive, took the bus to all the spots with a 'One Piece cue' wrapped in newspaper!
Gotta pick your poison. Evaluate everyone playing. Like a good card player, then mark your mark and work em.Caroms are so fun... the more sloppy it looks the madder they get.At least with good players. I like it when someone measures out breakouts and such with their stick, then I just kind of whack it and get a break out. Of course I'm looking at it with my eyes and determining the same things they are, but for some reason unless you put your stick out on the table some people think it's slop/luck. I figure using your stick to map things out gives your opponent extra info and lets them know you know what you know. I'd rather be thought of as lucky than good. I don't know why but I've always played pool like cards and tried to maintain a poker face.
I have no idea why but some opponents can actually get thrown off if you don't show much emotion on making a good shot or missing something. I guess if you show no emotion on a miss they may think you meant to do it or set a trap or something.![]()
Count me in!!!The "old masters" weren't trying to make a better cue. They were trying to make a cue that played as well as a one piece but had a joint to be toted around easily.
The big cue ball was my friend. That eight hundred pound gorilla was easier to control than a cue ball the same size and weight as the other balls. It was what was common when the phrase "draw for show, follow for dough" was coined. If you could draw that thing a few feet people were awed!
Generally the worse the warp the better the tip since nobody played with it. Too, I tried to make a point of rolling it on the table while my opponent watched the tip hop up and down. "Good enough for me the way I play."
Wouldn't it be fun to have a big cue ball event on seven foot or even nine foot Diamonds? That would probably blow some minds! They have wooden racquet tennis matches so why not? I'm sure people would line up to play if the dollars were right.
Hu
Class act bro.I used a one piece snooker cue in pool tournaments for awhile. I wrapped it in a big towel or a cut piece of blanket, uptown all the way!(grin)
Hu
Hi AZB,
I am wondering what it takes to get a really good pool player and what you have to do to get a winner. So I want to start a little discussion here.
I think the main factor is the commitment to work on every single aspect of your game and really analyze the weaknesses and put a lot of time into practicing.
And.. you just gotta love this game.
----
I also made a pool lesson for beginners where I am giving tipps how to improve and to become a better player.
Regards,
Sharivari
A Top All Around player from the mid 60's - mid 80's was Mexican Johnny!
He Only played Pool to fuel His racetrack habit!
He didn't drive, took the bus to all the spots with a 'One Piece cue' wrapped in newspaper!
I bet Keith just laughs at all the tech-obsessed loonies playing today.Too many times I saw Keith walk in with a two piece cue and a rubber band around it. That was his case.
now the case and stuff they fill it with for many up and comers costs more than a custom cue.
i still carry a round ten dollar one cue case with a piece of chalk, a glove and some sandpaper, thats it.