I Met Mark Tadd

[LastTwo]

Saw him at the Shooters Riverside tournament. He is a great guy, real friendly and talkative. He still has a powerful presence at the table. He hadn't been playing much but he was still running racks on a very tough table. Even when he is off his game he still plays very strong. For those of you who don't like him, if you met him in person you would realize he is a very likeable guy and he has a ton of knowledge about the game. And for those of you who don't know how good he played when he was in his prime, Efren was asked by some other pros how good Mark played when he wasn't well known yet. Efren said "Just like Sigel".

 

[1-pocket-player]

Mark is a very nice and knowledgeable guy. I used to watch him play a lot when he lived here in Salt Lake. He has taught a lot of players around here a lot of things. One of his students is now considered to be the best in Utah. I have seen him play better pool in person than almost any other player/pro's in person or on tape. He has got a sledgehammer break and a tremendous stroke. It is a shame he doesn't play as much as he used to.

-Andy

 

[vagabond]

This happened around 1994.Another Pro Roger Griffis was selling some break cues and Roger claimed that with that stick one does not have to worry about the cue ball jumping off the table even if u put all the power in breaking.Several other pros came and tried and Roger was proved correct.Tad said that he will make the cue ball jump out of the table.In his second attept he made the cue ball fly off the table.It shows his knowledge and ability to execute.

 

[drivermaker]

He has got a sledgehammer break
-Andy

Hmmm...that's not what he said last week. He commented that he has a weak break therefore he can't give any advice on how to break better or explain any of its secrets. Are you sure you saw the "REAL MARK TADD"?
Who is the "Real Mark Tadd"?

 

[JPB]

Hmmm...that's not what he said last week. He commented that he has a weak break therefore he can't give any advice on how to break better or explain any of its secrets. Are you sure you saw the "REAL MARK TADD"?
Who is the "Real Mark Tadd"?

My guess is that the real Mark Tadd holds himself to a higher standard than an outside observer. Which is probably one reason he is world class. When he says his break is weak, it doesn't mean it looks weak or doesn't work. That's my suspicion, but I have not met him or seen him play. Funny tho that the people who have seen him play all rave about his game.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Hmmm...that's not what he said last week. He commented that he has a weak break therefore he can't give any advice on how to break better or explain any of its secrets. Are you sure you saw the "REAL MARK TADD"?
Who is the "Real Mark Tadd"?

The real Mark Tadd has a very high standard for his game.
The real Mark Tadd showed up at Shooters and entertained the crowd.
I told Mark they ought to make a movie out of his life and Denzel Washington should play him.
I hope Mark keeps playing as the sport needs him again.

 

[han]

Hey Last Two,

Yup, it was refreshing to see Tadd after all these years. It's
been more than decade since i've seen him at Hardtimes.
He was a bit "arrogant" back then, calling his opponent "rack boy"
and such (but they were his "rack boy"). Mildy arrogant though...

A player of his caliber who abstains from gambling has my respect.
Although, i do have respect for other gamblers who do so within
"reason."

I was going to back Marshall if they were to play, however.

I'll see you at Plush...

 

[Hooked]

He is a great guy, real friendly and talkative

Very true, indeed. I met him at my favorite PH a few months ago. Very friendly and social. I was going to teach him a 9 ball lesson but he got 86'd before I could. He dodged a real bullet that night lol

 

[Black-Balled]

...When he says his break is weak, it doesn't mean it looks weak or doesn't work. That's my suspicion...

true that. Efren's break is 'weak' too, remember.

 

[Koop]

true that. Efren's break is 'weak' too, remember.

Yeah right. Who the heck was it that was saying Efren breaks like a girl ?
Not from what I could see at the Joss finale.

 

[StevenPWaldon]

I think if he commented on his break being "weak" he was just pulling your leg. The truth is that he's a big guy with a big break. It's a wild break, don't get me wrong--I think whitey travels more than any other ball on the table on his break--but it's a hard break regardless.

In respect to his game against Efren though, I found Mark to be a little rude. Mark wins the flip and breaks and scratches. He mumbles about his break stick and disappears. Efren comes to the table with ball in hand and clears up for the first win. Where's Mark Tadd? no one seems to know. After a minute we see him come back with a house cue, ready to rack for efren for the next game.

This disappearing act would happen 2-3 times more during the match, even on times when it was his turn at the table. Shouldn't there be some sort of rule about remaining at the table when it's your turn? Some people thought he was trying to shark Efren, but I just think he didn't have very good table manners.

And of course, this is after the match started roughly 5-10 minutes late because they had been calling Mark Tadd for so long without him showing up.

Anyway, just my $.02

 

[TheOne]

Yeah right. Who the heck was it that was saying Efren breaks like a girl ?
Not from what I could see at the Joss finale.

I think Earl said it first, about halfway through the color of money match in HK, just before Efren came back from about 10 racks behind to beat him. I had heard all this stuff before and when I saw his 8 ball break I was very impressed.

 

[PoolBum]

In respect to his game against Efren though, I found Mark to be a little rude. Mark wins the flip and breaks and scratches. He mumbles about his break stick and disappears. Efren comes to the table with ball in hand and clears up for the first win. Where's Mark Tadd? no one seems to know. After a minute we see him come back with a house cue, ready to rack for efren for the next game.

This disappearing act would happen 2-3 times more during the match, even on times when it was his turn at the table. Shouldn't there be some sort of rule about remaining at the table when it's your turn? Some people thought he was trying to shark Efren, but I just think he didn't have very good table manners.

And of course, this is after the match started roughly 5-10 minutes late because they had been calling Mark Tadd for so long without him showing up.

Anyway, just my $.02

Yeah, that was strange. I was sitting out in the main room, and they kept calling Tadd to his match with Efren, and we'd see Mark walk out to a table in the main room and hit some balls, then walk back toward the tournamnet room. Then, sure enough, we'd see him walk back by again out to the main room to hit some balls. Seemed like this happened 3 or 4 times, and they called him like 3 or 4 times for his match after I thought it had already started.

 

[JoeyInCali]

For what it's worth, Mark was having problems with his break stick. I put on a hard-pressed Triangle on it and he said it felt mushy and he could not draw the ball back on the break as he liked.

Mark, I hope the Sniper and Everest tips work for you and I'm sorry for all the tip troubles.

 

[1-pocket-player]

Hmmm...that's not what he said last week. He commented that he has a weak break therefore he can't give any advice on how to break better or explain any of its secrets. Are you sure you saw the "REAL MARK TADD"?
Who is the "Real Mark Tadd"?

I forgot to mention that it has been about two years since the last time I have seen him play. I guess I should have said "He used to have a sledgehammer break and tremendous stroke.". He would almost hit the lights a lot with the cb when he broke due to his powerful stroke. The only players I have seen that break harder than him are Charlie Bryant and maybe Francisco Bustamante. But, that was then and this is now. I know he just started playing again so maybe he's just a little out of stroke.

-Andy

 

[JAM]

For what it's worth, Mark was having problems with his break stick. I put on a hard-pressed Triangle on it and he said it felt mushy and he could not draw the ball back on the break as he liked...

I'm beginning to think there is a tip quality problem in recent times. They don't make things like they used to either. Just recently, Keith had THREE tips changed on his cue stick within the same tournament.

A HARD Moori, which was brand new, was expertly applied and soon thereafter turned out to be not so hard after all and mushroomed.

A brand-new SUMO tip, heralded as one of the HARDEST in the industry, chipped off like a piece of ribbon candy when Keith miscued on a ball.

A Tiger tip ended up mushrooming after about 2 hours of use.

Either they don't make tips like they used to, or there's a quality problem going on in tip manufacturing companies.

I hear the BEST all-time tip favorite among old-school players is Champions, if you can find the "old" ones.

JAM

 

[Koop]

I'm beginning to think there is a tip quality problem in recent times. They don't make things like they used to either. Just recently, Keith had THREE tips changed on his cue stick within the same tournament.

A HARD Moori, which was brand new, was expertly applied and soon thereafter turned out to be not so hard after all and mushroomed.

A brand-new SUMO tip, heralded as one of the HARDEST in the industry, chipped off like a piece of ribbon candy when Keith miscued on a ball.

A Tiger tip ended up mushrooming after about 2 hours of use.

Either they don't make tips like they used to, or there's a quality problem going on in tip manufacturing companies.

I hear the BEST all-time tip favorite among old-school players is Champions, if you can find the "old" ones.

JAM

I know for a fact Keith forgets more about pool than I will ever know but ask him if he's tried a Triangle tip. It is all I use now and they are cheap and don't mushroom easily. An added bonus is that I rarely if ever miscue anymore.

Regards,
Koop

 

[JAM]

I know for a fact Keith forgets more about pool than I will ever know but ask him if he's tried a Triangle tip. It is all I use now and they are cheap and don't mushroom easily. An added bonus is that I rarely if ever miscue anymore.

I've got two HARD Mooris and two Le Pros right now in our possession, given to me as a kind gift by an AzBilliards Discussion Forum member. I hope to get them applied SOON, like before the next competitive event on the road.

I believe he has tried the Triangle tip, but he seems to lean towards the HARD Moori. Keith likes to break them in for several weeks before he plays in a tournament, but he seems to change his tips like some people change their socks. I've never seen anything like it.

Apparently, according to him, it's not that easy to get used to a brand-new tip right off the bat. After he shaves it down to his liking, it takes a period of time before the tip is "perfect."

Tip perfection doesn't last too long, though, because a tournament or two later, a new one is being applied.

JAM

 

[Timberly]

Apparently, according to him, it's not that easy to get used to a brand-new tip right off the bat. After he shaves it down to his liking, it takes a period of time before the tip is "perfect."

Tip perfection doesn't last too long, though, because a tournament or two later, a new one is being applied.

JAM

At the last TPP tourney in Sterling, a group of us were standing around talking and a novice walked over & asked if the new tip he has was too tall... if it needed to be cut down. Both Mike Davis & Shawn Putnam were in this group & after assuring the guy 2 or 3 times that his tip was ok, he started asking more questions about when to re-tip, etc... Shawn said that he replaces his tip monthly. I could be wrong about the exact amount of time but it's very often. His reasoning was that you never have to get used to a new tip if you keep a new tip on your cue. I personally had never given that any thought but it sure did make a lot of sense once he said it.

 

[JoeyInCali]

I'm beginning to think there is a tip quality problem in recent times. They don't make things like they used to either. Just recently, Keith had THREE tips changed on his cue stick within the same tournament.

A HARD Moori, which was brand new, was expertly applied and soon thereafter turned out to be not so hard after all and mushroomed.

A brand-new SUMO tip, heralded as one of the HARDEST in the industry, chipped off like a piece of ribbon candy when Keith miscued on a ball.

A Tiger tip ended up mushrooming after about 2 hours of use.

Either they don't make tips like they used to, or there's a quality problem going on in tip manufacturing companies.

I hear the BEST all-time tip favorite among old-school players is Champions, if you can find the "old" ones.

JAM

JAM funny you should mention that.
Tips aren't just the way they used to be.
The repair people really are at the mercy of the tips and glues/epoxy we use.
The Triangle tip I put on Mark's breaker was hard pressed. And it was still too mushy for him. I've had some Triangles just break down during installation too.
That's pretty much true with the old brands I think.
I put an Everest layered tip on Mark's breaker last night.
I hope he likes that one. It did cut nicely.
It would behoove players to come to tournaments with already broken-in tips.
Maybe just get the sides trimmed if they mushroom during the tournament.
I myself hate playing with new tips. After all, just like shoes, they are leather and takes break-in time. We can't put layered tips on a vise and harden them. They are better on top of the ferrule and settle the way they want to.
p.s. big thank you to Corey Harper of Tiger Products who donated a Sniper tip for Mark's playing cue and gave me a lowdown on some epoxy problems they've heard.