I'm so confused.

12squared said:
What has been said is correct. However, in the 1st two shots of your video you posted, Blumdahl hit 3 rails 1st (short, short, long) then the 1st object ball. If he would have hit the 2nd ball with or without a 4th or 5th rail it would have counted and he would have continued shooting. Efren then came to the table and shot what they call a "tickie", this is where the rail is hit 1st, hits a ball that is generally close to that rail, then the cue ball goes back to the same rail he hit 1st (that is 2 rails), then it moves forward and hits the 3rd rail out of the corner before hitting the 2nd object ball to complete the carom. So it hits the short rail, ball, short rail again, then the long rail then the 2nd ball. Efren made it an continued shooting.

You can see that this is a game of creativity and there are many ways you can make a billiard - the more knowledge you have, the more creative you can be and increase your options.

To me this is similar to one-pocket as far as being creative with shot selection and speed control, but a lot more elegant.

Hope this helps a little.

Dave
Click to expand...

Dave

Someday a 3-C player will describe the game or a shot without using the word "elegant". Actually, thanks for using the word it made me remember Carl Conlon using elegant to describe systems.

Kevin
 
Fast forward six months in the future...Marissa hooked on the game, can be found only near a table without pockets. A sad tale...another lost lady who USED to play pool. :rolleyes:
 
CrisDeLaGarza said:
That's true to some degree but 3-cushion has actually helped my defensive game immensely, particularly in safety plays on the first shot after the break. Many times the best shot on the first shot of the game is a safe where you have to bring the cueball several rails to a small spot on the table, while navigating through a certain path to hide it from the 1-ball (or whatever the lowest ball on the table is). Learning the angles and the diamond system in 3-cushion CERTAINLY helps with your cueball placement on defensive shots and when playing shape on big stroke shots IMO.
Click to expand...

Point well taken, Cris, 3-cushion certainly develops your defensive angles, but as the cloth is so much faster than that of a pool table, it doesn't develop your defensive speed control and won't help you to refine your object-ball placement skills.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
Nor does it do much for pocketing skills (couldn't tell if you meant to include that in "object ball control").
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Yes, I did include pocketing in the defintion of object ball control. Pocketing, on average, requires better object ball control than is required in three cushion, though there are many exceptions.
 
kvinbrwr said:
Dave

Someday a 3-C player will describe the game or a shot without using the word "elegant". Actually, thanks for using the word it made me remember Carl Conlon using elegant to describe systems.

Kevin
Click to expand...

Ahhhh, a name from the past :thumbup:. Thanks for bringing Carl's name up.

But as far using the word elegant...I call 'em as I see 'em. Just watch footage of the late, great, Sang Lee play and see what word comes to mind.

Dave
 
I copied the following from www.usba.net.

A three-cushion billiard is valid and is a count of one when the cue ball has touched both of the object balls and has touched one or more cushions at least three times before striking the second object ball. The following illustrate this rule:
(a) The cue ball strikes the first object ball and then strikes three or more cushions before striking the second object ball;
(b) The cue ball strikes three or more cushions and then strikes the two object balls;
(c) The cue ball strikes three or more cushions, then strikes the first object ball, then strikes one or more cushions and then strikes the second object ball;
(d) The cue ball strikes a cushion, then strikes the first object ball, and then strikes two or more cushions before striking the second object ball;
(e) The cue ball strikes two cushions, then strikes the first object ball, and then strikes one or more cushions before striking the second object ball.
(f) A three-cushion count means three impacts. These impacts need not necessarily be on three different cushions to be considered a valid count. A valid count may be executed on one cushion or on two cushions if it is the result of the spin on the ball.

Thanks for posting the video. As you can see, Efren can really play 3C. Not many can score 20 points against Blomdahl in a 30 point game, and probably no other top pool players active today could do it.

Blomdahl can really play 9-ball also. I think he beat Efren in a short race on the same day that they played this 3C match.
 
3 cushion!!

Well Marissa, I have to tell ya 3 cushion is the best game IMO! I was at Chris's playing the other day and two guys were watching and one finally asked how the hell do you play that game? So I gave him the quick rules which are quite simple actually and then told him all you have to figure out is where all three balls have to go and when they have to get there, and how much speed and english is needed to make a point. Of course the really great players also now how to play position where you ahve to have some idea where all the balls end up after your shot!! Then I told them the tables are all heated under the slate so you can get more rails. It was something they had never seen before and you clould see the interest in their eyes. It is such a shame that there are so few places that can afford the commitment to have these tables available for players. I count myself lucky to be near to Chris's since they have seven heated tables now!!
Dan
 
sjm said:
Like Andrew Manning, I disagree with this statement. Three cushion definitely will help one develop a complete stroke set, and will develop one's angle management skills with the cue ball, but it doesn't do that much to fully refine the speed control or object ball control needed to succeed at pool. Three cushion also doesn't develop the defensive approaches and instincts needed to succeed at pool.

Still, playng three cushion will greatly help your pool game, and you'll fall in love with three cushion, too.
Click to expand...

Stu,

I agree with your comment that 3C skills translate well into other pocket billiard games.

At one point I completely stopped playing pocket games when I fell in love in 3C. I do believe it needs a certain level of prerequisite cue ball control and stroke to even begin playing the game, otherwise it is a very frustrating game for beginners.

I returned to pocket games after 4 years of 3C and was shocked at how well you can kick balls. It is generally not an issue of hitting the snookered ball but which part of the object ball you want to hit.

It redefines the art of the "kick safe". Efren, who incidentally was the Filipino 3C champion exemplifies this as we all know very well.:smile:

Bernie P.
 
Sweet Marissa said:
Is there a video where someone is teaching how to play the game?
Click to expand...

Here are a few links that might interest you or others.

Basic video illustration of how to play 3 cushion:
http://www.caromtv.com/howtoplay.html

The "Table of Contents" is an online book with illustrations on how to learn and play the game:
http://www.three-cushion.com/

Video illustration of some shots from the masters:
http://www.caromcafe.com/frameset.html

Ten minute video of an entire match with all of the misses edited out.
http://3cushion.com/

Various 3 cushion videos:
http://www.caromtv.com/freeview.html

Semih Sayginer, the king of 3 cushion fancy shots, seen here doing 41 mostly mind blowing shots:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1789371924005542099

The matches already referenced in the thread between Efren Reyes and Torbjorn Blomdahl (Torbjorn wins both!):
3 cushion
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm2vSjJkypY
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80ZFFGZDn0I
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BHZ5wjrxv0

9 ball
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BHZ5wjrxv0
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnBls_F81JU
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEGYPzc3ywg

A few more Semih Sayginer videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrsjBRjmjWE 1:44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OQVp76IT5o 4:05
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhyCFH7tqSo 7:05
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqCy8USbSPE :25
 
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berniep said:
Stu,

I agree with your comment that 3C skills translate well into other pocket billiard games.

At one point I completely stopped playing pocket games when I fell in love in 3C. I do believe it needs a certain level of prerequisite cue ball control and stroke to even begin playing the game, otherwise it is a very frustrating game for beginners.

I returned to pocket games after 4 years of 3C and was shocked at how well you can kick balls. It is generally not an issue of hitting the snookered ball but which part of the object ball you want to hit.

It redefines the art of the "kick safe". Efren, who incidentally was the Filipino 3C champion exemplifies this as we all know very well.:smile:

Bernie P.
Click to expand...

Yes, my experiences were similar to yours with regard to kick safes.

Hope you're well, Bernie.
 
Three cushion is an amazing game, but if anything it makes it harder to pocket balls sometimes.

Kicking and safety play usually improve, although the angles on the shorter tables can be quite different, but anyone who plays on a slow billiard table and starts hammering away at 5 railers with tons of spin risks using too much english when they play pool afterwards.

7 heated tables? You're killing me...I'm over an hour away from any euro table.
 
Sorry To Hear!

bud green said:
Three cushion is an amazing game, but if anything it makes it harder to pocket balls sometimes.

Kicking and safety play usually improve, although the angles on the shorter tables can be quite different, but anyone who plays on a slow billiard table and starts hammering away at 5 railers with tons of spin risks using too much english when they play pool afterwards.

7 heated tables? You're killing me...I'm over an hour away from any euro table.
Click to expand...

Yep Bud, They get played lots also. There are always folks shooting 3 cushion from 9am right through the night. I can't ever recall a time when there were no tables in play!! Four dollars an hour for time and they also have an open handicapped tournament the first Sunday of every month. If any AZ folks come to Chicago you owe it to yourself to visit Chris's! Nope it ain't a pretty place, it's all about pool!
 
The only thing I got from that video.....Efren has played a TON! of 3C!

nothing like seeing 2 of the centuries finest square off.....why is nobody doing events like these today?....MAN, I would pay to be there!
 
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