Sailor Bill, one of my mentors, I believe he ran 356, I have heard over 400. I asked him his high run he would say, never enough, when it's enough you're done. I already knew he ran over 300 on a 5 x 10 from the pool hall buzz.
I would sit for hours watching him pick racks apart, and then he would just leave in the middle of big runs, hundreds.
One day he invited me to play, it was my lucky day.
I also had the pleasure to spend many hours on the 3 cushion table with him.
He used 2 aiming systems and taught me both. He never referred to them as systems, he called them shooting lines.
He said when he was in bullcrap sessions he would talk about one but never giving up the other. When I asked why, he said; never show all your cards, even to your friends.
I never said much, just shook my head yes, took it all in, practiced what he taught me, aiming, 3 cushion, picking apart 14.1 racks etc. It was homework that I loved.
I was a kid; it was like having a hot dog with Babe Ruth.
The Sailor was an amazing talent, played all games.
He always told me to stay in school, I listened.
