Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter - best ever 9-ball???
- Thread starter dirtypool40
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Terry Ardeno said:
I did see Chang play. I would rate him third behind the other two from Taiwan. I heard rumors of some funny stuff going on in some of his tournament victories. Let's just leave it at that. :wink:
victhestick
Registered
I saw Luther play three times around 1969. I don't know enough to rate his play against today's players. i think today's player break better. Knowledge, differnt kind of balls, fast cloth??? Anyway, I saw Luthor do some things I have never seen anyone else do. It was if he was lazy or in a hurry. In almost half of the games he played, he would make a combination or a carom on the nine. He bumped balls as he was palying to set up the quick out. I didn't realize at the time how difficult this was. He was the first professional I had ever seen. It was one those "you just had to see it to believe it."
I do get it and do see the irony of it all,whether Earl does is another story.In our match you had your chance to prove it but just could not bring it,I welcome a rematch whenever you like but ask that you have no excuses when it is over this time because win or lose I dont have any.My skills have only improved and will keep getting better,I am only a rookie.We can play the same games if you like just no rotation to 1000,500 is fine,let me beat Fatboy first and perhaps if you feel brave we can play again. :smile:grindz said:I heard that story during Earls' exhibition here that you taped. I'm not sure if he 'got' it or not. It is hard to unless you have been alive long enough to devote your life to anything, be the best and then watch your skills fade with age. Then along with that you see that thing become bastardized and lose its' (what you percieve to be its') beauty.
All I could think of when listening to Earl was that I hoped he could see the irony. If you watched you'll know what I mean.
Brings a quote you used to my mind. When you told someone that even if they beat you, you were still the best. :wink: It made me laugh out loud because in our match I felt (stlll do...but don't feel the need to prove it) the same way!!! LOL I'm sure that Wimpy did with Earl too!!!!!!! Don't you?
You will see it when you are older....I guarantee it.
td
Trying to stay close to 'on topic'...
I was referring to Earl 'getting it' and the irony of the situation, in the context of the jumping of balls. He is now in a similar situation as Wimpy was then, where he sees the beauty of the game being challenged with the jump cue, just as Wimpy saw it with jumping balls at all. He rails against it now in the open, but to Wimpy it just brought some tears and he let it go.
As to their being the best and then having age take those skills away and all the emotions of that mixed in with the above story, you would have to have gone through something similar to appreciate it. I'm sure you can see it, but feeling it is a different thing. Like I said.....you will see...give yourself a few decades. I'm sure Wimpy knew he was the best....whether he won or lost.
As to the other....I've got more than a couple of decades on you, and I've had time to watch and listen to the tape. I heard YOU make a lot of excuses....I didn't, haven't and won't. MY ego is fine knowing what I know. You're a good guy....be nice. :smile:
td
I was referring to Earl 'getting it' and the irony of the situation, in the context of the jumping of balls. He is now in a similar situation as Wimpy was then, where he sees the beauty of the game being challenged with the jump cue, just as Wimpy saw it with jumping balls at all. He rails against it now in the open, but to Wimpy it just brought some tears and he let it go.
As to their being the best and then having age take those skills away and all the emotions of that mixed in with the above story, you would have to have gone through something similar to appreciate it. I'm sure you can see it, but feeling it is a different thing. Like I said.....you will see...give yourself a few decades. I'm sure Wimpy knew he was the best....whether he won or lost.
As to the other....I've got more than a couple of decades on you, and I've had time to watch and listen to the tape. I heard YOU make a lot of excuses....I didn't, haven't and won't. MY ego is fine knowing what I know. You're a good guy....be nice. :smile:
td
grindz said:
Can I ask what you are talking about in regards to Wimpy and jumping balls? When Wimpy was active nine ball was played with the 2-foul push out rules. I am sure that occasionally jump shots would come up but the incoming player always had the option to push. I am positive that all the top players in Wimpy's day knew how to jump balls as much as they needed to. I have never read or heard anything about Lassiter having an opinion on jump shots. Furthermore I would expect that an accomplished road player and money player like him wouldn't really have much in the way of opinions on one particular part of the game as long as he could master it better than everyone else.
Wimpy died in 1985. I don't think that there was a whole lot of jumping going on prior to that was there? I am not sure when Texas Express 1-foul rules became the tournament standard but certainly Wimpy wasn't affected by them, was he?
In regards to the thread topic though I like this sentiment from Lassiter, 'when I'd watch a guy play and he missed more than a ball in an hour I knew I could beat him'. How strong a statement is that?
shamrockhoax
Registered
But wait...
I have it on good word (several actually) that Fats was the greatest pool/billiards player ever. Never lost a game. It is projected that they will not have the technology for another 100 years to completely disect the pure science/poetry of his game.
I picked up the "Hustler Days" book and haven't had the time to read through the entire thing. Good stuff though.
I have it on good word (several actually) that Fats was the greatest pool/billiards player ever. Never lost a game. It is projected that they will not have the technology for another 100 years to completely disect the pure science/poetry of his game.
I picked up the "Hustler Days" book and haven't had the time to read through the entire thing. Good stuff though.
Check out OnTheRail.com....
When the Desert Shoot Out was in Phx. Earl did a lesson and exhibition. While doing the exhibition he relayed a story about when he played Lassiter in a tourney and he (Earl) jumped a ball. Wimpy called foul and Earl said it was legal....as Earl tells the story he saw tears in Wimpy's eyes after that.....the fact that it was allowed and the ramifications of that to the game IMO are the reason, along with the other things I mentioned. Fast Lenny may still have it on his site....check it out if it is. Earl is always great to watch and the story is just a plus. Tap tap to Lenny for all he does in that arena!!!
td
Oops.....that's OnTheRailTV.com (edit)
JB Cases said:
When the Desert Shoot Out was in Phx. Earl did a lesson and exhibition. While doing the exhibition he relayed a story about when he played Lassiter in a tourney and he (Earl) jumped a ball. Wimpy called foul and Earl said it was legal....as Earl tells the story he saw tears in Wimpy's eyes after that.....the fact that it was allowed and the ramifications of that to the game IMO are the reason, along with the other things I mentioned. Fast Lenny may still have it on his site....check it out if it is. Earl is always great to watch and the story is just a plus. Tap tap to Lenny for all he does in that arena!!!
td
Oops.....that's OnTheRailTV.com (edit)
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Link
TD,
if you will simply add (www.) www.ontherailtv.com it will be a link that you can click on now!!
Ray
grindz said:
TD,
if you will simply add (www.) www.ontherailtv.com it will be a link that you can click on now!!
Ray
JB Cases said:
No one jumped balls in the Lassiter era, because they didn't have too. They just pushed out for a long cut shot or a difficult bank. There was an art to playing push out 9-Ball. It's a lost art today.
The era of the jump shot began with the one foul BIH rules, in the early 80's.
Excuses for what?,I won! :thumbup:grindz said:
