Why so Blue, Jamison?
JamisonNeu said:
I have been thinking lately. That the reason masse seemed so special to me before, is that many players do not use it. Now after watching the growing amount of masse players in the world. I realize that it isn't nearly as hard as I thought, it is just a different sport. I think that almost anyone with enough desire can achieve consistancy and deliver most of the shots on the first or second try. It may be dificult to some and it may come easily to others but, it has no more merit than any other type of shot in pool. I no longer believe it is the hardest part of pool. It may be hard but, it's not the hardest.
If anyone is interested in learning about these shots, I am now open to teaching people how I masse.
Jamison
Hey, I have always loved the masse. It is not nearly as difficult as it seems upon seeing it for the first time. They are interesting because to a novice, they appear to be impossible. This is not unlike a simple draw shot. If you have never played pool, and are not aware of the physics behind it, a draw shot defies understanding. Admit it, the very first time you saw someone draw the length of the table, you were impressed.
Masses are a specialty shot, they do not come up in every game, and a great many players do not spend the time necessary to develop this skill enough where it becomes more than a last resort, low percentage proposition. In most game situations, you will look for a kick, saftey, or even a jump before resorting to a masse ( unless it is only a slight curve and the target is big). I mean if you watch the pros play, they very rarely attempt a slightly low percentage bank shot over a dead on safe ( unless of course they are able to play a safety at the same time).
So masse is usually for show and exhibitions. Though it has very many practical applications. I personally will shoot a masse before a jump in most situations, just because for me it is higher percentage. A practical masse is not too difficult at all to perform with a good amount of accuracy. It just requires a little effort and understanding. Robert Byrne has explained this shot in great detail in his books, and probably has shown it as well as anyone on paper.
Jamison, I do not know why all of a sudden, you feel that the masse is somehow less than it was say two years ago. It isn't. It seems to me that you are just disappointed to find out that you are not the only one who can perform it well. You were not keeping it a secret from anyone. You do not have a monopoly on it. The masse shot ( even the extreme ones) have been around since the 1800's. Captain Minguid ( not sure if I spelled that right) was able to do some very impressive masse shots way before the great equipment we now enjoy was available. He was the inventor of the leather cue tip. So, the masse has been around as long as the leather cue tip ( even before billiard chalk). You obviously have experience in trick shots, you should know that the most difficult shots are not always the ones that are the most impressive to onlookers. Many trick shots are incredibly easy to perform. Masse's are still very impressive to people who have never seen them, or cannot perform them.
A side note, technically just about all shots are masse shots. Anytime you shoot with english the cueball will curve on its way to the object ball. Because ANY downward hit with english will cause this, and no one holds the cue perfectly level to the floor. As you increase the angle of the cue, and the off center hit, the curve will also increase.
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