For those who watched the Mosconi Cup tournament in St. Louis...Mark Wilson's Lindenwood students went right through the best Pro/Semi-Pro teams from across the US. Why? Because they shoot one ball at a time with calm technical perfection in stance, thought and strategy. Watch the form of Landon Shuffett and then watch Rodney Morris....Rodney looks like a C player in comparison. Rodney is a great plaer, but...our Mosconi Cup team needs one ball at a time players, not rhythm players. Scotch doubles play demands it. The Brits are great at it. Watch, learn, change.
Mosconi Cup Skills
- Thread starter BarTableMan
- Start date
Yeah, I'm sure Landon's really been under some true pressure situations winning the Kentucky State 9-ball tournament a few times and breezing through College Nationals. Real tough fields in college...
I'll just leave this here: 31 Titles by Rodney Morris. He's also won the cup several times.
So what, he missed a few shots and was under insane pressure. Stop comparing apples to oranges -- these discussions are so pathetic, man.
I'll just leave this here: 31 Titles by Rodney Morris. He's also won the cup several times.
So what, he missed a few shots and was under insane pressure. Stop comparing apples to oranges -- these discussions are so pathetic, man.
Although Mark may be the greatest authority in America on stroke mechanics, as well as a good role model for American pro pool, that's ridiculous.
It is the lack of thought in shot selection that is holding back American pool, and it's why American youth of the last decade isn't competitive with the world's most elite. We may well need, as you suggest, one ball at a time players, but more than that we need good decision makers, and we certainly haven't been producing them in recent years.
Our players lack patience and tactical skills and Europe's players do not. The latest crop of young American players may be the worst in decades.
Sorry, but no amount of focus, dedication and technical excellence will make up for mediocre shot selection and inferior tactics.
I don't think what you're saying here is incompatible with what the original poster is saying. I do think that the American pool culture emphasizes getting into stroke and running packages over "one shot at a time" as the OP put it, and thinking one shot at a time is another way of describing shot selection. Whereas SVB may take a tough shot over a safety in order to get in stroke and get his confidence up to start steam-rolling his opponent, that approach is probably not the right one for this stop-and-go Mosconi Cup format. I also believe this is Shaw's approach - get in stroke, run racks, intimidate - and I don't think it's a coincidence that he hasn't performed well this week.
American pool: Get in stroke, run racks, gain confidence, intimidate opponent
Mosconi Cup: Stop and go, alternate breaks, scotch doubles, short races
sjm,
I always look forward to your thoughts and insights but I really can't believe what I'm reading right now. You honestly believe the only thing holding back our players is shot selection? Shot selection is what's holding back American pool? That's just wishful thinking on your part and actually quite ridiculous.
It's 9 ball we are talking about here after all. There's hardly any decisions to even make. My 12 year old can sit next to me and map out the shots. Certainly, the US players have gone at a few flyers as they fell further and further behind but that's been nothing more than acts of desperation. It's not because they don't know the correct shot.
What's holding back US pool for the millionth time is our poor technique. When you couple rigid, strict cueing technique with the one-at-a-time approach to pool playing that the OP is talking about what you get is a winning combination. Improved shot section isn't going to overcome that clear advantage.
I always look forward to your thoughts and insights but I really can't believe what I'm reading right now. You honestly believe the only thing holding back our players is shot selection? Shot selection is what's holding back American pool? That's just wishful thinking on your part and actually quite ridiculous.
It's 9 ball we are talking about here after all. There's hardly any decisions to even make. My 12 year old can sit next to me and map out the shots. Certainly, the US players have gone at a few flyers as they fell further and further behind but that's been nothing more than acts of desperation. It's not because they don't know the correct shot.
What's holding back US pool for the millionth time is our poor technique. When you couple rigid, strict cueing technique with the one-at-a-time approach to pool playing that the OP is talking about what you get is a winning combination. Improved shot section isn't going to overcome that clear advantage.
No, it's only the area of greatest weakness. Execution needs to improve as well.
If nine ball decision making is simple, Team USA hasn't found out yet, for the number of poor choices, which includes shot choices, position paths, defensive shot selection, kicking paths, speed selection and two way shot manufacturing, is very large.
Maybe you need to coach them if you find the decisions so simple.
Fwiw...
I had a chance to speak with Daz during last year's MC in LV. And while I can't be sure he was being entirely genuine, he seemed to strongly believe that the Euros were superior in fundamentals (especially cueing) to their American counterparts, and this was a huge factor in the results. IIRC...paraphrasing a bit, he basically said..."under this type of pressure, it's all about solid fundamentals that won't break down"
If you watch the fundamentals of the Euros vs. the Americans, IMHO there is a real and meaningful gap. Shaw, Daz, and Gray all have mechanics that have their roots in snooker (even though Shaw & Daz may not not have been snooker players). Contrast that to Rodney, Mike, and Shane...all of whom have fundamental hitches/breaks/flaws in form.
I agree with most of the posters here that there are myriad issues with our side, including mental, teamwork, strategy, decision making, shot selection, safety play, kicking, 2 way shots, etc.... But until we can groom a crop of players that have fundamentals that are on par with the Euros, we will always be at a major disadvantage.
I had a chance to speak with Daz during last year's MC in LV. And while I can't be sure he was being entirely genuine, he seemed to strongly believe that the Euros were superior in fundamentals (especially cueing) to their American counterparts, and this was a huge factor in the results. IIRC...paraphrasing a bit, he basically said..."under this type of pressure, it's all about solid fundamentals that won't break down"
If you watch the fundamentals of the Euros vs. the Americans, IMHO there is a real and meaningful gap. Shaw, Daz, and Gray all have mechanics that have their roots in snooker (even though Shaw & Daz may not not have been snooker players). Contrast that to Rodney, Mike, and Shane...all of whom have fundamental hitches/breaks/flaws in form.
I agree with most of the posters here that there are myriad issues with our side, including mental, teamwork, strategy, decision making, shot selection, safety play, kicking, 2 way shots, etc.... But until we can groom a crop of players that have fundamentals that are on par with the Euros, we will always be at a major disadvantage.
That's a well judged post, for we have to catch up across the board.
Personally, I think US players would do well to play a lot more 14.1...at least more than just once a year.