not upright way back then
Hard to say. That's one photo of a short 11 year old kid (probably younger when the shot was taken) reaching way out to the middle of a 5 x 10 table. If he stood tall for that shot he'd need to use a 3' long bridge. Lol
not upright way back then
That's the coolest thing I've seen on here in over a year! Love the Greenleaf quote...:thumbup:
Definitely see him using a short slip-stroke on some shots here.
I played Willie at the Billiard Den in Hollywood in 1968. It was 150 point and he ran 131 and out on me. The place was packed and he b1tched about everything and gave little credit to anyone. If someone moved while he was shooting or lit a match fifty feet from the table, Willie would stare at them with contempt in his eyes. Some good players were there that night (Pancho, Marvin and a couple of others) and they had little respect for the great Mosconi. They knew him from way back and didn't much care for him. Willie spoke down about any pool "hustler" like Fats or anyone else, and gave little credit to his opponents, other than Caras and Crane.
He liked me because I was no match for him and obviously very nervous. He didn't need to shark me, I was sharked the moment I set foot in that room and saw him practicing. Practicing for what I thought, to demolish me! He smirked at my ineptness at 14.1 and told me I better practice a little more next time. I was too much in awe to say anything back to him. Of course next time never came.
I have always doubted that Mosconi had anything to do with his , "book" ,other than sell them out of the trunk of his car.
He looked fairly short and if he started at 11 he likely carried on his mechanics through his lifetime.
I think that that would be a really tough argument to support, given that there is a picture of him, demonstrating what the accompanying text says, on almost every single page of both books.
Lou Figueroa
I think that that would be a really tough argument to support, given that there is a picture of him, demonstrating what the accompanying text says, on almost every single page of both books.
Lou Figueroa
Plus, Mosconi was paid $50,000 per year just to wear a jacket with the Brunswick logo. I don't think Willie was selling many books out of his car.
I played him once in the early 60's when a Brunswick bowling alley was adding pool tables to the place and he was here for an exhibition. We played straight pool to 50 points with a bet for a Coca-Cola.
I won the toss and he made a lousy break, leaving me a dead one in the stack. I drilled it and ran 7, then tried to play "safe".
He too found a dead one and blew the remaining balls wide open and proceeded to run 50 and out while I sat on the bar stool like a little mouse.
He was surly, grouchy, whining constantly about everything in sight, talking constantly on my few little shots (he went into orbit when I gave it back to him on a shot and said....."don't dog it, you're the big wheel")
I did not like him.
His mechanics were like a machine and he stayed in that half upright stance while beating me like a drum.....I never had a prayer.
That's my only contact with Mosconi.
He was a helluva player, though.
Just trying to understand the circumstances better. The game you played with him was the exhibition, or he played you sometime before or after the exhibition? How did this game come about?
Here's a shot of Willie taken by my friend Mike Haines at an exhibition in San Antonio back in 1987. Since Lou mentioned masse shots, I thought I'd show you guys a photo of him shooting one.
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Folks:
Phil Capelle has a review of Willie's fundamentals (using the videos that we're discussing right here in this thread) and it was posted up on NYCGrind.com:
http://nycgrind.com/the-latest/willie-mosconis-fundamentals/
Enjoy,
-Sean
What don't you understand? I already posted the circumstances.Just trying to understand the circumstances better. The game you played with him was the exhibition, or he played you sometime before or after the exhibition? How did this game come about?
About the 6th time I watched this video. He shot sideways, I'm more comfortable that way also. He died of a heart attack and I noticed in that video he was breathing heavily with the outbreath sounding noticeably. His follow through was exceptional good. He really brought a table to it's knees. Seems shorter players have a slight advantage over tall. Nice looking man, impeccable. Looked like he still enjoyed his skill. The era from the 40's to early 80's was the greatest period in the History of the United States. We will never see those days again.Folks:
Phil Capelle has a review of Willie's fundamentals (using the videos that we're discussing right here in this thread) and it was posted up on NYCGrind.com:
http://nycgrind.com/the-latest/willie-mosconis-fundamentals/
Enjoy,
-Sean
Phil is wrong on the slip stroke.
Lou Figueroa