Nice videos in the AZTV section

H

Hernan7

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
While I was watching some of the free videos at caromtv.com I read that the AZTV now has some 3 cushion videos. I already watch them all !!! :D . What do you guys think about this new feature? I also would like to inform you guys that my high run went from 3 to 4 :D . I played with my dad last Tuesday and I was able to score 4 pts in 1 inning. That is my current high run after 4 months of playing 3 cushion.
 
straight rail

hey, Hernan, did you ever get to 25 points on straight rail? I thought you weren't going to play 3C at all until you learned straight rail well?
Or did you just say the hell with it and play 3C?
 
Ay Hernan!

Start small there, amigo! You're gonna get bitten in the butt if you just go for 3-cushion head-on. But unlike I said before, just go for like 15 or so run on freegame. I know it's boring, but it is an advance in the long run!
 
SlickRick_PCS said:
Ay Hernan!

Start small there, amigo! You're gonna get bitten in the butt if you just go for 3-cushion head-on. But unlike I said before, just go for like 15 or so run on freegame. I know it's boring, but it is an advance in the long run!
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So what happened to Torban Blomdah? (sp?) He never played the small games. And Raymond Cuelamans has changed his thought on that small games should be played first. I see no reason why you cant learn both at the same time. or just skip the small games all together. although.. if you never held a cue before in your life.. I would definetly play straight rail first..just to learn cueball behavior.. I played pool for 20 years.. never played straight rail, went straight to 3 cushion and have a new high run of 7. I play a fairly consistent game of 3C. if you feel you need to play straight rail first.. practice gather shots. rail nurses and such will most likely do nothing to help 3 cushion.
just my opoinion
 
seven said:
So what happened to Torban Blomdah? (sp?) He never played the small games. And Raymond Cuelamans has changed his thought on that small games should be played first. I see no reason why you cant learn both at the same time. or just skip the small games all together. although.. if you never held a cue before in your life.. I would definetly play straight rail first..just to learn cueball behavior.. I played pool for 20 years.. never played straight rail, went straight to 3 cushion and have a new high run of 7. I play a fairly consistent game of 3C. if you feel you need to play straight rail first.. practice gather shots. rail nurses and such will most likely do nothing to help 3 cushion.
just my opoinion
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Ohh boy!! Once again!

Don't think Blomdahl will always be a champion forever. Well... I wouldn't be surprised if he even was again knowing he's such a great player. But the catch is... Torbjorn is an anomoly, hands down. But you got to remember, who won back-to-back Sang Lee Open champtionships in a row? That's right: Frederic Caudron! Who is, argueably, one of the finest Freegame and Balkline players preceiding after the great Mr. 100? Frederic. Right after great Freegame, right after playing all disciplines of balkline (especially the grand 71.1 balkline), 3 cushions will be very understandable because you're controling both your cueball and the object ball's path. Is it neccessary: I think it should be, but we Americans just don't have that pacience or worthy of putting white greese (or chalk) on our carom tables playing balkline. It is an advance, nevertheless, to play these small games.
 
Hey what's up guys !!! I'll try to answer all of your questions, first of all, I do play straight rail, and I have an average of 3. I know it's not the 5 I was suggested but it's just that the older men that play in the same club ask me to play with them because they say it's better to start young (they know I'm 21 yrs old). And I did watch Mr. 100 (Ceulemans) saying that you dont have to start with the small games but I think that's just a matter of taste. By the way, I prefer the way Blomdahl plays because he seems happy when he plays. In the other hand, Caudron is very good too but he seems like a robot to me.
 
eze123 said:
I didn't think you'd stick with the 'only straight rail' thing for too long.
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Me neither :D

Here is my philosphy about the game. I play 3 cushion because I love it, not because I want to be the best player in the world. I have a lot of fun with my dad when we play 3 cushion, it's not like we want to demonstrate that one is better than the other. I know that skiping the small games will prevent me from developing a more structurated technique and approach of the game. However, the time that I spend playing 3 cushion with my dad will never be forgotten. It has been a great pleasure to get to know him more, and it will be a pleasure for me to be able to tell my children how much time I spent with my father and how much we enjoyed being together. So, after analyzing these circumstances, to me it seems that is worth to skip the small games and play the game that my new best friend wants to play, that new best friend is my father, and the game of course is 3 cushion. ;)
 
I wouldn't worry about it, either. There's nothing balkline can teach you that you can't practice by itself. If you want to learn to control the action of the cueball off the rail, just practice that full time, instead of spending 90% of your time learning to straddle balklines, and 10% controlling the ball. Nobody can convince me that learning another game where 90% of what you learn doesn't carry over to the game you want to play is better than just actually practicing the thing you're trying to learn.
 
eze123 said:
I wouldn't worry about it, either. There's nothing balkline can teach you that you can't practice by itself. If you want to learn to control the action of the cueball off the rail, just practice that full time, instead of spending 90% of your time learning to straddle balklines, and 10% controlling the ball. Nobody can convince me that learning another game where 90% of what you learn doesn't carry over to the game you want to play is better than just actually practicing the thing you're trying to learn.
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Try telling this to Raymond Ceulemans and Frederic Caudron... better yet, the whole Belgium team . ;)
 
I'd ask them to explain how Torbjorn has consistently beat all of them for many, many years, and still retains the top 1 spot in the world. without even a paltry knowledge of the small games.
 
eze123 said:
I'd ask them to explain how Torbjorn has consistently beat all of them for many, many years, and still retains the top 1 spot in the world. without even a paltry knowledge of the small games.
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I'd ask them the same thing. :D
 
SlickRick_PCS said:
It's unofficial: I am berated.... :o :(
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I dont think anyone is trying to berate you.. I've just seen too many people be really good at 3 cushion without the slightest knowledge of
straight rail. saying that one must learn straight rail before learning 3 cushion is old fashioned. with so many systems ..the internet..books on 3 cushion.. I think all that has changed. Even Cuelemans has changed his opinion.
 
not really paltry

eze123 said:
I'd ask them to explain how Torbjorn has consistently beat all of them for many, many years, and still retains the top 1 spot in the world. without even a paltry knowledge of the small games.
Click to expand...

Torbjorn actually has a better knowledge and respect of balkline than some people seem to be suggesting. He has recently developed renewed interest in its value for his game to spend time practicing it.

I heard that his free-game average was around 11 or 12 very early on when he was young and played casually (most likely with the corner balks). It's not "extraterrestrial" like Caudron's, but I wouldn't call a 12 avg "paltry" either.

-Ira
 
Not berating anybody. Just that Blomdahl was the guy that finally put the lie to the old, 'you'll never be any good unless you master the small games' myth.
My point is that 90% of what you learn in balkine - gather shots, keeping the balls together, straddling balklines, and nurses - are completely useless when it comes to 3C. The 10% of the ball control that you learn is useful, but why can it not be practiced on its own? If you want to learn to control the balls, then practice that.
I don't think anyone's saying that no benefit can come from learning balkline, but it's a cost-benefit kind of thing. Do you spend three years mastering the game to get a small portion of benefit out of it?
It's like in pool: no one spends years mastering one-pocket just to improve their banking abilities. If you want to play one-pocket your banking will definitely improve as a result, but if all you want to do is improve your banking you're better off just focus on practicing bank shots.
 
seven said:
I dont think anyone is trying to berate you.. I've just seen too many people be really good at 3 cushion without the slightest knowledge of
straight rail. saying that one must learn straight rail before learning 3 cushion is old fashioned. with so many systems ..the internet..books on 3 cushion.. I think all that has changed. Even Cuelemans has changed his opinion.
Click to expand...

well I was just joking on the prev. post. I'm just getting a kick on all the posting that you all are sending. I think it's great that you all post your opinions about this discipline of billiards. It is amazing how technology has changed the world. Imagine if this were the 1970s. We would just be under lock not knowing what's going on but to take word from a messanger.

But to get back to the point:

The only reason that I am a sole supporter of the small games is because when you transfer this knowlege over to a pool table, speed control tends to improve alot and (I'm getting 3-cushion involved) when there is a cluster that is in need of removal, Carom will take part and finding the angle for the removal of the cluster. For proof of this, look up the Semi-Finals of the 2002 Challenge of Champions where Efren Reyes plays (Don't recall the first name) Feng. On one of those clips, he makes a very aukward cut, pots the ball, hits the rail and removes one of the troubled balls for position to make that ball (it was the 8, I believe). Now if that is not skill from Balkline, I just don't know what is? :)
 
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