Practice practice practice

Well, Lefty laid in the 5 rails (first attempt) :whoopE:starting parallel to the cue. Well after Right had revealed the line. Lefty take the 7 points and conceded the match. 🤝
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Like a rocket sled On Rails:
My goal is to be set for the shot with 3 bridge points of contact.
The bridge hand
The chest
The chin
The ring finger has sufficient strength to provide full propulsion to the sled. By tasking all the big muscles to support. The accuracy of my strike to the ball is far far above any other method that I have tried.
When I can have the 3 point contact and ring finger trigger I feel like shooting a rifle with a bench rest or prone. Much tighter groups than shooting standing upright.
The treetopped practice keeps me in shape for the tough situations, along with strengthen the foundation. The Lineup drill with chin on the cue should help build endurance along with aiming habits that are The Dance.
Thinking of Quigley Down Under. Just because I avoid it doesn't mean I can't do it. 🤷‍♂️
 
Picture O the Day is Titled, Chicken Wing. Hmmmm wings can be tasty.
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This shows as the Right but is actually Lefty.
The shoulder therapy has me finding the limit and then, Hold the Pose .
Notice the balance and centers of gravity. My grip is at the balance point. Watching the heartbeat making the shaft bounce. Finding the strike point.
Notice the triangulation.
Centered over the Base.
Well the challenge forces a 2 point base so the strength in the toes is........Frog like.
The Body Shot, can be subtle and undetectable to the majority. Putting myself in the most advantageous stance.
I was drafted into the stance of referees over 2 big men rolling on the ground in the parking lot outside the American Rivers Lounge. Reality was a Samoan Bar with 4 tables. Didn't know either(I thought) when another big Samoan came up on my left flank. He was stepping in in anticipation of delivering a stomp to the head of 1 of the 2 rolling on the ground.
Since I had assumed the position of Referee and the stance I learned from the Bull Fighters. I had a leverage position to slide under his center and nudge him off target to abort a potentially lethal strike. So now I am involved and must depend on my speaking abilities. Uh er salesman ship. To persuade him to leave them to sort it as no eyes are being poked nor genitals grasped or struck. 🤷‍♂️
At the unlocking of the embrace it was revealed that it was my team mate. A small Samoan at 185. He got up first. 🤷‍♂️
 
Well, Right closed the first station with a 4 and took a 14-8 lead. Shooting from the shoulder was the final technique.
At station 2 Lefty enjoyed the pleasure of "getting off my shoulder" and displays the mystery of The Grip with an opening 10 points to the 1 ball.
18-14 now. Let the trash talk begin. 😉
Now to find a shot to the 15.
 
Hill hill, practice training deck of cards, has anybody gotten these yet? If so what is your opinion. I read the article that these forums wrote about the cards, but I was wanting Hands-On experienced individuals to comment on them.
 
The 3 railer is a textbook shot from Willie Hoppe. Fun doing the math then seeing the results. Knowing a 3 takes the white to the corner on this equipment, I calculate for 2 and half for starting guess. Then adjust to optimal angle and then observe how much a variation in velocity charges the angles. What fun.
 
Hill hill, practice training deck of cards, has anybody gotten these yet? If so what is your opinion. I read the article that these forums wrote about the cards, but I was wanting Hands-On experienced individuals to comment on them.
Not sure if we are on the same page. Most likely not is my best guess. 😉
I offer a Free deck of the Alien Pads signed and dated and with a personal message. The only requirement is to take on the Kicks Like A Mule Challenge. (Good thing I didn't name it uh, "Kick 'em in the Balls) 😉 And make a donation to a Charity, any charity.
 
Picture O the Day is Titled, Chicken Wing. Hmmmm wings can be tasty. View attachment 708384This shows as the Right but is actually Lefty.
The shoulder therapy has me finding the limit and then, Hold the Pose .
Notice the balance and centers of gravity. My grip is at the balance point. Watching the heartbeat making the shaft bounce. Finding the strike point.
Notice the triangulation.
Centered over the Base.
Well the challenge forces a 2 point base so the strength in the toes is........Frog like.
The Body Shot, can be subtle and undetectable to the majority. Putting myself in the most advantageous stance.
I was drafted into the stance of referees over 2 big men rolling on the ground in the parking lot outside the American Rivers Lounge. Reality was a Samoan Bar with 4 tables. Didn't know either(I thought) when another big Samoan came up on my left flank. He was stepping in in anticipation of delivering a stomp to the head of 1 of the 2 rolling on the ground.
Since I had assumed the position of Referee and the stance I learned from the Bull Fighters. I had a leverage position to slide under his center and nudge him off target to a\bort a potentially lethal strike. So now I am involved and must depend on my speaking abilities. Uh er salesman ship. To persuade him to leave them to sort it as no eyes are being poked nor genitals grasped or struck. 🤷‍♂️
At the unlocking of the embrace it was revealed that it was my team mate. A small Samoan at 185. He got up first. 🤷‍♂️


It is interesting what you do on the pool table. I pass by and check in fairly often. What got my attention this time was you talking about the Samoans. My brother was on staff at Tripler for a couple years in the early seventies. I went to Hawaii to visit a few weeks. Have to say the Samoans ran to big and ugly! Few of the women and none of the men I would like to meet in a dark alley. I heard they had an attitude to go along with their size and appearance too.

No problem with the Samoans but my brother had wanted to circumnavigate the island since he got there and got wheels. I was officially escorting my mom on this trip so we all loaded up in his Pinto and set out. Got dry and stopped for a coke at a little store on the far side of the island.

My brother and I went in the store and got the soft drinks then headed back to the car. By that time a group of native Hawaiian's, Hawaiian and white, had gathered by our car. No mistaking Mike's military hair cut and I'm sure there were decals and such on the car. A quick count showed an even dozen, six apiece, my mom weighed about eighty pounds and was safely in the car where we wanted her. For about ten minutes or so it looked a lot like black and white and 1968 back home! Win or lose we were going to get dinged up considerable, not how I wanted to spend the remaining week and change of my vacation and then a long airplane ride home. Fortunately after a bit of posturing the group backed down when they saw they weren't going to cow us just by outnumbering us. Anudder day in paradise!

I still managed to collect my share of dents and bruises. Make a note, those original steel wheeled skate boards that looked like the undercarriage came from the old steel clamp on rollerskates ain't ideal to skate down a mountain with!

Hu
 
Fortunately after a bit of posturing
Sunday is a good day for stories. 😉
That brings back my memories of the rest of the evening at the American River Lounge. It was some sort of rival factions clash. The lounge had a pool tables room and a dance room where karaoke was popular. It was difficult to navigate in and around the place when pool league and karaoke were going on. Generally a very congenial crowd, no idea what set off the parking lot clash. It was Huge but mostly posturing.
My recollection is that we had just finished our league match and I had gone to my vehicle to smoke a doobie, when the tidal wave of large bodies poured out the door and into the parking lot. When I saw that it was a conflict, I said a brief prayer to the effect of, "oh God help me."(didn't even have time for the Please) 😉 As I excited my vehicle to try the role of Peace keeper.
Fortunately for me as a youngster or Yute as Cousin Vinnie would say, I ran with boys that were older and larger than me. I learned to use my words, as my fists were ineffective in that environment. Run Foo was my first Martial Art. 😉 So after the blood free conclusion of the rolling on the ground, a skirmish involving two other combatants evolved with a ring of spectators both male and female contained the skirmish. When it got to a level of words being thrown instead of fists, I tried using my descalation skills only to be met by a female that considered herself in charge and set on seeing blood. Wow just wow! Of course her champion was the tallest and most muscular. Once my effort was blocked by the Instigator the Champion steps up with, "YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME!?"
I emphatically replied, "HELL NO! I don't want a piece of you.....or anyone else. I just don't want to see anyone get hurt." "Or go to jail" I added as the Sacramento police cruiser entered the lot.
The 2 officers surveyed the situation and without leaving the car determined that, "Nothing going on here. We can go." Quickly putting the car in reverse. As they backed out I put my ass in gear and ran for the car with arms waving. Barely able to stop the exit. My words to the officers were to the effect of. "Could you guys just sit right here for a little bit and give this time to cool down?" Obviously there were not enough officers on the east side of Sacramento to deaI with the crowd. My delay tactic worked. :whew: I definitely needed a beer after the dust settled.
 
Epilog and Culture norms:
My time at the White Spot 9 ball academy in Fife back in the '80s, included interaction with Samoans and sawmill workers (I grew up at a sawmill). Once I had enrolled in the Wednesday night 9 ball lessons around 82, the White Spot became my home court. The after work crowd included the greenchain crew from the mill. Pulling the greenchain required strength and good techniques involving leverage. Go figure the Samoans pulled the greenchain. 🤷‍♂️
So anyway I developed friendships with the big strong guys. Go figure 😉. So a pattern developed....every time I went to the bar my friend would call out, "Hey Greg buy me a beer." Which I would do. I let it carry on too long and finally replied, "Hey! You buy Me a beer!" Which was greeted with a big smile and "It's about time!" Now I was one of the crew. :whew:
 
So once I became part of The Crew I had to be able to drink with the big boys. One Friday night at closing time we grabbed beer to go. Me with a 12 pack and them with a case in each hand. Going back behind the sawmill and drinking and telling lies. 😉
The crew consisted of 3 Samoans and a Howlie that was smaller but just as strong. Wouldn't you know a dispute arose regarding who was the most skilled at fisticuffs. The Howlie and youngest Samoan were involved in constant and escalating sniping that was stopped numerous times by the calmer heads.
My 12 pack logic was, well if they are determined to settle this.....what better place than behind the mill and amongst friends that will see that nobody gets uh really hurt. My assessment was accepted and a ring established. The Howlie was indeed the skilled pugilist he claimed and a quick left jab knocked the bigger man out. Post match he was almost apologetic and repeated many times, "he made me do it" as his adrenaline level gradually subsided. The down side was, the big boy didn't want to admit that he had been knocked out even after assurances from all that he was indeed down for the count. I was out of ideas at that point and left hoping they were able to get along at work come Monday. 🤷‍♂️
 
I guess Posturing is a good tieback to playing pool.
My theory is that posture and presentation are of considerable value. Putting forth an image of strength and courage can be a deciding factor.
Playing Poker is an apt analogous game. Don't give them a read while at the same time reading my opponent is my method.
Okay one last Samoan story. 😉
At The Seed 2 in Bellevue in the late '80s and at my prime, we had a $10 ring game going. A Samoan joined the game and before even hitting a ball, he tried to be intimidating with his size and volatile comportment. I had the break for his new player racking. His behavior brought me right into focus and I broke and ran 3, as a way of saying, "welcome to the game." Enjoying the show of temper as he dug the balls out and slammed them to the table for the rerack.
 
Attitude and Judge Judy......hmmmmm my Method would tend more towards the Andy from Mayberry. Staying in charge without them being off ended.
The Presentation would be to the effect of, "I am big enough to play for money. Are You?" Simple and direct from a simple game playin' simple guy. 😉
 
3 ball on my table would be a simple game. A table that I have yet to make an ace on. I took my break to the Diamond 7 footer in Vegas BCAPL event and had an ace in 25 minutes. 🤷‍♂️ The best money I ever earned playing came from what started as 3 ball for quarters. Ended as heads up for $50.
 
I guess Posturing is a good tieback to playing pool.
My theory is that posture and presentation are of considerable value. Putting forth an image of strength and courage can be a deciding factor.
Playing Poker is an apt analogous game. Don't give them a read while at the same time reading my opponent is my method.
Okay one last Samoan story. 😉
At The Seed 2 in Bellevue in the late '80s and at my prime, we had a $10 ring game going. A Samoan joined the game and before even hitting a ball, he tried to be intimidating with his size and volatile comportment. I had the break for his new player racking. His behavior brought me right into focus and I broke and ran 3, as a way of saying, "welcome to the game." Enjoying the show of temper as he dug the balls out and slammed them to the table for the rerack.

Absolutely Great stories Greg! My uncle was a timber cruiser, a very good one by all reports. He was also huge. Memory fails now but he dwarfed my six-two and 225. Maybe six-eight and 375 or so. He lived about eighty miles from me so I didn't really know him that well mostly seeing him on holidays. Mom and I paid him and his wife a visit and it happened to be a Friday evening. He lived across the street from a high raised embankment so the trains could cross over the Atchafalaya River and have room for barge traffic underneath. On the other side of the railroad was the highschool. They were playing football that night and he said why don't we take the bottle and go watch the game.

Most of a quart of whiskey remained. Not being in the habit of drinking with him and having started on a different quart I tried to be discreet adding coke. That embankment was very steep there and about twenty feet high. If he passed out on the tracks and a train came I would have to roll him down the embankment, no way in hell I could tote him! Well, I didn't know that a quart or more of whiskey was just a warm up for him! We had a great time watching the game, even being able to hear the announcer easily. We walked back down the hill both in good fashion.

Three weeks later we found out he had TB. I was wishing that bottle had been straight whiskey with no cut! Soon he was at the TB clinic only about thirty miles from my home. I tested clean. Visiting Uncle Maxie he commented that his nurse was real sweet but she had an ass an axe handle and a half wide! Naturally that was the first thing I noticed when she came in the room. He had nailed it, The lady was heavy but she was also one of those severely bubble butted people. She had to be careful going through doorways. Many years later every time I see a lady built like that I think about the "axe handle and a half wide" rating! Rest in Peace Uncle Maxie, you deserve it!

You started great memories talking about a sawmill.

Hu
 
Game O the day: 3 ball kicks. It's what put me in shape for my best finish in A Big Boy event.
Today's variation just has 3 whites and just pick a ball, any ball and Kick 'em in. Shoot back in the day I expected a run of 4 in a practice session. Nowadays I am struggling to get 2. :eek:
 
axe handle and a half wide
So in my neck of the woods we measured the circumference not the width. So our measure of girth O excellent would be 2 and a half ax handles.
I too am enjoying the memories. (y)
Uncle Duckie was native to the northwest and a faller at 140 lbs with one lung due to TB. It was his favorite measure in story telling.
 
So in my neck of the woods we measured the circumference not the width. So our measure of girth O excellent would be 2 and a half ax handles.
I too am enjoying the memories. (y)
Uncle Duckie was native to the northwest and a faller at 140 lbs with one lung due to TB. It was his favorite measure in story telling.

Far from a feller but I have dropped maybe sixty trees over the years that measured over two feet DBH. The biggest were pecans that measured over six feet DBH. Main thing I was careful about was sticking trees to measure the height. I bought a narrow lot with sixteen gum trees 100-120 feet tall. Houses on both sides and the neighbors were outside watching carefully as I dropped them!

My chainsaw days are done. Still have a sweet running midsized saw with a 32" Sugi Hara bar. Besides being light you can bend those bars almost at a right angle and they will spring back straight. Stihl chain, the teeth filed to suit me. I had been looking for a decent saw for a few years, my brother didn't understand the difference between them and a plastic saw until the first time he saw me run that puppy. The thirty-two inch bar was mostly to keep from bending over once a tree was down. but I did a lot of noodling cutting big blanks for my wood lathe too.

I would be knee deep in curls before I got started good. Made nice firestarter and I gave it to everyone I knew with a fire place. Need to change fuel lines and filters and get somebody with a tach to tune it back to 13,000 plus.

I can't make up my mind to sell it or give it to family. My nephew has a good bit of experience with a chainsaw doing storm clean-up months at a time and clearing his place but I'm still a little leery of giving him the saw. It would be hard to live with if he had a major accident. A nasty stat, chainsaw injuries that need any stitches average over 200 stitches! Over the years I have touched my left leg twice in almost the same place just above the knee. Little more than scratches one time, the other time the teeth just went about an eighth inch deep. Of course the meat in the kurf was cut away and I had bled down into my boot by the time I finished the job. Next time I started a good sized project I got the kevlar chaps! Hard to believe but they are supposed to be better than Lee jeans.

Hu
 
I guess Posturing is a good tieback to playing pool.
My theory is that posture and presentation are of considerable value. Putting forth an image of strength and courage can be a deciding factor.
Playing Poker is an apt analogous game. Don't give them a read while at the same time reading my opponent is my method.
Okay one last Samoan story. 😉
At The Seed 2 in Bellevue in the late '80s and at my prime, we had a $10 ring game going. A Samoan joined the game and before even hitting a ball, he tried to be intimidating with his size and volatile comportment. I had the break for his new player racking. His behavior brought me right into focus and I broke and ran 3, as a way of saying, "welcome to the game." Enjoying the show of temper as he dug the balls out and slammed them to the table for the rerack.
That was at a time when the 1 and 2 five handed ring game was my bread and butter. A game in which I could take a $20 bill and turn it into 17 ones and feel like I had lots of money. 😉 Seriously though many times I was stopping at the grocery store on the way home at 2 AM and buying groceries with a pocket full of one's. It was nicer with a pocket full of 10s or 20s.
My favorite ring game stories is Busting the Change Machine. For a quarter and fifty cents, I was destroying the game and none would quit nor give me a dollar bill! 37 dollars is what it took to bust the machine. What an evenings entertainment. ☺
 
Over the years I have touched my left leg twice in almost the same place just above the knee. Little more than scratches one time, the other time the teeth just went about an eighth inch deep.
We would gather firewood from the logging roads every weekend. With two saws and 2 pickups. The men bucking the cull logs at the landings and any oaks knocked down to build the roads. Fir and pine at the landings and white or black oak along the way. I was early teens and with the wives we loaded the trucks. We could get 4 loads on a Saturday and I was allowed a beer(with the men) at each offload. It took me all week to split and stack and be ready to go again .
On one occasion our partner was recutting at the wood stack. I was loading his saw buck from the pile and restacking after he made the cut. I stepped on a round and in regaining my balance my hand went out and brushed the chain with 2 fingers as it rolled around the end of the bar. He saw and got off the trigger so I only got 2 tooth marks between the knuckle and finger nails.
My chainsaw work was mainly woodcarving. I made canopy waterbeds with spiraled 4x4 posts with ball and claw feet.
 
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