Practice practice practice

Form follows function. Anything with fun in it is good with me. Well to a degree. 😉
Oh yeah the commercial.
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This is number 2. Yesterday it grew from the salvage and cull lumber. I shall name it....? The Wrangler since this is cattle country. 😉
 
Number 3 is on the way. But But, wait Remember Multiplicity?
3 is a little unusual. 😉
Okay back on topic. The Heartbreakers to the Max just scored.Shooting through the crotch of the other 2 cue balls is the easiest. So Right justlaid in The Max but touched another cue ball. Ever so slight probably undetectable to opponent. Any way Right gets the Trophy photo but no points. 🤷‍♂️
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Justice is served and at 6-6 Right hits the Maximum! Again and clean this time. 6 service 16. 2 rails to the next target. Hmmmm?
 
After posting another Heartbreaker to the yellow stripe 9 ball, Lefty gets redemption with a 9 point shot and trails by one but says,"Let's go 3 to the purple stripe 12 on the King pad.. Wouldn't you know, Right gets the Heartbreaker , just 1/8 inch short. Eeeek.
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The best pool player in Los Angeles in the 1980s after Keith McCredy was Hawaiian Brain Hashimoto.
The one thing they had in common is neither one ever practiced.

I asked Brian when he started playing pool. I seem to remember he said he picked up a cue stick when he was 15 or 16 and no one had to show him how to play, he just knew where to hit the object ball and in six months he was the best player in Hawaii.

While he arrived in Los Angeles Brian had heard about pushing out when you didn’t like the shot but never played, "one shot roll out".

Brian learned how to play push out by playing Hippy Jimmy Marino almost every Friday at Marina Billiards in Culver City which is about 8 miles from his home pool room, Mr Pockets which is where KoreaTown is now.

They started with Brian getting the seven and quit playing when they were breaking even with Brian getting the last two.

I think Brian would have been even a better player if practiced.
 
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brunswick1901 said:
The best pool player in Los Angeles in the 1980s after Keith McCredy was Hawaiian Brain Hashimoto.
The one thing they had in common is neither one ever practiced.
I asked Brian when he started playing pool. I seem to remember he said he picked up a cue stick when he was 15 or 16 and no one had to show him how to play, he just knew where to hit the object ball and in six months he was the best player in Hawaii.
While he arrived in Los Angeles Brian had heard about pushing out when you didn’t like the shot but never played one shot shoot out.

Brian learned how to play push out by playing Hippy Jimmy Marino almost every Friday at Marina Billiards in Culver City which is about 8 miles from his home pool room, Mr Pockets which is where KoreaTown is now.

They started with Brian getting the seven and quit playing when they were breaking even with Brian getting the last two.

I think Brian would have been even a better player if practiced.
Click to expand...
That's amazing. I have heard from "reliable sources " of Hawaiian Brian. My personal experience in the late '80s runs into a myriad of stories. 😉
The Northwest at that time was Dan Louie and Rich "The Hat".
I had the pleasure of meeting Flyboy in that erah. Never met Surfer Rod either. 😉 Did get to watch The Monk around then too. Didn't get to see his match with Ronnie Allen in Chico . I did however know the result. 🤷‍♂️
When a person gets a gift reminds me of.....
 
Just the finished shot. The cue lays out the first leg of 3 to the dirt color king ball. Definitely a trophy with 3 pairs of touching balls. Hmmmm an interesting result, as the morning experiment was porn on the telly vision in the background. Remember ing the year I got 2nd behind Jim Ward. Included a stripper dance near the table Jim was running out on. Unphased and seemingly unaware of the distraction. 🤷‍♂️ it worked.
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T'will be another year marker shortly. Brings reminiscent thoughts.
My favorite all time story is how my wife made 4 nine balls in 5 strokes.
Tawas a Scotch Doubles race to 4 on bar box with $20 friendly sweat bet. Playing Joe and Laverne, the tournament favorites, in the first round.
We win the flip and elect to have wife(Jackie) break. As she sets up, I see "the deer in the headlights" look. So almost by In stinkt, I sidled up to her left ear and asked, "Did you hear what Laverne said?" "WHAT did SHE say?" was her instant response. My response delivered as I turned to resume my seat, "Nevermind ".
The box score was 4-0. With
5 strokes by Jackie
3 strokes by Greg
4 games won
Incredible record time. At the fall of the last ball, I had to sprint to intercept as Jackie turned to approach Laverne. In her ear I whispered, "Laverne didn't say anything. " So I got to intercepted the Rage. Eek!
Merry Christmas
Happy new year.
Oh yeah, The State of Mind
would be the title of the lesson.
The times I played my best were times that I was the surest about my happiness and comfort. The practice provides the tools. 🤷‍♂️
 
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The first target is the dirt strip 14.
This challenge requires absolute precision strike to the cueball.
The 10 second timer gives me a good practice variety. In this picture I have the line and finished the stroke to come up empty. But......0 serving 0.
 
Find the line, er uh vertical plane and bring it back through the cue ball. On that plane is where I need to strike the cueball. So I calculate the point of contact, whilst keeping the computation as simple as possible. Centerball just above center of gravity is most consistent for me. And available. So as long as I build a proper shooting platform......it might work. If nothing else I get the reps. 🤷‍♂️ full squats program.
 
After a 1-1 opening Right lays a 3.
1 service 4
Oh that was pretty but only a 5 by Lefty.
4 service 6 and Right finds 4 more.
6 service 8
Oh Well with a 4 the fortress fell. Lefty takes the flag 8 service 10 going 2 rails to the red stripe 11. Hmmmm
 
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The 2 rails to the red stripe 11 was a surprise to me. Took a few angles adjusting which I find educational and entertaining.
Willie Hoppe's book is on the top of my reading materials.
 
Early morning start putting holiday rules in effect. Nice part about owning the room. I make the rules. 😉 Still coldish, sheesh the winter I worked in Spokane then on the Columbia at Oregon, would make this shirt sleeve weather. Heck that year 32 seemed balmy. So 39 is fine. #2 and3 are sitting out and maturing the finish.20231229_062841.jpg20231229_062834.jpgWell 3 is quite photogenic. Just goes to show the angles and point of view can disguise flaws......no no wait. Not a flaw. It's a Feature.
 
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Funny thing: The more I practice, the tighter my groups get. (I woulda said balls but Don T want to be miss understood).
The cue is on the first leg of 4 rails to the king 15.
So that was fun. I am done.
 
The balance and centers:
I start my full shot dance as if the shot will be executed one handed. Then place the bridge. Since the aiming was done and the cue is balanced and on the line, the bridge placement should be simple. My routine has the body at the proper distance for stabilizing weight on the bridge.
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Oh yeah, I forgot: The shot is target 2. Going 2 rails out of the corner to the red stripe 13 has me spinning my onion. Got a complete workout with just this shot. Lefty got the physical therapy the shoulder needs. I got the mental workout finding the recipe of angle speed Spin. Good fun.
 
Last day of the year 12.31.23.
The random drop provides a snowflake. I just hold em 1 at a time at dead center of the light and see how they fall.20231231_053244.jpg
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OFF WE GO...Into the Wild Blue Yonder.
At 'em boys, give 'er the gun....
 
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