I watched an Accu-Stats player review video of Oliver Ortmann vs Earl
Herring in the 2009 Predator World 14.1 Championship held in New
Jersey. (Herring’s only shot was the opening break after he lost the
lag. He left a shot and Ortmann ran 150 and out.)
On the voice-over audio of the player review, Pat Fleming, the
interviewer, asked Oliver about the genesis of his very unconventional
sidearm style -- how he got into playing this way. He told Pat that he
had naturally learned and used a conventional stroke for a long time.
But some years ago his problematic upper back was in constant pain
from even the mildest of activities, and especially and increasingly
when he played pool. But he wasn't about to give up the sport he
loved.
Via experimentation he discovered that a sidearm stroke plus an
altered stance (*front* leg straight, back leg bent) diminished the
amount of pain he felt during professional play. He eventually found
a doctor who surgically completely eliminated Oliver’s back pain --
but he was so used to, and deadly effective with, the unconventional
sidearm stroke he has stayed with it to this day.
His elbow is generally tucked in close alignment to his body, and the
forearm extending outwards from his body. However, his wrist is canted
inwards towards the body so that, just as with ideal conventional
strokes, it ends up pointing straight towards the floor. I think that
this conventional wrist alignment is the key to how, in spite of the
sidearm stroke, he can routinely run hundreds of balls in major
Straight Pool (his best and favorite game) tournaments.
Watch in the below video all the above-referenced stance and arm
alignments as Ortmann aims at the 10-ball to complete a masterful run
of the first rack in his match against Tony Drago at this year’s World
10-ball Championship (total length of this match video is 73-
minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poWjKnE2mOA
I think Ortmann's example shows that certain physical limitations can
be creatively dealt with with regard to pool playing. Obviously many
sudden or chronic impediments are too severe to allow playing at a
formerly high level. Case by case thing, I guess. (And no, need we
say, you won't automatically become a high runner by copying Ortmann's
stroke and stance.)
Ernie
