Simple pleasures

Stones

Stones

YEAH, I'M WOOFING AT YOU!
Silver Member
Yesterday, early afternoon, when I walked into the poolroom, one of the young ladies that works there came up and asked me to play.

She is a newbie to the game and has only been playing about six months. Got a good stroke and good fundamentals and a real passion for the game.

We played a few games of 9 ball and to even things up a bit, I banked every other ball.

I noticed when we were playing that she had a real problem when she would try to draw the ball. The best she could do was basically a stop shot because on her final stroke she would go back to the middle of the cue ball.

"Mind if I show you something?", I asked, and she jumped at it. I explained what she was doing wrong.

On her third attempt trying what I explained, she drew the ball about three feet. I may never hear again out of my left ear for the squeal she let out.

By the end of it, she was drawing the ball almost the length of the table with much giggling, laughing and squealing after each success.

Later that evening, she was playing in a league on the other side of the room. Between her league games, I saw her showing anybody and everybody her new found skill.

It got me to thinking on the drive home about the first time I drew my cueball when I was twelve years old.
I specifically remember the shot to the side pocket and the awe I felt watching the cue ball come back towards me. There was something magical about it and I was hooked forever.

Simple pleasures, what can you say?

Does anyone else have memories like this?
 
Even simpler than learing a new pool skill or playing, I remember my early introduction to a pool table and rolling balls around. I probably wasn't old enough to use a cue, so my uncle put my sisters and myself around his table and let us roll the balls around. As far as I can remember, this was my introduction to pool. I used to love to go to their house for this reason.

Presently, if friends or relatives come over to the house with kids, the kids always want to "play pool." If they're younger, they do the "roll the balls" thing. Older kids get to use the "shorty" cue and get some quick instruction on how to hold the cue. The look on a kid's face is priceless....then once they start making balls in the pockets (rolling or shooting), they get just that much more excited.
 
I'll never forget my grandparents basement with the small Valley coin-op table. I learned everything on that table it was tons of fun. I ended up keeping all the old wooden billiard signs they had hanging from the walls.
 
I remember my dad's old 7 foot bar table.
I have some pictures of me crawling around on top of it and some pictures of my older siblings trying to shoot.

I too still have some of his pictures and beer signs on the walls.


I remember learning to use draw.
it was great to have a new trick up my sleeve.
 
Just last night there was a kid who had only been playing a year or so shooting next to me and I had started to give him some advice here and there and on one shot he followed a ball in the pocket and asked me how it happened. I told him that he hit the cueball above center and gave him a quick demonstration of draw, stop and follow. He said that he thought it was beautiful and expressed gratitude. What more can you ask for?!
 
Geez, we're talking pool here, that's a simple pleasure in and of itself with all the other stuff going on on this board.

I remember my very first league play game I ran out from the break in 8-ball. Afterward this old guy came up to me and said, "You play pretty good but you stand up too high over your cue." I was too young and cocky to listen to him right then but after just a couple of months I learned to get down over my stick and my game jumped to a whole new level. Always listen to your elders!
 
Stones said:
Yesterday, early afternoon, when I walked into the poolroom, one of the young ladies that works there came up and asked me to play.

She is a newbie to the game and has only been playing about six months. Got a good stroke and good fundamentals and a real passion for the game.

We played a few games of 9 ball and to even things up a bit, I banked every other ball.

I noticed when we were playing that she had a real problem when she would try to draw the ball. The best she could do was basically a stop shot because on her final stroke she would go back to the middle of the cue ball.

"Mind if I show you something?", I asked, and she jumped at it. I explained what she was doing wrong.

On her third attempt trying what I explained, she drew the ball about three feet. I may never hear again out of my left ear for the squeal she let out.

By the end of it, she was drawing the ball almost the length of the table with much giggling, laughing and squealing after each success.

Later that evening, she was playing in a league on the other side of the room. Between her league games, I saw her showing anybody and everybody her new found skill.

It got me to thinking on the drive home about the first time I drew my cueball when I was twelve years old.
I specifically remember the shot to the side pocket and the awe I felt watching the cue ball come back towards me. There was something magical about it and I was hooked forever.

Simple pleasures, what can you say?

Does anyone else have memories like this?
Click to expand...

Great story. It feels good when you can teach somebody something and give back to the game.

I can still remember the first time I made a draw shot. I was about eight years old on a 5x10 brunswick at a firehouse. My dad saw that I was trying to draw the Q-ball and gave me a shorter cue from the wall rack. After he showed me how to do it two or three times, I got it. I can still remember the thrill of seeing the ball spin backwards. I couldn't wait to get home and go the the rec room in town to show off. Johnnyt
 
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