Stevie Moore shaking

I have a mild form of tremors. It usually comes out when trying to do fine movements with my hands: working on a model, screwing in tiny screws, holding a cue, etc.
 
One of my good friends does this too, but after about an hour it stops. It doesn't affect his playing though.
 
Has anyone that suffers tremors found strengthening exercises to alleviate the symptoms? Or is there anything that has been prescribed that was helpful?
 
I have essential tremor (diagnosed by a neurologist) and have an RX for Propranolol. A couple of drinks help as well.

Bert
 
bdorman said:
It could just be a way to "settle" the cue in his grip hand. Little motions like that can begin voluntarily, and then become involuntary over time.

I'm sure each of us can tell of at least one thing we do like that. We tried it a few times; it worked, so we kept doing it. And now we've been doing it so long that we don't even notice it.

Sounds like alcoholism to me :D
Click to expand...

Not in Stevie's case.
 
Bustamante does something similar. It's very subtle but it is there. When I saw it, it was only during the forward pause with the cue tip near the cue ball. To me, it appeared to be a conscious movement, (or an ingrained part of his PSR), but obviously I don't know for sure.

It would start and stop several times during the pause, almost like he was honing in on the exact aim, tip target, and speed for the shot. I realize he has his tip off to the left during warm up, but you know what I mean.
 
hang-the-9 said:
He's not the only one, Nick Varner does it as well. Don't know exactly what causes it in them though.
Click to expand...

I can verify that. I saw it each time Nick was shooting when he came here for a clinic a few weeks ago. Didn't seem to bother his shooting though
 
Stevie Moore is amazing! When I first saw that live I couldn't believe it, and yet he plays some pretty world class pool. Makes me happy that lots of people can enjoy this wonderful game of pool. I always tell people that anyone can play.
 
bigshooter said:
This forum is better than conspiracy theory sites. A guy shakes a little in his match and all of the sudden he is a possible alcoholic, has a chronic disease or a horrible injury.
How about a little touch of the nerves, combined with adrenalin while playing the number one player for the championship.
Click to expand...


With all due respect to you, Stevie aint rattling in his shoes now and then cause someone is putting heat on him. he has a permeant rattle, sometimes it is more noticeable that others. I know him real well and if her wants to come here and discuss it that's his call. He is a great guy, player and funny as can be.
 
mosconiac said:
Contrary to bigshooter's experience, I've actually noticed this issue in Stevie's game for several years. It is real & it is an essential tremor. It's not because he is nervous, it is because he has a neurological issue. Essential tremors differ from debilitating neurological ailments like Parkinson's in the way they affect the body.

Essential tremor goes away when the hands are rested (relaxed) and comes on when your hands are in tension or during movement, such as stroking your cue or simply holding it in position.

Tremors resulting from Parkinson's are a resting tremor -- they come on when the hands are completely rested and go away with directed movements.

Therefore, Stevie's are essential tremors.

As noted above, alcohol can reduce essential tremors...bigshooter. No one implied he is an alcoholic.
Click to expand...

Nice post!! You are spot on!

As one who suffers from this malady, I recognize it in the players mentioned and know of some others with high caliber games. It isn't
enjoyable, and alcohol is an effective counter (with it's inherent side
effects ). Stress has the added benefit of exacerbating the condition
and it can coincide enough to make people think that it's fear, although
there are many more times when pool isn't involved that show the inherent condition isn't competition caused.

I have great respect for both Stevie and Nick for overcoming this, as I have much difficulty in dealing with it. I have asked both and others for a
way to deal with it, without getting any real answers. Like I mentioned, alcohol does almost eliminate it (in me) but comes with other consequences. The best advice I have recieved so far is "embrace the shake" (thanks David)...... so don't fight it... go with it.

td
 
With all this talk about Stevie, Nick, why do I keep hearing Fleetwood Mac songs in my head??? :grin:

Maniac
 
Neither Stevie nor Nick nor Michael Coltrain, have had the tremors their whole lives. It came on earlier for Michael and later for Nick but they all used to play without the tremor. It must be frustrating for them to deal with all the time. I'd cut them some slack and not bother mentioning it. I hate to see guys pointing at them all the time. :cool:
 
Last edited:
Rodney Keowne from Kentucky used to have the shakes so bad at times I wondered how he hit the cueball at all, but he still ran out pretty good.

Sherm
 
I remember seeing Mike Coltrain at The Brass Tap near the end of his pool playing days and he was still able to shoot really high caliber pool. It was no where near his game before he developed his nerve disorder but was amazing to watch. It was about six months later that his case and cues were sold on E Bay and that was the end. Really sad he is a hell of a nice person and I hope he is healthy and happy today wherever he is.
 
When I saw this in a post I thought it was a reference to Stevie possibly being a drinker, I probably misinterpreted.

"Werbeniuk was noted for the copious amounts of alcohol he consumed before and during matches – up to 30 pints of lager per day.[2] He said that he generally drank around six pints of lager before a match and then one pint for each frame. He said he did this to counteract familial benign essential tremor.[this quote needs a citation] Later in his career he also took propranolol, a beta blocker to cope with the effects of his alcohol consumption on his heart"

Stevie is one of my favorites.
 
Coltrain was a world class player, perhaps even top ten! The tremors got so bad it forced him to retire from competitive pool before the age of 30. Too bad, great guy and a great player. As noted, there are world class players who compete with this ailment present all the time. Dick Lane and Nick Varner are two veterans and Stevie Moore is currently a top player.

The most amazing stroke of all time though was Cisero Murphy, another great player from the 60's thru the 80's. On his final back swing he would hold the butt of his cue aloft high above his head, hesitate for a full second, hitch with his back hand and then follow through on the down swing. All that and he rarely missed a ball! It made me (and many others) crazy watching him play. I told Buddy you could get out of stroke watching Cisero. He looked at me wide eyed, smiled and said he refused to watch him play.
 
Seen Stevie play down here in fl few times... The shaking is very noticeable in person... But trust me, it's as pure as the driven snow when he comes through the ball...

Imho, stevie is one of the most approachable pros in the game today.... Don't be scared to come up and say hi if you see him hitting balls at your local room.... :cool:
 
Several years ago I saw Stevie and after watching a few matches I asked him what the shake was about.... He said "What shake?" and smiled.... He said it was a purpose tremor and he didn't even notice it....

2 years back he was working with Earl and after adding a sport grip to eliminate wrist action by enlarging the diameter of the grip area I noticed the tremor was almost completely gone.. And Steve went on a rampage for awhile.. finished several events a strong second....... I know that for purpose tremors that the way you hold things and the range in which you hold things makes a huge difference....

If he is shaking again I bet he went back to a smaller grip diameter on his cue......

Chris
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top