Strange question: any one-eyed players?

C

Crispy Fish

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm not one-eyed, but I am mostly blind in one eye. My doctors tell me I don't have conventional depth perception (I can't watch 3D movies, for example). Anybody here in the same boat, or know of someone who is? I'd be interested to hear how others visualize the balls, aim their shots, etc. with this sort of handicap. :)
 
Crispy Fish said:
I'm not one-eyed, but I am mostly blind in one eye. My doctors tell me I don't have conventional depth perception (I can't watch 3D movies, for example). Anybody here in the same boat, or know of someone who is? I'd be interested to hear how others visualize the balls, aim their shots, etc. with this sort of handicap. :)
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Joe Davis said he was effectively one-eyed as you are. You may want to read about it in his books. He had some interesting things to say about aiming.
 
A friend of mine knows a one-eyed league player who would win bets with the wager of playing with one of her eyes covered. Most binary-visioned players wouldn't be able to see/aim as well with one eye covered.
 
Billy Pay (sp?) is a one-eyed player and he is a very strong player. Mostly a road player.

Southpaw
 
There's a player from Philly area named Patch Eye who was a mighty sporty one-hole player in his prime.

Onepocket.org has a great interview with Patch Eye: http://onepocket.org/PatchEyeInterview.htm

He used to travel the country as a road warrior. I saw him a year or so ago, in the autumn of his life, and asked him if I could snap his picture, and he said no. At that time, he still wanted to fly under the radar. :p

JAM
 
There are enough visual cues and no optical illusions on the table so you should be able to handle the more accurate types of depth perception anyway... the whole stereo gives depth thing is overstated and is secondary to things like relative size and whatnot (the reason your stereo vision can so easily be tricked with clever little optical illusions)

But yeah, imagine it'd still be interesting to hear anything specific.
 
I've seen blind people play you see it could be worse they tap on the table and

the miz wore contacts mono vision one eye was for distance and the other for close shots. Some gun shooters close one eye some keep both open. It all comes down to practice practice with what ya got. I play one handed a lot. And when I miss with two I go to one it allows me to focus more you grip lighter try hard and thats pool a very light grip throwing the cue and catching it. There is a one eyed manager here he playes with a 3,000. richard black loves pool. You can do anything mark
 
Tom Brown of Florida was a pretty sporty player back in the day -traveled with John DiToro - he had lost an eye due to cancer - now owns a room in Daytona. He still hits them pretty good.
 
Crispy Fish said:
I'm not one-eyed, but I am mostly blind in one eye. My doctors tell me I don't have conventional depth perception (I can't watch 3D movies, for example). Anybody here in the same boat, or know of someone who is? I'd be interested to hear how others visualize the balls, aim their shots, etc. with this sort of handicap. :)
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Here's a great thread on this subject...

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=66995
 
Im reminded of a guy in Tucson, by the name of Tom, dont want to mention his last name, but his nickname is one eyed dick, and he plays all games well. I dont know what happened to his nonfunctioning eye, he looks crooked when he gets down over the ball, but hits them straight.
Regards,
Ian
 
My mentor in pool was a player called "One Eyed Jesse" here in Michigan. Originally from Kentucky, Jesse Webb lost one eye as a child. Many will testify that it didn't hold him back much in pool. He always said that pool had put his two kids through college and paid for his poolroom. He specialized in snooker and eight ball on the bar box. Two opposite disciplines, and it would be hard to say which he mastered to a higher degree. He won the Michigan Snooker Championship in the 60s, went to Johnson City when everyone was there, and played all the games well. He taught many players on Detroit's East Side and was feared and respected by all of us. I miss him to this day...Tom
 
one eyed dick??

IanCt said:
Im reminded of a guy in Tucson, by the name of Tom, dont want to mention his last name, but his nickname is one eyed dick, and he plays all games well. I dont know what happened to his nonfunctioning eye, he looks crooked when he gets down over the ball, but hits them straight.
Regards,
Ian
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I have never heard that one, Ian.


He's better known as Dead-Eye. Although he CAN be a dick. (just kidding!)

Rick S.
 
Former top Arizona player Andy Scott.

Not to forget Kim Davenport has had a corneal transplant in one eye. Still splits the pocket ;)
 
Danny DiLiberto has effectively lost vision in one eye. He doesn't play his former speed, but can still play respectably (ask any of the young guns that he tortured in the IPT 8-ball events).

I am embarrassed to say that I've never asked him what accomodations/aiming techniques he has used to overcome the disability; it would be an interesting topic.
 
Tommy Brown played out of the room I learned pool in (Peg's Pocket, Miami) and he was a phenomenal straight shooter. One of my earliest memories of being in Pegs is Tommy offering up this prop. He would place a ball into the jaws of the corner pocket, frozen to one side of the pocket. He then placed another ball on the spot and the prop was that he could sink that ball in the same pocket and not move the first ball. I remember the pocket was about 2.25 balls, so it was a very small space. He wanted 5 shots to make it and I saw him win the money on the second shot one time and the third shot another time.

Later we were sitting there with him and someone says, "Hey Tommy, how do you shoot with just one eye?"

He responded: "Like a CHAMPION!"

Tommy use to battle John Ditoro on a regular basis. It was contrast in style, not only in shooting but in personality. I remember them playing a race in nineball and it was double hill and Tommy shot a safety where Tommy was trying to freeze John up to a ball, but if it wasnt frozen Ditoro was going to have a shot. John comes to the table and the two of them squat down to eye the ball with Tommy behind John. Tommy sees pretty quick that John is indeed frozen and gets up and with a satisfied look, made this motion like he was humping John from behind while John is still bent over eyeing to see if he can see the ball.

Them were the good ol days...peg pocket action in Miami.
 
Oddly enough this is not a strange question. One of the better local players in Los Angeles had a retina in one eye that never developed from childbirth. He plays monovision. He beat Parica playing 9/7 and plays Efren, Mika, and all the top players. I asked him about it and he said this is the only way he knew so it wasnt difficult for him.
I guess the human brain will compensate for anything.
Recently I too had to shoot with one eye for a medical reason. It was tough but it forces you to focus better and rely on technique that you might take for granted. Like hitting the cueball in the exact spot and staying down, etc. Parallel parking though was a *****.
 
There is a hell of a player from the Paris, TN area named Larry Blackburn. He can only see with one eye. I havent seen him play in several years. He was once a very sporty player. 5ballcharlie might be able to post more about him and what he is doing now...he is from the area.
 
Louis Viera, a tough shortstop living in Orlando, has had vision in only one eye for years. He is one of the straightest shooters you will ever see. Even with a weak 9ball break, he battled many champions and every road player that came through Orlando, always playing even and always making a tough game of it, win or lose. If they ever have a tournament for players with one eye vision, my money's on Louis (as good as Tom Brown plays, I don't think he can get there with Louis).
 
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