The Shot Maker

[Dunnn51]

There are others; but when I think of a "shot maker" the first to come to mind is Earl Strickland.
The second one comes to mind is indeed Efren Reyes.
Here is Earl making a backcut to the tight corner pocket on a 10ft table.

A little sloppy but goes in. I think being a shot maker is the reason WHY so many of us still like Earl. I know there are others. Who do you think they are?

 

[7stud]

Check out Scott Frost's shot here:

 

[skogstokig]

Check out Scott Frost's shot here:

most of the top one hole players are pretty deadly with that back-cut. seen it by bustie, alex, dennis, svb, tony, etc. you almost need to have that shot in the arsenal nowadays to win against the top guys. imo, scott was a gamechanger in the evolution of one pocket.

in rotation pool, there's definitely a before and after earl. even in the early noughties there wasn't a like, in my opinion. i wouldn't for example put hohmann or mika in that category of uncanny sharpshooters. but wu jiaqing, dennis orcullo and joshua filler belongs there. for me earl is still the best 9-ball player ever, but if that may change in this decade.

 

[Dunnn51]

Check out Scott Frost's shot here:

He liked that shot so much he kept the ball!

 

[Dunnn51]

most of the top one hole players are pretty deadly with that back-cut. seen it by bustie, alex, dennis, svb, tony, etc. you almost need to have that shot in the arsenal nowadays to win against the top guys. imo, scott was a gamechanger in the evolution of one pocket.

in rotation pool, there's definitely a before and after earl. even in the early noughties there wasn't a like, in my opinion. i wouldn't for example put hohmann or mika in that category of uncanny sharpshooters. but wu jiaqing, dennis orcullo and joshua filler belongs there. for me earl is still the best 9-ball player ever, but if that may change in this decade.

Pretty much in line with all of what you said. I was going to write,"It depends on the game," but I was looking for who ppl thought was the best overall shotmaker among the PRO's. I'll define a shot maker this way: They will make a difficult, low percentage shot in competition at a crucial moment and they don't take forever to shoot. Earl is @ 8-9 seconds.
Here is my top 5
Earl
Efren
Alex
Jason
SVB
What is yours?

 

[Mich]

Sigel. "No one shoots straighter than Mike Sigel." - Buddy Hall.

 

[u12armresl]

I'll backcut balls against anyone.

 

[Chili Palmer]

I'll backcut balls against anyone.

If it goes, it goes, not much too it. Experience will tell you what goes.

 

[skogstokig]

Pretty much in line with all of what you said. I was going to write,"It depends on the game," but I was looking for who ppl thought was the best overall shotmaker among the PRO's. I'll define a shot maker this way: They will make a difficult, low percentage shot in competition at a crucial moment and they don't take forever to shoot. Earl is @ 8-9 seconds.
Here is my top 5
Earl
Efren
Alex
Jason
SVB
What is yours?

earl
filler
jayson
dennis
wu

shane belongs too. efren had an uncanny ability to thin cut balls down the rail, but for a long tough shot i would rather have earl shooting it

 

[Dunnn51]

Long/thin & sharp angle back cuts don't just go in,..... they need to be placed in the pocket. Top PRO's and a proficient one hole player know how, and they spend hours getting it right. Efren & Earl just approach a shot like that like it is a straight-in shot to the side pocket.

 

[hang-the-9]

While it's not really very nice to say, and I really don't like to think about it, but I think there are several modern players that are "straighter shooters" than the legends from the 80s and 90s and possibly even guys like Lassiter.

Shaw
Melling
Filler
and the latest top dog, Gorst
probably a half dozen others.

Shaw can power the ball like Nevel with the precision of a Sigel, Varner or Hall in the same shot. I can almost hear the cueball think "Oh, no, not this guy again, ow ow ow"

 

[Cornerman]

Greatest shotmakers of all time?

My list:

Joshua Filler
Fedor Gorst
Jayson Shaw
Earl Strickland
Kim Davenport
Mike Sigel
José Parica.

I think Parica is the best back cut shooter I’ve seen.

 

[Tennesseejoe]

Greatest shotmakers of all time?

My list:

Joshua Filler
Fedor Gorst
Jayson Shaw
Earl Strickland
Kim Davenport
Mike Sigel
José Parica.

I think Parica is the best back cut shooter I’ve seen.

...and Kim Davenport is out of retirement…shooting lights out.

 

[Black-Balled]

If it goes, it goes, not much too it. Experience will tell you what goes.

And often those insane backwards cuts in 1p are more like riding the 9, as the shooter knows how to control both balls and leave virtually nothing, should he miss.

Taking a poke at the hole...

 

[Black-Balled]

Long/thin & sharp angle back cuts don't just go in,..... they need to be placed in the pocket. Top PRO's and a proficient one hole player know how, and they spend hours getting it right. Efren & Earl just approach a shot like that like it is a straight-in shot to the side pocket.

Earl, side pocket...every shot?
Hmmmph

 

[Mich]

Greatest shotmakers of all time?

My list:

Joshua Filler
Fedor Gorst
Jayson Shaw
Earl Strickland
Kim Davenport
Mike Sigel
José Parica.

I think Parica is the best back cut shooter I’ve seen.

Parica was awesome shot maker. Billy Incardona said the same thing and thought Sigel and Parica were in the same class.

 

[iusedtoberich]

I don't think Efren is that clean of a shot maker. He seems to rub the rails on the way in, a LOT. IDK if its intentional or not.

The cleanest shotmakers of the current crop (that I've watched a lot) IMO are Shaw, Orcollo, and Filler. These guys rarely rub the rail on the way in.

 

[WobblyStroke]

Ye Earl is best shotmaker ever imo. Makes me laugh to no end when ppl try and say he has 'stroke flaws' lol.
My list:
Earl on good day
Earl on regular day
Shaw
Filler
Wu
Earl on kinda bad day
Everyone else
Earl at 2022 Mosconi

 

[Dunnn51]

hmmmm, lotsa good answers.
Talk about back-cutting balls,...... should we not forget Snooker players
I'm watching this: Lotta back cutting those small balls.

youtube.com/watch?v=fFWbt1qbNVY

 

[Dunnn51]

I don't think Efren is that clean of a shot maker. He seems to rub the rails on the way in, a LOT. IDK if its intentional or not.

The cleanest shotmakers of the current crop (that I've watched a lot) IMO are Shaw, Orcollo, and Filler. These guys rarely rub the rail on the way in.

Could that be because Efren takes some interesting shots. When he has a mild cut,or is straight in they go in clean.