Timeless Ray Martin

[Voodoo Daddy]

At 72 or so...{I previously posted he is 75, which after doing the math found I was wrong, sorry}The Cool Cat still puts it together on the table. I just read the tournament write-up here on AZ, the ages of the top three finishers dont add up to Ray's age, HAHAHAHAHA!! for The man is timeless, hats off to Uncle Ray...cigars on me next trip to St. Pete!!! Anyone else but me find this amazing?

 

[JAM]

I had not realized Ray "Cool Cat" Martin was 75 years young. You're right, Voodoo Daddy, he is phenomenal still even today. A very humble man, I have never seen him pounding his chest demanding recognition or attention. Now I know why they call him "Cool Cat."

Doesn't he have several instructional books available?

JAM

 

[Voodoo Daddy]

I had not realized Ray "Cool Cat" Martin was 75 years young. You're right, Voodoo Daddy, he is phenomenal still even today. A very humble man, I have never seen him pounding his chest demanding recognition or attention. Now I know why they call him "Cool Cat."

Doesn't he have several instructional books available?

JAM

He wrote "the" book...99 Critical Shots, he and Rosser Reeves. I have known Ray for 20+ years and yes, he is humble and very gifted with a pool cue.. 18 days until the Open for me, cant miss me...I'll be the giant, ugly biker looking dude with the beautiful tall blonde!! Stop me and say hello...

 

[macguy]

At 75 or so...The Cool Cat still puts it together on the table. I just read the tournament write-up here on AZ, the ages of the top three finishers dont add up to Ray's age, HAHAHAHAHA!! for The man is timeless, hats off to Uncle Ray...cigars on me next trip to St. Pete!!! Anyone else but me find this amazing?

I think he is 68 or 69

 

[sjm]

At 75 or so...The Cool Cat still puts it together on the table. I just read the tournament write-up here on AZ, the ages of the top three finishers dont add up to Ray's age, HAHAHAHAHA!! for The man is timeless, hats off to Uncle Ray...cigars on me next trip to St. Pete!!! Anyone else but me find this amazing?

That sounds too high. Ray's last World Straight Pool Championship came in 1978, and I'm pretty sure he was 42. That would seem to suggest that he's 69 today.


I met Ray, whoi livied in Fairlawn, NJ, quite a few years before that, and remember when the 99 Critical Shots came out. Ray is, quite clearly, one of the greatest ever scholars on straight pool. A nice bit of trivia is that Ray Martin gave straight pool lessons to Tony Robles when Tony was young.

Both Ray and the 99 Critical Shots are timeless classics.

 

[Voodoo Daddy]

That sounds too high. Ray's last World Straight Pool Championship came in 1978, and I'm pretty sure he was 42. That would seem to suggest that he's 69 today.


I met Ray, whoi livied in Fairlawn, NJ, quite a few years before that, and remember when the 99 Critical Shots came out. Ray is, quite clearly, one of the greatest ever scholars on straight pool. A nice bit of trivia is that Ray Martin gave straight pool lessons to Tony Robles when Tony was young.

Both Ray and the 99 Critical Shots are timeless classics.

Now that I pondered it some..I can hit his age real close. He was 67 during my One Pocket tour...which was 4 years ago. That makes him around 72. No excuses mind you but I did post it during my first cup of cawfee . Sorry for the age typo, I aint the brightest bulb on the tree!!!

 

[macguy]

Now that I pondered it some..I can hit his age real close. He was 67 during my One Pocket tour...which was 4 years ago. That makes him around 72. No excuses mind you but I did post it during my first cup of cawfee . Sorry for the age typo, I aint the brightest bulb on the tree!!!

I just looked at the BCA website for the HOF and they have him as being born in 1936 be it right or wrong. Still no spring chicken. Although off the subject, what happened to the one pocket tour? Is it worth doing again?

 

[sjm]

Now that I pondered it some..I can hit his age real close. He was 67 during my One Pocket tour...which was 4 years ago. That makes him around 72. No excuses mind you but I did post it during my first cup of cawfee . Sorry for the age typo, I aint the brightest bulb on the tree!!!

With apologies for being argumentative here ----

I decided to check the BCA website. As Ray is a Hall of Famer , I figured it was possible his date of birth would appear. Well, it does, sort of. According to the BCA Hall of Fame piece on Ray Martin, he was born in 1936, but the date is not given, so he's either 68 or 69. Still, as I've noted, I believe it is 69. Here's a link to the BCA Hall of Fame write-up on Ray Martin.

http://www.bca-pool.com/industry/hof/ind92-96.shtml

Late addition ---- Yowser! Obviously MacGuy and I think alike.

 

[macguy]

With apologies for being argumentative here ----

I decided to check the BCA website. As Ray is a Hall of Famer , I figured it was possible his date of birth would appear. Well, it does, sort of. According to the BCA Hall of Fame piece on Ray Martin, he was born in 1936, but the date is not given, so he's either 68 or 69. Still, as I've noted, I believe it is 69. Here's a link to the BCA Hall of Fame write-up on Ray Martin.

http://www.bca-pool.com/industry/hof/ind92-96.shtml

Late addition ---- Yowser! Obviously MacGuy and I think alike.

It is funny with some of these players such as Dallas West. They seem like they are older because they have been around forever. Many were world beaters as teenagers and just seem like they would be older today. West I think is only like 64. Not many sports where you can compete for 4 or 5 decades.

 

[Hooked]

...with the beautiful tall blonde...

She got a sister?

At 72 or so...Cool Cat still puts it together on the table....Anyone else but me find this amazing?

No, I don't find it amazing unless he is suffering from Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or some similar disease. I don't know why people talk about pool like its a young mans game. I am 31 now so when I am 72, I'll be twice as good and give y'all a REAL pounding

I play old timers all the time, their age has nothing to do with the losses they take and has lots to do with the losses I take.

Pool is a game of knowledge which is timeless/ageless. It has very little to do with age or physical ability.

 

[tom haney]

I posted a story once about Ray Martin BREAKING Fats in
one hole in NYC once. Too long to tell now but Fats and his
cohorts did everything to break Martin's concentration and
Martin never lost a game. Great money player.

 

[henho]

Ray is one of those guys that looks cool as sh!t at the table, I have a blown up picture of him from George Fels' book "Shooting Pool" on my wall.

 

[Voodoo Daddy]

I just looked at the BCA website for the HOF and they have him as being born in 1936 be it right or wrong. Still no spring chicken. Although off the subject, what happened to the one pocket tour? Is it worth doing again?

I wont run another One Pocket tour in the south...cause I may not be living here too much longer. I had potential but not alot of support and I'm not talking about money. People will blow smoke way up your azz when you tell them about something...for them to post is a different story. I would love to try to revive 14.1 with a tournament or two each year...still thinking of the right format.

 

[macguy]

I wont run another One Pocket tour in the south...cause I may not be living here too much longer. I had potential but not alot of support and I'm not talking about money. People will blow smoke way up your azz when you tell them about something...for them to post is a different story. I would love to try to revive 14.1 with a tournament or two each year...still thinking of the right format.

Where are you thinking of moving to?

 

[RSB-Refugee]

I have met, a lot of the senior ambassadors of our fine sport, but Ray is one I have not yet met. I really hope to at least shake his hand one day and say, 'thanks for writing, 99 Critical Shots'. That book was all I had, to learn from, for a good bit of my early years on the table. I believe it is very a very good book. Does anyone know if Ray goes to DCC, or not? I did not see him there in January, but I was only there, for a little over 24 hours.

Tracy

 

[classiccues]

I remember Ray from Clifton NJ, I was a wee lad of 13 or so.. then he tried to open a room in NY around Newburgh after Clifton. My uncle and I would go up and see if him and my uncle could match up. I rememnber him always wanting my uncles mentor, "Miami" Isaac Gonzales. I also remember him in Hicue with Miz, Hopkins, Colavita, Margo what great straight pool tournaments.

Joe

 

[merylane]

ray is soon to be 71 , and if you havent heard he played like god the sat.day at capones, i think he was breaking better than anyone all of sat. he even punnished earl

i thought he would be looking good for sun. but i guess he just cant recoup after playing all day , unfortionatley he was half the player on sun.

but still amazing for his age.