Tip I learned from the late great Harry "Poochy" Sexton

[CrossSideLarry]

Anyone who ever saw or had the opportunity to play pool with the late great pool hustler, "Harry Sexton", will appreciate this. Harry was a classic pool hustler, never revealing anything about what he knew of the game. While working in Flint, Michigan back in the mid eighties, I played with Harry daily during lunch time. The games were always $5.00 eight ball or nineball on the nine foot tables. Though I won a few games over the course of the two years, I never walked out with any of his money, but, I never expected to either. I was playing to learn, and watching Harry play pool was for me like watching Tiger Woods play golf. He had an awesome stroke and for a man who at the time was in his mid fifties and did not wear galsses, I was amazed at his consistent accuracy. In time, and only after giving up lots of five dollar bills, did Poochy share an aiming technique with me. Since I do appreciate the fact, several on this forum have expressed their disdain for "amiming methods", I will not publish what Poochy shared with me, but I will say this:

Line up a long perfectly straight shot from corner to corner on a nine foot table with at least a cue length separation between cue ball and object ball. Shoot the shot as you normally would at least ten times. My guess is that an "A" player will make the shot seven or eight times, while a "B" player will miss more than he makes, and a "C" player will if lucky, make two shots out of ten.

Now my question is this: Regardless of your skill level, If you are faced with this shot and it is a "must make" for the win, would you not like to have knowledge of a tecnique that would more likely than not ensure the make?

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best and beat the rest"

 

[Black-Balled]

Bank it cross side, of course.

 

[scrappy]

head down and follow through works for me

 

[Tramp Steamer]

It would depend. If you were playing One Pocket, for instance, you might want to pass on the shot because of your confidence level, or lack there of. That doesn't necessarily mean, however, that you've given up on the game. It can simply be part of the strategy involved.
Having said that, I believe that shots such as you describe, spot shots, and long cut shots, among others, should be diligently practiced.

 

[mosconiac]

What's up with all these, "Someone told me a secret, but I won't dishonor them by divulging it" threads lately? PPUULLEEAASSEE!

Why waste your time typing it out just to dangle a (possibly make-believe) carrot? Does that somehow make you feel more important or more deserving? Blech.

Were you the same guy in highschool that "met his girlfriend on summer vacation in canada"?

 

[CreeDo]

Now my question is this: Regardless of your skill level, If you are faced with this shot and it is a "must make" for the win, would you not like to have knowledge of a tecnique that would more likely than not ensure the make?

I guess this is a roundabout way of saying "you guys don't like aiming systems but I think they're the nuts".

All I can say is, for this shot... the player ensures the make, not the technique. I'm not saying an aiming system can't help someone with their shooting, but this is about the worst example you could give because aiming this shot is very straightforward - literally. You send the cue ball straight into the object ball. Everyone knows where to aim here, you don't need a system for a straight-in shot. What most players don't have is the fundamentals to deliver the cue ball directly at the place they're aiming. That's usually the difference between your A and B player.

 

[Mikjary]

Y.e.s.....

 

[uwate]

so this thread is about the "Tip I learned from the late great Harry "Poochy" Sexton" that you wont divulge?

hunh?

 

[jay helfert]

So we are in Detroit and Poochy walks into the poolroom. A little background, Harry had these red cheeks for some reason. Probably old acne scars. So right away Harry starts talking to Cornbread who is holding all the dough. Harry wants to play Red some 9-Ball for $20 a game and Red isn't budging. Red says bet $50 or it's no game. Harry keeps jawing away trying to get Red down.

Finally Red looks at him and says, "You're starting to sound like a girl! Go fix your make-up, I think it's smeared." Everyone cracks up at this humiliating remark. This comment embarrasses Harry and he sheepishly takes out his cue. Now they play some for $50 a game and Red wins every game! He beat Harry before they started by embarrassing him so bad.

By the way, Harry was a great player. That is true!

 

[Blackjack]

By the way, Harry was a great player. That is true!

... and he was one hell of a good person... very generous in words of advice, kindness, and support. As a player and as a person he was tough as nails, but smooth as silk.

 

[12310bch]

You could tell that, "Cold As Ice," Frost and Preacher Ronn were using aiming systems every shot for 29 hours. You betcha!!

 

[alstl]

Did you swear on a bible never to divulge the tip?

 

[mosconiac]

You could tell that, "Cold As Ice," Frost and Preacher Ronn were using aiming systems every shot for 29 hours. You betcha!!

Yeah, I heard that self-depricating outburst from Scott at around hour 23... "That shot required a 3rd order pivot in the inter-stationary control space, not a 4th order pivot-pause-roll parabola. I'm such a dunder head".

 

[bobroberts]

Some decent stories about hary but this thread is a waste of time.

 

[jrt30004]

uhhhh - i can tell you this, i don't care what aiming secret he gave up to you, your numbers are way off on that shot. i've taken all of one lesson from a local a player to help me with my stroke. the first thing he did was line up corner to corner shots of longer and longer distances to asses how well i could sight and stroke. every time i have played since that lesson it's one of the things i warm up with. with the cue ball about at the headstring and the object ball at the foot string i can make about 6 or 7 out of ten and i suck. i am barely a c player. all you need is a moderately straight stroke to make that shot not an entire "aiming system". hmm no wonder no one wants to give me weight. they see me jammin that shot and figure i must be an a player and know some mad aiming secrets from the legends. now if i could just get em to watch the rest of my game i'd get the 6 out like i need

 

[measureman]

I have no idea what he told you but this is what i do. If the shot is dead straight i aim thru the object ball as if i was going to shoot the cue ball into the middle of the pocket. Also on long shots when I'm frozen to a rail and the object ball is way down table i aim for a spot on the rail.
I guess this could be called the aim thru method. It has worked very well for me for 50 years. You can have it for free.

 

[ShootingArts]

a lot of power in that

I have no idea what he told you but this is what i do. If the shot is dead straight i aim thru the object ball as if i was going to shoot the cue ball into the middle of the pocket. Also on long shots when I'm frozen to a rail and the object ball is way down table i aim for a spot on the rail.
I guess this could be called the aim thru method. It has worked very well for me for 50 years. You can have it for free.

There is a lot of power in finding the aim line and then finding a convenient aimpoint on that line, often not the object ball.

Hu

 

[tpdtom]

I don't know any other way to aim but to try to hit the spot that will send the object ball into the pocket. Like someone else already said, I try to remember to stay down and sometimes that makes the difference.

Jay, that had to be one of the only times when Red beat Poochie. Harry kept Red broke for years. I remember them meeting in Port Huron when Red lived in Detroit and Harry in Flint. They played on a bar box. Harry was a bit drunk and still took the cash...Tom

 

[jay helfert]

I don't know any other way to aim but to try to hit the spot that will send the object ball into the pocket. Like someone else already said, I try to remember to stay down and sometimes that makes the difference.

Jay, that had to be one of the only times when Red beat Poochie. Harry kept Red broke for years. I remember them meeting in Port Huron when Red lived in Detroit and Harry in Flint. They played on a bar box. Harry was a bit drunk and still took the cash...Tom

I also think Poochie might have been a shade better 9-Ball player. It was obvious he wanted to play Red. It was just the way this game came down that was so funny and put Harry off stride a little. Red might have won six or seven games before Poochie quit.

I don't think Harry could beat Red at One Pocket though. Maybe you know better. Or snooker for that matter. Red played both those games very well.

 

[JB Cases]

Now my question is this: Regardless of your skill level, If you are faced with this shot and it is a "must make" for the win, would you not like to have knowledge of a tecnique that would more likely than not ensure the make?

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best and beat the rest"

I would like such a technique and I have such a technique and I am never averse to learning more such techniques.

If you care to share Poochy's technique with me in private I assure you I have no such disdain for learning.

I like to gamble and since I am not that great I often come up on these "must make" shots. So hit me with it.