2006 – Efren Interview – Derby City Classic- One-Pocket Final
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QyNYBN6Qy38
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QyNYBN6Qy38
Video - Proof That Efren Is In Decline
- Thread starter Scaramouche
- Start date
Not that i'm a know it all kinda guy, i'll admit when i'm wrong, out of line or anything. But in the late 80's I said he was the greatest player to put to gether a cue and alot of guys around the pool rooms would disagree, and say that so and so was a better player etc. Moving foward 20 something years its widely accepted that Efren is the best player in history. I made the read on him years ago, but then again I have been wrong pleanty of times too-but not on this one, I hope he keeps going and stays "Lucky".
Fatboy...I use this comment all the time: "The better I play, the luckier I get!"
Efren is THE MAN...and my personal hero (even though we're the same age)!
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Efren is THE MAN...and my personal hero (even though we're the same age)!Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott, just wondering...how would you rate Efren's stroke mechanics? Thanks.Scott Lee said:Fatboy...I use this comment all the time: "The better I play, the luckier I get!"
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Efren is such a classy guy. I cant ever see him talking any sort of shit like hes godly like so many other wannabe players. He gets so tickled sometimes over the game it's great to watc him play. He reminds me of michael jordan in terms of having so much fun with the game.
jsp said:
Perfect...for HIM! Efren always has a light grip on the cue, and gets phenomenal action regardless of where he aims on the CB! The majority of us mortals do not possess this kind of absolutely perfect timing...and as such must rely on other accurate means of setting up and delivering the cue.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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having fun helps me to win who ever i'm playing, if it aint fun stop playing, that was 30% of the reason i went into retirement in 94, i knew i would come back to pool someday, i just needed a break. now i'm having as much fun as i did when i started, actually more fun cause i know how to play now-sorta
Here's a prediction. In twenty years nearly everyone will copy Efren's stroke, realizing that perfect timing is what it's all about.jsp said:
It's the last practice stroke and hit with no pause that enables it imho. Just like one stroking balls, it allows no time to choke your stroke. It gives him a real practice stroke more related to actual shot speed and the reflex action starts his arm forward quicker without having to push the cue and muscle it so much. Therefore his arm is more relaxed at impact, allowing natural consistent deflection of the stick.
It's all about speed and direction of the cue, and any idiot can look at the right spot down the table (provided he knows where it is). The angle of impact through the cueball is already determined by the bridge.
I don't think Efren could play so much better than everyone else if he were actually doing it the harder way. It's more logical to me that he is doing everything the easiest way.
Mika is one example of an Efren copy stroke with no pause. I'm not sure if there are others, besides me, although I don't look at it as copying, just reverting to a normal one-stroke style from long ago. The pause stroke I now look at as a bad habit arising from the necessity of slowing the back stroke when you are stuck near the rail or using a very close bridge.
unknownpro
unknownpro said:
It is no surprise if Mika does now have the same stroking technique as that of Efren's. they have been together and play together for a long time. aside from the fact that Mika is a strong follower and student of Efren.
I think you hit the nail on the head! Efren is sooo unassuming and totally unaffected by his fame and the fact that people idolize him. Efren used to play out of the same pool hall I frequented in the 80's and in fact I worked behind the counter in 1986 and at 5:00 pm when I got off of work Efren was just coming in and I had the great opportunity to practise quite a bit with him. Need I say some of the best practise I've ever enjoyed.cubc said:
Like Fatboy says back then no one wanted to give Efren his props they wanted to point to someone else but Efren has proved to be the best and I don't think there are any detractors. Philw
Hail Mary Shot said:
I don't see how anyone who knows about stroke mechanics would call Mika's technique the same as Efren's. They both have a bit of an up-and-down elbow motion, and a very loose arm, but the similarities end there, before you look closer at body geometry. Mika is actually quite well aligned in his stroke, i.e. his upper arm is aligned with the line of aim, whereas Efren has a noticeable chicken-wing, where his elbow is tucked inward from the line of the shot, and his lower arm angles back out toward the cue.
For Mika, if he kept his elbow still, he'd have a pendulum, whereas if Efren kept his elbow still, he'd have a funny banana stroke and wouldn't ever make a ball. For Efren, the elbow movement is a coordinated essential component to the stroke, and the upper and lower arm move in concert in order to move the grip hand the way it needs to go. It gives him a superlative freedom of motion, but takes a lot of coordination to do accurately.
Mika's up-and-down, in contrast, complicates the stroke in a way that is not essential to its success. He pumps the elbow, probably because it just feels more natural to him, but his lower arm motion occurs independently of this pump, and on its own would be a good stroke. The up and down in the elbow directs the tip along the vertical axis of the ball, but he could have a very similar and simpler stroke leaving it out and moving the tip straight toward its contact with the CB.
Anyway, I think Efren's stroke is not something to be copied. I think there are two goals you might have in a stroke: either it's based on what works for you, and feels right for you, in which case it has to come from you and not be copied from someone else, or it's based on well-reasoned principles of body mechanics, and it's a simple, efficient, accurate, and repeatable motion. There are great players with both types of strokes, but I don't think "copy someone with a distinctive stroke" is ever a recipe for success.
-Andrew
Andrew Manning said:
Of course Drew, it's like Jordan and Kobe. both does a fade away shot, but there is still a distinction. there's nobody who could copy a stroke a hundred percent. however, there is still a similarity. I missed to add up that Mika's version of that stroke is according to his comfort.
Yeah, their strokes are different, but their timing is similar. Neither pauses before his final stroke. The trigger is essentially pulled on the last warmup stroke, but it's a double stroke to hit the ball. It gives them a better feel for the timing so they can let go and flow through the ball only concentrating on the direction of the cue, imo. It's the opposite of the Allison Fisher, Buddy Hall stall.Andrew Manning said:
unknownpro
Efren's stroke...
There is only one Efren Reyes. He is the only one that can do what he does. For the rest of us mortals who try to play pool, we have to do what works for us. The pause that we see in Allison Fisher's stroke technique is what Jerry Briesath taught me when I took lessons from him years ago. Once I learned how to use it properly, my game went up in accuracy at least 20%. Most average players benefit from having the pause, it helps you to focus.
There is only one Efren Reyes. He is the only one that can do what he does. For the rest of us mortals who try to play pool, we have to do what works for us. The pause that we see in Allison Fisher's stroke technique is what Jerry Briesath taught me when I took lessons from him years ago. Once I learned how to use it properly, my game went up in accuracy at least 20%. Most average players benefit from having the pause, it helps you to focus.
Yea, you may be right
If Efren says he ain't playing as good, you could be right. But I doubt it. His overall offensive game may not be quite as strong as it was in the mid and late 80's, but his overall play is stronger than ever. His knowledge, cueball control, and overall skills have all excelled.
I hope we get to see him "GET LUCKY" for a long long time to come. He's the Best.
Scaramouche said:
If Efren says he ain't playing as good, you could be right. But I doubt it. His overall offensive game may not be quite as strong as it was in the mid and late 80's, but his overall play is stronger than ever. His knowledge, cueball control, and overall skills have all excelled.
I hope we get to see him "GET LUCKY" for a long long time to come. He's the Best.