Video's up

[Steve Lipsky]

After long last, and much help from you all, I finally was able to upload the video to Veoh.

Some notes:

- The quality of the upload is not what I was hoping for. It looks like the compression program removed some frames per second? So far I'm not impressed, but hopefully I'll keep learning.

- We're going to do this one step at a time. Once we can get the video working how we like it, we'll do another free one with commentary. This one is not commentated.

- Danny runs a league on Saturdays, so periodically people come up to him and report scores. Sorry for the interruptions, but they are very minor.

- The game gets a tad sloppy towards the end (though not incredibly so), but there are some interesting situations that come up.

- Finally, we struggled with which table to use. There is a tighter table available, but as an instructional tool, we can't find much benefit to using it in a video. We feel it's important to show correct patterns (even though many times we don't even do that! ), and proper pattern play can sometimes take a backseat on tight equipment. So... most of our taped matches are going to be on this table, which is a bit looser. Btw, these pockets are cut a little strangely and even though they look like buckets they don't entirely play like it. With any kind of speed you really can't hit the rail on the way in.

Hope you enjoy!

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v16248700s4E7C9bG?rank=0&jsonParams=%7B%22numResults%22%3A20%2C%22rlmin%22%3A0%2C%22query%22%3A%22lipsky%22%2C%22rlmax%22%3Anull%2C%22veohOnly%22%3Atrue%2C%22order%22%3A%22default%22%2C%22range%22%3A%22a%22%2C%22sId%22%3A%22261759093488116419%22%7D&searchId=261759093488116419&rank=1

 

[dmgwalsh]

After long last, and much help from you all, I finally was able to upload the video to Veoh.

Some notes:

- The quality of the upload is not what I was hoping for. It looks like the compression program removed some frames per second? So far I'm not impressed, but hopefully I'll keep learning.

- We're going to do this one step at a time. Once we can get the video working how we like it, we'll do another free one with commentary. This one is not commentated.

- Danny runs a league on Saturdays, so periodically people come up to him and report scores. Sorry for the interruptions, but they are very minor.

- The game gets a tad sloppy towards the end (though not incredibly so), but there are some interesting situations that come up.

- Finally, we struggled with which table to use. There is a tighter table available, but as an instructional tool, we can't find much benefit to using it in a video. We feel it's important to show correct patterns (even though many times we don't even do that! ), and proper pattern play can sometimes take a backseat on tight equipment. So... most of our taped matches are going to be on this table, which is a bit looser. Btw, these pockets are cut a little strangely and even though they look like buckets they don't entirely play like it. With any kind of speed you really can't hit the rail on the way in.

Hope you enjoy!

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v16248700s4E7C9bG?rank=0&jsonParams=%7B%22numResults%22%3A20%2C%22rlmin%22%3A0%2C%22query%22%3A%22lipsky%22%2C%22rlmax%22%3Anull%2C%22veohOnly%22%3Atrue%2C%22order%22%3A%22default%22%2C%22range%22%3A%22a%22%2C%22sId%22%3A%22261759093488116419%22%7D&searchId=261759093488116419&rank=1

Cool.

I am downloading it as I type.

 

[stevekur1]

Video quality looks great !

Started to watch it here at work, but had to stop. (My Boss Caught Me)

Told him can't you see i am doing something real important here !

cant wait to get home and watch the rest !

Good Job Stevie Stevie !

TTYL
Steve

You still didnt do the 100 though this means there is still hope for me, going out to shoot tonight to see if i can do it !

LOL

 

[rikdee]

Steve,

Entertaining match with some solid runs and nice play.

_Rick

 

[stevekur1]

Hey stevie,

I watched the video last night, looks real good !

The one problem i had is on the site, the pop-up ads. whenever one is loading it makes the video lock up. but i guess you will get that on any site. since the web is full of Banner Ads.....

The one thing that struck me as being funny, is when the guy on the table next to you was shooting from the side of the table next to yours. I didnt think that guy would ever move, and i bet you were thinking the same exact thing ! ! ! !

What kinda cue are you shooting with these days? still using the trusty old Schon ?


must of been heart wrenching when you scratched of the break shot, you looked like it didnt faze you, i guess you saw it coming.!

Talk to ya soon!
Steve

I still have a chance of doing it first! LOL

 

[dmgwalsh]

Steve: I haven't finished it yet. I'm watching it on my train rides to work and back. Should be done today.

I could probably ask all kinds of questions about what you and Danny are doing but I don't want to overburden you right now.

I downloaded and burned to dvd and gave copies to some of the boys at the Illinois Billiard Club last night. Jim Parker, who runs the IBC is looking forward to it. Danny came out here over 20 years ago and played at one of Jim's qualifiers to the US Open, I believe.

Keep up the good work.:grin-square:

 

[Steve Lipsky]

Steve: I haven't finished it yet. I'm watching it on my train rides to work and back. Should be done today.

I could probably ask all kinds of questions about what you and Danny are doing but I don't want to overburden you right now.

I downloaded and burned to dvd and gave copies to some of the boys at the Illinois Billiard Club last night. Jim Parker, who runs the IBC is looking forward to it. Danny came out here over 20 years ago and played at one of Jim's qualifiers to the US Open, I believe.

Keep up the good work.:grin-square:

Thanks Dennis - also thanks for burning the copies. I should've burned the higher-quality copy to a DVD; maybe I'll do that with the next game, which I'm currently editing.

Also, please ask any and all questions! Would love it.


Stevie,

Yes, the guy on the other table was atrociously slow. In the first rack, that hanger I missed in the side was directly attributable to having had to wait so long. Not a good excuse, but really, I was going out of my mind!

I've been playing with Starin's Schon actually.

As to taking the scratch in stride, I don't know... I mean, it's just another run, right? What is getting aggravated gonna do?

- Steve

 

[stevekur1]

Hey DMG, how did you download the video?

Stevie,

good to hear that you are shooting with a schon, thought maybe you were shooting with that other cue that jeff had made for him, by a cue maker that we shouldnt mention the name of...LOL

what happened to the schon that you used to shoot with?

If you or jeff ever want o sell jeff's schon look me up ! i can use another schon in my collection !

Steve

 

[dmgwalsh]

Hey DMG, how did you download the video?

When you go to watch it on veoh tv there is a little box on the lower left that says "add to library" Click that and it will start downloading.

I think even from the veoh page you have download entire video options also including downloading as an mp4 for your ipod.

Once I downloaded, I used nero to create a dvd.

 

[stevekur1]

Thanks DMG! didnt think it would be that easy, now i can sit and watch it comfortably in front of my Plasma instead of this PC!

Much Rep To You !

Steve

 

[Steve Lipsky]

You still didnt do the 100 though this means there is still hope for me, going out to shoot tonight to see if i can do it !

LOL

Game over, Stevie... taped a 130 tonight .

- Steve

 

[Marop]

Game over, Stevie... taped a 130 tonight .

- Steve

Great run Steve, get it uploaded ASAP, looking forward to it.

Bill

 

[Solartje]

Game over, Stevie... taped a 130 tonight .

- Steve

gratz steve !!

i love this mini tournaments. Look, within 2 weeks we have a 130 and a 96 run !!! You make me jalous you sound like if it was easy i strugled yesterday to make a 20 break :sorry:

Anyway upload it ASAP looking forward.
i'm off for a 14-1 tournament !! Just watched danny's dvd , gonna warm up for 2 hours now, and we'll see what i can run in tournament.

 

[stevekur1]

Well the best man won!

congrats stevie!

Cant wait to see it !

Well it isn't gonna stop me from trying! this whole thing gave me alot of extra incentive and enthusiasm towards the game.

Hopefully soon i will be looking to you for advice on how to upload my 100+ run.........


Talk to ya soon!

When are we gonna shoot??????

Steve

 

[Vahmurka]

Congratulations Mr Lipsky!!! You see you got a camera right on time Or, I know the answer, you simply couldn't run 100+ numbers until you get a camera, that was just subconscious
Go ahead upload it to Veoh! I've seen from Blackjack's experience it could provide nice video quality, better than that of google video. If there is a size issue you mentioned, cut the vid apart but try to preserve nice quality. Your run deserves it

 

[dmgwalsh]

Also, please ask any and all questions! Would love it.
- Steve

Steve: I've watched it once all the way through and about half way through again.

Was Danny trying a carom with his first shot? Do you guys do that often?
With your first shot, were you trying to get an angle to break them again?
I probably would have drifted down and picked up a few balls from behind the rack.

I wrote some notes, but now I can't understand them.

I seemed to notice on a lot of breaks you guys would seem to use center and the cue ball would basically just not move far. (e.g racks 8, 10)If the balls opened up enough, you might have a shot in the side. After the fact, I thought maybe a little low would have helped bring you to the middle. On your side of the rack break shots when do you use center, high, or low? I saw a few where you appeared to have drawn it because it went back to the short rail.(rack 9)

In one of the earlier racks, maybe end of rack 2, I thought Danny could just go to the rail and bounce out for the break shot but he used either center or a little low and brought it all the way up to the top short rail and maybe a little left to bring it half way back for the break shot. Good approach and didn't really cross the line, but I don't see that very much.

Sometimes when you are coming off the bottom rail into what is left of the rack, 1/2 inch difference and you would be hooked. Not exactly gambling, but maybe a little.

How is the edit on game 2 going?

Did you do game 3 yet?

 

[Steve Lipsky]

Steve: I've watched it once all the way through and about half way through again.

Was Danny trying a carom with his first shot? Do you guys do that often?

Yes, he was trying the carom. He really had very little - could have gone for the 1 down the rail but it really wouldn't lead to much else, and it was a difficult shot anyway. He must have seen the carom pretty well because even from where I left him, he came awfully close.

As to if we do it often, I'm not sure what you mean. I guess we go for unorthodox shots when they're there, are our best option to continue a run, and there's no better safe option available. We treat these games very seriously... we don't go for flyers, but by the same token are more than prepared to go down swinging. We veer towards the offensive when given the choice, but we always try to weigh the options well.

With your first shot, were you trying to get an angle to break them again?
I probably would have drifted down and picked up a few balls from behind the rack.

I think you mean my second shot... the first shot was the 15 in the upper right corner. As to the shot you're referring to, I can tell you why I didn't play what you suggest, and it's up to you to disagree if you like. You'll note the angle on the 2nd shot is such that I can't simply follow down to the rail (to play the ball hanging by the corner). There is too much angle to do this; I'd have to play this shot with left english to get down to the rail. Is this a tough shot? No. Does it lead to a decent pattern to break with what looks like the 10 ball from below the rack? Yep. But we had just started the game, and I wanted to a) let the stroke out a bit; and b) I didn't want to play a slowish inside-english shot without being warm. Though a fairly easy shot, it's missable, and I simply don't want to miss this early. As it was, you can tell I wasn't warm yet because I hit the 2nd shot quite poorly - leaving myself with way more angle on the 4 ball than I wanted.

I seemed to notice on a lot of breaks you guys would seem to use center and the cue ball would basically just not move far. (e.g racks 8, 10)If the balls opened up enough, you might have a shot in the side. After the fact, I thought maybe a little low would have helped bring you to the middle. On your side of the rack break shots when do you use center, high, or low? I saw a few where you appeared to have drawn it because it went back to the short rail.(rack 9)

The beginning of rack 8, I meant to pop a little more. I got a little lucky to wind up with a shot there, though staying close to a top ball is much better than staying close to a middle ball. Close to a middle ball is often a run-ender. Close to a top ball can often still yield some options.

Rack 10, hmmm, that one seemed to work out pretty well, no?

The very general rule for breakshots is that if the cueball is closer to the side rail than the object ball, you use topspin. If the object ball is closer to the side rail than the cueball, you use draw. This is a super general rule and you really must work out the exceptions through practice. It's a lifelong process, it really is.

One thing I've learned lately is to look for breakshots which are just about parallel with the top ball of the rack, and very close to it. These balls can be struck very firmly, with basically a stun, and you'll stay right there while the rack explodes. I'm really looking for these more now than I ever have.

Drawing just a little on breakshots can often be dangerous, because you slide down to the end rail more than you'd think. On shots where I think a little amount of draw will bring me to the end rail, and no draw will leave me stuck to the rack, I'll often load up with draw and come two rails back to the center of the table (end rail, side rail).

In one of the earlier racks, maybe end of rack 2, I thought Danny could just go to the rail and bounce out for the break shot but he used either center or a little low and brought it all the way up to the top short rail and maybe a little left to bring it half way back for the break shot. Good approach and didn't really cross the line, but I don't see that very much.

Yeah, he definitely got a little out-of-line on the 10 ball, leaving too much angle. I think you might be seeing it a bit wrong, as there's just too much angle for him to bounce off just the one rail. He could have gone three rails, but there you're definitely crossing the line (as you mentioned). I thought his solution was perfect. Of course, the error was that he had to shoot it to begin with.

Sometimes when you are coming off the bottom rail into what is left of the rack, 1/2 inch difference and you would be hooked. Not exactly gambling, but maybe a little.

You are definitely right. I often play my side of the rack, topspin breakshots with outside english. This brings me right back into the heart of the rack after hitting the short rail. I do it to stop the cueball, which allows me to hit the breakshot a little firmer, but (rarely) I do get stuck. I am constantly trying to improve my game, and this is definitely one area I am looking carefully at. I keep experimenting; hopefully I'm learning.

How is the edit on game 2 going?

Did you do game 3 yet?

We have about 6 or 7 games on tape so far; a bunch of 60-70 ball runs, this 97, and a 130. We are really excited with how things are going so far. The next game we're going to put up will be the 130, which was really a good game. Danny runs a 75 in it, and I go 95-and-out. But we want to do commentary for it, so I will have to get Danny over to my house to do that. Hopefully I'll get it soon.

I want to mention, again, that I'm not happy with the video quality. I'm talking to some people about that - I'll get it up to speed soon.

Finally, I just want to say how valuable I'm finding this journey. I'm seeing major errors in my game I never knew were there. It's humbling, but exciting.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[dmgwalsh]

I think you mean my second shot... the first shot was the 15 in the upper right corner. As to the shot you're referring to, I can tell you why I didn't play what you suggest, and it's up to you to disagree if you like. You'll note the angle on the 2nd shot is such that I can't simply follow down to the rail (to play the ball hanging by the corner). There is too much angle to do this; I'd have to play this shot with left english to get down to the rail. Is this a tough shot? No. Does it lead to a decent pattern to break with what looks like the 10 ball from below the rack? Yep. But we had just started the game, and I wanted to a) let the stroke out a bit; and b) I didn't want to play a slowish inside-english shot without being warm. Though a fairly easy shot, it's missable, and I simply don't want to miss this early. As it was, you can tell I wasn't warm yet because I hit the 2nd shot quite poorly - leaving myself with way more angle on the 4 ball than I wanted.

I see what you mean. I thought maybe you were actually aggressively turning down those few balls down behind the rack and deciding to make the ball on the rail and intentionally get that big angle on the 4 to go into the rack again,

The beginning of rack 8, I meant to pop a little more. I got a little lucky to wind up with a shot there, though staying close to a top ball is much better than staying close to a middle ball. Close to a middle ball is often a run-ender. Close to a top ball can often still yield some options.

Pop a little more with stun? I guess when you are near the edges of the rack it doesn't take as much to get clear

The very general rule for breakshots is that if the cueball is closer to the side rail than the object ball, you use topspin. If the object ball is closer to the side rail than the cueball, you use draw. This is a super general rule and you really must work out the exceptions through practice. It's a lifelong process, it really is.

Both Rempe and Sigel mention this in their instructionals. However I notice some people just use stun on some shots. Hit the rack and then just drift to the side. Not sure when to do this. Near the top as you mention below. When else?

One thing I've learned lately is to look for breakshots which are just about parallel with the top ball of the rack, and very close to it. These balls can be struck very firmly, with basically a stun, and you'll stay right there while the rack explodes. I'm really looking for these more now than I ever have.

I'll try to start looking for these.

Drawing just a little on breakshots can often be dangerous, because you slide down to the end rail more than you'd think. On shots where I think a little amount of draw will bring me to the end rail, and no draw will leave me stuck to the rack, I'll often load up with draw and come two rails back to the center of the table (end rail, side rail).

I see a lot more of that in modern play. Hohmann, Feijen, Schmidt and I've seen Bobby Hunter do it a lot.
When Rempe talked about using draw on break shots in his instructional, he was just a little under center and pounded it, so that the cue ball just moved up near the center and the rest of the force went into the rack. But I've been off a little and got stuck using this method.

Yeah, he definitely got a little out-of-line on the 10 ball, leaving too much angle. I think you might be seeing it a bit wrong, as there's just too much angle for him to bounce off just the one rail. He could have gone three rails, but there you're definitely crossing the line (as you mentioned). I thought his solution was perfect.

You may be right. I thought he could use reverse and bounce off one rail for shape, but as that would be crossing the line, he chose to bring it up and back into the line. What do you think of the general rule of not crossing your position line if you don't have to? It seems to me that many 14.1 end patterns do just that-over to the rail and bounce out for shape. Which is ok...if you have good speed control.

You are definitely right. I often play my side of the rack, topspin breakshots with outside english. This brings me right back into the heart of the rack after hitting the short rail. I do it to stop the cueball, which allows me to hit the breakshot a little firmer, but (rarely) I do get stuck. I am constantly trying to improve my game, and this is definitely one area I am looking carefully at. I keep experimenting; hopefully I'm learning.

Yes, I saw that on some of your breaks. But, actually I was talking about secondary breaks where you guys bounced off the bottom rail and into what was left of the bottom of the rack. Didn't always have a safety ball open down there. And sometimes, you just had a shot. a millimeter less or more and nothing.

We have about 6 or 7 games on tape so far; a bunch of 60-70 ball runs, this 97, and a 130. We are really excited with how things are going so far. The next game we're going to put up will be the 130, which was really a good game. Danny runs a 75 in it, and I go 95-and-out. But we want to do commentary for it, so I will have to get Danny over to my house to do that. Hopefully I'll get it soon.

Finally, I just want to say how valuable I'm finding this journey. I'm seeing major errors in my game I never knew were there. It's humbling, but exciting.

Thanks,
Steve

How goes the video. I'm sure adding the commentary will slow the process down.

By the way, what program did you use to add the scores and the runs on your first? Was it hard? I should have done that in some of the Hunter matches.

 

[Steve Lipsky]

Dennis,

Can you please give an example or two of the shots you mean, where I go off the bottom rail into what's left of the stack?

I use Windows Movie Maker... it's super easy to include the graphics and I'm experimenting with the narration now. That looks easy too. By far the biggest problem with our making the new video is that it's tough for Danny to come to my house (and vice versa).

- Steve

 

[Roy Steffensen]

Steve: I haven't checked this thread for almost 2 weeks, and I just now saw that you have a 130 on tape. Looking forward to see it!!!

I think the conversation between you and dmgwalsh here was great. It's awesome to get "into" a players head like this.

Those breakshots you mentioned, with the breakball parallel to the top ball, is definitely something I am gonna look for in the future.

I noticed that you said that the general rule for breakshots is to use topspin if the cueball is closer to the siderail than the breakball. I believe Thorsten Hohmann and Niels Feijen tends to use heavy draw on shots like this, especially if it is a "high" breakball.

I have started to use this on my opening shot (when practising 14-1 alone), and I draw the cueball to the end rail with spin, so it spins into the siderail and then goes to end at the center of the table, and the pack is wide open.