Wally Lindrum was an Australian professional player of billiards who held the World Professional Billiards Championship from 1933 until his retirement in 1950. He is generally regarded as the greatest player ever seen in billiards, with 57 world records to his credit, some of which still stand, so says Wikipedia.
Left motherless at birth, Dolly Lindrum became the child her legendary uncle, Walter, never had. Her devotion has not in the least dulled since his death, 50 years ago last month. She has always lived in the Lindrum home in Albert Park, worked in the original Lindrum's billiards parlour in Flinders Lane and ran a later revival in Flinders Street, now Hotel Lindrum. When her husband died, she resumed the Lindrum name.
Dolly vividly remembers how her uncle would practice from 6 a.m. every day, for up to 12 hours at a time. He was a stickler for it. ''You should practice until your back aches,'' he would say, ''and then start practicing.'' He would practice on the seats of trains...and shipboard when traveling overseas; he did not fly.
Lindrum's statistical domination of billiards is like light years: impossible to get your head around. He set 57 world records and still holds some. He played against ''blind'' handicaps of up to 7000, the exact figure kept from him so that he would play the games out. For much of his career, he deterred challengers and played exhibitions instead, 4000 of them during World War II. At least twice, the rules were changed in an effort to blunt him. He adapted.
The article about Dolly and her uncle warms my heart: The Lindrum Legacy. [Retrieved 19 August 2010.]
Though Lindrum was a true billiards player, his approach to his game was to practice, practice, practice.
I have heard this exact same straetgy from many pool champions as well as legendary players. You cannot excel unless you hit balls over and over and over again. How many times have you seen Earl Strickland, Shane Van Boening, and other pool greats hitting balls over and over and over again? Heck, I've seen Shannon Daulton do nothing else but break balls repeatedly over and over and over again to fine-tune his break.
Dolly is trying to get a museum for her Uncle Wally going and is racing against time. Here's Dolly by an image of her famous uncle.
Left motherless at birth, Dolly Lindrum became the child her legendary uncle, Walter, never had. Her devotion has not in the least dulled since his death, 50 years ago last month. She has always lived in the Lindrum home in Albert Park, worked in the original Lindrum's billiards parlour in Flinders Lane and ran a later revival in Flinders Street, now Hotel Lindrum. When her husband died, she resumed the Lindrum name.
Dolly vividly remembers how her uncle would practice from 6 a.m. every day, for up to 12 hours at a time. He was a stickler for it. ''You should practice until your back aches,'' he would say, ''and then start practicing.'' He would practice on the seats of trains...and shipboard when traveling overseas; he did not fly.
Lindrum's statistical domination of billiards is like light years: impossible to get your head around. He set 57 world records and still holds some. He played against ''blind'' handicaps of up to 7000, the exact figure kept from him so that he would play the games out. For much of his career, he deterred challengers and played exhibitions instead, 4000 of them during World War II. At least twice, the rules were changed in an effort to blunt him. He adapted.
The article about Dolly and her uncle warms my heart: The Lindrum Legacy. [Retrieved 19 August 2010.]
Though Lindrum was a true billiards player, his approach to his game was to practice, practice, practice.
I have heard this exact same straetgy from many pool champions as well as legendary players. You cannot excel unless you hit balls over and over and over again. How many times have you seen Earl Strickland, Shane Van Boening, and other pool greats hitting balls over and over and over again? Heck, I've seen Shannon Daulton do nothing else but break balls repeatedly over and over and over again to fine-tune his break.
Dolly is trying to get a museum for her Uncle Wally going and is racing against time. Here's Dolly by an image of her famous uncle.