People on the internet keep saying the name Buddy Hall when asked who stays on the vertical center or uses just a little english. Enough people say it, it must be true...
But I've watched Buddy Hall in person as much as anyone, and since I'm not staking him, betting on or against him, or playing him, I am/was always watching his stroke mechanics, his patterns, and where he hit the cueball. And I emphasize, I've watched him live countless of hours over the years at bar table tournaments in TN, the US Open 9-ball, and the Derby City Classic.
My observations are that Buddy Hall uses as much extreme english as anyone who's ever played the game. A case can be made that he is a pioneer of the use of extreme english to make his patterns simpler (yes, I said simpler).
He teaches the Clock System, a system that shows how to use every part of the cueball.
He was on ESPN (it's on Youtube) where the announcer remarked just how far off center he was shooting on so many shots. In his post-match interview, he said matter-of-factly that (paraphrase) you have to be able to all parts of the cueball to be able to play this game.
For me, Buddy Hall has been the icon that I first viewed as shooting as far away from center was humanly possible in order to make the position so easy.
So, my simple question is: why do so many people have a different observation. Surely, he doesn't switch to extreme english just for me (as shown on any ESPN match of his). Do you think he switched to center ball just for everyone else on the internet? Doesn't make sense.
My theory is that he always made it look so easy that players just assumed he must be hitting closer to center. He just isn't/wasn.t. That's reality by every method of real observation, including recorded actual matches (instead of some kind of teaching clinic).
Freddie <~~~ loves reality
Thank God someone on this forum has a working set of eyes. I was worried for a moment there. I agree with everything you said.