who are the shortest pros?

ddadams said:
I like watching the pros on YouTube every now and then but seeing some shots SVB and the other 6'+ guys take I know that some of them are just unlikely for me and my vertically challenged limits.


Who are the shorter pros? I know Alex is shorter than I am.

How tall is Dennis Orcollo? Who else?
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Alex and Sarah.

Marcus.

The late Shorty Johnson.


Freddie <~~~ not going to be drafted to the NBA
 
Dear Cornerman,

Yes, Larry Johnson, known as "Boston Shorty," was remarkably short. Somewhere there is a picture of him in the old McGirr's lying full-bodied on the table to reach a shot. He is playing Joey Spaeth, who is standing right next to the table, so apparently Shorty must have laid this down as a condition for a match, and probably a fairly serious one.
 
Tommy Kennedy is one that comes to mind.

Retired WPBA pro Nikki Benish was very short.
 
Santos is no doubt small - I'm guessing maybe 5'3", 120 pounds.

I marvel at the his massive break shot - amazing really. His skill is something to behold. Like Alex, he has the table reach of a much taller man.
 
It might be easier to list who the tall pro players are honestly. As someone mentioned earlier being tall in pool can be a disadvantage because you have to bend over so much farther to reach the table or have a very spread out stance. Shorter players may not have the reach but it's easily counteracted by playing both hands, cue extensions etc. Efren and Nick Varner are fairly diminutive.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
Tobermory said:
I've always thought that being tall was a disadvantage in pool--PROVIDED that you could shoot with both hands.
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Me too. It's not as easy for a taller person to get their head down close to the cue stick as it is for a shorter person. They have to bend at the waist more (or their knees). It is awkward for me (I'm only 6'1"), so I can imagine how tough it could be for players in the 6'3" and taller range.

Ever notice how many successful professional bowlers are also short??? It's no coincidence.....being shorter makes your body more compact and lessens the chances of something in you shot routine (bowling or pool) to go haywire or get out of kilter.

Maniac
 
Tobermory said:
I've always thought that being tall was a disadvantage in pool--PROVIDED that you could shoot with both hands.

Eddy Kelley, one of the old-time pro's, was quite short.

The old-time pro's, such as Mosconi and Carras, both men of modest physical stature, did something quite frequently that you almost never see a pro do now. They would go to the spot that they expected to leave the cueball and test whether they could reach their intended next shot from there and how they would be standing. I imagine the skill of foreseeing this is essential on a five by ten.
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Depends on what you call short..I am just under 5' 9"...Unless they've shrunk lately, Ed Kelley, is about my height, as is Ralf Souquet..Yes Fats was about 5' 6'' or thereabouts !..I do agree, there seems to be more good players under avg. hgt., then there are over..Never really paid much attention to it..Probably would...if I were real short, or real tall.. :o
 
yep

ironman said:
Mike is not naearly as tall as our won Island Drive, I think he is about 6'13" or something like that.
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Its all the oranges he eats. Makes him stretch out....lol I've never seen him use a bridge on a bar box. I always thought that was an advantage of being tall although i've never asked his opinion..
 
ddadams said:
For sure I just like watching people my height as it shows me how they handle certain shots and how they move around.

I end up using the bridge more than I think I should. I've gotten pretty good with it by now..




I am not going to knock your playing, I've never seen you play though..


Links?




How tall are you?

During my lessons with Lee Brett he told me my playing reminded him of you, so maybe I should watch the videos of you that I can find.


I'm 5'7 on a good day, 5'8 when I'm playing really well :grin:
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About the same as you
 
Black-Balled said:
I think 'I am not a pro, but my height is...' Is an assumed understanding in a few posts found in this thread...
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Others may mention their height for comparison to pros. Her post gives no reason to assume that understanding.

First post = "Who are the shortest pros?"
Second post = her saying "I am 5'7"."

One could read her post as, "I'm not a pro but my height is 5 foot 7 inches". Then why mention it at all? Not only is she not a pro, but 5 feet 7 inches is already far taller than Alex Pagulayan who was mentioned as a short pro.

I stand by my rating of her post as "Delusional" :D
 
It took me many years to realize that my small stature was actually in some ways advantageous for playing pool. I'm 5'6 now and used to be 5'7 (shit happens). Mosconi was my height and so was Caras (maybe 5'8) and Fats. Irving Crane was a solid 6'. Balsis may have been 5'8 or 5'9, Ronnie and Kelly about 5'9. Most of the top players were under 6', with exceptions like Puckett, Rempe, Massey, Bob Ogburn and a few others. Jimmy Fusco was probably right at 6'. His cousin Pete closer to my size. Worst may have been 5'10, but very solidly built.

So many very good players who were really short (5'4 or less). Shorty, Parica, Tommy Kennedy, Marcus Chamat, Santos, Alex, Rafael Martinez to name a few. I doubt any of these guys were taller than 5'3. Dennis is about 5'5 or 5'6, so I don't consider him one of the real shorties. Francisco, Efren, Carlo, Lee Vann and Warren are maybe 5'7 or 5'8. Ronnie Alcano is a good 5'10.

Mizerak was over 6' and Buddy used to be much taller, also close to 6' (he's shrunk too). Varner maybe 5'8, Sigel 5'9 or 5'10, Hopkins 5'10 at least, Dallas West maybe 5'8, Ray Martin 5'9 and Swanee was probably 6' tall. Dennis Hatch is over 6', Johnny maybe 5'11. Shane is maybe 5'10 or 5'11, Rodney closer to 5'9. Mika is probably 5'8, Ralf closer to 5'7, Karl Boyes I'm guessing 5'10 or 5'11 and Darren 5'8.

To me 5'9 is about average height and being 5'6 or 5'7 is not really short. 5'4 and under is small stature imo. I'm sure I can think of more excellent pool players who fit this bill.
 
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