Who's Style and Why ? In 14.1

Dick Lane

Winston846, you speak the truth. To call Dick Lane slow and methodical is a masterpiece of accurate understatement. Watching paint dry or grass grow are the usual comparisons. I understand that Frank Taberski was the master of that don't you wish you were dead style of play.

You're sure right about Dave Daya-a terrific player. If he's too fast for you, what must you make of Lou Butera and Luc Salvas?
 
BayGene said:
Winston846, you speak the truth. To call Dick Lane slow and methodical is a masterpiece of accurate understatement. Watching paint dry or grass grow are the usual comparisons. I understand that Frank Taberski was the master of that don't you wish you were dead style of play.

You're sure right about Dave Daya-a terrific player. If he's too fast for you, what must you make of Lou Butera and Luc Salvas?
Click to expand...

I've played with Dave Daya and he certainly doesn't take his time, but I would think he would take a little more time in a more serious game than he would in a casual game with me. Not Butera speed, but he certainly doesn't take his time. I don't know the game well enough yet to think that fast.
 
Rempe sure was/is the text-book player for basics and playing style, alright. I think, for me, it would be Mizerak. Steve just made it look so simple and elegant.
 
I've never been one to really emulate another person's game, as I've just found it too difficult. I'll pick things up from players all the time, but I'm not sure I could say definitively what I picked up from whom.

Players who I'd love to be able to emulate, even if I fail miserably constantly:

1 - Danny Barouty. I highly doubt there's ever been another who thought about the game so brilliantly. Probably a stupid statement, possibly erroneous, but he sure is up there. When he is in stroke, you wonder why everyone can't just run hundreds at will. It really looks that easy. As far as specifics, his tight positioning is what I look for.

2 - John Schmidt. I look into his eyes (platonically, I swear!) and don't see a miss in him. That's frightening as an opponent. I'm also trying to incorporate some high breakshots into my game based on his success with them. I've never liked them but John has taught me that that's my problem, not some inherent dysfunction with those shots.

3 - Mike Sigel (pre 2000) / Nick Varner / Grady Matthews. All these guys featured prominently in the only lessons a lot of us had 20 years ago - AccuStats tapes. I wore those things thin. And btw, it wasn't just Grady commentating (though of course there's never been an equal); it was him playing too. Learned a lot about more of an old-school style of play from these guys.

- Steve
 
Last edited:
When you suck as bad as I do you don't want to associate it with any great players names. :(
 
Pushout said:
I hate to nit-pick but Mike is a friend of mine, there is no "d", Zuglan:wink:
Click to expand...

There's no 'dog' in him either.
If the game produced millionaires like golf does.....
..Mike would have been one of the stars
 
Wow, I'm QUITE surprised by the answers so far. It seems many are emulating players with exceptional firepower.

I would think more players would emulate players like Jim Rempe, Danny DiLiberto, Grady Mathews, or Jeanette Lee (my personal choices). Their games do not depend solely on championship level pocketing ability; but rather are predicated on making each rack as easy as possible. Risk reduction is of paramount concern. Of course championship level pocketing HELPS, but I probably will never develop it.

The amateur player that emulates these players will still not run as many as they do (given their superior pocketing and "escape" capabilities), but will find that their own games improve significantly.

From what little I've seen of Steve Lipsky's game; he also probably fits in with the "old schoolers" listed above.
 
Hussa,

when you start to love and think about straigh-pool for sure the most players *eat* videos form the great players- to try to emulate is the wrong way. But i m sure almost everyone tried to find somethin from the great players/idols what could work for him to make him a better player.

There are many players i could list i love watching. So i would miss a name for sure- But Jim Rempe was very impressive- Even how he talked about the game in his videos-very seriously and helpful.

All of the champions of the past decades would be worth to shown up here imo.

Ingo
 
while i admire all of the great players listed above, i concur with Steve. Rempe's game is the one i admire most. His position and pattern play is the best, IMHO-- he just never seems to overlook anything and always selects the right shot.
although i've only seen him play 14.1 one time, in his accu-stats video vs mike massey, i enjoy watching Jose Garcia as much as anyone. i wish there were more videos of his great play.
 
When I was 17 yrs. old I lost to Robin Bell in the finals of a straight pool tournament and the winner got to play a 150 point match against Cowboy Jimmy Moore. He played so well and made the game look so amazingly easy I never forgot it. I loved his game. Years later I was in New Mexico and it was his 80th birthday I met and talked with him and told him about that time when I was 17 and just missed playing him. He got up and ran 111 balls. It was unreal to see a man his age do that and it was with grace and style! Sigel was also one of my favorites to watch playing 14.1. I also like John Schmidt as far as modern day players he's very exciting to watch......
 
Last edited:
Great Story

markgw said:
When I was 17 yrs. old I lost to Robin Bell in the finals of a straight pool tournament and the winner got to play a 150 point match against Cowboy Jimmy Moore. He played so well and made the game look so amazingly easy I never forgot it. I loved his game. Years later I was in New Mexico and it was his 80th birthday I met and talked with him and told him about that time when I was 17 and just missed playing him. He got up and ran 111 balls. It was unreal to see a man his age do that and it was with grace and style! Sigel was also one of my favorites to watch playing 14.1. I also like John Schmidt as far as modern day players he's very exciting to watch......
Click to expand...



Great story. I enjoyed reading about your experience with Mr. Moore.
The same thing for me when I was 15 and had lunch with Mosconi at a Country Club on Long Island. Mosconi told everyone that he was going to run a 150 balls in a row. Set up a break shot and did it. It was so unbelievable that a person at any time can say they were going to run that many balls and do it. How great is that???.... I heard he always did shows like that.
I know that when I am playing very good and I am really in stroke. I like to play straight by connecting the dots like Willie would do. Just one stop shot after another with very little movement on the cue ball. I just wish that I could do it all the time, instead of once in a Blue Moon.
 
Thanks for all your great responses guys...i really enjoyed reading whose game's you admire, but what i was really looking to hear whose game's you try to replicate or mimic and why.

Thanks
-Steve
 
Interesting thread, and there's no right answer, but my sense is .......

For those who favor explosive players, names like Sigel, Schmidt and Hohmann (and, though not mentioned, Balsis and Margo) are the ones to be envied. If you'd rather be a methodical, but technically perfect, player, you're mor elikely to favor the styles of guys like Rempe, Crane, and West and if you want to be a grinder who tends to wear down all opponents, Nick Varner is probably your man.

Of course, you'd like to play like any of the guys mentioned in this thread! Ah, if only ......
 
Stevekur1,

I'm gonna agree about style of play for 14.1 with you about "King" James.
Most of my reasons are different from what you mentioned; I really love how Jimmy always seems to play into the stack perfectly, his "safety valve" play is better than anyone else, bar NONE.

Now, his overall pattern play, how he strikes the ball ... all of that is fine and good, but no one I ever saw play 14.1 had to get "fewer rolls" for a high run to continue than Rempe.

-Ivan

stevekur1 said:
As promissed here is my next post on "Style" !!


Who's style of game is it that you try to mimic and why ?


I Will start it:

I Have mentioned it before and i will again, the one players game that i truelly admire and i try to replicate is that of "King" James Rempe.

Jimmy has such charisma when he shoots, he always seems that he is in control. to me he is the type of player that you can watch run rack after rack and it all makes sense. Jimmy shows that he knows every nuance of that cue ball and he knows just how to move it to where he needs. Whether it be that soft draw shot or that hard stun shot one rail out, he in my eyes always shows control.

and that is what i try to accomplish when i am at the table...Control !

I have watched Jimmy's 14.1 instructional "How To Run a Rack, And How to Run a 100 Balls" about a dozen times now, and i could throw it in one more time and find something new to learn.


Okay, so lets hear it...Who is it for you, And Why ?

-Steve
Click to expand...
 
I would love to be the right handed Mike Sigel. Right now I am just trying to improve my pattern play, so It's a little early for me to mimic anyone. If I can someday make one of my runs look as easy as Sigel use too, I would have to poke myself with a pin to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Some of his 150 and outs are flawless. What a great 14.1 artist he was!! Pure beauty...............
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top