Why Efren is the Magician

[LastTwo]

I had to laugh when I saw him pull this shot off. Talk about creativity lol. This came up during his 2004 WPC match against Tony Drago:

START(
%Fn4O5%Gk7D5%HG4V1%Iq5L8%Pi1L8

)END

Here I guess I would have used inside english to go off the side of the 9 and around the table for the 7, but Efren in his infinite wisdom decided that was not the right shot and played it so that he sent the 9 into the 7 which bumped the 7 right up over the side pocket like this:

START(
%Fn4O5%Gk7D5%HG4V1%Iq5L8%Pi1L8%U]1G3%Vk3D5%Ws5[0%Xn2O7%Yq1M5
%Zn4O4%[s4J6%\q8L8%]m0E1%^s7J1
)END

Leaving the balls in this position:

START(
%Ft0\2%G\9G6%HG4V1%Ik6D4%Pa4Y4

)END

If only I could see shots like that, much less execute them.

 

[LastTwo]

I can't forget this shot he made against Tony Ellin years ago during a reno tournament:

START(
%Fr7U9%Gl0Y0%Hh4W4%Iq0U6%Pn6P9%Us1U1%Vr3U4%Ws0U3%Xr9U4%[r5T9
%\n9Q0%]s3Z9%^r9V2%eA4`5%_l9Z8%`n3T9%as2T7%bj0X4%ck2Y8%dl7[3
)END

Top outside english for those of you who don't know this shot.

 

[pete lafond]

I can't forget this shot he made against Tony Ellin years ago during a reno tournament:

START(
%Fr7U9%Gl0Y0%Hh4W4%Iq0U6%Pn6P9%Us1U1%Vr3U4%Ws0U3%Xr9U4%[r5T9
%\n9Q0%]s3Z9%^r9V2%eA4`5%_l9Z8%`n3T9%as2T7%bj0X4%ck2Y8%dl7[3
)END

Top outside english for those of you who don't know this shot.

Great posts. I love to watch some of his safes. He puts some beautiful locks on his opponents.

 

[mel]

I had to laugh when I saw him pull this shot off. Talk about creativity lol. This came up during his 2004 WPC match against Tony Drago:

START(
%Fn4O5%Gk7D5%HG4V1%Iq5L8%Pi1L8

)END

Here I guess I would have used inside english to go off the side of the 9 and around the table for the 7, but Efren in his infinite wisdom decided that was not the right shot and played it so that he sent the 9 into the 7 which bumped the 7 right up over the side pocket like this:

START(
%Fn4O5%Gk7D5%HG4V1%Iq5L8%Pi1L8%U]1G3%Vk3D5%Ws5[0%Xn2O7%Yq1M5
%Zn4O4%[s4J6%\q8L8%]m0E1%^s7J1
)END

Leaving the balls in this position:

START(
%Ft0\2%G\9G6%HG4V1%Ik6D4%Pa4Y4

)END

If only I could see shots like that, much less execute them.

Excellent description of the shot, Last Two! He perfected those move and shots during the days when he was playing a lot of rotation back in the Philippines.

It used to be that you can play a safety in rotation without touching the rails. And it does take a lot of cueball control to do that. There are also some shots that he executes with a lot of carabao english. Efren, Django and Santos are all masters of this kind of english. It takes years of practice and certain kind of touch to perfect and execute this kind of english.

Efren used to say that he uses this kind of english only when he is really in stroke. What he does is shot some incredible shots before a game and if he makes it several times in a row then he says he applies this carabao english on the game.

One of his favorite practice shot: He places the cue near the right bottom corner pocket, place an object ball right in front of the left side pocket, sayabout three inches from the pocket, takes some practice strokes and cuts the ball to the upper right hand corner pocket. He usually makes it several times in a row, and for those of you who thinks that is an impossible shot, think again, I've seen him cut balls from the spot shot with the cue ball sitting in front of the opposite corner pocket when he practices his one pocket game and has done it a lot of times gambling.

And after making the shot, he turns around, scratches his head and says, " I got lucky!"

 

[Steve Lipsky]

I had to laugh when I saw him pull this shot off. Talk about creativity lol. This came up during his 2004 WPC match against Tony Drago:

START(
%Fn4O5%Gk7D5%HG4V1%Iq5L8%Pi1L8

)END

Here I guess I would have used inside english to go off the side of the 9 and around the table for the 7, but Efren in his infinite wisdom decided that was not the right shot and played it so that he sent the 9 into the 7 which bumped the 7 right up over the side pocket like this:

START(
%Fn4O5%Gk7D5%HG4V1%Iq5L8%Pi1L8%U]1G3%Vk3D5%Ws5[0%Xn2O7%Yq1M5
%Zn4O4%[s4J6%\q8L8%]m0E1%^s7J1
)END

Leaving the balls in this position:

START(
%Ft0\2%G\9G6%HG4V1%Ik6D4%Pa4Y4

)END

If only I could see shots like that, much less execute them.

Please don't take offense to this at all, but there is no way in hell he was intentionally doing that. I can't think of a sillier way to play that position.

What he was probably trying to do was to draw "through" the 9. In other words, hit the 9 quite hard, bump it, and have enough action on the cueball left to hit the rail and come out for the 7.

His actual shot was one of the very few good things that could have happened once the 9 hit the 7. Efren, of course, knows this, and there's no way he would have intentionally tried something like that.

- Steve

 

[eeng168]

How do I?

How do I view those links?

Sorry, still kind of new...don't know how they work...

thanks.

 

[Snapshot9]

RSB table procedure for shots...

How do I view those links?

Sorry, still kind of new...don't know how they work...

thanks.

Highlight from the S in start thru the D in end,
and select edit / copy.

Then go to http://prostimo.com and over to the
right and down a little will be a Pool table.

On the bottom right corner are 2 selections:
copy / paste. Left click on paste. A window
will pop up, say okay. Another window pops up,
say okay.

The balls will be arranged on the table per the shot.

Repeat for other shots you want to view.

 

[NaClBandit]

Carabao?

It used to be that you can play a safety in rotation without touching the rails. And it does take a lot of cueball control to do that. There are also some shots that he executes with a lot of carabao english. Efren, Django and Santos are all masters of this kind of english. It takes years of practice and certain kind of touch to perfect and execute this kind of english.

Efren used to say that he uses this kind of english only when he is really in stroke. What he does is shot some incredible shots before a game and if he makes it several times in a row then he says he applies this carabao english on the game.

QUOTE]

Mel,

What is 'carabao english'? Is this a Filipino word?

I cannot seem to download the RSB table on this computer so perhaps you can use words if you need to explain a certain shot.

Thank you.

 

[Williebetmore]

but there is no way in hell he was intentionally doing that.

- Steve

Steve,
While I'm not weighing in on the intentions of Efren, let me share/repeat with the original poster an "Efren story."

About 4 years ago, an acquaintance of mine (and Steve's) spent a couple of weeks in the Philippines with Efren. They decided to determine Efren's success percentage against the 9-ball ghost in 100 racks. Balls were broken, and Efren had ball-in-hand to start each rack. I was told that Efren ran 82 out of 100 racks with ball-in-hand. This so disturbed me (in comparison with my feeble efforts) that I asked the most pertinent question; the only question that would allow me to retain any semblance of self esteem: "How many times did he have to make a major change in his plan during the runout?" The answer was 90% of the racks - it was very rare that even Efren could run the entire rack without having to change his plan because of positional errors or accidentally bumping into an object ball.

Even Efren has difficulty with the game, but he seems to adapt as well, if not better, than everyone else. Unless this rack was one of those 10% of Cosmo racks, it seems likely that this was unintentional.

This whole discussion only reinforces my opinion that lessons from the top pro's should be part of everyone's plan if they wish to attain a high level of proficiency. If you were just playing Efren, you wouldn't know whether his play was lucky or insightful - if you were taking lessons from him, he would just tell you. I am continually AMAZED at the level of thought and analysis the top pro's give to even the simplest shot or position - I think it would surprise those lower level players who think that the pro's just do everything naturally with no thought required (of course, the top pro's have done it so long that the process is natural, quick, and easy for them; but it wasn't when they were starting out).

 

[Bob Jewett]

Please don't take offense to this at all, but there is no way in hell he was intentionally doing that. I can't think of a sillier way to play that position.
...

I agree. When I get a roll like that, I do my very best to keep a straight face.

It's not perfectly clear from the drawing, but it looks like one thing he might have been trying was to play the cue ball to hit the nine thin -- nearly cutting it the corner pocket -- and spin with left side out for the seven.

 

[PoolBum]

This whole discussion only reinforces my opinion that lessons from the top pro's should be part of everyone's plan if they wish to attain a high level of proficiency. If you were just playing Efren, you wouldn't know whether his play was lucky or insightful - if you were taking lessons from him, he would just tell you. I am continually AMAZED at the level of thought and analysis the top pro's give to even the simplest shot or position - I think it would surprise those lower level players who think that the pro's just do everything naturally with no thought required (of course, the top pro's have done it so long that the process is natural, quick, and easy for them; but it wasn't when they were starting out).

In the majority of cases good players know even when Efren is trying to do something intentionally, or whether he has gotten fortunate with a roll or bumping a ball.

I am continually amazed at how many players don't seem to understand that just about every table layout requires precise planning and foresight, and that almost every top player is careful to do just that (there may be certain exceptions with very quick shooters whom we might nevertheless consider top players, but it is obvious to me that when those quick shooters make a mistake it is almost always because they shoot too quickly).

 

[mel]

It used to be that you can play a safety in rotation without touching the rails. And it does take a lot of cueball control to do that. There are also some shots that he executes with a lot of carabao english. Efren, Django and Santos are all masters of this kind of english. It takes years of practice and certain kind of touch to perfect and execute this kind of english.

Efren used to say that he uses this kind of english only when he is really in stroke. What he does is shot some incredible shots before a game and if he makes it several times in a row then he says he applies this carabao english on the game.




QUOTE]

Mel,

What is 'carabao english'? Is this a Filipino word?

I cannot seem to download the RSB table on this computer so perhaps you can use words if you need to explain a certain shot.

Thank you.

Bandit,

The easiest way for me to describe it to go to www.easypooltutor.com.

They will have a comprehensive explanation about the english and the stroke necessary to achieve this kind of english. One of the prerequisite for acquiring this english is the stroke. You need to be able to do the looey gooey stroke these Filipino players do to be able to execute this kind of english.

Good luck!

 

[Bob Jewett]

...What is 'carabao english'? Is this a Filipino word?
...

As close as I can tell, it's aim-and-swoop, where your backhand moves in or out as your final stroke comes forward. Some people also call this "backhand english", but backhand english also refers to (as some use the term) the aim-and-pivot technique in which the final back and forth strokes are straight, and not crooked as with aim-and-swoop.

The article on easypooltutor that I found seems not to have followed the many recent discussions in this and other forums.

 

[LastTwo]

Please don't take offense to this at all, but there is no way in hell he was intentionally doing that. I can't think of a sillier way to play that position.

What he was probably trying to do was to draw "through" the 9. In other words, hit the 9 quite hard, bump it, and have enough action on the cueball left to hit the rail and come out for the 7.

His actual shot was one of the very few good things that could have happened once the 9 hit the 7. Efren, of course, knows this, and there's no way he would have intentionally tried something like that.

- Steve

That's what I thought at first Steve, but Efren almost always gestures when he makes a mistake or gets lucky. He acted like he meant it. Like I said in my first post, I would have tried to thin the 9 with inside and 2 cushions for shape on the 7, but perhaps even if he cheated the pocket he couldnt get the cueball to hit the 9 thin enough. I've seen Efren do some shots that are on par with this, so I wouldn't be surprised if he did mean it. Sure it's a low percentage shot, but for Efren, that's hard to say.

 

[CrossSideLarry]

caraboa english

What is 'carabao english'? Is this a Filipino word?

Caraboa is a water buffalo and the main work animal for Filipino farmers who mostly raise rice. I lived in the Phillipines for six years from 1960 though 1966. I often visited the junky pool rooms in Tarlac and Angeles City, two of the towns where Efren grwe up and played as a young boy learning the game. With no air conditioning and the worst playing conditions one could imagine, Efren learned to use extreme low english to deal with the humidity which prevailed in the Philippines for eight months out of the year. By cueing the ball so low, his tip actually comes in contact with the playing surface at the same time it makes contact with the object ball. The result of this extreme English is something of a masse effect but rather, very controlled in terms of where the break occurs. Aside from Efren, Santos, Francisco and Alex also know how to execute the caraboa shot. The difference is that Efren is the master of it and has a lot of confidence in his ability to pull it off. I learned all of this from Mark Wilson, a former touring pro and at one time my private instructor. Mark and Efren are very close friends and Mark has been to Angeles City in the Province of Pampanga where he stayed with Efren's family. Suffice to say, they are very close friends. Efren showed Mark some of his techniques and I learned them from Mark, though I doubt Mark would admit to teaching someone what Efren taught him? The simple test to know when you have mastered caraboa english is when you can put an object ball on the head spot and the cue ball in the jaws of either corner pocket on the same end of the table where the object ball resides on the head spot. Then, with a confident stroke and bottom of the ball caraboa english, cause the object ball to cut back into the opposite corner pocket. Though it looks impossible it can be made. The trick is a very powerful stroke and about 1/4 inch of space off the object ball.

Good Luck learning the caraboa english on your own.

PS: Though he does not call it caraboa english, another top player who can get the same effect with the same shot is the Russian, Eugene Stalev, and in fact I think the Russian is more proficient at it than Efren.

Cross Side Larrry

 

[LastTwo]

The simple test to know when you have mastered caraboa english is when you can put an object ball on the head spot and the cue ball in the jaws of either corner pocket on the same end of the table where the object ball resides on the head spot. Then, with a confident stroke and bottom of the ball caraboa english, cause the object ball to cut back into the opposite corner pocket. Though it looks impossible it can be made. The trick is a very powerful stroke and about 1/4 inch of space off the object ball.


Cross Side Larrry

Can you diagram this on the WEI table please?

 

[CrossSideLarry]

Caraboa English

Can you diagram this on the WEI table please?

Yes, I would be happy to diagram it and since I have made the shot myself, will also explain how it is accomplished. Please explain to me how to use the "WEI" table to diagram the shot.

Cross Side Larry

 

[Snapshot9]

Do this ....

Yes, I would be happy to diagram it and since I have made the shot myself, will also explain how it is accomplished. Please explain to me how to use the "WEI" table to diagram the shot.

Cross Side Larry

Okay Larry ... go to... Wei (RSB) Pool Table

grab a ball by left clicking and hold down, move to where
it should be. (balls not needed - just move clear off of table
surface). (note: if you want to use arrows, you have to
grab them too at the proper place to
move and shape them on the table)
When table layout is set, left click on the copy button
at the bottom right of Pool table.

Go back (or to) AZ forum, post a reply to thread. In the
reply, do a 'paste', and the programming code for the shot
will be put into your reply. Then we can reverse the process
to see the shot on the table.

 

[LastTwo]

Thanks for telling him Scott.