Wimpy's Strengths???

[Pushout]

One little idiosyncrasy he had was when he had to shoot left handed. If you ever saw him shoot a shot lefty you never forgot it. He would lay his right hand down on the table palm side up. Then he would make a circular bridge with his thumb and index finger. It looked so strange, but it worked for him. I never knew anyone else to try this bridge. It was uniquely Lassiter's.

I've seen a picture of this very scene somewhere. I know I have a coupe of Billiards Digests, one with an article that I've found called "A Weary Wimpy Looks Back". I have another with an interview with Wimpy and Allan Hopkins which describes Lassiter's 9 Ball philosophy. I'm trying to find that one now.

 

[12squared]

He would lay his right hand down on the table palm side up. Then he would make a circular bridge with his thumb and index finger.

This brought back a rush of memories. I had the honor of keeping score for a couple of Lassiter's 14:1 matches in the early 70's (I think I was 2 ). I completely forgot about how he bridged left handed until reading this, now I can't keep from smiling. I remember thinking "what the heck is he doing". He was awesome to watch. And he worked that gum, or whatever he had in his mouth, pretty good too. He was poetry in motion.
Dave

 

[Terry Ardeno]

I've seen a picture of this very scene somewhere. I know I have a coupe of Billiards Digests, one with an article that I've found called "A Weary Wimpy Looks Back". I have another with an interview with Wimpy and Allan Hopkins which describes Lassiter's 9 Ball philosophy. I'm trying to find that one now.

The one you're looking for is the March-April 1980 issue of BD.

Adding just a little to Jay's thesis, Luther also had a perfect mindset for pool. He was a consumate gentleman that never rattled (unless he was required to wear a "cumbersome" necktie). On more than one occasion, when his opponant was running balls, Wimpy would feign sleep. He would nod his head down and pretend to be sleeping. When it was his turn, he would calmly get up, amble over to the table and go back to work. FEARLESS of anybody he faced. Loved being in action and knew he was one of the greatest ever without being a showman or show off.

A peculiar trait he had was on long or exceptionally difficult shots, after his follow thru, he had the habit of flicking his bridge hand over and raisng that hand up off the table. The rest of him stayed down, but that hand popped up.

In my opinion, his biggest strength was his shotmaking skills. Second was his mindset or approach to the game. It was all about the money for him.
He often said his favorite game was "money pool".

Him and Don Willis have to have been the most formidable road team ever, even better than Alex & Corey.

One minor revision to Jay's great post...Mosconi actually won the first Legends in A.C., Lassiter won the second and final Legends tournament.

 

[danny turner]

wimpey

an old timer i knew used to watch wimpey play 9ball, he said he watched him play several times, the game was if you miss a ball you lose the game.he said wimpey would rob them at it.

 

[Mr441]

I was fairly young when I saw Lassiter play and it was towards the end of his career but I clearly remember the aura he projected around the match he was playing, it was like he KNEW he was going to win and his opponents (even champions) knew it also, its like they played a little bit scared against him. I don't see anyone today playing with that kind of confidence in big matches.

Also the two foul pushout rules they used seem to favor him. He would often pushout to a shot only he could make.

 

[Pushout]

The one you're looking for is the March-April 1980 issue of BD.

Thanks, Terry, I found it before I saw your post.

 

[busby busybody]

My only experience seeing this man play (over a 5 yr period) was every year at Janscos till the Treasury dept's raid. Quiet unassuming man, in a suit, seemed to go to sleep on his opponent during straight pool matches till his shot came up. He had a short length ferrule on his cue that I think was red in color. I remember watching him playing 14.1 many times and what stuck out'....his willingness to take the 3 scratch rule, yet his unwillingness to let his opponent get a makeable shot, ever. His board play much like great one pocket players, to create or finally get an opening shot was difficult to overcome. Wimpy would rather have the score him -40 and you 0 than ever give you a clean shot. When it came to 9 ball, if he was within 2 or 3'' or lesss of the makeable object ball he seemed to "always" make the difficult shot and get 5 or 7 rail shape on his next ball and get out, he was a very agressive player in this situation.

I only got to see the man play once, it was either 74 or 75 at The Jointed Cue in Sacramento. They had a Fathers Day 9-ball tournament at the time. (still?) Wimpy was trailing in a match against a very strong but much younger player, when he started to grumble a little that he could'nt see the end of his stick. He asked for a timeout and it was granted, and the he asked if there was a lady present who had some red fingernail polish. He must have spent 15-20 minutes first applying the polish to his ferrule, and blowing on and waving his shaft around to get it to dry,all the while "complaining" about his "poor" eyesight. What a move!! The kid had no chance after that display,Wimpy won in a walk! Later in the same tourney, again Wimpy trailed another of the younger players 3-6 in a race to 9. Someone walked into the back room there and asks loud enough for everyone to hear: "who's winning"? Some moron in the bleachers replies "Lassiter's losing". Luther was at the table at the time. he stops, looks up,and very calmly asks "Who said that?" Of course the moron had nowhere to hide, people were actually moving away from him. Then Wimpy said, again very calmly "Young man you should never say I'm losing when I'm at the table. Because I've run out so many times"... He gets out of that rack and runs 5 more to win the match. What a class act. It was an honor to have seen that. BB