I heard he was going to come and play Scott Frost some $200 a game.....EVEN!In Billy's defense, He didn't say he beat Cardone or Larry Schwartz...He just said he "played" them..
Where are you Mr. Stroud ?..Are you lurking ?..Come on back, this group ain't near as tough as the young guy's you thought you were going to rob at DCC...Are you too busy practicing up for next year ?
Worlds Smardest One Pocket Player said:
It is really great stuff when you get guys the caliber of Dick and Artie telling what the game is about from their perspective.
And yeah, I saved one of Dick's lessons, too.
Skin < no, did not deliberately leave Fred out; his stuff has been great, too.
The game of one pocket should not be shrouded in mystery, although it may seem that way at times.
It is simply a matter of improving your position on the table, and leaving your opponent in the worst possible spot you can.
There are not always easy options. But there is ALWAYS a way out of any trap you find yourself in. Sometimes it may involve an intentional scratch, sometimes it may involve prayer, but there is almost always a way.
The game does require a hugh amount of imagination. You have to analyze each shot by thinking what will your opponent be able to do to retalliate. That is the most common mistake I see in most beginers. It does no good for you to make a real good dig on an opponents ball, if that leaves him a chance to put you in an even worse prediciment.
That is why most people, new to the game, watching a good player's shot selection will say, "why the hell did he do that, when he could have easily played a safety."
What looks like an easy safety, can have many pitfalls. Many times, not always, a slightly riskier shot, might be the best option.
All good 1P players subscribe to the "risk/reward" theory. The better players just take that to another level. Pinpoint cueball control sure helps these guys. But you should always know your own capabilities, and shoot the best shot for you.
At least thats my take on the game. I hope I have made some sense to anyone trying to learn the game. It ain't rocket science, but it is a lesson in patience and manuervering that can be learned, and can be very rewarding.
We could cite a million WEI table examples, but the next time you step up to a shot, it could well be different than any you've faced before. Imagine that !
Maybe thats why we love this game. Good luck to all in learning the greatest game on a pool table.
Dick
PS. For those who insist on learning the game in a few months, the suicide hotline number is ............
__________________
SJDinPHX <-- Will work for Yukon Jack--
Here's one of those teaching gems where Artie explains how he thinks about the game. This is from the "pre ENTER key era", of course.
Skin
Everyone is doing a lot better and learning a lot. What you should do before you ask me a quistion is answer the quistion first yourself. And then compare your answer to the answer you get and then ask why. First of all if the both have the same knowledge that I have and one person has more ability then the other person the person with the most ability is the favorite and should win. BUT THE PERSON WHO MAKES THE MOST MISTAKES WILL LOSE IF THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITY IS EQUAL. but if you read what I wrote you could have seen and learned the answer because I have said several times the person that playes the game correctly and mistake free will win. Unless his ability is weeker and the other players ability is stronger. PLaying someone youre own ability and knowledge the player who makes less mistakes will win. But the reason you want to play the game correctly and mistake free is to improve your game the more you learn and the better you execute and the better you play position and learn better control. All of these things will help and improve your game. And I reapeat if I would have played any player 6 games ahead I would have one. Not 4 out of 7 but 6 ahead and I would have broken them down. And their shooting and there mistakes would have changed. Their shooting would have gotten weeker and their mistakes the would have made more. And my game and style would have gotten stronger. And if you can visulize one player gitting weeker and the other player getting stronger. The player gitting stonger will win. And I was in top shape for long indurence games. Thier are other great indurance players to but can the keep that idurace and that strong mentality focused on the game. THe reason my game got stronger was because of my thinking and concentration. And if you are in great indurence shape and you dont have the mentality to consentrate you will get weeker. Only a stong focus and concentration on what you are doing will keep you strong and your mind buissey and thinking. Because if you are not cocentating on what you are doing in the game the mind will wonder and it will think about how tiered and exausted you are. And you need a concentration game to keep your mind aleart and keep your mind on the game not on how long you played and on how tiered you are. So what I am saying knowledge makes your mind strong and aleart and thinking and concetration will give you strength to your mind and youre mind will keep your body strong. But if you dont have anything to feed into your mind it will get week and tiered. And playing the game correctly and mistake free will make you stronger.Were the shooter will brack down because all he has is his ability and aggresive style. Witch will not work good in a long session. IF you want a good example you can see it with a aggressive fighter. Like mike tyson and a thinker like mohamed ALIE and the longer the fight the bigger edge will go to the thinker and best fighter. And the will get weeker and the will make more mistakes and guess who will win. It works in all games and spots even with pitchers. And your knowledge and concentration will keep you aleart and awake. I hope I didnt bore you to much. But their is a lot to learn. And how to make your body and mind strong and aleart. And what you have to do to do that. Not just shoot . But to concentrate on every shot.Youre mind controles your body and your body will do what your mind tells it to do. So if your mind shuts down so will the body. your mind controles your body and you have to feed your mind to keep it aleart and working. I hope you learned something you see its not just playing aggressive pool. Their is a lot you can learn. And once you start to realy think you will think of a lot of things youreself. Knowledge is the only way to improve your game once you have reached your shooting and position potentail. Knowledge is the only thing that will take you to a higer level.