.....When I was learning how to play
pool there were no books, no videos, no instructors and no leagues
to play in. The best way to learn was to watch. I was privileged
to see some of the greatest and some of the not so great. My
purpose for publishing my pointers insrtuctional column is not
only to inpart pool knowledge to my viewers but to share with the
public what these great players from the 1980s and 1990s looked
like. Through my trusty Canon, for a moment in time they are immortalized.
Some are still here and some are gone and I still remember the
joy of watching them play.
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP
When patience goes beyond being a virtue and becomes a necessity
…..IT SOUNDS SO SIMPLY to tell a beginner
to look at the table before making a final decision on what
to do next.
But in actuality it takes a good deal of training to stick to that
model. It’s one of the main differences between a good player
and a bad player, a professional and an amateur.
…..Good players are patient. They pause at the table
before deciding on what to do. They consider their
options. If they are stumped, they slow down and look
around. They stretch, bend, stoop and walk around to
view all the possibilities on the table.
…..If there is a promising combo on the
table, they lower
themselves and get a close look at the object balls involved
in the shot. There’s no rush.
…..In tournament play, I can see the value of making sure
the players don’t take up too much time. After all, you
don’t want your audience to be bored. Yet I believe the ‘shot clock’ concept
may have gone too far. I would hate to see the game reduced to
the fastest player rules.
…..I recently saw a straight pool tournament at Big Daddy’s
Billiards in Glen Burnie, MD. There was no shot clock for
that competition and the most thoughtful patient player,
Danny Harriman, won it. It was no surprise to me that he had
also won the tournament the previous year. I loved watching
Danny’s slow deliberate 100+ ball runs in both the semi-finals
and finals.
 
…..Like everything else in
pool playing, slowing down and being
patient takes practice. Be sure to add “looking around” to
your ritual
practice routine.
.....Pool Pointer Archives
.....1. Closed Half-Bridge
.....2. Look Before You Leap
.....Tune in for more Pointer articles
coming your way each month.
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