Name: Jason Miller
Name of your store: J.Miller Custom Cues City, State: Cottage Grove, Oregon Website/Facebook/Phone: www.jmillercustomcues.com www.facebook.com/jmillercustomcues (503) 260-1170
Describe your signature cue. To date, this has turned out to be my favorite cue to build, and to use. It is my first Celtic-themed cue: 58”OAL, 17.6oz, a Carbon Shaft with a 12.4mm Medium SIB Black Tip, 12mm L Juma Ferrule; 5/16-14 SS Joint Pin and Brass Insert; Juma joint collar: Granadillo forearm; (4) Gabon Ebony points w/ Flame veneers and Celtic Knot inset inlays; a maple burl handle, Gabon Ebony butt sleeve w/ (4) hollow floating diamonds, and Celtic Knot collars at all (5) ring locations, including at the shaft collar. (140) Individually inlaid pieces.
What makes a perfect cue? Balanced with a solid hit is most important. You should feel a clean energy transfer as you strike through the cue ball. Beyond that, you should feel a deeper connection to it. It should ground you while telling people who you are and what makes you…well, you. It should enhance your strengths and remind you why you began playing the game in the first place. It should elevate the game, and you, to the next level.
Tell me about your process. I approach my cues in a way that differs from most other cue makers. My
lifetime passion for the natural sciences tells me the world around us is a giant living, breathing system comprised of plants, animals and minerals. However, in the last four or five years, I’ve begun to understand and appreciate what holds these groups of atoms and molecules together…energy.
This force binds everything around us, including ourselves. It arranges those tiny particles in so many beautiful
combinations that we often overlook the exquisite detail found in all natural things. This creative force of nature has been the subject of much debate over the centuries and prophesized in one fashion or another in every one of the world’s 10,000 known religions as well as observed, dissected and discussed in science papers and text books written in every language across the globe. Regardless of your personal take on the ‘how’ or the ‘why’, it’s clear that we are connected to the natural world on a much deeper level than can be seen with the naked eye.
Most often, people pick up a cue and merely refer to it as a tool; a means to an end result. Personally, I believe that connection goes much deeper. When I pick up my cue, I see it as an extension of my arm. I believe the contents of your cue can affect the way you find your inner peace, regain your balance and focus, communicate with your intuitive self, and allow you to execute some pretty amazing feats at the table. We’ve all had those moments where we couldn’t seem to miss, as well as the moments we couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. It’s all about your connection to the game in those moments.
When I build a cue, I want to create something that resonates with the player holding it. Whether that is a favorite color, a personalized design component or inlay, or using a wood that comes from their homeland, I want them to feel the stroke, the contact, and ultimately their connection with each shot. I believe the woods we use to build the cues can set the tone for the shot, for the game, for the match, or even for our lives away from the table. Woods have been revered for their energy
and for their metaphysical and spiritual properties for centuries. I invite my customers to take a journey with me to explore and create something that speaks to their inner self and is truly magical for them.
If you’re not into the “woo-woo” of the energy or the mystical connections, that’s ok, too. The craftsmanship and aesthetic appeal I try to put into each cue should speak to you, as well.
What is the price range for your cues? My cues start around $550. The price goes up with wood selection, features, and inlays. I currently have a cue that will sell for approximately $3000 and am designing a build that will sell for around $5000. With the inclusions of more exotic woods and precious gem inlays, the top price is limitless.
What is your favorite wood to work with? Mechanically, it would be African Blackwood. It machines clean and sharp with crisp edges and striking contrast with lightercolored woods.
Who or what inspired you to want to learn cue-making? I grew up around woodworkers and jacks-of-all-trades. My father and grandfather both inspired me to pick up hammers and screwdrivers and figure out how things were built from a young age and I never looked back.
After suffering enough cuts, scrapes and black-andblue thumbnails, I learned some skills. I’ve continued expanding my wood and metal working abilities over
the last 40+ years, learning what I could, where I could. I began playing serious pool in college while attending the University of Montana-Missoula. My analytical, mathematical mind just couldn’t get enough of it. If I wasn’t in class, studying, working, or sleeping, I was playing pool. I was learning anything anyone was willing to teach me. By the middle of my sophomore year, I was teaching the game at the University, running local and regional tournaments, and playing in a VNEA League. After graduating, I moved back to Oregon and continued playing in leagues and tournaments, while working odd jobs to pay the bills.
*Side note: During my time at UM, I purchased a simple custom cue from the late Perry Weston. This is the reason I have chosen to pay homage to this cue-maker with a flared butt-cap design. Frank Stellman (aka Sailor Cues) also featured a flared butt cap. Although, in my humble opinion, his were more an abrupt ledge than the classier smooth flares on Weston’s.
About 15 years ago, I purchased a copy of “The Cue Building Book” by Chris Hightower, and began building rudimentary cues and converting old bar cues into ‘sneaky petes’ with varying success. As I continued, it morphed into a hobby that almost paid for itself. I gained experience and was given tips and advice from a local cue-maker and friend, Sheldon Lebow, as well as from other cue-makers across the country.
I continued working with my makeshift equipment on rickety benches set up in apartment garages until my wife and I decided it was time to look for a house. In 2017, we purchased a small house in Cottage Grove, Oregon whose garage had long since fallen apart. Two years later, I designed and built a shop in place of the old garage with the explicit goal of building cues. With a tight budget and the amazing support of my wife and our daughters, I’ve slowly outfitted the shop. Then, in February 2024, I founded J.Miller Custom Cues. I still have a great deal of work to do, but I’m finally able to work on my cues with more accuracy and better quality materials than in years past.
Who taught you how to do it and describe that?
I’m mostly self-taught with advice and pointers from a few cue makers over the years, namely Sheldon Lebow, Chris Hightower, Chris Walker and Ed Petersen. Also, there have been so many other cue-makers across the country offering advice on forums and social media groups. I am truly among an amazing group of very talented, passionate, and creative people!
Are there any products that you recommend to other cue makers? Band-Aids and a set of clothes specifically for wearing while in the shop…
How long is your current waiting list? As I’m still in my infancy, I can begin cues for customers right away.
What other custom cue makers make you jealous? I’ve always been extremely impressed and inspired by the precision machining done by Bob Dzuricky of DZ Cues. But my hat is off to every maker out there doing what they are passionate about!
How many cues do you make every year? At this point, I’m averaging 6-10 per year. But I’m just getting started…
Tell me about your work area It’s contained in a 12 x 14 foot section of a 12 x 24 foot building. The remaining square footage is comprised of a “sound-proof” closet that contains my dust collector and air compressor with through-wall fittings, a storage room accessed from the exterior of the building, and an office / clean-room to keep the computer and paperwork clean… at least that’s the idea. It’s a very snug space and gets messy quite, easily.
I have plans to add an additional 250 square feet of shop space to accommodate growth and potentially start mentoring students in woodworking basics through local charter schools and home-schooling families.
What’s your turnaround time for a custom cue to be made? If I already have the materials available, I’m roughly 2-3 months from design to completion. If I already have certain woods cored and prepared, this lead time may be shorter.
Where do you get your materials from?
I source the majority of my materials from Cue Man Billiards, Cue Fits, Prather, and Atlas Billiard Supplies. I try to find responsibly sourced woods whenever I am able to do so. I work for Woodcraft in Eugene, so I have access to some fairly nice pieces of exotic hardwoods from time to time.
What’s in your bag? My original shooting cue by Perry Weston - with an 11.8mm Synergy carbon shaft I purchased a couple years ago, my breaking cue – the first complete cue I built, my jump cue - a Kangaroo that’s been modified, Taom chalk, a simple Tweeten scuffer, and a 12” extension I built from a piece of Oregon Myrtlewood. I also try to carry a couple cues I’ve built, in case anyone might be in the market for one.
Do you have any Celebrity or Professional Customers? Not yet, but I’m working on it.
What is the one question everyone should ask about buying one of your cues, but doesn’t? How can I find a deeper connection to my equipment and my game?
Professional boxing fans adored ring announcer Michael Buffer; The Wide World of Sports cherished Howard Cosell; Major League Baseball embraced Harry Caray; the National Football League touted John Madden; international cue sports gave us Mark “The Mic” White, commentator extraordinaire for snooker, billiards and all things cue sports! He has earned his place among many other great commentators on a global scale!
I started my ZOOM interview with Mark “The Mic” White by saying, “Sa wad dee krab! Khun pen xyangri!” Which is a customary Thai greeting meaning, “Hello! How are you?” He chuckled and said, “That’s not too bad at all!” referring to my pronunciation and the fact that I spoke to him in Thai! This being my first ZOOM interview, EVER!, presented a bit of a challenge as not only do I deal with hearing loss but Mark has a strong, pronounced English accent. I first heard his accent when I watched his “A Passion For Pool” YouTube interview with Kelly Fisher, MBE. His demanding yet meticulous voice is hard not to notice as it gives him a very distinctive presence as a cue sports commentator.
Another hurdle we faced was the 12-hour time difference between Eastern Standard Time with me being in Indiana and him on Indochina time in Eastern Thailand. Being 8,694 miles apart, across the North Pacific Ocean, you’ll find yourself situated in Pattaya, Thailand, beautifully hugging the Gulf of Thailand’s picture-perfect beaches visited by millions of tourists annually.
My first thought, when I imagined myself as a local Pattaya(Puh-tie-yuh) resident, was hearing Mark’s London, English accent! He has a profound vocal presence that can be heard in many of the surrounding pool halls.
“The pool scene is one of the main reasons I’m in Pattaya, not Bangkok,” The Mic stated about living in Thailand for nearly the last year. “The pool scene in Pattaya is absolutely unbelievable. It’s tremendous,” he bragged. “There are numerous pool halls decked out with Diamond and Predator tables of every size, among
other brands. The tables are meticulously cared for and kept in ‘nearly new’ condition.”
As if that weren’t enough, one of the primary reasons Mark resides in Pattaya is the cost of living. “Between my rent, gas, and electric I pay about $130 per month,” he said enthusiastically.
Mark was a young lad of 7 years old when his parents allowed him to stay up late to watch a BBC 2 program called “Pot Black”, on black and white television, on a school night every Monday. It was this program that gave him the billiards bug. The following year his dad bought him a little 6x3’ pool table that used to go on top of a diamond table. “We’d play for hours, me and my dad,” he expounded. As The Mic became quite good at pool, at age 14, he was allowed to go into a local club before he was the required age of 16 to shoot around. Right about that same time, as Mark was honing his playing skills, his dad bought a restaurant called “The White House” donning the family name. Upstairs from the restaurant they had a social club that had pinball machines, a snooker table, and a pool table. You could usually find The Mic glued to the pool table, even staying up the whole night on occasion, shooting 100 racks one night.
Mark became the local city champion at age 16, respectfully. His billiards accolades grew during the time he lived in England. This passion for billiards evolved into a stint as a coach with two professional referees who took him under their wings when they opened up a pool hall not far from his home in Essex.
An Avid fan of the World Champion Snooker Tournament, he boasts that he has never missed one. This kept him distantly connected as a spectator. Mark found his way to Pattaya in 1989 for the first time. He began to discover the cue sports phenomenon teeming there. Then again in 2018, he made his 2nd return visit to Pattaya where he happened to find his soon-to-be favorite pool hall, Double Kiss which houses Diamond and Predator tables that are reclothed every 6 months. There was a tournament being run by a gentleman from the Philippines. He was running a Chinese 8-ball Masters
qualifier in Bangkok. Well, this gentleman walks into Double Kiss while The Mic is hanging out there with his pool family and asks, “Is there anyone here who speaks English and can commentate on pool?” Mark stuck his hand up because he always did for everything and he got the job! He goes to Bangkok and finds out he’s ok at it. They liked him and he liked them and The Mic got his first big break in the billiards pool world.
After his initial commentating gig, while back home in England, Mike gets another call from a different promoter who asks if Mark would like to do some commentating for some matches he’s doing. The guy says, “I can’t pay ya, but it might lead to something.” So he accepts the offer and buys himself a microphone to use with his laptop and now he’s onto his second gig commentating these online challenges.
This exposure starts to get the ball rolling (no pun intended, hehe) for Mark as word spreads that this Englishman will do commentating. The gigs shoot out of the gate like a Thoroughbred! Mike DeMarco reached out to The Mic because he had been watching some of Marks’s commentary and liked what he saw so he asked if he would like to commentate a challenge match with some big-name players such as Billy Thorpe, Roberto Gomez among others.
This is when Mark connects with Joey Ryan who does his own podcast called, Pool Player Podcast. Mike and Joey have tremendous commentation working together for the first time so Mike asks Joey if he would like to work with him on this idea he has for a podcast. Joey
says yes and they started a weekly podcast called the “Booths Brothers” borrowing from the Blues Brothers logo and replacing their faces with Joey and Marks.
They got to be creative with their interviews allowing them to have fun, get a bit crazy, and do some off-thewall shows that Mark remembers, “Oh they were crazy! I invented this alter ego that was a rapper who I called ‘2 Piece Cue’ where I would write a rap song about every guest that we had on each week!” The Mic smilingly recalled. “I’m famous for saying stupid things on the microphone, really,” he brags laughingly. He compiled a collection of bloopers that he recorded and posted on an Instagram page that went a bit viral.
As COVID was raging on, Mark was doing remote commentating when his next big break came from David Alcaide from Spain, owner of a television channel named One Pool T.V., who organized an online pool tournament for all the women that he called the Women World Championship tournament online. This is how Mark met Kelly Fisher, MBE, and became good friends with her even stating that she is one of his best friends.
The Booth Brothers got their next big break after they had Ozzy Reynolds owner and CEO of Cue Sports International, based out of Henderson, Nevada, on the podcast. “He runs the Cue Sports International Expo out of Las Vegas every year,” The Mic shared about their next big guest on the podcast. “This was run alongside Predators Pro Billiards events.” During the podcast, The Mic blurts out, “I basically said to him, ‘I want a job. I want to be a commentator!’” Ozzy responds, “Put it in writing and send me some clips of your commentary and we’ll get back to you. I can’t offer you any commentary work. But, if you want to come to the venue, I’ll give you a hotel room for the 10 days. I’ll give you a booth where you and Joey, ‘The Booth Brothers’ can set up a little booth and you can do player interviews and stuff like that. You can help me out in any way. That’ll be good as well. But you just need to get yourself there.”
Mark recalls. “This is just at the end of COVID, but we’re still having to wear masks and take COVID tests to fly on an airplane. I actually flew to Mexico to quarantine for 2 weeks. I had no money, so I sold my car. I had about $3,000 when I left England. So I went to Vegas, I met Ozzy and he said, “Did you mean it when you said you’d do anything? Would you clean the toilets?”
Mark insures him, “Yes I’ll clean the toilets!”
“No! No! No! No!, I’m not gonna get you to clean the toilets! But will you clean the tables? Will you clean the pool tables?” Ozzy asks intently. Mark clarifies, “Not the 300?” They had 9 nine footers and after each round, he’d have to clean those off.
The Mic ends up talking to the players inviting them
to the booth to do interviews. Joey is conducting the interviews at the booth. Mark had no inclination Joey was asking for donations. Within two days the three of them got $2,700 working the booths and doing a little bit of commentary from the tables. He exclaims, “On the last day, the finals, Ozzy says, ‘We’ve been let down in the commentary for the 8-ball finals on the seven foot. Would you be willing to jump in on that?’”
The Mic declared, “Of course, I will! No problem!” cementing Mark’s first big break in doing billiard commentary. After getting back home, after two weeks on the road, he gets a call from Ozzy asking, “How fast can you get to Arizona?”
Mark replies, “As fast as you can book me a flight!”
Another commentator, Jeremy Jones, had caught COVID so Ozzy asked Mark to jump in to cover the commentating and Mark was off to becoming a commentator for Predator since 2021.
It was the spawning of his career from the “Booth Brothers” to jet-setting cue sports commentator for competitions all over the world on-site and remotely. As I said at the beginning of this article, Mark “The Mic” White is the epitome of cues sports commentators. His first sponsor was Predator with current Sponsorships from Jam Up Apparel, TAOM V10, and JFlowers cues, respectively, as of this printing.
As of January 2025, JFlowers recognized his social media presence with his celebrity status as a commentator and podcast interviewer by adding “The Mic” to their family of sponsored cue sports personalities including Rodney “The Rocket” Morris, Jason “Eagle Eye” Shaw, Earl “The Pearl” Strickland, Emily “The Bombshell” Duddy, and Joe “Rackem” Watson among other recognizable names in the billiards world.
As a member of the JFlowers family, they provided The Mic with an arsenal of JFlowers equipment, including a loaded break cue, RPG jump cue, and Jason Shaw butt with SMO carbon fiber shaft.
A little known secret that JFlowers is introducing a cue that incorporates carbon fiber into a wood shaft. Also, Jflowers has designed and built a studio that will allow Mark to do his podcasts and commentating from Pattaya. They’ll be utilizing a part of the studio to broadcast demos and techniques on an in house table.
During the interview we shared how both of us are big fans of Philip B. Capelle, author of 11 billiards books, one of our favorites being “A Mind For Pool: How To Master The Mental Game”.
Mark stated how he and Philip share the same mindset when it comes to the philosophy of cue sports.”We both share the exact same beliefs when it comes to the game,” Mark asserted with sincere conviction.
Mark is one of those guys who arrives at the events usually a few days early to prepare for his commentary and interviews, but you’ll also see him helping set up tables and anything to do with the finishing touches for the event.
About 17 months ago Mark had a health scare. He suffered a mini-stroke. This has made a dramatic lifestyle change for him so much that he has cut out alcohol, sugar, junk food, and “all that rubbish!” he declared. He has made significant health improvements from these lifestyle changes as you can see in his energetic and flamboyant personality shining through! My hats off to you mate for your improved health! He needs to stay fit for all the demands of commentating, podcast interviews, and competing in various cue sports competitions.
He is very passionate about cue sports and learning and sharing with every person that he has met along the way on his commentating journey! He emphasized how important it is for anyone who is involved with cue sports to go to a professional event. Witness it firsthand! Cue sports is one of the only sports where you can get up close and personal with professional players. Shoot with them, get lessons, and be personable with them about your shared passion for billiards. I would heed those words folks!
Currently you will catch his remote coverage of the World Trick Shot Championships from Bay City, Michigan. His calendar is full of upcoming commentary! Be sure to check out his YouTube channel, “A Passion for Pool!”
I conclude this article with this quote:
“Billiards is the well-developed art of thinking ahead. It’s not only a game, but first and foremost a demanding sport, which requires good stamina, the logical thinking of a chess player, and the stable hand of a concert pianist!”
Author unknown
Carpe Diem!
Just last month, Predator invited 12 of the best junior pool players in the country to Las Vegas to play in the inaugural Junior American Showdown. The list of Junior Pool stars was a “Who’s Who” of elite players: Savannah Easton, Sofia Mast, Joey Tate, Adrian Prasad, Hayden Ernst, D’Angelo Spain, Jas Makhani, Eddie Vonderau, Niko Konkel, Payne McBride, Konnor McFadyen and Laz Martinez. Playing single elimination 10Ball, these junior pool superstars battled it out against one another, under the brightest lights, the biggest stage, and the most intense pressure. In the end, there was only one junior left standing. One who had been groomed from a very young age and with the help of his older brother and father would thrive and excel in the toughest of circumstances. His name, Laz Martinez.
Of the many accolades that Texas has become famously known for, The Lone Star State can now add to its growing list: “Ground Zero” for world-class junior pool. And in the city of New Braunfels, TX, a suburb of San Antonio, there’s a junior pool hotbed that has been brewing now 12 years in the making….
At an age when most 6 & 7-year-old boys are playing outdoor sports like soccer, baseball, or basketball, young Gabriel & Lazaro Martinez were being introduced to the game of pool by their father Lazaro Martinez, Jr. “When the boys were very young, I would buy AccuStats DVD’s from a guy in our local poolroom and it
was SVB that stood out! Watching how Shane would deal with the pressure, how he walks around the table, the practice strokes across his chest standing up, gets in line with the target, then gets down, strokes a few more times, pauses on the target, then fires. It’s the same thing over and over.” It was SVB’s game that gave Lazaro the inspiration and the blueprint to hone and train his two young boys to become future champions.
At an early age, young Laz and Gabe put in two to three hours of practice per week during the school year. Over the summer that number climbed to eight or more hours each day playing in local bars and weekly tournaments. School always came first and they missed many tournaments due to school but the tournaments they did attend Lazaro always made sure they got plenty
of hours of practice to be able to compete well.
Lazaro laughingly recalled when he showed little Laz how to play 8ball last pocket on the 9-foot table, “He was putting me away while Gabriel was recording the lesson. Just then Laz banked a shot to shoot the 8 ball next straight into the same hole, then Gabriel’s little voice said, “Damn my brother is better than you! We all started laughing!” Lazaro recalled being at tournaments when little Laz would win the hot seat and fall asleep on the chairs or his lap, then he would have to wake the kid up when it was the finals and say, “You’re up, it’s time to play!”
Growing up as competitive brothers, their battles have only pushed each other’s games to the highest of levels and their styles couldn’t be any more different. “I would say the impact Gabriel has had with Laz’s game would be Gabriel’s style of play. Laz makes pool look pretty when he runs out while Gabe fires like Strickland, Josh Filler, and Eagle Eye. Laz has lost to Gabriel in tournaments many times. Once Laz figured out how to slow that type of shooter down, it elevated his game. Same with Gabriel. He knows how to deal with players who like to take their time and he doesn’t get easily frustrated anymore.”
I asked Lazaro who he would give the edge to between Laz and Gabe and he said, “Right now I would say Laz
has the edge but Gabriel is right on his heels though. Laz is more mature not only on the table but off the table and Gabriel still needs some work there.”
Talent aside, it is Laz who has been the more decorated junior with impressive titles including the 2015 BEF 9Ball Champion, 2016 BEF 8Ball Champion, 2023 SVB Junior Open, and most recently 2025 Predator Junior American Showdown Champion. Those championships
are in addition to all of his local, state, and JIC / JAS titles which have ascended Laz to the peak of junior pool in the United States and the world.
Sponsored by Cuetec, Jam Up and SHI Roofing, Laz’s favorite pro athlete is basketball great Michael Jordan who he credits MJ’s work ethic and dedication for his admiration. Fittingly, he also credits SVB as one of his biggest influences because “he’s the greatest of all time”.
Laz’s goal is simple, “I want to be considered one of the best and win as many championships as possible.” When asked who was better between himself and his brother Gabe, he said, “I would like to think I’m better”. I bet Gabe would have something to say about that! Laz says the sweetest title he had ever won was the 2023 SVB Junior Open. “He’s my favorite player of course but having an American win rather than a European was a good feeling.”
I asked Lazaro what advice he would give to parents of aspiring junior pool players. He said, “You have to start them young because it takes time to build someone up like Laz or Gabe. They also have to love the game, that’s really the only way to see the progress.” Laz also noted that getting juniors involved in junior programs and training centers where they can be coached by teachers like Jeremy Jones also helps to boost young players.
How much higher does Lazaro believe that Laz can go in billiards? “Well, I’ll be able to tell after Laz gets done with school. He is doing awesome for his age but Sky Woodward, Billy Thorpe you know the USA Mosconi Cups players? He needs to be shooting as good if not better than them by the next few years. I say to Gabe and Lazaro, these are the players that are in your way, you’ve got to get them out! I can see Laz making it to the Mosconi Cup team, Gabe too.“
And wouldn’t that be an incredible pool story to tell one day? Only time will tell.
Sharpening Your Mental Game in Pool
When people think about the “mental game” in pool, they often picture themselves sitting in a chair, visualizing the moment they pocket the final 9-ball to win the U.S. Open. While visualization and controlled breathing are valuable tools, the foundation of mental strength is built through preparation and practice. Many players mistakenly believe that simply spending more time at the table will lead to greater consistency. However, the key isn’t how much time you invest—it’s how you use that time.
To develop a strong mental game, you need discipline and focus in your training. Here are five strategies to sharpen your mental approach to pool.
Ditch the Headphones
Music can be a great motivator, making practice more enjoyable. But is the goal to get better or just to have fun? Too often, players rely on music to help them focus, always practicing with headphones on. While it might seem beneficial, listening to music during practice does not prepare you for the concentration required in a real match. You won’t have your favorite playlist to drown out distractions during a tournament. Keep the music on in the car if you enjoy it, but when it’s time to practice, train yourself to focus without it.
Don’t Repeat the Same Shot More Than 15 Times
Many players perform better in practice than in matches. Why? Because practice lacks pressure and variability. Repeating the same shot over and over grooves your stroke, but it doesn’t prepare you for real match conditions where every shot is different. Think about strength training—doing the same exercise every session won’t lead to the best results. The same applies to pool. Instead of mindlessly hitting the same shot 20 or 30 times, focus intensely on each attempt and rotate between different shots. If you find yourself losing focus, move on. Keeping your practice dynamic will enhance your ability to adapt and perform under pressure.
it’s about training your mind to handle adversity, pressure, and distractions.
Turn Practice into a Competition
Pressure is something you feel when you’re uncomfortable. The best way to prepare for match play is to simulate pressure situations during practice. Set
goals that challenge you—whether it’s completing a drill within a time limit or running a certain number of racks without missing. When you get close to achieving these goals, you’ll start feeling pressure, just like in a real match. Learning to perform under these conditions strengthens your mental game, making it easier to handle tournament pressure when it matters most.
Avoid Dwelling on Mistakes
After missing a key shot, do you immediately turn to a friend to talk about it? If so, you might be reinforcing negativity rather than moving forward. Mental toughness comes from letting go of mistakes and staying focused on the next shot. Dwelling on errors chips away at confidence and keeps your mind stuck in the past. Instead, train yourself to shake off mistakes and reset your focus. In a match, bad shots will happen—it’s how quickly you move on that defines your success.
Make 10 Perfect Strokes in a Row
One of my favorite mental training drills is executing 10 perfect strokes in a row while talking through the mechanics of each shot. This drill mimics real-game distractions and forces you to maintain precision under pressure. Talking through the process divides your focus, but it also strengthens your ability to execute under lessthan-ideal conditions. When you train yourself to stroke the ball correctly despite distractions, you gain a skill that will serve you well in competitive play.
Final Thoughts
Improving your mental game isn’t just about visualization and breathing exercises—it’s about training your mind to handle adversity, pressure, and distractions. By practicing with purpose, embracing challenges, and learning to move past mistakes, you’ll develop the mental resilience needed to perform your best when it counts. Ultimately, becoming mentally strong in pool isn’t about being perfect—it’s about learning to trust yourself and your process.
Anthony Beeler is the current Billiards Instructor of the Decade and is a former BCAPL National Champion. He has numerous “Top 25” national finishes and is the primary author of the ACS National Billiards Instructor’s Manual. He has also authored the book Unstoppable! Positive Thinking for Pool Players. Anthony currently has the highest established Fargo Rating of any Master Instructor. He has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competition.
From February 12th to February 15th, 2025, the Boys and Girls Club of the Great Lakes Bay Region hosted its second straight Artistic Pool event in the SYKRS WPA World Artistic Pool Championships. Players from five continents competed for the overall title and eight individual world discipline titles.
Along with the Artistic Pool event, there was a secondary event provided by the title sponsor, SYKRS Chalk. Duya tables provided a Chinese 8-ball table for the longest draw shot performed on that type of table. All the players in the field were invited to compete. The object ball was placed on the first diamond line with the cue ball in hand behind the second diamond line. Players had three attempts to pocket the object ball and draw the cue ball as far as they could. The cue ball was not allowed to hit any side rail. These attempts would be the purest of draw shots.
Artistic pool events are divided into a preliminary round and a playoff round, with the eight discipline titles up for grabs in the preliminary round. Players who score the highest in each discipline win the world discipline title with a perfect score being 40 points. The top sixteen players advance to a single elimination bracket, based on the preliminary round score.
The first discipline of Artistic Pool is Trick & Fancy. These are set-up shots that take great precision to execute.
Abram “Too Tall” Diaz and South Africa’s Wayne “Cue Coach” Parker both shot 39 out of 40. Both players competed in a discipline tiebreaker. The initial shot was the classic “Just Showing Off” shot from the Miller Lite Beer commercial from the 70’s, which was made famous by pro pool player, Steve “The Miz” Mizerak. Abram went first and made the shot on his first attempt. Wayne needed to make the shot on his first attempt to continue the tiebreaker, but just missed, earning Abram the first World Discipline title of the tournament.
The second discipline of the artistic pool is Special Arts, which are speed and timing shots. This discipline was won by two-time WPA World Artistic Pool Champion “Master Lin” Chi-Ming Lin from Taiwan, earning the only perfect score in the tournament. This was also Lin’s final World Artistic Pool Championship, as he planned to retire after this event. France’s Jordan “Poolstriker” Moreira fired a 39 out of 40 in the Draw discipline to earn his second career World Discipline title in his second World Championship. Wayne Parker collected the Follow discipline title with a score of 39 out of 40.
The preliminary round was halfway completed with very high scores for the discipline titles. Players would need to continue to score high if they had any dreams of a World discipline title. The Bank/Kick discipline was won by veteran player Jimmy “The General” Glanville with a score of 39 out of 40. The stroke discipline saw
history happen. Abram Diaz took his second World discipline title of the event with another score of 39/40.
Entering this event, Abram was tied with BCA Hall of Famer, and inaugural Artistic Pool Hall of Famer, Mike “Tennessee Tarzan” Massey with three World stroke titles. With this win, Abram breaks Mikes’s record for the most World Stroke titles with four. The history did not stop. Defending WPA World Artistic Pool Champion Florian “Venom” Kohler won the World Jump title for the second year in a row with a score of 39 out of 40. With this win, he tied Mike Massey for the most overall World Discipline titles in the history of Artistic Pool with fourteen.
Three players scored 30 out of 40 in Masse and went to a three-person tiebreaker. The players vying for the final World discipline title were Florian Kohler, Jordan Moreira, and Dan “The Spearthrower” Hosier. The initial tiebreaker shot for Masse is the classic “Jump Masse” shot. Players jump a cue ball out of a rack without touching it, then have the cue ball masse back and pocket an object ball. The cue ball must pass the second diamond line from the foot rail. Florian went first and made the shot on his first attempt. This forced Dan and Jordan to make the shot on their first attempt to have any hope of winning the Masse title. Unfortunately, Dan and Jordan each failed to make the shot, which ensured Florian won the World Masse title for the second straight year in a row. With this win, Florian surpassed Mike Massey for the most World discipline titles in the history of Artistic Pool with fifteen.
With the preliminary round completed, the top 16 players advanced to the single-elimination playoff round. Before that round started, the long draw competition would finish. Players competed in the longest draw competition between discipline rounds. Gaston “The Prince” Tomadoni from Argentina had a good score of 215.25 inches that held for a day, until Jason “The Michigan Kid” Lynch delivered a shot of 223.50 inches. In the second to last grouping, Wayne Parker came five inches away from surpassing Jason’s mark. With one group left, could Jason hold onto the lead?
The first player in the last grouping was Florian Kohler. His second attempt came five inches short of Jason’s mark with one attempt left. Florian proved why he has one of the best strokes in all of cue sports and drew the ball 250.50 inches. That mark held up and gave Florian the win.
The first round of playoffs saw multiple travel buddies against each other as well as a mentor vs student matchup. Florian Kohler (1) defeated Mike “The Pastor of Pool” Hewitt (16) 89-21. Jimmy Glanville (8) and Jordan Moreira (9) had a close match with Jimmy coming out the victor by two points 59-57. Chi-Ming Lin (5) defeated Dan Hosier (12) 73-28 to keep his dream of a third WPA World Artistic Pool Championship alive in his final event. The closest match of the first round pitted Abram Diaz (4) vs Jamie “The Bayou Bullet” Moody (13). These two are best of friends and travel buddies. Both players battled hard with clutch shot after clutch shot. When the dust settled, Jamie won with the narrowest of margins 86-85 in the final shot. Wayne Parker (2) defeated France’s Maxence “JMasem Trickshots” Delattre (15)
while Gaston Tomadoni (10) upset semi-finalist from last year Steve “Blueshark” Markle (7) 74-37. The first round was finished off when Jason Lynch (6) defeated road partner and friend Brian “Superman” Pauley (11), while Tim Chin (3) defeated his protégé Anthony “The Specialist” Dela Merced (14). After three days of intense competition, eight players remained. All with the same dream, to become WPA World Artistic Pool Champion.
The first quarter-final match saw a rematch from the 2023 US National Artistic Pool Championships as Florian Kohler faced Jimmy Glanville. Florian kept his dream of back to back titles with a 78-29 victory. Jamie Moody put together a good match against Chi-Ming Lin but fell short 84-63. The first semi-final match was set, with two more matches to go. Wayne Parker matched up against Gaston Tomadoni in a rematch from the quarter-finals from last year. The previous year saw Wayne defeat Gaston. This year was different as Gaston defeated Wayne 89-57 and advanced to his second semi finals in the last three tournaments. The final quarter-final featured two veterans, Tim Chin and Jason Lynch. These players have faced each other multiple times in the past few years. The veterans battled back and forth with Tim getting the win 60-41 and advancing to his second semi-final in the last three years.
The first semi-final match saw Florian Kohler vs ChiMing Lin. This match saw the last three winners of the
WPA World Artistic Pool Championships. The match did not disappoint with both players making shot after shot. Lin missed a few shots and Florian took advantage and advanced to his second straight finals with an 89-53 win. Much respect was given to Chi-Ming Lin after the match for all he has contributed to the sport of Artistic Pool. The second semi-final match featured a rematch of a semi-final match from two years ago in Tim Chin vs Gaston Tomadoni. This rematch did not disappoint with both players hitting incredible shots. Just like two years ago, Tim Chin won a close match against Gaston 72-60 to advance to his second finals in three years.
The finals saw two veterans of the sport with a lot of success in their careers. Tim had some close misses early on that Florian took full advantage of and never looked back. Florian was on a mission and finished the match with an 81-37 win, becoming just the fourth player in Artistic Pool History to win back-to-back WPA World Artistic Pool Championships.
The tournament also saw the inaugural class of the Artistic Pool Hall of Fame, including George Middleditch, Mike “Tennessee Tarzan” Massey, and Tom Rossman. Michigan native George Middleditch was inducted posthumously while BCA Hall of Famers Mike “Tennessee Tarzan” Massey and Tom “Dr Cue” Rossman took their place in the Artistic Pool Hall of Fame.
