SPM Billiards Magazine Issue 42 by SPM Billiards Magazine

SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE ISSUE 42

CONTENTS

INSTRUCTION ARTICLES

DO YOU CARE TO MUCH BY ANTHONY BEELER A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE BY RICK PRINCE GETTING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE BY STEVE JENNINGS HOW TO USE INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS... BY ERIC NARETTO THE PRO SKILLS DRILLS PLAYER EVALUATION DRILLS BY DOMINIC ESPOSITO GETING BACK TO BASICS ENJOYING THE JOURNEY BY MATT ANDREWS PERHAPS THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD SHOT

06 09 10 29 34 46 74

BILLIARD NEWS

12 IF THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WEI BY STEVE RAU 16 THE ADVENTURES OF CONNOR BENSON VOLUME4 BY TOMMY HILL 22 THE FULL FORCE BY ELLIOTT WEST 25 COURAGE & CONFIDENCE: KO PING CHUNG 40 PREDATOR CHALK REVEIW BY GARRET TROOP 48 DEADLINE LOOMING BY KEITH SHANER 5 1 TEEAM USA COMES TO TEXAS BY JEFF SMITH

FROM OUR EDITOR Greetings everyone! Hello everyone,

It’s been an exciting month with several pool events taking place, including the TE Capitol APP 9 Ball in Singapore, the 2023 WPBA DR Pool Tour Championships in Wisconsin, and the 30th anniversary of the Mosconi Cup. I’m pleased to announce that Ko Pikn Yi won the TE Capitol event, Team Europe won the Mosconi Cup, and Jasmin Ouschan won the Dr. Pool WPBA women’s event!

For the next issue, I’ve decided to dedicate it to the Mosconi Cup. We’ll have an article by Matchroom and Mark White, as well as anyone else who would like to submit an article on the event and other goodies. I intend to have it out before everyone else, so December will be a busy month for me. As we head into the holiday season, let’s remember to spend time with our loved ones, gather with friends, and enjoy the festivities. From me to you, I wish you all a memorable holiday season and a very Merry Christmas! And remember, stay safe out there! Also, keep hitting those balls!

DIARY OF A COMMENTATOR MATCHROOM CAPITALIZING IN SINGAPORE BY KEITH SHANER TE CAPITOL PRESS RELEASE

BILLIARD NEWS

THE NEXT POINTS CHAMPION BY ALBERT CHARBONNEAU

Best regards, Kat Brown Day Editor in Chief and Content Creator

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ANTHONY BEELER

DO YOU CARE TOO MUCH?

biggest flaws as a player, I reacted too heavily based on the result of each game.

Finding the balance between caring too much and not enough might look different for everyone. We each bring our own personalities to the table. However, I know that leaning too far in either direction does not usually work out in the long run.

Be mindful that there is no such thing as perfection. We are humans, and it’s impossible to control our emotions completely. There are still matches where I am a little more erratic than others, but I know I’m doing far better than I used to. Additionally, after being around top-level players, I can tell you that they very rarely show emotion.

hroughout the past 35 years, I’m confident that I have either made or witnessed every mistake possible in pool. When it comes to attitude on the pool table, it is critical to have a balanced view. While this might sound simple, I can guarantee that maintaining a positive attitude will be a very difficult thing to do under given circumstances. Every pool player in the world could use help in this area.

All of you know this by now, a tournament takes a long time to play. Each round usually has its own unique challenges. If I had to pinpoint one of my 6

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Losing a game or two might send me into a panic – suddenly, I’m walking faster and worrying about what my next mistake might be. Conversely, an early runout or two might have me feeling a bit too good, wondering just how well I was going to play.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is a desire to go on “tilt” when the going gets tough. I used

to play a very unproductive game against myself. Let’s say my first match was a disaster; I might say to myself, “Oh, just forget about this tournament.” And then, all the sudden, after 4 good matches, I might say, “You know, I’ve got a shot to win this thing.” There are always opportunities to bail out or say to yourself, “I don’t care what happens.” Often, I find pool players do this as a defense mechanism. We’re scared to find out just how badly we might play if we keep trying. This extreme doesn’t work either. If you are going back and forth between caring and not caring, you lack the consistency to win. Somewhere between not caring and caring too much is the right balance. It generally can be achieved by committing to the following process: • Use the PASS formula before every single shot. Look for POTENTIAL PROBLEMS, then determine the ANGLE of the shot, the SPEED the shot needs to be struck with, and the necessary SPIN that must be applied to attain desired position on your next shot. Be sure to think at least 3 shots ahead. Professional players usually think through their entire turn. If you don’t think far enough ahead then you won’t be successful. • • • •

Commit to your shot. Have a pre-shot routine. Execute the shot subconsciously. Evaluate the results. If it is a good result, internalize the success.

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

Be mindful that there is no such thing as perfection. We are humans, and it’s impossible to control our emotions completely.

competition.

If it’s not what you had hoped for, determine what went wrong and why. If you can commit to going through a similar process before every single shot, you will become a better pool player. Each shot you stroke is an independent event. All shots cumulatively influence your overall success, but I find it’s best to approach each shot as a new, different circumstance. It will help you make better strategic decisions, and more importantly, help you departmentalize your emotions. Again, this is all much easier said than done! Nobody does this correctly 100 percent of the time.

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RICK PRINCE

A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE Hi Guys & Gals,

your opponent.

hope you all enjoyed a Wonderful Thanksgiving, and you enjoy your upcoming holiday season. In my 35 years of Road Play, I’ve met literally Hundreds of people with a wide variety of personalities.

When the match is over, and you shake hands and rack up your cue to leave, if you’ve treated them correctly, don’t be surprised if they invite you back! That’s what it’s All about, Keeping the Rock Rollin’!

Let’s face it: Nobody likes to lose a pool match, especially when it involves losing cash!

It’s the violence in the sport that keeps pool off of Sunday Television, and until we redirect this mindset, pool will never grow into the family sport we all enjoy Some folks get angry to the point of physical watching on television. confrontation. On the other end of the scale, I’ve seen guys lose so much Cash that they Broke down Be honest and use Integrity when playing everyone. emotionally and wept. I learned early on never to Humility is the answer. When you walk out of the pool gamble with more than you can afford to lose. It hall, nobody should be able to tell if you won or lost. happens to us all, though. No matter the venue or Always shake their hand before and after the match who you’re playing, you should always exude good and offer your gratitude for their efforts during the sportsmanship. game. Win, lose, or draw, always express your gratitude. Pool, more often than not, generally comes down to “a battle Let’s Keep it friendly and do our part to promote our of the witts.” the smarter player will usually prevail, sport as a good, clean, family sport! especially in the longer races. Allowing an opponent to get in your head can be detrimental to your Game. I wish you all a very special holiday season. It’s imperative that you always remain calm. When things get heated, as they sometimes will in a money match, do your part to defuse the situation. Put the cue down and agree to talk it out. Lots of people lose a great deal of cash because of anger. Keep it Friendly, and if you see that they are incapable of continuing without confrontation, then rack up your cue and move on. Nobody ever wins a fight.

Until we meet again, Happy Shootin’! “White Wolf”

When things “Go South,” you find yourself in a heated argument. I try to defuse it immediately. I always use courtesy to apologize for my part and quickly accept my apologies. You can agree to take a break, walk outside, and get some fresh air. Always remember that you’re doing something that you enjoy and do all you can the enhance the enjoyment for SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

STEVE JENNINGS

POOL SCHOOL IS OPEN

GETTING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE H

uman nature drives us to seek comfort. Certain foods, smells, clothes, and places are all things that we seek for comfort. It’s the way our brain is wired. It’s the reason we like going to familiar places. We walk into a familiar place and immediately feel more at home than in a new and unfamiliar environment. Comfortable is safe, it feels

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good, and we like that. In our quest to improve our pool game, we are often required to leave what we already know in order to reach new heights. And there is a process we have to work through in order to reach that higher level. Here’s what we can expect in the growth process.

COMFORT ZONE. This is where our journey begins. It’s where we are right now. We feel safe and in control. We know what we have always done and what to expect. There are very few surprises in the comfort zone. We like it here, and we are resistant to anything that disrupts those feelings. But remember, a ship in the harbor is safe. But that isn’t what ships are meant to do. FEAR ZONE. This is where we feel we are no longer in charge and feel somewhat lost. We’ve never been here before, so we are very uncomfortable. We become overly concerned and self-conscious. We worry about what others are thinking about us. We find excuses to explain our perceived shortcomings. Our self-confidence suffers, and our instinct is to return to our comfort zone. Yielding to this urge prevents us from reaching the next level. This is when we need to tap into our inner will and determination. Remember, your goal is to reach that higher level. It is necessary to embrace change as a necessary step toward improvement. We can’t allow ourselves to allow our fear of change to stop our progress. We must keep pushing through our fears. LEARNING ZONE. This is the transition phase to help us out of the fear zone. It’s the next step toward improvement. It is where we begin to deal with the problems and challenges we created for ourselves in the fear zone. This is where we actually deal with the problems and challenges we have previously been encountering. We overcome those problems by acquiring new skills and knowledge. The better we understand our problems and solutions, the easier it becomes to make the transition toward our goal. Once we gain those skills and increase our knowledge, we have, in effect, created an expanded comfort zone! And with our new comfort level, we move to the last step. GROWTH ZONE. Now, we are finally at the point where our actual growth takes place. We can see results from our efforts. The whole purpose of our efforts is there to take. What once was just a dream has suddenly become our new reality. We have reached that new level we set out to find. We have arrived. And now is the time to set new goals and continue to even greater heights. The process begins again. In pool and in life, there really isn’t a destination. It’s a lifelong journey of continued learning and growth. Keep pushing through your doubts and fears, and watch your comfort zone expand. Until next time Steve Jennings ACS/PBIA Master Instructor 980 253 0211 SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

JEFF SMITH

TEAM USA COMES TO TEXAS

he Mosconi Cup Team USA was in Texas last week for a last-minute training camp. Captain Jeremy Jones, who lives in the DFW area, brought the players together for practice, bonding, and some charity work to give back to the community. The host venue was Stixx and Stones, owned by John and Anju Bergman and located in Lewisville, TX. Stixx is one of the premier pool rooms in the DFW area. They set up their five 9-foot Diamond tables specifically for this visit to come as close as possible to the conditions the players will experience in London – minus the 2,500 cheering fans, of course. 12

All five team members were in attendance, arriving over the weekend. The camp began on Monday, and the week was filled with several full days of practice time. Some of the players even spent time in the pool room after the official training was done to get as much table time as possible. The sessions were spent running drills, playing singles matches, and lots of Scotch Doubles sets to see which pairings were gelling the best for the matches to come. SVB and Woodward worked well together, as always. Fedor Gorst and Tyler Styer are a great fit as well. I noticed Vice-Captain Skyler Woodward spending much time with Mosconi Cup rookie Shane

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Wolford, especially during drill times, helping him get accustomed to the team atmosphere.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF SMITH

The team is coming together really well as one cohesive unit. During the matches, things were all business. But there were plenty of times that I could

see the friendships that have formed really beginning to shine. Lunch was provided every day by Anju, and the guys all laughed and swapped stories and advice over the tasty meals. Some of the more seasoned travelers really appeared to be taking the new teammate under their wings, even giving travel tips.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF SMITH

JEFF SMITH

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The festivities concluded on Wednesday evening with a charity meet and greet hosted by Alberto Trujillo at Fort Worth Billiards Superstore. Between sponsor donations and event proceeds, Team USA presented a check for $25,000 to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth. After some presentations and photo opportunities, the team members were paired up with five local junior players for a short Scotch Doubles tournament. It was really a great send-off for the team as they prepared for travel to London the next day. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed meeting all the players and watching them prepare for the biggest event on the pool calendar. As a new instructor, I loved listening to Captain JJ as he worked with the team, individually and as a group. I am ever in awe of the things that players of this caliber can do with a cue, and I hope I can help inspire my students and instill my love of this great game in as many people as possible. Let’s go, Team USA! Bring home the Cup!!!

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY IN THIS ARTICLE BY JEFF SMITH

Jeff Smith is a life-long pool player,and a professional photographer since 1999. He was recently certified PBIA and ACS Instructor that is based out of the Dallas Texas area! He recently did the photography for the 2023 International Certiefied Instructors Summit! He photography from that event was featured in SPM Billiards Magazine ZIssue 39. You can follow him Heirloom Potrait Art Facebook page Jeff Smith

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STEVE RAU

WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WEI BY STEVE RAU OF STEVE RAU PRO BILLIARDS, MANAGER OF ‘KWIKFIRE’ KELLY FISHER AND WEI WEI ‘THE WAVE’ -WEI TZU CHIEN

Since becoming her manager, I have witnessed this firsthand. She is a force to be reckoned with on the table

Wei Tzu Chien is and why she deserves an increase in notoriety and new fan followers from around the world.

Since becoming her manager, I have witnessed this firsthand. She is a force to be reckoned with on the table. She can come back from being down in a race with fierce tenacity or jump to an insurmountable lead. In either case, it leaves her opponent wondering, what just happened?

A couple of tasks I knew were needed to start promoting Wei Wei, was to implement her new nickname, ‘The Wave’, into a new logo and create a theme song for her. We would use the new logo on her fan t-shirts and merchandise and use the theme song in her marketing videos and highlight reels. Mission accomplished. You can see the new logo and listen to her theme song on our Steve Rau Pro Billiards Facebook page.

My hope for this article is to shed new light on who

The next task for me is to create as many

cannot contain my enthusiasm in telling you about someone who is very near and dear to me. From Taipei, Taiwan, the one and only Wei Wei ‘The Wave’ -Wei Tzu Chien. I heard it recently said by a commentator during one of her matches that Wei Wei seems to always find herself finishing at the top in nearly every tournament she plays in. He added that she does it very quietly. I completely agree with those sentiments.

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opportunities as possible for the public and pool fans from around the world to know who Wei Tzu Chien is. She is an incredible human being. I am hoping this magazine article will further my efforts in promoting her. One of the first questions I get from people is, “How do you pronounce Wei Wei?” Most people pronounce it “Wee Wee”, but the truth is, it phonetically sounds like “Way Way.” With that said, I recently spent some time with Wei Wei. Everyone, please welcome Wei Tzu Chien! I asked her the following questions:

What do you see yourself accomplishing in five to 10 years? “My goal is to become the World Champion and World #1 ranked.” —I recently told Wei Wei that I can see that happening. She absolutely has what it takes! What do you believe is one of your weaknesses in pool, and what are you doing to improve it? “I feel my rhythm needs improvement, but I am already working on that by trying different speeds to see which works the best for me.” SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of shooting pool? “I like to watch movies and TV series and go to meet up with friends.” —I learned that she likes action movies over comedies and chick flicks. Which strengths do you believe you have that make you a great pool player? “My kicking and safety game.” -I can attest to that. I could make a lengthy highlight reel showing both attributes. No problem. Other than pool, do you have a favorite sport to play? “Ping pong.” —I smiled when she answered ping pong. If my dad were still alive, I would have loved to watch a match between them. He played all of the time when he was stationed in Germany for the U.S. Army. I could never beat him in a match. Were you involved in any clubs or teams during high school? “I was on the volleyball team and basketball team.” -I believe wholeheartedly she could be successful in whatever she does. It’s in her DNA. What do you believe is the greatest challenge for a pro pool player today? “Traveling can be tough on players, but the hardest thing within the game is to stay consistent.” -I see firsthand how travel can affect her. There was a time that was so funny to me. In most cases, Wei Wei is always 12 hours ahead of me. Well, there was a 36-hour period of flights, where she started 12 hours ahead of me, then flew to the U.K. to be 6 hours ahead of me, and then flew to California to be 3 hours behind me! Unbelievable! Describe your worst pool game performance. What did you learn from this experience? 18

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“I’ve had quite a few (insert smiley face) but learned to be more patient and believe in myself.” -One thing I admire about Wei Wei is her ability to rebound from a poor performance. What does your daily routine look like? “I wake up and eat, then relax a little before doing any errands I need to do. Then go to the pool hall to practice.” Describe the qualities you believe an effective pool player must have. “Self-belief and confidence.” What is one important lesson you’ve learned from your time as a professional pool player? “Need to work hard, be patient and never give up.” What are your preferred pre-match and post-match routines? “I like to warm up on the table to feel ready to play. After the match I try to analyze the good and bad to try to learn from it.” How do you handle the pressure of competing at such a high level? “I feel it comes with experience, and I have improved and hope to do so more.” Describe a time when you had to overcome an injury or setback to continue to play? “It was during Covid. It was so difficult not to be able to play at all.” Explain how you stay motivated and focused during long matches and tournaments. “I feel top players stay motivated because of their desire to do well and win.” -One thing that amazes me about Wei Wei is her motivation and focus. After a tough match, I will message or talk to her to see how she is doing. It seems she can just shake it off and be next match ready, almost immediately. How did you handle the transition from being an amateur to pro? “I just practiced hard and played in as many events as I could.” What strategies do you use to manage stress before a match or tournament? “I just try to stay focused on my pre shot routine.” How do you handle criticism from other players? “If it’s productive criticism, then I will take it and try it out. If it’s not productive, I really see it as a weakness in them.” If you were to ask me to secure a major endorsement deal from any company for you, who would they be? “American Airlines” Now for some entertaining questions, which do you prefer? Cake or Pie? Cake Soda or Tea? Tea 8 Ball, 9 Ball 10 Ball? 10 Ball Flying or Driving? Driving Book or Magazine? Magazine Christmas or Easter or Halloween? Christmas Lastly, tell me about a childhood memory that you really enjoy? “Went on vacation to an Island in Taiwan and we went diving.” -That’s great Wei Wei. Sounds like a good time. Spending time with family is so important. I recently had the honor of speaking to her mother over a video call. She was very sweet and supportive in her daughter’s career. I am hoping to meet her in person one day. Wei Tzu Chien, I really appreciate the time you spent with me. Thanks for taking the time! I wanted to give an update on Wei Wei. She recently won, for her first time, the National Light Medal in SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

Taiwan in early December. She was so happy. Congratulations! Up next for her is the last tournament of 2023 in Rothschild, WI. Both Kelly Fisher and Wei Wei will be competing against other great WPBA stars, December 6th-10th. Be sure to watch the tournament on Facebook through the WPBA Facebook page. It is so easy for me to cheer Wei Wei and Kelly Fisher on. I really appreciate the opportunity given to me, to be a part of their lives and storied careers. Trust me when I say that I will work hard to secure them an endorsement deal with American Airlines. I can’t wait for that announcement! I want to take this time to wish everyone at SPM Billiards Magazine, Wei Wei, Kelly Fisher and the entire billiard family a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous, safe and Happy New Year. God bless you all. -Steve Rau. Follow us on Facebook @ facebook.com/ steverauprobilliards

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TOMMY HILL

THE ADVENTURES OF CONNOR BENSON VOLUME FOUR THE ONLY THING GLAMOROUS ABOUT PLAYING ON THE ROAD IS THE STORIES.

onnor woke up around 10 AM. He slept on a blow-up mattress in the bed of his truck. This was the first time he had slept in his truck, and he thought to himself, with a grin on his face, that he was a road player now. The camper shell on his truck could lock from the inside. It had a window on both sides that could slide open for fresh air, and there was a slider on both the back window of the truck and camper shell so he could climb back & forth without going outside. He had an ice chest with food and a case of bottled water. Connor was eager to get back inside the pool room, so he quickly got cleaned up, dressed, and headed for the door. The pool room was open 24 hours a day, but there was still a noticeable difference between the morning and evening crowd. There were a few tables going in the main room, but it didn’t look like much was going on that day. Over at the snooker table, there was a five-handed golf game going, and in the back room, a couple of tables were being played on. Feeling a bit hungry and in no hurry to play golf with 22

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the old timers for two and a quarter, Connor ordered a breakfast sandwich and a Coke to wash it down with. He took a seat in the dining area where he could watch the golf game. The game finished up with a nice two-railer out of the four-hole into the side pocket for the win. The guys in the game seemed happy enough and congratulated the winner on his nice shot. As they began to shake the peas to start the next game, one of the fellas asked Connor if he wanted to play. Connor thought that might be a good way to get in with the locals, but he just didn’t like the game all that much, so he respectfully said that they were too good for him, but he liked watching and learning. After finishing his sandwich, he was ready to get some practice in. He went to the counter to check out some balls. He wasn’t sure about the back room, as far as who could play back there, and he didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, so he asked for a table in the main room. After a couple of hours of hitting balls by himself, he was approached by a guy who asked if he wanted to play some cheap nine-ball sets for practice. Connor said sure and asked what he had in mind. The fella said how about race to five

for fifty. No one had ever asked him to play practice sets for fifty dollars before. Back home, fifty dollars was big action, Connor wasn’t sure what to do. His lack of experience was getting to him, and he didn’t want to say no. Was he being hustled? He didn’t know what to do. Connor thought to himself, “Well, I came here to play,” so he accepted the game and introduced himself. The guy said his name was Alex and that he had seen Connor play last night. Now Connor really didn’t know what to think. This guy knew how he played and asked to gamble. Connor was sure he was getting hustled now, but he had already agreed to play. “What do I do?” he thought to himself. He was getting paranoid, nervous, and scared. Alex flipped a coin, and instinctively, Connor said tails. Alex shot well. He could run out if he had an open table and a decent shot to start out with, but Connor couldn’t tell if this was his real game or if Alex was playing short in order to raise the bet. Alex wasn’t shooting nearly as good as Connor. His cue ball control wasn’t as sharp as it needed to be, and he went for everything carelessly without thinking of playing safe. Connor thought he had to be getting hustled. This guy asked him to play. Alex had seen him win the tournament last night and knew

how well he played. Connor won three sets in a row before Alex quit. Alex didn’t ask for a spot or ask to up the wager. He simply gave Connor a hundred and fifty bucks, shook his hand, and even thanked him for the game. Connor paid his time and went out to his truck. He sank into the front seat and cried. He was 18 years old, young, dumb, and cocky. Yes, he could shoot pool well, he could make balls, he could control the cue ball, he had a great break and his safety game was on point. He was ready to take on the world. That’s what he thought a few days ago, anyway. He realized now that he didn’t know crap about the world of pool; he just knew how to make balls.

swim away. Connor was too embarrassed to go back inside. He had already paid his time and had no tab at the counter, so there was nothing keeping him from moving on. He started up the truck and hopped back on the highway. He pointed the tires towards Reno and was on his way. After an hour or so of driving and thinking, he started feeling a little better about himself. Since he had left home, he had booked two winners for a total of $270.

He spent right around sixty at the pool room for food, table time, and his entry fee. He also had a hundred bucks in gas so far with two fill-ups. In two days, he was a hundred and ten bucks ahead and over halfway to “Road player,” he said to himself Reno. He had already won the with a disgusted tone. “You’re no hundred-dollar entry fee road player; you’re just a stupid to the Reno Open at the Sands kid sleeping in the back of your Hotel and Casino. Most of all, dad’s truck.” he learned a few things about what it takes to be a real player. Connor was thinking about He learned a valuable lesson Alex. “What just happened?” he and gained some experience asked himself. He was frustrated that could only help him with himself that he didn’t offer moving forward. Alex some weight. He knew he could have given him the eight Well, folks, once again, I must say and win, maybe even the seven, that’s it for this month. I sure hope but he didn’t even try. He didn’t you enjoy following our young know what to do. Even after Connor boy as he matures into winning three sets in a row, he the player that we all hope he will still wondered if he was getting become. As always, I appreciate hustled. He didn’t trust himself you taking the time to see how to make a decision; hell, he Connor is doing. Until next didn’t even think about it. He month, stay safe out there and just took the cash and let his fish keep that cue ball rollin’. Tommy is a master instructor with both the PBIA & AMP; ACS. When he was a younger man Tommy played on the Men’s Professional Billiards Tour and the Camel ProTour. Like many un-sponsored pro players of that era he also played on the road in order to keep the dream alive. Tommy has spent 40 plus years in the billiards industry. The adventures of Connor Benson are fictional short stories of a road player. Although fictional, some stories may derive from his own experiences, stories he had heard or things he witnessed along the way. SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

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ELLIOTT WEST

THE FULL FORCE

“HAPPINESS IS NOT FROM EXTERNAL THINGS”. QUOTE FROM RONNIE’S TIME IN THE PRIORY.

Introduction

Ronnie O’Sullivan

he title of genius is only bestowed on a chosen few but with it comes a human seesaw of rocking between the worlds of glory and human purgatory. This year marks 30 years since Ronnie O’Sullivan lifted his first professional title at the 1993 UK Championship at the Preston Guild Hall. O’Sullivan was only 17 at the time and beat the player of the moment, Stephen Hendry 10-6 to lift the title. One of the legendary “Class of ‘92”, he had only turned professional a year before this Triple Crown win. This was a seismic moment in snooker as can be seen when Stephen shakes Ronnie’s hand. He is fuming that someone so young could claim the trophy.

Yet speak to any player of the time and this win was one waiting to happen. His father Ronnie Snr had already seen his son’s natural talent and tapped into it straight away, building him a snooker room at their house and sending him to Barking Snooker Club to play while he worked. Perhaps a mad idea in today’s world, leaving a child so young to fend for himself in a den of misspent youth but his father knew he would be safe there, a creche. Ronnie was beating everyone in there before he even started shaving, making a 117 break at his first outing. He had already won several thousand pounds before the age of 11 and was already being seen in the company of his hero Steve Davis and the referee John Street.

“How big do you want to be? 5:10”.

You only have to look at his performance at the 1990 Cockney Classic on ITV to see a glimpse of the SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN PHOTO’S PROVIDED BY ELLIOTT WEST

magic of this player that was to come. Reaching the semi-final of the event in his first televised match, he made a 75-break and sent a roar around the studio, the first of many. So special was this break that his school cancelled their cookery class to watch it on video. A break that left his opponent Steve Ventham and the commentator John Pulman in awe.

ultimate pride. A snooker cue that was like a wand that could produce magic. A fascination that is like a drug that you never want to wear off. A player who made a 147 break at the Stevenage Snooker Club in a one-day pro-am competition. He went on to beat Antony Hamilton and claimed the £1,000 first prize at the 35 table club.

His father fired the starting pistol on his career with a do-or-die policy. It would be either a path of ultimate glory or if it didn’t work out, he could come and work with him. Ronnie Snr had just landed a job in a sex shop in Charing Cross Road and was earning a lot of money because he had mastered the way of sales. Ronnie was extremely shy but wanted to make his Dad happy and you can see the beaming smile that his Dad produced every time the two were on the snooker road. The two were inseparable, a mix of pure love and bubbling talent.

Seeing the Puzzle

Ronnie O’Sullivan has always played a game where you get in early and win in one visit. The aim is to pot every ball on the table. His brain is one of snooker precision, seeing his shots miles in advance and weaving his way around a snooker table that is straight out of a geometry manual. When he is in the zone, this is textbook snooker, the pure game where the pockets are beaten into submission and your opponent walks out of the arena with stars in his eyes, like a boxer who has been floored by a The Noise, The Sound. sucker punch. A hunger to win that controls every centimetre of your body and walks you to the very It was roundabout this time at Barking Snooker Club edge of mental purgatory. that something clicked. Ronnie fell in love with this fascinating game He won a pro-am in style with a The Noose number of high breaks and he realised how easy this game could be. He won £600 but the win was pure Snooker can become the ultimate madness and elation, a young lad caught fire and then stood in his if you can’t handle it, you might as well exit stage front room next to the television with the trophy with right and never come back. Ronnie has been at this 26

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ELLIOTT WEST

point many times. A probable sufferer of depression, O’Sullivan has often threatened to quit this sport that has shaped his life but has to date, never carried out his threats. His father’s prison sentence for murder and the huge onus that snooker weighs on him to constantly win has at times left him in rehab, using alcohol and drugs as a mental crutch. Yet he still had his father’s words in his head as he was led down from the dock, “let my boy win”. All his wins have been not just for him alone but for his dad as well. He could have snapped his cue in half and walked away but he felt compelled to walk this road to Damascus, a Mozart-like figure, surrounded by a halo of genius. He even took his first UK Championship trophy to show his dad in prison. Implosion Hitting a tournament referee, putting a towel over his head in a match or walking out during a match are just some of the bizarre things that Ronnie has done during his snooker career. All carried out with emotional eyes in his eyes that displayed his cry for help. A cocktail of depression and rage that were on a path of self-destruction. Ronnie ultimately wanted to be happy and find that inner peace with a solid family unit. A man who could on one hand make left handed look easy but on the other, a hand that he wanted to eat him and throttle him. A sport where you are ultimately on your own, tormented by your inner demons, the ultimate darkness. The Missing Piece Through his time at the Priory, O’Sullivan learnt that addiction is not bad if it is controlled and challenged in the right ways. The missing piece in making Ronnie the person that he is today is a combination of percentages. Taking up running, working with Professor Steve Peters and finding that inner drive again in his time with Ray Reardon. He also has his close circle of friends Jimmy White, Damien Hurst, Ronnie Wood, Robbie Huxley nd his partner, Laila Rouass along with his friends in China. A place where he feels he can be himself and relax, embracing his cuisine and culture. Ronnie doesn’t have anything else to prove. He has won every title that snooker has to offer, a total of 40 ranking titles including 7 world championship titles and his latest, a 10-7 victory over Ding Junghi to win his 8th UK Championship title. He no longer has to reach out and press the excess button and feels more comfortable with winning or losing. That’s not to say that he is still a bag of nerves in a dressing room before walking out onto a tournament stage. A stage fright that doesn’t waver until the deed is

done. A flaw that never can be truly ironed out. An anxious panic attack that always lives in the shadows. The peace comes out of the chaos, a love affair of highs and lows. The winning zone is the quiet place where thoughts go out of the window and you float on the clouds of invincibility. 18 years of inner pain that are have gradually evaporated. The Crucible is his hell but also his cauldron of glory. The GOAT What sets Ronnie O’Sullivan apart from any other snooker player is that he can control the table. Too many of his opponents are sucked into the realms of admiration for him, mesmerised and in awe of his skill. That’s a key element of why they don’t beat him. Yet he had to have that winning mentality bashed into him. It was not a natural emotion. His father didn’t want him to be a loser, he kept pushing him whether in a swimming pool, on a football pitch or on a snooker table. He could win a tournament and it was almost as if he had lost it. Ronnie ultimately wants perfection and to master the game. Always questioning his age and how much longer he can keep playing. He is best when he is bullying the table and worst when he is dragged into his opponent’s game. Calmed only by soothing words from his friends and a much needed cigarette, smoked out the dressing room window. A dressing room that at times can almost seem like a jail while others enjoy themselves outside. A player who still lives on the edge but maybe not so close to the edge of it. Ronnie loves to strangle his opponent with power. A mercury thermometer where the red line keeps rising and rapidly reaches boiling point. Yet as he reaches the winning line, any turn can be ruined by sabotage. Nervousness is its most intense form and where all your energy is drained. Blurry eyes, scared and battered, Ronnie still manages to find something, escaping that electric, deafening buzz that snaps at your heels and feels your head with a high pitched screech. Yet when the winning line arrives, your arm frees up and all the balls go in. The tears of joy and ultimate relief are impossible to hold back with your legs feeling like two lead weights. Then comes the calm before the next storm. ELLIOTT WEST HAS A BLOG TITLED SNOOKER LOOPY WHICH HE CREATED AND IS INSPIRED BY HIS LOVE OF THE GAME SPANNING OVER 32 YEARS. AT ALWAYSM A GREAT READ HERE, CHECK IT OUT! HTTPS://GREENBAIZE1972. COM SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

ERIC NARETTO

How to Use Instructional Tools for Getting Better at Pool

ave you ever wondered what you could do to get better at the game of pool? Have you ever sat down and analyzed your strengths and deficits on the table? The number one question I receive from a potential student is “What do I need to do to improve my game?” In most cases, improvement can be gained by practice. However, if a player is practicing the wrong pieces, it is very possible a player can get better at not being good. Today’s article features some instructional tools that will enhance your pool game to the next level. Whether a player uses these for basic or advanced purposes, the player will surely find the information useful to help him or her improve in the areas they need. ILLUMINATED CUEING ARTS TRAINING SYSTEM The Illuminated Cueing Arts Training System (ICATS) is a projection system that provides the player with set cue ball and object ball positions to improve the player’s game. ICATS has many features that include over 200 different drills, an option that allows the player to upload a picture to the system to be projected directly on the table for practice, an option that allows the player to create his or her own drills, and more. For more on the ICATS, please visit their website, www.icatraining.com.

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ERIC NARETTO

Instructor’s Use- There are many ways to use this system to help a player improve their weaknesses. I love to use the grid line feature that allows students to see the grid line of the table. The ICATS grid line is also marked at the quarters and halfway between the points, which allows for many locations for cue ball and object ball placements. Along with the grid line segment, I also use the tracking system that allows visual lines between the cue ball and object ball (with a visible ghostball), as well as allowing tracking lines that will track the cue ball after the cue ball makes contact with the object ball. This allows the student a visual of how the cue ball should move, and with this visual, the player can repeatedly practice the same shot with different English to help them learn which shot will send them along the track line and which shots won’t. There is a randomizer option that comes with the system as well. When discussing 9 ball patterns, a player or instructor can easily shuffle through random setups where discussion can take place about how to run the rack or how to play safe in the rack. BILLIARDS ANGLE TRAINER ™ The Billiards Angle Trainer™ is a powerful and basic tool designed to help a player visualize the ghostball. The ghostball is the most common aiming system taught to the amateur player. This trainer allows the player to aim at a specific point outside the object ball that simulates the center of the cue ball as it contacts the object ball. You can check out more about this product at https://billiardstrainer.com/products/billiardsangle-trainer Instructor’s Use- This product is great for introducing many different lessons. First, I would use this for center cue ball hits with the object ball directly in a pocket. I would move the cue ball around the object ball to help the student see the different angles of the ghostball. This trainer can also be used to introduce lessons of cut induced throw and can also be used to introduce how to aim while learning deflection, squirt, or swerve (both lessons I would use this trainer for.)

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TRAINING CUE BALLS AND OBJECT BALLS Training balls are very important to an instructor. Many lessons about stroking, aiming, and spin can be used with different sets of training object balls and cue balls. My recommendation as an instructor is to own many different types of training cue balls and object balls to help the students understand the lesson they want to learn. The Jim Rempe and iCue are two of my favorite cue balls. I own Stan Shuffett’s CTE Object ball and Tom Simpson’s Elephant balls as well. As a player, I prefer to use a measle cue ball during my matches because it helps me see how well I hit my intended target on the cue ball.

Instructional Use- The big piece to remember as an instructor is that all people learn differently. The examples shown here are how I train my students and I deviate to something else, in the event my current lesson is not working. Jim Rempe Training Cue Ball- I use this cue ball when I am introducing an English lesson that counts by half-tips. iCue- I use this cue ball when I am introducing an English lesson by the contact points of the tip on the cue ball. CTE Object ball- When anyone comes to me regarding center-to-edge aiming, I use this object ball with a measle cue ball. The object ball allows the student to perform the aiming lesson, while the measle ball will show any English present on the cue ball for documentation of good or bad strokes. Elephant Balls- I use the elephant ball for stroking exercises. The stripes on the ball are designed to help you decrease unwanted spin and increase proper tip follow-through. All of the items listed in this write up I firmly believe will help increase any player’s game. Before becoming a master-level instructor with the PBIA and the ACS, I became an established player in the Midwest. As I grew my game, I purchased products that I firmly believed would help elevate my game. Now, I use these same products to aid other players in elevating their pool games. Whether you decide to purchase the amazing ICA Training System, a ghostball simulator like the Billiards Angle Trainer™ or even a ghost ball placement spot like the Pocket Sniper, or different training cue balls and object balls, the goal is self-improvement to help aid your own game and others. Do your research by buying tools that can aid you and potentially other people. Use these tools with a specific purpose to better your personal game. If you are an instructor, create structured plans with this equipment to increase your credibility and the chance that your students will be satisfied with what they are paying for. Stroke Straight. “G1” Eric Naretto

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DOMINIC ESPOSITO, A.K.A., THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR

THE PRO SKILL DRILLS PLAYER EVALUATION DRILLS

id your playing skills increase in the past twelve months as much as you planned or hoped they would? How do you know that they did without guessing?

That’d be a tough answer to know if you didn’t have a starting basis point; quantifiable data to determine your actual playing skills progress. The PSD-PED will affirm and confirm that your next pool year (and each year thereafter) will prove that your pool playing skills have grown and by how much. If this is your first time, congratulations! You can start at any time to get your PSD. playing skills evaluation done.

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The PSD-PED can be used at any time, regardless of your game-playing preferences. However, doing this exact drill as an annual evaluation, year after year, will prove your consistency in determining your true Pro Skill Drills rating Use the attached score sheet. Copy it, use your own personal journal book, or get one of my complete Practice Record Keeping Journal books from my website.www.thedrillinstructor.us https://thedrillinstructor.us/Shooters-Journal.html. What’s most important is that you keep a true score. The table setup shown is drill-specific; The PSD-PED tests your skills regardless of the game formats you play. The PSD-PED test includes, but is not limited to, ball pocketing skills, cue ball position control, and complex shot making – including long and short banks, combinations, kicks, caroms, and even jumping. Whatever game format you generally like to play, this drill will prove your overall Pro Skills Drills Rating. 8 Ball Players: Make 10 Full Attempts Doing Both Options A & B: Option A: Play the Solid suit of ball 5 Times Option B: Play the Striped suit of ball 5 Times 1. Start each inning with ball-in-hand. 2. Select the solid or stripe suit. 3. Attempt each suit of object balls 5 full times. 4. Other balls are allowed to be hit during each shooting inning. 5. Should you miss pocketing a ball, STOP! Write down how many balls you successfully ran before missing. 6. After marking your score, re-set the table and start your next attempt. Rotation Game Players: Make 10 Full Attempts 1. Start each rack with ball-in-hand. 2. Run Out the 15 balls completely in Rotation order. 3. Restart the exact position of the balls for the start of each of your 10 attempts. 4. Other balls are allowed to be hit during each shooting inning. 5. Should you miss pocketing a ball, STOP! Write down how many balls you successfully ran before missing. 6. After marking your score, re-set the table and start your next attempt. Two Critical Scores Make Up Your International “Pro Skill Drills” Player Rating. 1. How many times out of all 10 attempts you successfully Run Out without missing a ball? This answer is your 8 Ball Player or Rotation Game Pro Skill Drills Rating. 2. Add up the total number of balls pocketed during each of the 10 attempts. Then, divide that total number by 10. This answer is your PSD Average Balls Run Out Rating. Examples of scoring Your Personal PSD Rating: 1. 8 Ball and Suited Game Players: SAMPLE: If 6 out of your 10 Attempts were Successful -PLUS- you pocked a total of 65 balls during all 10 attempts, that’s a 665 PSD (Pro Skill Drills) Rating. The Math: Divide the 65 balls made during your 10 attempts by 10. SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

It comes out looking like this, 65/10 = 6.5 PSD-PED: Combine the two numbers like this, 665. The 6 out of 10 is the first number, 6. Then, drop the decimal point from the 6.5 and make it 65. That’s your total ball run. Put them together as, 665, and that’s your International Pro Skill Drills Player Rating. 2. Rotation Game Players: SAMPLE: If 5 out of your 10 Attempts were Successful -PLUS- you pocked a total of 72 balls during all 10 attempts, that’s a 572 PSD (Pro Skill Drills) Rating. The Math: Divide the 72 balls made during your 10 attempts by 10. It comes out looking like this, 72/10 = 7.2 PSD-PED: Combine the two numbers like this, 572. The 5 out of 10 is the first number, 5. Then, drop the decimal point from the 7.2 and make it 72. That’s your total ball run. Put them together as, 572, and that’s your International Pro Skill Drills Player Rating. Use this exact PSD-PED exercise at least once per year to prove your international player skill rating. When you can do my offensive and defensive drills successfully, 7 out of 10 times, you’ll be good enough to beat 70% of the pool players in the world.

IMPROVE YOUR GAME THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR WAY! 36

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KAT DAY

COURAGE & CONFIDENCE: KO PING CHUNG – IMAGINING THE FUTURE & REALIZE THE DREAM

KO PING CHUNG AT AT TE CAPITOL APP 9 BALL PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS

ne player quietly took control of his destiny in a year that started with certain assumptions and expectations and was filled with unexpected highs and lows, controversy, and confrontations. He was already known as an outstanding player but stood in the shadow of his older brother, just at the edge of the big stage but never standing front and center. In 2023, Ko Ping Chung had one of the most outstanding years in pool we have seen in a very 40

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long time. He claimed four titles, including the US Open, second only to the World Championship in significance. Ko Ping Chung had multiple top-ten finishes and dazzled us with his shot-making, cue ball control, heart, and nerve. He stood tall in the most significant moments and has emerged this year as one of the best we’ve seen—a man who looks confident that he can continue to make dreams a reality. At just 28 years old, Ko Ping Chung is fourth in the

Matchroom ranking with 130,000 dollars in winning so far this year. His brother Ko Pin Yi had a great year himself, finishing ranked sixteenth, with wins at The World Pool Masters and The TE Capital APP 9-Ball Championship. But Little Ko led the way for the Ko brothers in 2023. Chung’s year began with winning the Maldives Open 10 Ball Championship, which boosted his confidence and led him to win more events! Ping Chung won the Universal Chinese Taipei Open, the US Open, and the 2023 Sharks International 9 Ball Open. He also won a gold medal in the 2023 Zan Tip Invitational, received 3rd place at the Hanoi Open, was runner-up at the Qatar Open 9 Ball, and 2nd at the Mezz Bucharest Open. Chung’s cue is called Kingmaker, which is a Zen Custom Cue. He uses an X Pro 1 Shaft, the Ko Jump Cue, and the Predator BK Rush Break Cue. Ko Tips are on all their cues! Ko Ping Chung and his brothers started playing pool in their family’s pool hall. In a previous interview, Ping Chung explained that he started training seriously at age 10. Ko Ping Chung’s father is now arguably the brother’s biggest supporter, watching their games and advising on their shortcomings.

KO PING CHUNG AT US OPEN PHOTO BY TAKAIMAGES FOR MATCHROOM MULTI SPORTS

When asked what the next big event he would like to win, Ko Ping Chung said he would like to win the World Nineball Championship. The events for 2024 begin with the Taipei Open and the World 10 Ball for the Ko brothers. Here are some of the questions that Ko Ping Chung answered: 2023 Has been a huge year for you. You won the us open, finished second in qatar, and took third in hanoi. You have had several other top finishes throughout the year. Have you had any time to really look back and digest the success you have had this year? I am surprised by my performance this year because I did poorly last year. I lacked confidence at the beginning of the year, but I became more confident after winning the championship in the Maldives. I also adjusted my mindset, so I won more championships in a row. SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

How big was it for you to win a Major title like the US Open? I won the US Open championship, and I am very happy. This is something I have always dreamed of, and I did not expect to achieve it this year. This is a reward for my hard training, and I also thank my family for supporting me all the time. You have always been a very talented player but what do you think has changed to have driven you to the levels you have reached this year? I increased my physical training this year, and this helped me a lot. I was more focused in the competition, and I also had more confidence because I won many championships. The amount of talent out there is at an all-time high, but you have been able to focus and play as consistently as anyone. What does it take in today’s sport to compete at a high level over an entire calendar year? I think physical strength is a very important key, and so is mentality. In the competition, you can’t have too much attachment to the outcome, so that you can face each game with a normal mind You have traveled all over the world, winning titles in Asia, Europe, and North America. How would you compare your experiences among the three continents in terms of how the events are presented, fan support, and the general atmosphere around the sport? In the past two years, I have participated in more ordinary competitions in Europe and the United States. I think the audiences in Europe and the United States are more enthusiastic, and Asia is a little more shy, but I enjoy every competition in every place. Focusing on every moment of the competition makes me very happy. You have brothers that are also high-level players including World Champion Pin Yi. How do you guys support each other when preparing for matches or reviewing your play afterward? Do you talk about the conditions, how tables seem to be playing and breaking, some flaws that need correction?

KO PING HAN, KO PIN YI, & KO PING CHUNG AT THE US OPEN 2023 PHOTO BY TAKAIMAGES FOR MATCHROOM MULTI SPORTS

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We usually discuss and study our shortcomings when we practice. If there are new rules for serving, we will also discuss them together. And we will cheer each other on during the competition. Because of this, we can always find good methods when we practice. This past year has seen many new events being added to the calendar year, particularly in Asia, with Hanoi and the Chinese Taipei Open. I know Matchroom is planning more events not only in your home country but in Singapore as well in the next few months. We are seeing more and more talent emerge from Asia and the fan base seems to be incredibly supportive. Do you think with the growth of the Asian leg of the WNT we will see the numbers in players and in fans increase as well? I think there are more and more competitions in Asia, and I will definitely see more amazing Asian players. In the past, because of the travel expenses, many Asian players could not go to Europe and the United States to participate in the competitions, but they are very good. If there are more competitions in Asia, I believe there will be more billiard stars. I also hope that because of this, more people will like billiards and more fans will come to watch the game live. Who are some young names that you think we will see on the world stage in the next couple of years? There are many young players in Europe who are very good, which should have a lot to do with the promotion of billiards in Europe. I also hope that Asia can have European tours and youth competitions like Europe, which will definitely help a lot in cultivating players. This year has also not been without controversy. What are your thoughts on the situation between the WPA and the WNT? The players seem to be caught in the middle with very little voice, but do you think there is a solution where these organizations can coexist? As a player, I only hope to have games to play, I enjoy the atmosphere of the competition. There are rumors of Matchroom putting on a Mosconi Cup style event in Asia? Do you think players would like to play in such an event and how do you think fans would respond to it? This must be the competition that all players want to participate in the most, I also look forward to it and hope to participate, this is the most watched competition in the billiards world, if it is held in Asia, it will definitely attract the attention of people all over the world. What are some of your favorite events to play and where are some of your favorite locations to visit? I currently like to go to Vietnam to participate in the competition the most. The last time I participated in the Hanoi Open, there were so many spectators that it was unimaginable. On the court, I felt like I was a star, very supported by the fans. I am very happy and I love Vietnam very much. What are your thoughts on events like Derby City Classic, where you have multiple disciplines or events like Puerto Rico where you have both singles and team events running simultaneously? Is it harder to prepare for them and is it harder to stay focused throughout the event? I think the diversity of the competition is a good thing, which can attract more audiences to watch the game and also add some fun to the game, but I need to practice more items and also increase the difficulty. For me, It is also a big challenge. How do you prepare at home prior to leaving for a major event? Is it different when you know you will be making multiple stops as opposed to returning home more quickly? Before the game, we will practice and compete with each other as three brothers, and we will also go to the gym together to exercise and encourage each other to increase our physical strength. It is a very hard thing to compete abroad for a long time. Fortunately, we are three brothers who can accompany each other when we go abroad. It is not so hard on a long journey. SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

What is it that you enjoy most about being able to travel around the world, and do you and your two brothers generally travel together? What are some of your favorite things to do away from the table when you are on the road? I love watching Netflix on my iPad when I’m on a plane. Even though sometimes the journey is really long, watching movies is a relaxing thing for me. When you are at home what do you do for yourself to wind down after a long road trip? After finishing a competition, I love to watch TV in the living room, stay with my two lovely cats all day without going out, and do nothing but relax. This is a great way for me to unwind. You and your brothers are all great players and have your own individual styles and goals but what’s it like when you get together for an event where you will all play and what’s it like back home when you get together and take some time off from pool? We always discuss our thoughts during the competition, and we also act as each other’s coaches. When one of us is competing, the other brother will definitely cheer him on. We are not only brothers but also the best partners. Ko Ping Chung’s inspiring story reminds us that with hard work, dedication, and a strong mindset, we can achieve our dreams even when the odds are against us. He proved that anything is possible if we believe in ourselves and our abilities. Ko Ping Chung’s success is a testament to the power of perseverance and determination, and it shows that we can all achieve greatness if we are willing to put in the effort and never give up on our goals.

KO PING CHUNG AT US OPEN PHOTO BY TAKAIMAGES FOR MATCHROOM MULTI SPORTS 44

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MATT ANDREWS

GETTING BACK TO BASICS – ENJOYING THE JOURNEY

hen meeting most cue sports players for the first time and listening to their explanation of why they feel they may be struggling, something is usually missing: they mention that they are enjoying it. For many, pool started as a game that they perhaps sat and watched their parents or grandparents play or at least were introduced to in some way by them or friends. It may have been while on a family vacation or Holiday or the result of watching cue sports with them on TV. Naturally, interest had been sparked and grew, first leading to playing in a social environment, the hustle and bustle of clubs and bars, or the quietness of a small table at home. Some positive words from those around provided the encouragement to keep playing, join a team, and play in local tournaments. For many, after gaining the necessary basic skills, the game of pool turned from an exciting pastime into an art form that requires great precision, skill, and match 46

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management. However, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, enjoying the game and understanding the journey it can provide is crucial for maintaining motivation, satisfaction, and success in performance and competition, which all helps to support positive growth and further learning, as learning if we stay open-minded is forever ongoing. For those who strive to play at their best and achieve greatness in this or any sport, the more engrossed and involved we get in things, the more we can be encouraged to be distracted from the key elements that help us achieve our goals. Here, we will explore the significance of embracing pool as the enjoyable interest we first saw with those fresh young eyes and remind ourselves of some essential techniques to help us excel again in competitive play. One of the crucial aspects of becoming an expert or elite player is developing a genuine interest and passion for the sport.

When you enjoy something, the interest, passion, excitement, and anticipation are straightforward to find and often come to us without even thinking about it. We simply can relax, play to the best of our ability, and just revel in the feelings and expectations of each shot, the challenge of defeating opponents, and winning matches and tournaments. We look forward to improving our knowledge and skills further. Often, during the early days, we are also fearless, not overly conscious of the risk or consequences of missing or making a mistake. Instead, we focus on the rewards and what will be gained by playing well and clearing the table. By maintaining and continuing a positive and enthusiastic outlook, we keep the motivation to practice, spend as much time as we can at the table, invest time and effort to find new ways of improving our game and watch ourselves get closer and closer to those peers we have always wanted to beat. Consistency is key. The more consistent we think, the more consistent we act, and it’s integral to achieving mastery in any field, with pool being no exception. The more we enjoy playing and competing, the more we will naturally continue to grow, improve, and master the skills needed, including discovering new ways to manage situations and matches

The Stance and Grip: A balanced and stable stance that consistently provides an aligned body with the shot that is well practiced and feels solid and natural and a consistent, relaxed grip, all helping to provide a solid scaffold to enable smooth guidance and delivery of the cue. Stroke Technique: A consistent and smooth stroke focusing on the straight line of follow-through that transfers the energy from your arm to the cue ball through your cue. Cue Ball Control: The line that we would like the Cue ball to follow at the desired speed to stop within an area we would like. Taking ourselves back to concentrating upon these basics and reminding ourselves of why we started playing in the first place and what we enjoyed about those times provide us with an excellent foundation to build upon, especially if we have felt that we are getting caught up with technical issues or underperforming which in turn encourages frustration. Setting three basic goals to achieve during our match will also help us reduce these feelings and keep things simpler, acting as a distraction to help prevent us from focusing on less helpful things. Three suggestions, maybe -

Goal 1: To fully focus on the shot in front of me While playing pool casually is enjoyable and fun Goal 2: To stay positive throughout with a huge social side, competing professionally Goal 3: To enjoy the challenge demands a solid foundation in the basic techniques that are then improved and built upon. Even professional competition is not just about the win or loss; it is about the Journey as a whole, what One of the problems many will face is when it all we learn during any losses, and congratulating starts to get a little more serious and where we are ourselves when we are rewarded with the wins encouraged to go searching for answers in how while using how we gained them as a template to we can improve, answers to why we missed that further success. shot or ended up positionally where we did and the fun and enjoyment slowly seeps away without us Maintaining a positive interest and love for the often realising and can be replaced with feelings game can help unlock your potential and allow you of frustration, confusion, and annoyance. A pool to play freely at the top of your ability. Whenever player’s version of writer’s block that halts our we feel stuck, frustrated, and concerned about our creativity and natural ability to flow and just play form, we should always return to those basics and the way we believed we were capable of. remind ourselves why we enjoy the sport so much and those first days of why we started. The fundamental skills that a professional would recognise are: Shot alignment: The all-important path that you intend your shot is going to take The approach: The approach to the table and the shot or the walk-in SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

GARRET TROOP

Predator Chalk Review

any different chalks are out there, and they all try to make you a better player, but do they really do anything that helps your game? About ten years ago, there was a big movement into cosmetic chalks. With that being said, there is the standard chalk that is in every bar that has a valley table, and that is Masters. We will call that our baseline. Chalk has become its own industry in the Billiards empire. I’m referring to Dr. Dave, who recently did a test on many major chalks out there and found that they are all about on the same level. I tend to disagree with this statement, and here is why, I tested a lot of chalk, and here is what I found. Now, I received a box of the new predator chalk and discovered that Taom makes it. This is really no surprise to me, and they Subcontract everything that they make out to different companies. But that is not the discussion here. What I tested was many chalks and how they play as an individual compared to the standard, which is Masters. The new predator chalk comes in three different hardnesses—a soft, a medium, and a hard version. I will say that this is a great idea, and it fits a larger group of players. The hard version reminds me the most of the V10, although it’s slightly less gritty. Once you get a base layer, it goes on easily. However, when you chalk, you should only do a touch-up and not try and coat your entire tip with a layer of chalk that is unnecessary. The chalk left no residue, and the cue ball and that is great. Ai had a hard time finding out where I was cueing. The hard version comes in a green color that reminds me 100% of the V10. It retails for $29 a piece at Seybert’s. “There are Painters, and there are grinders. If you know, you know.” The next Predator chalk I tested was the medium hardness. I will say it goes on a little smoother, and it’s slightly easier to apply to the tip. This chalk is a light blue color and is a good piece of chalk. I will mention that all the predator chalks come in an Octagon shape, and it’s easy to hold in your hand and just kind of fits. The chalk goes on easy and there is a very small amount of chalk that is transferred onto the cue ball. It’s a great chalk, and I find it a pleasure to use. The last in this group of chalks is the soft version, and I loved this one the most. It reminds me of the Kageki from Kamui, only less messy. All three chalks Retail for $29 and can be found at Seybert’s. This version was slightly dirtier than the rest but also gripped the ball a lot better, in my opinion. I tested all of these chalks and tested the maximum amount of draw that you could put on a cue ball. I tested how many hits you can hit the cue ball without miscuing. I rested on the chalk application and how easy it went on. I tested them all for about a month. I will go on to say that they don’t wear that much at all until you get to the first layer. 48

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Dr. Dave’s review https://youtu.be/CUJfxb28KW0?si=Sy9HvZ_mCDmFSIM8 If you like any of the Taom products on the market, then you will love the new Pure Predator chalk-like. They have a little something for everyone, and that covers the playing field a lot better than trying to just wing it and hope for the best. Chalk is a necessary part of pool and billiards. With that being said, there are a lot of options out there. Dr. Dave says that there is little difference, and in the end, it all comes down to what you like in a chalk and what you are willing to spend to get what you want. These chalks are a good investment in your bag. I will go on to say that I have an incredible amount of respect for Dave and all the work that he does. He has put the time and energy into what he is doing. These are Premium chalks, and there is a whole new bread of the next evolution of what can be done in the chalk industry. I test a lot of chalk and come to appreciate the work that Dr. Dave puts into this industry, and I respect him and all the work he has done throughout the years. When I said I disagreed with his video, I would link it here. He shows that most of the chalks have the same tendencies. Some miscue faster than others, and I will continue to do these reviews with many other chalks.

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KEITH SHANER

DEADLINE LOOMING

Now, the reason that I am writing this is that pool has appeared to be in a very positive position for the first time in literally forever. This rift has been quite negative, especially in how it impacts the players...

e’ve also had our share of fine cue makes as well. From Toledo to Cleveland to Cincinnati to Dayton to I look forward to the first of March every year. It’s the birthday of one of my children. March 1 is also the day Yellowstone became a National Park. Nikolai Tesla gave a radio demonstration in the US, and Henri Becquerel discovered radioactive decay. It also marks some events that are not so pleasant. The Lindberg baby was kidnapped, a deadly avalanche buried a train in Washington, and the Salem witch trials began.

In 2024, March 1 will begin the banning of players from WPA-sanctioned events if they choose to participate in non-sanctioned events. This appears to be in response to Matchroom’s World Nine-Ball Tour (WNT) and their refusal to pay sanctioning fees, use the WPA world rankings, and for scheduling events on top of tournaments already on the WAP calendar. Now, this is a very simple summary, and there are a lot of details involved. According to the WPA President in a recent interview, the WPA is prepared to waive sanctioning SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

fees, and I think they are willing to work on a other sports. The pool division, which established compromise about the rankings. As of this writing, the Mosconi Cup in 1994, has evolved to owning the Matchroom has not responded back as far as I know. US Open Nine-Ball Championship and they are the current promoters of The World Pool Championship, Now, the reason that I am writing this is that pool which is a Nine-Ball event. With the establishment has appeared to be in a very positive position for the of the WNT, they have created The UK Open, The first time in literally forever. This rift has been quite Spanish Open, and The UK Open. The Mosconi negative, especially in how it impacts the players, Cup, which is about to get underway as I write this, and nothing is more polarizing than a negative has become their premier showcase event and a big debate. The mainstream middle gets tuned out or draw for fans both live and on TV/streaming. turned off, and the extreme sides often end up going at it like rapid predators. And nothing positive Matchroom is a for-profit promotional company. gets accomplished. They are trying to build a brand, and yes, they are trying to make money with their promotions. They Now, who are these two entities? The WPA is the deal with 9-ball exclusively at this point, and they are World Pool-Billiard Association and they are the promoting open events as well as a few junior events governing body for cue sports around the world. in parallel, like at the US Open and the UK Open. They sanction big events like World Championships, They do not have any ladies’ events on the calendar and they maintain the rules of play for the games, right now. I feel it is also necessary to point out that as well as the yearly calendar. They are tied to the they do recognize ranking points in events outside of IOC through the World Confederation of Billiards their own, such as The International Open (which is Sports and work with continental federations and WPA-sanctioned) subsidiaries to help with the support of players and to possibly get pool recognized as an Olympic Sport. Now, I have clearly not gone into great detail, and I They work to develop interest in the games and to encourage everyone to read, research, and learn as spread that interest worldwide. They are a nonmuch as possible on their own. One of the biggest profit, they are not a promotional company, they issues that I have with this debate is the fact that are made up mainly of volunteers. They do not people cherry-pick what they want to talk about or, organize events wholly themselves; they work with in some cases, yell about. promoters to get their events sanctioned and on the yearly calendar. What I almost never hear discussed is – What is the solution? What does the ideal structure of a They have 8-Ball, 9-Ball, and 10-Ball events on their worldwide pool look like? What do the WPA and calendar, and they have sanctioned open, ladies and Matchroom have to do to accommodate one junior events. another? Do they need to do anything at all with or for each other? The federations under them govern pool on a continental and national level. They can be To understand others, you must first understand autonomous to a certain extent but are subject that there are others, and they are not you with a to the WPA for global matters. There are six different face. Something I learned as a child and I continental organizations under them: AAPA, have not forgotten. Both WPA and WNT have their ACBS, BCA, CPB, EPBF, and OPBA. I found 103 place. Let me be clear on that aspect. One thing, countries listed beneath these organizations. Many though, is that while people have their own opinions of these countries have federations that work to and values (as well as they should), some do not care support their players in national and international about seeing any other perspective besides their own competitions, often from the juniors and up. They one. The federations do provide some very valuable provide financial support, stipends, …etc. that allow support to players, and I completely understand them to travel and play much more often. Now, it is why they would want to stand behind them, but it important to understand the support that players must be noted that such support will likely never get, but it is also just as important to know that not happen for other players, so they see no such value. all countries have such organizations, and not all In both cases, they do what they feel is best for their provide financial support for players. careers—the same but different. On the other side, we have Matchroom Sport. They promote snooker, boxing, darts, and pool, among 52

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I feel like one side sees the structure like FIFA and the Premier League and the other side sees like the NFL

and IFAF. The problem with the debate going on is that while people like to clearly define one as an event/tour promoter and the other as a governing body. They lose that when they begin pointing fingers. For example: WNT doesn’t promote anything but nine-ball. Yes, because that is the business they are in – A nineball tour. They do not have the responsibility to do anything else. If the WNT works out, they might move into other games, and maybe they will also work with the promotion of ladies’ events. While Matchroom has had a toe in the water for a while, they have only recently gone in deep with the WNT. Too much too soon and they likely will find themselves in trouble. From a business standpoint, it makes sense. Many companies have had success on a small scale and then tried to open stores or divisions all over and ended up closing most of them quickly.

wanting to use the association to help raise global interest and how to employ some of the structures and methodologies that are used in global sports because that is what you are trying to build. They are accused of being a bit hypocritical when some of their federations provide support, and others do not. Now, this is tricky because there are plenty of places where the government is not set up to provide such support, and some are never likely to do it, so now you must look for outside sponsorships. This has been something that pool has quite frankly not been very good at doing, and the WPA is probably not set up to look at marketing demographics and viewership totals. Something that Matchroom is better equipped to handle, but for not exactly the same reasons that the WPA is based on.

What must stop is the back-and-forth bickering on points that don’t even apply to the other side. You They say they are not promoting the sport. From both agree that your roles are different so expecting a certain point of view, that is true as they are not the other side to be working towards the same goal organizing other games, and they are not tied into is fruitless. People keep likening this to the PGA things at an amateur level, but again, they are not versus LIV Golf. I do not. It is more like the NCAA in that business. To be fair, though, the interest that punishing a school a few years after the infraction, they generate in nine-ball and the interest that they and it’s the players who had nothing to do with what generate in the promotion of players to the public happened paying the price for it. That’s my biggest will influence the promotion of pool and overlapping issue here: our players are paying the penalty for into other games. They also complain that they something they didn’t have any control over. Stop it. are only going to end up benefiting the upper-tier Either figure out how to work together or leave each players. Yes, the same way other professional sports other alone, and the chips can fall where they may. organizations do. The NFL cares about NFL teams If you are going to say players have to choose one and players; they are not interested in CFL or XFL or side or the other, then so be it. Just understand that promoting rugby. It would be nice, but that is not an outcomes are not always linear, and you may find expectation we should have of them. yourself in an unexpected position. Then there are those who complain that the WPA is not putting on events with the production value of Matchroom. That’s not the WPA’s responsibility. They are not directly involved in getting arenas and vendors and seating and streaming services, nor should they be. They are a governing body; they work with the WCBS and the IOC. They work with a myriad of organizations in developing the game in far-reaching corners of the globe. It would be nice if they could only work with high-end promoters with great marketing and media, but they don’t grow on trees. Especially for a niche sport like ours right now. Then there is the debate about the value of tying yourselves to the IOC and working for such a long period of time on getting cue sports into the Olympics. Now, I personally don’t think we will see pool in the Games, but I can understand

One thing for sure is there is no “One Size Fits All” solution. When looking at methodologies employed by other organizations and businesses, it is important to look at the when, how, where, and why and not just the what. Years ago, some businesses were reorganizing all the time because successful companies like Microsoft did it. They couldn’t really explain why they needed to and didn’t have a clear idea about how it would work to benefit them in the future. It was usually full of “This will position us better in the future” or “This will help us streamline overall operations.” It’s nonsense. It reeks of “political-speak”. If you can’t explain your plan, then you don’t have one. We must be better. We have over 100 years to look back on to see what worked and what didn’t. So Please Figure It Out – The Deadline is Looming. SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

MARK WHITE

DIARY OF A COMMENTATOR

TESTING ONE TWO ONE TWO CHAPTER 2 In June 2019, just 3 days away from my 57th birthday, I was given the gift of a lifetime: my first opportunity to commentate on a serious, professionally organized pool tournament. Like any ball sport and life in general, for that matter, timing can be everything, the difference between scoring a free kick like David Beckham, shooting a free throw like the great Michael Jordan, or breaking and running like Shane Van Boening. Sometimes, it’s about timing and a big break in life; we all need a lucky break, whatever our chosen field. My lucky break I just happened to be in a pool room in Pattaya, Thailand, called Double Kiss, when I heard a guy ask, “Is there anyone in here who speaks good English and can commentate on pool”? Well, I had never done either, but I thought, why not? I’ll give it a go. I always believed I could do it, and I am definitely the kind of person who will give anything a go at least twice. Once to see if I liked it or not, and the second time to make sure I made the right decision the first time. I have only ever feared one thing in life, and that is laying on my death bed about to breathe my last breath, only for my last thought to be, “I wish I’d tried that.” So it was finally time to put my microphone where my mouth was and step into the booth. Thanks to ‘That guy’ in Double Kiss, Rolly Baron from ‘Batang Tirador in the Philippines, if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know where I’d be today, Thank you, Rolly. The tournament was starting the following day in a huge shopping mall called ‘Show DC’ in Bangkok. Six Joy 9-foot Chinese 8-ball tables, including a very nice main arena table with full production and a lot of competitors from all over Asia looking for the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to China to take part SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

in the China Open later in the year. I wasn’t totally new to having a microphone thrust into my face, I had been in a similar situation in Estonia in 2002. Coincidentally, a day before my 40th birthday, I had been invited to a trendy restaurant hangout for local celebrities called Pegasus. It was owned by an Irish Indian named Michael Bhoola and an Estonian male model called Mart Mardisalu. I had met Mike the day before in a pub called Ted Browns, an Irishthemed pub, and somewhere, Mike seemed a lot more at home. We struck up a friendship immediately, one that lasts until today. He asked what I was doing for my 40th; I told him I was new in town, I didn’t know anywhere or anyone, and without hesitation, he said, “Right, I will invite some friends to the restaurant for dinner for your 40th and I will introduce you to some people, be there around four, we can have some drinks on the terrace and it’s all on me”. The next day, I put on my favourite peacocking shirt (I always loved shirts that were loud and got the attention of the Ladies, it took their eyes off my face) it was like a clown wearing his makeup. It gave me the confidence to go anywhere and mix with anyone, including the rich and famous. I can remember it so clearly over 21 years later. It was a hot June late afternoon. I was drinking prosecco, and Mike had just walked inside to grab a second bottle when all of a sudden, a Citroen Picasso people carrier pulled up, the side door slid open, and out jumped a cameraman and crew. My first thought was this was either Candid camera or just for laughs, and this had been a big setup to prank me. Turned out to be a local celebrity and a film and TV producer, Ken Saan. He also made TV commercials for advertising agencies. He came straight to my table and asked me, ‘That’ question that I would hear 21 years later, “Excuse me, do you speak English”? I said, “I am English,” great, he said, I am looking to make a TV commercial, and you have just the look I’m searching for. I remember thinking, is it a shirt THE VERY TRENDY PEGASUS TERRACE advert? He continued to explain that he needed a middle-aged guy with greying hair, someone who looked like they could be the captain of a cruise ship. He asked if I’d mind doing an audition. I agreed and asked when. He said right now. Where I enquired, just over there, pointing to a patio area in front of a beautiful medieval chuch. Why not, I thought, I’d had half a bottle of prosecco, so we all went over the the ‘Stage’ as he explained to this very confused Englishman that he wanted me to imagine I was the captain of a big party cruise liner, it was a campaign run by Masterfoods that gave people a chance to win a ‘Fabulous Cruise’ to the Caribbean when they bought Snickers, Mars, Bounty’s, and Twix. So he gives this Englishman who has never acted before, apart from the fool, a scenario where he wants me to imagine I’m an American second-hand car salesman convincing chocolate lovers to buy more of it in the hope of winning this cruise or many other prizes including beach towels, camera, and even more chocolate. I got the part, and it led to spin-off live appearances on weekly draws on live TV in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. There were life-size cardboard cutouts of me in supermarkets, invites to the weekly ‘Tonight with Alex Lepajoe,’ the equivalent of Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show in the states 56

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MARK WHITE

This captain was riding the crest of a wave, and all of a sudden, I was invited to host a game show. Companies were asking me to model shirts, yeah, I know, can you imagine me, a model? Well, if you have been reading, you will notice I did mention before that I was firstly famous (In my local nightclubs) as the peacock shirt guy, well, this peacock was on a catwalk. I was invited to the opening of new trendy new restaurants, nightclubs, and bars, I also opened my first of two bars called ‘Pitstop’ right in the centre of old town. I even got an invite to a celebrity town centre cross-country skiing event, and they set up a course with hills and ramps. I had water skied before, but on snow? Those skis have very slippery bottoms, and by the end of the course, which I finished last and after some spectators had gone home, I had a very sore bottom because of those slippery bottomed skis. I thought it would be a good time to delve into an industry I had fallen in love with during the incredible 80’s, radio. I literally asked Jeeves, yes, before we all became googleeyed there was a lovely butler, a real old fashioned Gentleman that stood there with his tray inviting us to ask him anything, so I did, “Jeeves my good man, can you list all the radio stations in Estonia please”? I think there were around 15 altogether, 5 of them owned by a company called Sky Media. Estonia is an interesting country and an example of how, after regaining its independence once again from the Soviet PEACOCKIROCKING THE FRILLY SHIRT AT A NEW BAR OPENING WITH MY DATE AT THE TIME, MERLE TAEVERE

Union in 1992, the country was home at the time to 600,000 Estonians and 400,000 Russians, so as you can imagine, there was a need for two of everything: languages on signs, forms in banks to fill in, and also Russian and Estonian night clubs, restaurants, and, yes, Radio stations. I emailed all of them with an idea I had of presenting a weekly UK dance music chart. Tallinn, the capital, was in the throws of reinventing itself. The medieval cobbled streets within the city wall were changing, just like the fall of the Berlin wall changed everyday life in the two Germanies at the time. Estonia became one of the most up-to-date cities in SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

the world. They were one of the first countries to offer Internet banking; ask the youth in Estonia at the time if you knew what a bank cheque was, and they would look at you with blank expressions. The inventors of Skype were a couple of young Estonian guys, the city had more free wifi spots than anywhere on the planet, and the fastest. Trendy coffee shops and big-name designers started opening stores there, and really incredible new nightclubs like Privé above, an equally impressive Stereo lounge sprung up with their sprung dance floors adding to the older style Hollywood club and the gargantuan Russian club Decolte that has a capacity of over 2,000 people. I actually met and dated the tallest Woman in Europe at the time in Decolte. She was pretty gargantuan, too, heightwise, 7’4”. I actually had to take the footboard off the end of the bed so she

TERE HOMMIKUST TALLIN, MADIS MALK R.I.P, AND MYSELF ON ENERGY FM LIVE FROM STEREO LOUNGE

The country’s youth had fallen in love with house music. Dance music was massive, top DJ’s from around the world came to Tallinn: Carl Cox, Judge Jules, even Michael Jackson and the Weeknd appeared there in front of a crowd of 65,000 fans packed the astonishing Lauluväljak which translates to ‘Song square,’ Estonians are a nation of singers and once held a world record for the largest-ever choir that performed there; 15,000 choristers gathered to sing, and an annual parade to the song square still goes on today. OK, back to the radio stations. I emailed them all, and one Russian guy liked my idea and we would record the first 4 shows, which went out on a Saturday afternoon from 2 until 4.I used the official dance chart from UK’s Radio 1. I ran a weekly competition to give away merchandise and CDs that Judge Jules personally sent 58

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MARK WHITE

me as giveaways pretty soon, the show got quite popular. Who was this guy on the radio in Estonia, the only English-speaking show in Estonia? I can remember walking down the street at the time my show was on and watching people dancing in their car seats, and I vividly remember hearing me speaking between tracks by a bus station that was playing the show. I have a lot to Thank Alex Rostov for; he was the guy who ran Energy FM 93.2 at the time. I would go on to host the breakfast programme on weekday mornings from 8 until 10. It was called Tere Hommikust Tallinn, Good morning, Tallinn.

LAULUVÄLJAK ‘SONG SQUARE’ IN TALLINN

It was unlike any other available at the time, I guess you could say it was Zany. We ended up presenting the show from the stereo lounge underneath Club Privé,

Club Prive was so popular at the time; every house DJ in the world, it seemed, was visiting the club, and Roger Sanchez was a regular. I remember hosting the Sundance music festival one year, and Fedde Le Grand was the headline act; I asked him in front of 5,000 people, “Come on, Fedde, that isn’t your real name, is it’’? He actually took out his passport on stage and showed me, the Dutch megstar was really named Fedde Le Grand. At a previous music festival, Madis and I were presenting a late-night version of the show live on stage. I was leading the crowd in waving their hands in the air, dancing along to the music with the dancers on stage, when one of the dancers did a spin and a leg kick, which hit the mic I was holding and knocked my front tooth out which later required an implant. One Thursday morning, while presenting the morning show, we had a visit from one of the Prive nightclub owners who said, “I want you to interview the 40’s superstars Sugarhill Gang on tomorrow’s show. They will join you for an hour, and you can ask them anything and promote that they will be performing at the club the following night”. OMG!!! Now, who hasn’t heard of that classic “Rappers Delight?” If you haven’t, here is the original official video: https://youtu.be/ mcCK99wHrk0?si=ZCTEOg7wD6JD1XcH THE VERY TRENDY STEREO LOUNGE

They were just the sweetest guys; in their whole career, they never cussed once. Their moms would have been mortified had they used obscenities. They all wrote their own verses for that classic track, and they also made history as being the first group ever to use the phrase ‘HIPHOP.’ The biggest band member was a giant of a guy called Wonder Mike. He suffered from bad Asthma; he had an attack after the show and realized he didn’t bring his inhaler with him. I drove him to a DR and got him sorted out with one. We spent an incredible few hours together as I gave them a tour of Tallinn’s old town. You can view 2 videos here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-jNFP7rizY & https://youtu.be/yVXiF9wN_gU The next day, the band had a great night at Prive; unbelievable when you consider that “Mike could barely climb the stairs to the club, but once that mic was in Mike’s hand, he turned from Wounded Mike into Wonder Mike, and the band brought the house down. That time I spent with those legends would have a lasting effect on me that would give me the inspiration 22 years later to invent my own alter ego, rapper ‘2 Peace Cue’. Definitely not a real rapper’s delight. SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

Great times came to an end after I suffered from a deep vein thrombosis, which also nearly cost me my life. Two weeks in hospital, and then a 5-day trip by freight ship back to the UK as I couldn’t fly. I also have Michael Bhoola to Thank for coming to see how I was after no one had seen me for several days, only to find me with blue lips in my apartment, not knowing where I was. He was there at the start of my fame and also at my downfall. Back to Thailand shopping mall in Bangkok and the Joy Thailand Chinese 8 ball open 2019 was won by Roland Garcia, who beat local Bangkok pool room owner and ex-professional snooker and world number 32 Stuart Pettman.

THE WINNER, ROLAND GARCIA, WITH HIS MANAGER AND FRIEND

I landed a few commentary jobs in local pool rooms after my first time on the mic in Thailand, but as we all would find out very soon, there was something other than Chinese 8-ball spreading around the world: The pandemic. There are times in all our lives when we face adversity; we can either run away and hide and find excuses not to do something, or we can make the most of a situation. Many lives were lost to the virus, and many lives were destroyed when companies went out of business, and people lost their jobs and their livelihoods. I was about to blossom and make hay while the sun shone, or should I

say the snow fell as I spent a long, cold winter in a horse box. Thanks for reading, and get ready for chapter 3. From Lockdown to Las Vegas. You can watch and listen to my first attempt at commentary on the Joy Thailand Chinese 8 ball open 2019 just click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOY7P0Oli-Q

You can read Chapter One of Daiary of a Commentator at: https://www.sneakypetemafia.com/post/diary-of-a-commentator-in-my-own-words

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KEITH SHANER

MATCHROOM CAPITALIZING IN SINGAPORE

KO PIN YI, DOMINIC PAN AND ALBERT AJ MANAS AT THE TE CAPITOL APP 9 BALL PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS

Ko Pin Yi came into this even as the defending champion. He made the finals this year as well, where he would take on a young phenom from The Republic of The Philippines, Albert “AJ” Manas, who is only sixteen years old.

atchroom just completed another successful event in Asia with the TE Capital App 9-Ball Tournament. With the success they had in Vietnam and the push for the WNT going into 2024, Asia has become the Yukon for pool and Matchroom is the Klondike Gold Rush. Being able to spread ranking events across the globe is really going to help with not only interest in the game but also in 62

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discovering more hidden talent than ever. The TE Capital event featured 128 players. The overwhelming majority were from Asia, including China,

TE CAPITOL PLAYING AREA PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS

Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Ko Pin Yi came into this even as the defending champion. He made the finals this year as well, where he would take on a young phenom from The Republic of The Philippines, Albert “AJ” Manas, who is only sixteen years old. While this was not a major by any means, there was a considerable amount of talent. In addition to the Ko brothers, Aloysius Yapp, Mickey Krause, James Aranas, Johann Chua, Luong Duc Thien, Anthony Raga, Carlo Biado, and Jeff DeLuna were all among the contestants. Asia is home to some of the strongest known and unknown players in the world, so just because you haven’t heard of them doesn’t mean they are lightweights. Events like this are going to give a great deal more visibility to talented players and give them a stage where they can prove themselves. Ko Pin Yi moved through the early rounds with no one getting closer than three games. Ko Ping Chung also made it safely through to the quarterfinals where Marvin Asis defeated him. Marvin was avenging and firstround loss to Ping Chung. He would now face Ko Pin Yi in the semifinals. AJ Manas started with a hill-hill loss in round one and went on to fight back all the way to meet fellow countryman Jonas Magpantay in his semifinal match. This included taking out the hometown favorite Aloysius Yapp 10-4. SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

JONAS MAGPANTAY PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS

KEITH SHANER

AJ took the early lead on Jonas, showing both good cue ball and great shot-making ability, he went up 7-1. Jonas got an opportunity in game nine and went on to win the next six racks to pull even at 7-7. Jonas suffered a dry break in rack fifteen, and AJ returned to the table with a bit of a tester on the one, and with steely nerves, he made the ball and went on to dismantle the rack to regain his lead.

AJ MANAS PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS 64

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AJ had his own dry break problems in the next game, and Jonas fired in a long jump shot to start and then a combination on the two and eight to pull even again. Rack seventeen looked to be an easy one for Jonas, but a missed seven-ball put AJ back at the table, and he put the last three balls in the hole. Dropping a ball on the break and working his way through to another break and run put the youngster on the hill. Breaking the next rack and just missing the one in the side, Jonas came to the table. Making the one ball, he missed a bank on the two, and a defensive battle began that Magpantay won to pull within one. Jonas again forced a short defensive battle, and he gained control, but he tried for the early win and missed a tough three-nine combination, and AJ Manas closed out the match. Ko Pin Yi and Marvin Asis were up in the second semifinal. Ko took control right away, winning six straight racks. Marvin finally got on the board in games seven and eight, but broke dry in the next to let Ko have a look at the one-ball. Pin Yi takes the rack with a bank on the eight to get to the game ball. Using all his tools, Ko plays a great lock-up safe to get ball in hand and move another rack to his side of the wire. In rack eleven, Asis got a look at a thin two-ball and sliced it into the corner, running out the rack. Dropping the one ball on the break, he unfortunately scratched as the cue ball came back across the table. Giving ball in hand to Ko is never ideal, and he showed why as he calmly worked his way through the rack to extend his lead to 9-3. In the next rack, Ko played another tough safety, but Marvin two-rail kicked the one ball in and played a safe of his own. Ko made a great hit and, with a bit of a roll, left Asis in a bad predicament. The jump cue allowed him to get a hit, but he left Ko a long, thin cut on the two, which he sent down the rail cleanly and then ran out again to get to the hill first. Breaking for the match, Ko drops three balls and thins the threeball all the way up the table and he leaves himself open, and he runs out for the win and the right to meet the young phenom Albert Manas. AJ Manas started off with a break and run, which is a pretty impressive way to begin a final when you are sixteen and playing one of the best in the world in the finals on the stream table. Better keep an eye on this young man. MARVIN ASIS PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS

Ko missed a two-nine combination in the next rack, and AJ cleaned it SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

KEITH SHANER

up to go up 2-0. The next rack it was the same thing, with Ko coming up short on a safe. AJ again took the rack away, and Ko took a break at 3-0. AJ was looking good in rack four, but the cue ball got a little loose, and it led to him being forced to kick at the five-ball. With a look at the five and the eight and nine tied up, runs to the eight and locks AJ up on the nine-ball. AJ missed the kick, and Ko got on the board. Pin Yi scratched on his next break, and AJ ran out with ball in hand to move up to a 4-1 advantage. AJ broke dry, and Ko banked in the one but had no real shape on the two. He played a two-way shot on attempting a carom on the nine-ball and left AJ with no easy shot. AJ attempted a bank combination on the nine but missed, and Ko played a short carom to win the rack.

KO PIN YI AT TE CAPITOL APP 9-BALL PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS

Ko also won rack seven and cut the lead to one. Another scratch on the break by Ko let AJ run out another table but a tactical game in rack nine led to another Ko win. A bit of back and forth in the next rack and a couple of missed balls by both lead to Ko squaring the match up at 5-5. Albert Manas, however, would not go away and won rack eleven to regain his lead. The next rack had some great shot-making, some missed opportunities, and some fortunate rolls, depending on which side you were on. It came down to a kick safe by AJ that gave Ko a look at the five-ball, and Ko came through with the win. At 6-6, Ko broke, making the one-ball in the side and playing with pretty good precision. He ran out the rack to finally take the lead in the match. Rack twelve saw Ko hang a tough two-ball, and he turned the table back over. AJ then did not get great shape on the three, and he missed it in the side, allowing Ko to take the game back. Ko seemed to find his rhythm, and his defensive tactics began to take their toll on the young Manas. With Ko leading 9-6, AJ took his break to try to regroup. At 10-6, Ko hit a dry break, but AJ hung the two-ball in the upper corner, and Ko came back to take another rack. Another mistake by AJ let Ko again take control, and he 66

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KO PIN YI AT TE CAPITOL APP 9-BALL PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

got to the hill at 12-6. Ko dropped the one in the side again and starting with a bank on the two-ball, he went on to win his eighth rack in a row, the match, and the tournament. Albert Manas played a wonderful tournament and was the top Filipino in the event, and there were nine in the top 15 players. He definitely will be a young man to keep an eye out for, and I hope to see him playing again very soon. With the talent we have seen coming out of Vietnam at the Hanoi open and seeing new names from the Philippines like Manas, Feliciano, Asis, and Amoroto, and of course, the players following out of Taiwan and China, I think Asia is going to continue to be extremely strong and with Matchroom providing more events to showcase this talent we in the rest of the pool world are going to be better for it. Congratulations to Ko Pin Yi for defending his title. Congratulations to AJ Manas for a phenomenal showing for a young player. Finally, congratulations to Matchroom as they continue to produce quality presentations and set the stage for a full-year launch of the World Nine-Ball Tour.

KO PIN YI WITH HIS KO JUMP CUE PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS 68

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TE CAPITOL-PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 27 November 2023 TE CAPITAL PARTNERS PRESENTS THE TE CAPITAL APP 9-BALL OPEN FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR SINGAPORE (29 Nov 2023) – TE Capital Partners Pte Ltd (“TE Capital”) announces its return as the joint organizer of the TE Capital APP 9-Ball Open for the second year in a row. Following the resounding success of the inaugural event last year, TE Capital, as part of a shared commitment to supporting Sports and Games in Singapore, together with the Asian Pool Federation are set to elevate the experience for pool enthusiasts with a larger pool of 128 players from the region including home ground pool star Aloysius Yapp. The event, happening between 29 November 2023 and 3 December 2023 will be held at the Aspire Recreation Centre, Singapore and promises an exhilarating and fun-filled tournament. “APP is excited to collaborate with TE Capital once more in hosting this year’s tournament. The backing of corporate sponsors from diverse industries is essential in raising the sport of billiards to a level that captures mass spectator interest, motivating young enthusiasts to follow and take up the cue.” – Dominic Pan, spokesperson from Asian Pool Promotions. The TE Capital APP 9-Ball Open, is more than just a competition – it’s an opportunity for players in the Asia region and beyond to climb the World Nineball Tour (WNT) rankings. With a substantial prize fund of S$ 50,000, this open tournament welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds and countries, creating an atmosphere where competition and camaraderie come together. In recent years, there has been a notable shift in the perception of Pool and Cuesports. No longer viewed solely as a recreational game, it is increasingly recognized for its intellectual and strategic aspects. The game is gaining respect and is now seen as a sophisticated and challenging pursuit, attracting a diverse audience of enthusiasts of all age groups. The TE Capital APP 9-Ball Open’s second edition is poised to showcase the best of the region’s talents, with 128 skilled players competing for top honors. Amongst them is Singapore’s home ground pool prodigy, Aloysius Yapp. A former World Junior Champion and Sea Games Doubles gold medalist, Aloysius has been on an impressive rich vein of form, securing two prestigious tournaments in the past month, including the US $114,000 International 9-Ball Open. TE Capital has been a steadfast supporter of Aloysius Yapp’s journey for the past eight years and is immensely proud of his contributions which has transformed the landscape of Pool and Cuesports in Singapore and the broader region. Aloysius exemplifies qualities such as mental fortitude, resourcefulness, determination and hard work – attributes that align with TE Capital’s corporate values. With this sponsorship and a common vision, we hope that this will inspire the younger generation to develop an interest and popularity in the sport, which in turn further boosts the recognition of Pool as a sport. “I would like to congratulate TE Capital and APP for organizing this regional tournament, which will undoubtedly raise the profile of pool, billiards and Singapore as a hub for regional tournaments. I wish all our Singapore players the very best for the tournament!” – Rachel Ong, Member of Parliament, Telok Blangah Division.

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TE Capital invites all pool enthusiasts and sports fans to join in the excitement of the event through the fiveday event, witness the thrilling matches, and celebrate the skill, strategy and sportsmanship that defines this challenging and engaging sport. Tickets can be purchased at www.asianpool.org/tickets For media enquiries, please contact info@tecapitalasia.com Terence Teo Managing Director TE Capital Partners Pte Ltd CONTACT Emilia Teo, Managing Director emilia.teo@tecapitalasia.com Terence Teo, Managing Director terence.teo@tecapitalasia.com Michelle Lew, Office Manager michelle.lew@tecapitalasia.com ABOUT TE CAPITAL PARTNERS Founded in 2019, TE Capital Partners is a Singapore headquartered real estate investment manager who offers and manages a comprehensive range of investment products on behalf of public listed corporations, institutions, and family offices across the region. As of Q2 2023, TE Capital Partners and its subsidiaries manage more than S$3 billion in assets under management in commercial office, and multifamily assets across Singapore, Japan, Australia, and the United States, via a range of investment vehicles, such as joint ventures, separate accounts, and closed-end funds, including its flagship Asia Opportunities series and Income Partners series. For more information, please visit www.tecapitalasia.com and LinkedIn.

ALOYSIUS YAPP AT TE CAPITOL APP 9-BALL PHOTO BY ASIAN POOL PROMOTIONS SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

ALBERT CHARBONNEAU

THE NEXT POINTS CHAMPION When I first released Points to the world, my goal was to offer an alternative way to enjoy billiards. Eightball & Nine ball are the most common games & I knew Points wasn’t going to be replacing them or any other billiards game. It was meant to be played as a practice game at first & then I added in the competitive aspects. Playing to reach the most points within a set shot limit makes the game an all-out offensive way to play. Each player stays at the table until they’ve reached the agreed-upon set shot limit. The other way to compete is by playing Points to reach an agreed-upon set point amount.

The current Points HeavyWeight Champion is still undefeated even after several world champion players have tried to top his score. Michael Harrison is still on top with 179 points within the 16-shot limit. Max Eberle, Earl Strickland & even 2x World Trickshot Champion Florian Kholer have said that his score is amazing. What do we do from here? I think it’s time to crown the next Points Champion. The Light-Heavyweight Champion!

My next goal is to run a tournament to determine the new champion. The Light-Heavyweight When playing to reach a set point limit, the player’s Division is played with ten balls with an 11-shot limit, alternate turns like any other billiards game. If a miss including the break. I am currently working on the or scratch occurs, it’s the opponent’s turn. I wanted venue. There will also be a cash prize offered. The to make sure Points wasn’t just an offensive game & tournament will be free to enter for any Professional players could experience the defensive possibilities player who wants to enter. I am also extending this as well. free-to-enter offer to David Todd Herbert. For those of you who do not know who David is, you can find him on Facebook. David has been working diligently on his Points game & posting some great examples of Points shots. He saw the potential the game had right away & how it helped improve his shot-making ability. David scores 40-point shots multiple times & he’s even scored as many as 60 points in a single shot. David is putting in the work & the results speak for themselves. Max Eberle came to South Carolina this past November. He stayed for a few days, giving lessons & learning how to play Points. The video I’ve included is a respectful 85-point run he made while playing on a 9-foot Diamond table. His current high score of 121 points was made at Two Keys Tavern on a 7-foot Diamond table.

ALBERT CHARBONNEAU& EARL STRICKLAND PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ALBERT CHARBONNEAU

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Earl Strickland played Points while he was here in South Carolina & he said the game is really good. His high score was 70 points after just three racks played on a 9-foot Diamond table at Player’s Place Billiards. I’m kicking myself for not videoing his attempts. Next time we are together, I will ensure I get him on video. Earl has a true love & passion for

all things billiards. He has thousands of fans from all over the world. He’s played the best of the best in the biggest tournaments the world has ever seen. It is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life to have him not only play my game but actually really like it. Florian Venom Kholer tried the game while we were on the phone. I wanted his professional opinion & I also wanted to see what he could do with the game. Him being a 2x World Trickshot Champion, I knew he was going to be able to make some high-level shots & score some big points. That phone call led to the endorsement video he made for me explaining & demonstrating how the game is played. Since then, I’ve had other Professional players ask me to score shots for them. Gloria Jean is a great ambassador to the sport & she’s made a huge impact in the world of billiards. She’s the founder of the Ride The 9 Tour as well as being a PBIA/ACS instructor. Gloria often talks about the things that really matter to me when it comes to playing billiards. Honesty, integrity, humility & respect. She’s a class act & is someone I consider a warrior on & off the table. Tim Gallagher is another Trickshot Professional who is constantly making incredible shots. I have scored shots for him that are the highest-scoring single shots I’ve seen to date. My tournament invite extends to him as well. Points have the right stuff! It has everything a sport needs. It’s challenging yet highly rewarding for the players. It has scoring for every shot with an easy-to-use scoring system so anyone can play & it’s extremely exciting to watch! No one knows what that next shot is going to be! It’s an unpredictable, spontaneous edge of your seat, stuff-your-face-with-popcorn kind of fun that belongs on TV! One step closer! A new champion is coming! Who will it be? Stay tuned! By Albert Charbonneau inventor & author Link to Tim Gallagher scoring a 70 point shot https://www.facebook.com/reel/607762584750590?s=yWDuG2&fs=e&mibextid=Nif5oz Link to David Todd Herbert scoring a 40 point shot https://www.facebook.com/reel/847488953518320?s=yWDuG2&fs=e&mibextid=Nif5oz Max Eberle’s 85 point run https://www.facebook.com/share/v/dSRQCm7av9VX9hy8/?mibextid=zzkG2A

MAX EBERLY PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ALBERT CHARBONNEAU

MICHARL HARRISON PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ALBERT CHARBONNEAU

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CHIP KLEIN

PERHAPS THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD SHOT IN THE GAME. False positives and other debacles! “WELP, gotta disagree on that!” Just because you disagree doesn’t make you right. I will not bend the laws of physics just to align with your “feel”.

proving that the player swung faster when he was popping the cueball. You can “not follow through”and get IDENTICAL results as long as slower speed is used: same speed as when you follow through.

This shot is a perfect example of how many “feel” players prove what they say with false evidence. You may even demonstrate a shot and get desired Often they can duplicate the shot, but I can do results in an effort to prove me wrong. That doesn’t what they tell you not to do and get the same exact mean you are correct about the reason and cause for result. Physics! your success. Below, you can follow through or not follow through I hope you stick though this long explanation as your and get in the white circle: Kind of a soft stroke. You pool game may be greatly affected. can get to the red circle simply by increasing speed and you can follow through or not: same exact Below we have a shot often demonstrated and result. When a player decides to follow through he getting a different result based on popping the often drops the elbow creating higher contact point cueball ( short follow through) with top right vs on the cueball, giving him a different reaction on following through with top right. Sure enough the rock. This leads him or her to falsely believe the the player gets a different result creating FALSE follow through is the reason. EVIDENCE. What he thinks is happening is not. Problem: The cue ball does not know if you followed through 1 inch, 2 inches or 5 feet. Impact is 1/2000 of a second!The only thing the cueball “knows” is it was impacted at a certain speed. When the player pops the cueball, he inadvertently hits with a higher speed of stroke, and the cueball tangent lines to the rail quickly, and then the English kicks in and takes him up and across table. When he smooth strokes with follow through, the cueball arches forward and the spin gently takes off the rail, but his speed of stroke is much slower. So to be clear, it’s not him following through the cueball: It’s the fact that he lets up slightly on the stroke, allowing the cueball to arch forward and the spin to take. This shot was demonstrated using a speed gun 74

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