SPM Magazine Issue 27

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-What’s Inside This Issue of Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine-Articles Page 3

Anthony Beeler

Are you on the Rebound?

Page 7

Patrick Sampey

Iwan Simonis Ride the 9 Tour The Gloria Jean Interview

Page 8 SPM Writers New England Women’s Pool Alliance’s ‘Pool for Jimmy’ Event Page 20

Patrick Sampey

The Influencers A Billiard Revolution

Page 28

Anthony Beeler

The Secrect of a Great pool Stroke

Page 34

Linda Carter

Salotto App Brings an Exciting New Twist to Playing Pool

Page 40 Brad Swain A New World Record Shines Fresh Light on a Long Forgotten Classic Billiard Game Page 44

Garret Troop

3 Second Flex Fine Fit Five Finger Glove

Page 50

Dominic Esposito Drills that Develop Safety Skills

Page 56

Garret Troop

CJP Bridgehead Review

Page 62 Patrick Sampey Shaw Blasts Straight PoolWorld Record, Weighing in at 714 Balls Run

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Black by Jacoby

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Peri

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Page 18 SPM Valentine’s

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Sticker Mafia

Page 27

SuperCharged

Page 31 Poolteacher.com

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iCue

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LiquidWeightCue

Page 38 Lynch’s Cue Balm

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Aramith

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Brad Swain

Page 48 Fort Worth Billiards Page 49

Pechauer

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JB Cases

Page 55 Gainey Q’z

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Garret Troop

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Racks Billiards

Page 65 Sneaky Pete Mafia

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JB Cases

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Gsiney Q’z\

Page 68 SPM 2022 Media Kit

Page 72

JB Cues

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Knight Billiards

Page 74 SPM Advertising

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Iwan Simonis

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Pete

ARE YOU ON TH

By Anthony Beeler

Recently one of my students asked, “How can I erase the memory of a missed shot and not let it create self-doubt for the rest of my match? Whenever I play a bad match I immediately start to think about how much it has affected my chances of winning that particular event. Negative thoughts start to creep in…it’s hard to rebound from a poor performance.”

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s a coach, I usually tell my students that thoughts are just thoughts and to treat them as such. When your brain produces negativity, a single thought doesn’t have the power to become an emotion that will affect your overall performance. However, the more time you devote to that particular thought, the more you empower it to change your overall mood.

Negative thoughts generally lead to performance anxiety, which can dramatically decrease your overall level of play.

Below you will find 4 ways to eliminate negative thoughts you are likely to encounter after missing a ball or making a costly position error.

1. Respond to the challenge: Professional players tend to respond to the challenge after a poor performance. On the other hand, losers react. It is important to become aware of your feelings and not let them overpower you. If you miss an easy shot, you can expect a negative thought to enter your head. This is actually very normal. Good pool

players pay attention to their negative thoughts, and give themselves time to respond, instead of just reacting.

2. Keep your thoughts in the present moment: Many students have found that trying to clear their mind and focus on their breathing can help.

Other options include concentrating on your preshot routine or focusing on one of your 5 senses (because your senses only exist in the present).

Good players understand that negativity only exists from memories of past performances or the fear of future ones. If you embed yourself into the present, then you will be more likely to exhibit a positive attitude throughout your match.

3. Display good body language: There’s definitely a relationship between good posture and mood. If you continually frown and put yourself in a hunched over position while you are sitting in the chair, you will eventually start

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HE REBOUND? to embrace negative thoughts. Conversely, if you sit with your shoulders back and smile, you’ll feel more confident. When you think you are a slump, notice your body language and correct it as the need arises.

on the shot, get up and restart your pre-shot routine.

• Focus on one stroke thought (for example, you might focus on putting a really good pause into every backswing).

4. Start over:

Try these mental game techniques and I believe you will be able to rebound from a poor match performance! Another thing to remember is that your first match does not have to set the tone for the entire tournament. Many great tournament performances have started with a loss. How you finish is the most important thing.

• Replace negative thoughts with something positive. In between matches, focus on something completely unrelated to pool, like your favorite sport or restaurant.

• If you feel uncomfortable while you are down

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nthony Beeler is the 2018 Pool Instructor of the Year and is a former BCAPL National 9-Ball Champion. He has numerous top 25 national finishes and is one of only 8 ACS Master Instructors in the world. He is the primary author of the National Billiards Instructors Manual and has also authored the book Unstoppable! Positive Thinking for Pool Players. Anthony currently has the highest established Fargo Rating of any Master Instructor.

He has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competition.

Anthony Beeler Photo by Allie Evans

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New England Pool Alliance Jimmy’ Event I

magine a tournament that attracted the best players in the region, didn’t pay out any cash prizes, and wasn’t a qualifier for a larger event. Imagine pool players voluntarily opening their wallets and actively fundraising to help cancer patients. The New England Women’s Pool Alliance not only imagined it, they made it happen with their ‘Pool for Jimmy’ 32-team scotch doubles open 9-ball partner’s event. The event raised over $32,600 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the world’s top cancer centers, located in Boston, MA.

‘Pool for Jimmy’ was held December 11, 2021 at Crow’s Nest Pub and Grill in Plaistow, NH. Beau Powers and Suad Kantarevik took first place, the runners-up were Mike Minichello and Rich Minichello Jr. and finishing third were Michelle Jiang and Tylor Brandom. Other notable players included Ryan Lineham, Erica Testa, Stacie Bourbeau, Joe Dupuis, who recently defeated Jayson Shaw at the NBL10-Ball Championship, and Japanese pro Masanori Morita.

The New England Women’s Pool Alliance is a nonprofit founded in 2021 by two New England Pool and Billiards Hall of Fame members Samantha Barrett and Catherine Fiorilla.

Their mission is to create networking and mentorship opportunities for women who

share a common interest in pool. Some of their other events include a women’s team event called ‘The Anchorperson Challenge’ and a women’s singles event called ‘Break the Cycle: A Domestic Violence Awareness Event.’ We spoke with the founders about their organization and the ‘Pool for Jimmy’ event.

How did the two of you decide to team up to form this organization?

We have casually known each other for many years. Last spring we competed together in a women’s team event and then joined a pool league team composed almost entirely of women. Hardly anyone had been playing pool in the year prior to that due to COVID-19 restrictions, which were particular strict in our area, and people were so happy to be out playing pool and having social contact. It was an encouraging and supportive environment.

Our team won first place that session. It was so nice to go to league every week and be in an atmosphere of strong women that empowered each other, and we wanted to create similar experiences for other women.

Why didn’t you start a women’s pool tour?

“I definitively did not want to run any kind of pool tour,” said Fiorilla. “I wanted the

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d Women’s e’s ‘Pool for t By SPM Writers players to feel free to attend any event and not have to make a commitment of paying a yearly membership fee. There are already other tours in the area and there is a limited population of female pool players that want to play in them. To be successful in this space we need to offer something more than a tour.

I also thought about all the aspects of pool tournaments that I didn’t like (no time to socialize or eat, events running late into the night, etc.) and how those aspects could be improved. I don’t accept that argument that these are the nature of the beast and that’s how tournaments have always been run and players just have to deal with it. I envisioned that we could run some specialty tournaments and have other types of social events that could encourage the women to network and get mentorship.”

How do the networking and mentorship aspects work?

“For the moment we try to create environments at our events that are conducive to the players having meaningful interactions with each other. For example, we might have a table of light refreshments set up that offer a location for players to congregate at between matches.

We might schedule a short break in the tournament to allow all the players to have lunch together,” said Barrett.

Fiorilla added, “When players arrive to the event, we make sure that each one is greeted and introduced to the other players.

I understand that it can be difficult for some people to walk into a room full of people they don’t know. If there are no open tables players who aren’t especially extroverted may not even get any practice time. As the event organizers, we will know most of the people there and it is relatively easy for us to introduce a new player to other players to form these connections. Usually tournament directors are busy preparing for their events and overlook this detail but I think it is very important that everyone walking into one of our events should feel welcome and included.”

Barrett followed up, “At some point, we hope to have more formal networking and mentorship programs in place.”

What do you think is the main strength of the Alliance?

Recognizing that one person can’t do everything is very important. We know many people in pool world and everyone has their own areas of expertise. When you combine the right people with complementary skill sets together their results aren’t added, they are multiplied.

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The top finishers from the event and the event directors. From left to right in the Minichello, and first place team Suad Kantarevic and Beau Powers. In the front r Catherine Fiorilla and Samantha Barrett.

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e back row is third place finisher Tyler Brandom, runners-up Mike and Rich Jr. row from left to right are third place finisher Michelle Jiang and event directors 11

Why did you go through the trouble to found a nonprofit?

We always wanted the Alliance to do some kind of community service. Pool doesn’t always have the greatest reputation but there are actually a lot of generous players and they are happy to support worthy causes. We felt that we could more effectively fundraise as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit. This gives individuals more confidence that their donations will go to people in need and would allow us to solicit donations from larger corporations.

Why specifically did you want to fundraise for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute?

We thought about which charities are the most impactful and trustworthy and DanaFarber was at the top of the list. Eight-eight cents of every dollar donated to them goes to patient care and research. The name of their fundraising arm is the Jimmy Fund.

Since 1948 millions of people have donated and it has so much respect in the community that is the official charity of the Boston Red Sox. Their main yearly fundraiser is the Jimmy Fund Walk, where participants raise money by walking along the Boston Marathon route. For the past two years, the Walk hasn’t been held in person due to Covid-19 restrictions in the city of Boston and as a result their donations have suffered.

Although we knew we wouldn’t raise millions of dollars for them, their website is very clear about what the smaller donations can do for patients and cancer research. For example, $75 funds clinical programs for pediatric patients, $250 helps purchase lab equipment, $1500 funds lab research, and $5000 sequences a patient’s genome to guide precision treatment.

Initially we thought we could set the fundraising goal at $10,000 and it was nice to have tangible results to picture with

the donations. Having a patient’s genome screened makes a huge difference in the type of treatment they can receive. It means they can get a targeted therapy treatment specific to the genetic mutation they have that caused the cancer, which is more likely to work and less likely to cause debilitating side effects. It was so motivating to think that our fundraiser could help not only save but improve the quality of life of two cancer patients.

It’s a much different experience than donating to a charity that might do good work but the donor doesn’t really know what the money is being used for.

How did the fundraising aspect of the event work?

It was similar to the format of the Jimmy Fund Walk where teams of participants raise money on a fundraising page, except instead of the teams walking together they played in a partner’s 9-Ball tournament. Each team had a sponsor and a special fundraising page on the Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund website. We gave small gifts to each team based on the amount they raised.

All of your other events were for women. Why did you decide to have male players in this event?

We wanted to be able to raise as much money as possible for Dana-Farber as possible as didn’t think it would be the best strategy to limit ourselves to only female players. We were also working with the other regional pool tours and didn’t want’ to exclude any of their players.

Your flyer gave special thanks to the Ship the Cash and New England 9 Ball Series tours. How did they contribute to this event?

Barret answered, “We understood that people had expertise in different areas that would be useful in making this event more impactful than what the two of us could do alone.

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Mike DeMarco of the Ship the Cash tour is a not only cancer survivor but also runs a successful tour and has a lot of experience with live steaming and commentary so he was an obvious choice to ask for input in planning the event and with the livestream.”

Fiorilla added, “I’m so grateful we had these meetings. Getting all the sponsors and convincing the teams to fundraise seemed impossible to me at the time. I didn’t think we would be able to manage something on that scale but everyone did such a great job recruiting teams, sponsors and other donors. I was so humbled and impressed “ Fiorilla continued, “I have worked with the New England 9 Ball Series for many years and Marc Dionne, the tour director, really wanted to help with the event. He donated the cues that we gave to the team that won the event and two entries to his Winter Classic tournament that we gave to the top fundraising team.

How did you decide who the players would be?

We had several criteria for picking players.

This unhandicapped event was livestreamed so we tried to get players that spectators would want to watch either at the event or online. We wanted players from all areas of New England. We wanted to include people who had a personal connection to cancer, either by being a survivor or by having a close family member or friend touched by this terrible disease. Additionally, we hoped to get players we thought would make an effort to fundraise and would represent the event in a positive light.

Who were some of the participants with a personal connection to cancer?

Jay Duffin of Narragansett, RI, who competed on a team with Ryan Lineham (sponsored by Checkered Flag Landscaping in Coventry, RI) is a cancer survivor of six years. “As a survivor it was great to be included in this event and

try to give back to help others,” said Duffin.

The runner-up team composed of brothers Michael and Rich Minichello of Everett, MA (sponsored by Amazin Billiards in Malden, MA) recently lost their father, Rich Minichello Sr. “As you all know we lost our father due to cancer. We saw first-hand how nasty and quick it can attack you and take you out forever! So this means a lot more to us than playing pool,” said Mike.

New England Pool and Billiards Hall of Fame member Charlie Matarazzo of Medfield, MA died of cancer in 2020 at the age of 79. His son, Joe and brother, Rick played on a team sponsored by The New England Women’s Pool Alliance. “I played in many events with Charlie over the last two decades. He was very friendly and always had a smile on his face. The pool community was very saddened by his passing. I was happy to have the Alliance sponsor a team with his son and brother in this event,” said Fiorilla.

Marc Dionne of the New England 9 Ball Series sponsored the event and played on a team with Ben Savoie (sponsored by USAPL/BCA).

Marc’s father Robert lost his battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia over a decade ago. “I really wanted to help with this event and see it raise a lot of money for cancer research”, said Dionne. “I run a memorial tournament for my parents every year and I was so disappointed that I had to postpone it this year due to Covid. I thought about my dad all day while I played in Pool for Jimmy event. Someone made a $2000 donation in memory of my parents. I think that was the event’s biggest donation and I can’t tell you how much that meant to me.”

Jud Strang and Chad Bazinet, who played together on a team sponsored by The Happier Choice of Dedham, ME, both had personal experiences with cancer.

Strang, sadly, lost his dad to cancer earlier in life.

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Bazinet lost a special friend in 2020. Although never having met in person, Bazinet formed a relationship with Kevin Duckham, owner of TriFlex label company in Long Island, after contacting the company to produce an unusually large order for a client. Duckham personally oversaw the month-long ordering process and Bazinet was so impressed that he continued to work with Duckham for years. ” After someone works so hard to help you, I couldn’t wait to go find more label jobs to send this guy! A great connection was formed over the next few years. I’d check in with him from time to time if there were no pending orders...

I loved the part where I couldn’t pick this guy out of a lineup or any photo, but we’d laugh... I just assumed he was this little old Italian guy, having his sons run the business downstairs while he took every one of my calls and helped me through every project, easy or hard! He made me feel VIP. As a salesperson, knowing you have your vendor in your corner and as a friend, I felt invincible! “ Bazinet was crushed when Duckam’s son Tim called to say his dad had passed from cancer at age 58. “I can tell you, I haven’t felt this sad in a long, long time, and it’s clear to me that work family people, are just as important as biological family,” Bazinet wrote in a company email in 2020. “It’s very cool how this came full circle for me,” Bazinet said of the Pool for Jimmy event, “with Jud losing his dad to cancer this meant a lot to us both!”

Dharma Lim, owner of the Lim’s Sports Bar (formerly known as Grand China Billiards), family member of a cancer patient, and an avid pool player was a Gold Level ($500+) event sponsor. Due to work commitments, he was unable to complete in the tournament.

When asked why he was so dedicated to this event he replied, “The fact that it was The New England Women’s Pool Alliance putting this together was enough for me to donate. I would have to say we all have to do our part to help get rid of this horrible disease. Donating what I can is the easy part no matter how small. I just regret not being able to be more involved.”

Why weren’t there any cash prizes in this event?

This event was primarily a fundraiser and secondarily a pool tournament. Typically, in this type of fundraiser the sponsors want as much money to go to the charity as possible.

Therefore, it is more appropriate to give out donated items as prizes. We gave out about $3000 worth of prizes to the top finishing teams in the tournament and as gifts to the teams for fundraising.”

Who were the top fundraising teams?

Our top fundraising team was Chris Jackson/ Mark Tringali (owner of Run ‘Em Rack Billiards in CT) who raised over $2500. Four other teams raised over $1000 each: Mark Morgan/ Rick Sleeper sponsored by Master Billiards, Chad Bazinet/Jud Strang sponsored by The Happier Choice, and Ryan Lineham/Jay Duffin and Heidi Rezendes/Matt Rezendes, both sponsored by Run ‘Em Racks Billiards.

(Author’s note: The top fundraising team was actually Barrett and Fiorilla, who had raised over $3200 by the event date. As the event organizers, they were not eligible for any prizes and did not compete in the tournament, so they did not include themselves.)

Who were the top sponsors?

Our Gold Level ($500+) sponsors were Run ‘Em Racks Billiards in Johnston, RI, The Lim’s Sports Bar (formerly known as Grand China Billiards) in Salem, NH, Snookers Sports Bar and Billiards in Providence, RI, Racks Billiards in Vernon, CT, Pinnacle HVAC in Acton, MA, and Dorch Engineering in Loxahatchee, FL. How did you get a sponsor from Florida not even associated with the billiards industry?

It was through a personal connection. The owner, Chris Dorchester, is originally from Cape Cod. He has previously supported

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cancer research and participated in the Pan Mass Challenge (another Dana-Farber fundraiser where participants ride bicycles up to 211 miles across Massachusetts that has raised $831 million since 1980). When he heard about the Pool for Jimmy fundraiser, he was immediately on board to be a Gold Level supporter.

What were some of the challenges in planning this event?

Organizing all the sponsors and players was very time-consuming. We also spent a lot of time setting up and maintaining all of the fundraising pages for each team. As we got closer to the event date, we had additional challenges with replacing players that had to drop out due to Covid-19. We didn’t want anyone who had put effort into fundraising for this event to not be able to play in the tournament because their partner became unavailable. We were very lucky that we had a list of backup players to draw from but eventually we exhausted the list and scrambled to find replacement players the night before and even the morning of the event. We really want to thank Bill Cote, Pat Dedam, Steve Mathieu, Josh Grzasko, Ron March, and Allen Gonsalves who stepped in at the last minute so that we could run a full bracket.

We also found out the night before the event the person who was going to set up the equipment for the live stream couldn’t make it.

We can’t thank Beau Powers enough for setting up his own equipment so that Mike DeMarco and Ray MacNamara could remotely provide commentary from the studio at Snookers Bar and Billiards in Providence, RI. Is there anyone else you want to thank?

issues.

The Crow’s Nest staff did a fantastic job hosting the event and providing a coffee service for the players.

Many businesses donated items to the Opportunity Drawing (this is like a raffle where in exchange for making a donation to Dana-Farber people receive a ticket giving them the opportunity to win a prize). Some of the notable donors to the Opportunity Drawing were Pechauer, JB cases, D and L Billiards in Warwick,RI, Amazin Billiards in Malden, MA, Kevin Bauccio, and The Long Blue Cat Brewery in Londinderry, NH. Speaking of the drawing we also need to thank Ann Mason for running it. We previously met Ann last spring when she sponsored our domestic violence awareness women’s tournament and has continued working with us since then.

Were you happy with the outcome of the event?

Yes, we are very happy! Despite the small challenges, the event itself ran smoothly.

The participants seemed happy to be there and we didn’t really hear any complaints.

Everyone was so generous and we never imagined would raise over $32,0000. Initially, we thought setting the goal at $10,000 would be pushing it.

Will there be future Pool for Jimmy events?

Yes! We hope to make this a yearly event and to increase the fundraising goals. Most of the sponsors want to continue to support future events and we hope the success of this year’s event will attract new sponsors.

As you can imagine an event of this size requires the involvement of many people to be successful so there are many people to thank (hopefully we don’t forget anyone).

Sarah Eldredge at Dana-Farber devoted a lot of time to helping us with fundraising page

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The Influen A Billiards

By Patrick Sampey

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hursday, Jan 13, 2022– We at SPM (Sneaky Pete Mafia) would like to take an inside look at three of the “Influencers,” not meaning manipulators of billiards, but contributors to the whole of pool: Lil’ Chris, Neight Mindham, and Andre Schickling (Sharivari). And the game will never be the same.

These three powerhouses, rising up in the world billiards community in recent years, each a member of the 2021 ‘Pools Power 15’ list to acknowledge influential contributors in billiards: 15.) Lil’ Chris, 7.) Neight Mindham’s ‘Cue It Up Network’ podcast, 9.) Sharivari.

-- titans of pool. Each one adding a body of billiards video footage to the increasing

pool videography that currently exists; their combined legacy adds a wonderful hue to the already myriad of colors in the history of pool.

Lil’ Chris To begin with, we have Lil’ Chris who has a YouTube channel with product reviews and lessons. He has 74.3 thousand subscribers, which is very substantial in the billiards world. One of his videos of the Predator BK Rush jump/break cue, just posted eight days ago, already has 5,261 views as of the writing of this article. Chris is a computer programmer, and breaks down the game of

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ncers Revolution

Lil Chris

Photo by Lil’ Chris

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Photo by Lil’ Chris

Lil’ Chris

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billiards like a computer compiles code, one function at a time.

Lil’ Chris is 41 now, has been playing pool for about 27 years, since about age 14, then getting more serious in the game at about age 17, playing several times a week. But Chris doesn’t seek to profit off pool, computer programming being much more lucrative. No, Chris just wants to contribute to the game in a positive way, and keep players informed about proper technique, and billiards products they may be interested in.

At a 640 Fargo rating, Lil’ Chris is one of the top ranked amatuer players in the country, was ranked a 95 in NAPA pool league, a skill level 9 in APA 9 ball, and a skill level 7 in eight ball – the top two levels in either discipline. Top Notch. So all that is to say, that Chris knows what he’s talking about when he gives instruction.

From one YouTube Post of his on breaking the 9-ball rack: “What’s going on everybody?!?!

It’s been well over a year since I last showed

Nieight Mindham The second Influencer we highlight here is none other than Neight Mindham; Mindham is canvassing the billiards world map with informative videos himself, but of a slightly different ilk than what Lil’ Chris is doing.

Neight hosts the ‘Cue It Up Podcast’ on YouTube.

“I am trying to create a Podcast that keeps everybody up to date with everything that’s happening in the industry.

In the past it’s been very difficult to follow along with the current events, what’s happening, the big announcements, who’s

how to break a 9-ball rack in two different ways. Well in today’s video, I’m going to teach you everything I’ve learned since then which will allow you to highly predict where ALL 9 balls will go after the break!

Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe!!!

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilChrisPool... “ – Lil’ Chris Here’s a link to the video associated with the above quote: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EVpGstzq78c It is a testament to the dedication of Lil’ Chris, from his comments on his YouTube posts, as highlighted above, to the overall production of his videos that stand as a new standard in the industry -- and he is setting the mark, one video at a time, having amassed a body of 195 videos in the last two years. Incredible.

Lil’ Chris is providing informative videos that help players review products before they buy, offering top notch billiards instruction, done professionally with attention to detail, with

winning tournaments, who’s not going to tournaments and why they’re not going to tournaments, why someone is struggling…

There was a void that existed there, and personally I’m a huge podcast person, so I listen to between twenty to twenty-four podcasts every single week; Some of those are daily, some are weekly, some of them are bi-weekly or whatever it is, but I listen to a ton of podcasts, and one day asked ‘are there any pool ones?’

So, I looked into it, and there was one, and that was Mike Howerton, Billiards Radio, but I became frustrated with that, because it was a great podcast with great content, but he’ll

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Photo by Neight Mindham

be the first to tell you, he doesn’t keep up with it like he should, and that was very frustrating to me, and I wanted more content. So, instead of just complaining about it, I decided I’d try to take it upon myself to be that voice,” said Mindham.

Mindham has had Shane Van Boening (SVB), Jayson Shaw, Darren Appleton, Mika Immonen, Rodney Morris, Johnny Archer, Tyler Styer, Chris Reinhold, and many others, all on his podcast, “You name the player, they’ve probably been on the podcast,” Mindham says.

March 1st, 2019 Mindham posted up his first pool podcast; since that time he has amassed a catalog of 250 informative, entertaining videos -- bringing the players, fans, and billiards community together in a unique, intimate way. Well done sir.

Then, to round out the trio, these three shakers, movers -- these INFLUENCERS -- we have

Andre “Sharivari” Schickling.

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Photo by Sabrina Braun

Sharivari Sharivari lives in Germany, originally recorded his videos for himself in German, to aid in his own game -- then began to eventually release them in English to help others improve in their own games.

And Sharivari is arguably the world’s #1 billiards YouTube coach, his channel having 235K subscribers, with over 32 million views, and 182 videos in the last 3.5 years or so. An impressive body of work in such a short span of time.

What makes Sharivari so successful, he says?

“I think there are a couple of reasons for that: first of all, of course I’m a pool player, and love playing pool and pool itself, but I also worked as a teacher or lecturer for quite a while and was teaching students. I really liked that and was good at that. Then, I started making videos at 13 years...not educational,

but funny videos, video editing and video tricks and all that stuff. Then I got into photo editing, graphics and programming. So I learned a lot about all that stuff, and one other thing is that people tell me I can explain really complicated things in a really easy way.

That’s something I can do really good...maybe because English isn’t my native language; I use very simple words and phrases, so not only native English speakers can understand, but also others.” -- said Sharivari.

Sharivari admits he’s not a professional player, but even so, to be able to explain and demonstrate advanced position play, he is obviously one of the top amateur players in the world. And to teach the game, one doesn’t have to be Jayson Shaw, who is such a billiards beast, that he just broke the world straight pool record at 714 balls run without a miss!!! Sharivari may not be “Jayson Shaw” good, but who is?

Sharivari joined a pool club at the age of 23, is now 32, nine years later, and an example

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of the best billiards instruction the internet has to offer -- having pursued every aspect of the game in a very detail-oriented way, easy for anyone to grasp.

Here is a great article on Sharivari: https://www.azbilliards.com/sharivari-the-online-poolcoaching-extraordinaire/ In any given month, Sharivari has as many as 600,000 people viewing his videos, learning, expanding their pool repertoire. Very substantial.

Sharivari, Neight Mindham, and Lil’ Chris have each given pool a vast library of billiards videos individually; collectively, these three stand side by side, as some of the highest rising corinthian columns the billiards world has ever seen, and they’ve risen in a very short time.

Also, while this article was being written, Jayson Shaw broke the straight pool (14.1) world record at 714 consecutive balls, beating John Schmidt’s 626, which beat Willie Mosconi’s 526 prior to that...without a miss -- and Mindham has a podcast covering that as well, due out soon or already out; news -- billiards news. {It was a pleasure to interview each one of these gentlemen. Thanks again for all you do for billiards as a whole, from one student of the game, writer, and billiards aficionado -- I thank you, as one fan of this game of spheres, my favorite game, pocket billiards. May you each enjoy continued success!}

Sharivari

Photo by Sabrina Braun

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THE SECRET POOL STROK

By Anthony Beeler

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s you well know, I’m a Master Instructor that focuses a lot on mental game, so if you think you are getting a magical stroke tip here, this article may disappoint you. But if you want enhance the way you think and allow yourself to deliver more straight, smooth strokes, well then maybe I can be of assistance.

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OF A GREAT KE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRACTICING AND PLAYING There are fundamental differences between practicing and playing. One of the major differences between the two environments is that there are consequences during actual game play (that result in either winning or losing). Conversely there are no consequences to each shot if you are practicing.

THE BENEFIT OF A QUIET MIND From a mental perspective, when you are practicing, your mind is generally quiet, there’s no mental clutter before you start your stroke. There’s the cue ball, there’s the object ball and there’s a pocket. During match play, quite often there is a distraction caused by fear: What if I miss? What if I don’t get position on my next shot? What if the table rolls off? And so on…

This not only causes stress, but it also causes subtle changes in the body. You may not even notice, but most likely your muscles are tensing up (starting with your grip pressure). The effects of these mental and physical changes are: • Loss of focus on the shot at hand • Loss of focus on the process – decision-making, aiming, proper alignment, (visualization and feeling the shot) etc.

• Loss of fluidity in your stroke • Changes in stroke timing The end result is a stroke that is inconsistent and unlike the one you had while practicing.

SO HOW DO WE CHANGE THIS? There are several things that you can do that increase confidence, maintain a quiet mind and maintain access to your best game. When a professional is performing at their best, there’s direct correlation between their senses and their brain. You have heard of this state of mind referred to as “the zone”, or “dead stroke”.

Also, when a player is performing their best, they are not preoccupied by thoughts, judgments or emotions. There’s no sense of self or “self-consciousness”. The mind is 100% focused on the present (there is no past or future).

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE BRAIN DURING FLUID MOTION? 29

The pre-frontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for managing complex processes.

It helps you make decisions and controls your mental game. In pool it’s great during the “decision making phase” of your routine, but it can easily become that “little voice in your head” when you are down on the cue ball. To produce a better pool stroke, and get into the “dead stroke” that little voice needs to be turned off to allow you to execute each shot subconsciously.

THE BEST PRE SHOT ROUTINE The best pre-shot routine is one that enables you to keep your mind quiet, and focused. When I ask students to describe their pre- shot routine, they describe all the physical steps, but virtually nothing about where their focus is or what’s happening mentally.

How committed you are and how quiet your mind is more important than going through the physical steps. I want to know exactly what you’re focusing on from the time when you fall into your stance all the way through your stroke.

What are the best things to focus on? From my experience, the best thing to focus on to keep your mind quiet is one of your senses (sight, feel, sound, breathing etc.). Experiment with this while you are practicing, and find out what allows you to produce your best stroke. Then, during match play, make this one of your process goals to measure the success of the shot.

Over time this will become automatic which will result in better strokes, more wins, and more tournament championships!

Anthony Beeler is the 2018 Pool Instructor of the Year and is a former BCAPL National 9-Ball Champion. He has numerous top 25 national finishes and is one of only 8 ACS Master Instructors in the world. He is the primary author of the National Billiards Instructors Manual and has also authored the book Unstoppable! Positive Thinking for Pool Players. Anthony currently has the highest established Fargo Rating of any Master Instructor. He has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competition.

Photo by Allie Evans

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SALOTTO APP B EXCITING NEW PLAYING POOL

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BRINGS AN W TWIST TO L By Linda Carter

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he Salotto (meaning Parlor in Italian) app is the brainchild of two pool players from central Wyoming, Reed Merschat and Colby Frontiero. They lived close to each other and would play pool after league until 1 or 2 am in Reed’s basement. They saw that people needed a new way to find opponents and meet new players of any level. After a year, they entered a local startup challenge, called the Wyoming Business Council Kickstart Grant. Vying along with 22 other businesses, they won. They then raised other funds for their software development. They wanted to address gaps in play, in either tournaments or leagues, where people could challenge each other, 1 on 1, shooting 8, 9 or 10 ball, on 7’, 8’ or 9’ tables.

met 27 years ago when both were competing at mountain bike trials. They also did rock climbing together and have even moved close to each other. Both are highly gifted athletes and competitive pool players.

Reed attributes his success to an understanding wife of 8 years; she’s, his rock.

She is also a business owner. They have 2 rescue cats, Citrus and Wooley. Reed’s favorite game is 8 ball, because it’s like a chess match, then 9 ball.

Traveling in a different town? Use the app to search for someone to compete with. You can either host the match or join a game. Salotto provides a way to earn money and the chance to win prizes, get a ranking and even get qualified to play in tournaments. Players who are not hosting can join and play for free.

There is a Pro version for $4.99/month (or $49.99/year) which allows you to host games and charge for them, whether you play in them or not. The newest addition to the app includes a built-in handicap calculator.

Colby has been married for 14 years and has 2 children. Hazel is 5 and Alden is 8. Ralphie is their Stafford Pitbull mix. Colby’s favorite game is 10 ball, followed by 8 ball.

As partners and co-founders, Reed and Colby’s biggest achievement playing pool so far is a team event last year where they placed 2nd, all the way from the B side! They

With the motto, ‘You name the race, the face, and the place’, that describes Salotto to a T. Basically, you invite an opponent to match up with you. You both use the app on your phones. Designate whether you want to submit the results to Fargorate (for a small fee), what you want to race to, where you want to play, even on your table at home or business. Salotto will record and keep stats and allows you to win prizes and compete against anyone in person.

Over 12,000 Salotto matches have been played. Points are acquired and the top 3 on a rolling leaderboard are recognized. There

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is also an all-time leaderboard. Top points leaders with a Pro membership will be invited to a M.O.B. Hit List tournament held in Las Vegas at Griff’s Bar and Billiards. By signing up through the M.O.B. link on the app, you get a large discount on the Pro membership.

I gave the Salotto app a whirl and it was so easy to schedule and set up a match with another player. My opponent and I are both listed on the scoreboard. They achieved the rank of 342, while I am #300, as the winner. I did not realize at the time that there is a setting on the app that allows you to submit your results to Fargorate, so make sure you do that at the time, as you can’t do it retroactively. If you match up by Fargo, it allows you to give weight. There is also a review system of your opponent based on sportsmanship. You can choose to skip that.

A visit to their store on their website, Salotto. app, will show you some great billiard swag, featuring Dynaspheres pool ball sets, their own logoed table spots, Tees, and towels.

Additionally, you can sign up for alerts and news about the Salotto world.

Looking into the future, they can see adding on other modalities, like 1 pocket, banks, snooker, straight pool, and even Scotch Troubles, based on demand. They are seeing an aggressive growth curve in less than a year, where people can play competitive pool anywhere, they go. The app also allows players to grow in skill level. Their dream is to take Salotto to be on a main stage. Right now, they have some sponsored players, including Karl Boyes, as well as some regional reps.

They really want to see the industry grow and would like to thank all those helping Salotto along the way for their contributions to the sport: Fargorate, CSI, BCA, USPL, Manufacture a Spot, Karl Boyes, Chris Reinhold, Molina Mike with Window’s Open, Joey Ryan of Pool Player Podcast, and of course, their families.

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A New World Record S a Long Forgotten Clas

By Brad Swain

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s you may have heard by now Jayson Shaw set a new 14.1 straight pool high run world record of 714 continuous balls pocketed. A feat that I find absolutely incredible considering that Willie Mosconi held the all-time high run of 526 balls (running over 36 consecutive racks) on March 19, 1954, and he held that record for 65 years.

After several weeks of effort John Schmidt tipped the record up to 626 On May 27, 2019.

Many folks were shocked to see Mosconi’s record topped by an additional 100 shots and not without good reason. Which really makes Shaw’s run of 714 even more impressive especially considering doesn’t have the reputation of being a long time 14.1.

For the last few months several of the pros have taken their attempts to beat the record including SVB and Earl Strickland and I think this has stirred up a new curiosity amongst pool players. 14.1 was once considered the standard pool game amongst avid players much how we would look at 9-ball by today’s standard. But why has the game seemingly disappeared over the decades? The short answer is: 1.

It’s a tough game that requires knowledge of patterns, precision in shotmaking, and a plethora of strategies 2.

The game can be pretty time consuming many people prefer a quicker and more convenient game to play.

14.1 straight pool has always been preferred by the more experienced and highly skilled players however I would love to see more beginner-intermediate players take up the game. In recent years One pocket has gained popularity amongst players who want to improve their games and as a long time 14.1 player myself I would be thrilled to see an influx towards the old classic game.

Recently on Facebook Phillip Capelle suggested that we name the newly popularized 14.1 “1 player mode” designed to work on your personal high runs appropriately “High run 14.1” and personally I hope that this idea spreads like wildfire!

Of course, the fastest way to improve your game is to practice drills. You’ll hear players say all the time that you just won’t improve your game by tossing balls up and hitting them around. However, 14.1 is the perfect solution to play and improve your skills at the same time! I always recommend playing only drills for practice but maybe I can make an exception if someone wants to practice a game that requires more skills and strategies such as 14.1 or one pocket. believe that a player’s 14.1 high run reflects their all-around abilities of all billiards skills. I believe that a player’s 14.1 high run is a direction reflection of their all-around skills of all billiards games.

After a few months of playing 14.1 you might just be shocked at how much your 8-ball and 9-ball games have improved! Two more huge benefits of playing straight pool are that your

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Shines Fresh Light on ssic Billiards Game

Jayson Shaw Courtesy of Sandro Menzel Photography

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shot arsenal will vastly grow as game will expose you to some of the more advanced shots in billiards such as bank shots, kick shots, caroms, safeties, break shots, throw shots, frozen throw shots, and the devilish tricky shot. Naturally, by increasing your shot arsenal you will also be strengthening your ability to see shots that aren’t always obvious. I love it when there seems to be no shot, but I can stun my friends because I saw a “dead shot” that they did not.

What will be in store for the future of straight pool? Will even more pros continue to attempt to break the new record of 714? Nonetheless is it even possible? It’s exciting to think how much stronger today’s pool scene could become if 14.1 leagues and tournaments became more popular. Happy hitting ‘em everyone!

“Sandro Menzel is based in the Seattle area and specializes in billiards and automotive photography.” You can find Sandro Menzel Photography on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/smenzel The photograph that Sandro Menzel took of Jayson Shaw is from 2015 where Jayson competed in the Chinook Winds Open 8-Ball tournament in Lincoln City, OR. [ 2015 Chinook Winds Open 8-Ball – Lincoln City, OR ] SPM sends a special thank you to Sando Menzel for the use of his Photograph!

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3 Seconds Fle Five Finger Glo

By Garret Troop

Photos by Garret Troop 3 Seconds not only makes pool cue cases, but they also now make the 3 Second Flex Fine Fit Five Finger Glove! In the world of billiards, there are many creations of the billiards glove. Billiard glove creations run from a

minimalistic form to the max, shooting with a welding glove. Billiards gloves are for those who get sweaty hands, which cause a sticky stroke. From pro-level to extreme amateur, we all need a little extra glide from time to time.

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ex Fine Fit ove I learned about the “3 seconds” Brand on Facebook. You can now purchase the new glove from Fort Worth Billiards. It’s a fivefingered glove that offers more support than the standard three-fingered gloves we all know and love. The fingers are all open, and the sizing is accurate, although they recommend that you get a size larger than you usually would on a fitted glove. This glove offers some new features that are a little uncommon, but this will catch on soon.

The closure on these gloves is different.

Before this glove, I was a Kamui glove fan. I liked the way the glove went further up the wrist. It made me feel more secure. 3 Seconds has rethought how a pool glove should fit the hand in the billiards industry. The closure is minimalistic. It is like a crisscross closure that comes further down on the top of your hand.

The glove fit is helpful if you wear a watch or don’t like the restraint of the more extended wrist closure type of gloves like Kamui and McDermott. The mesh that they use on this glove is thin. But to be fair, all gloves have that same feeling to me. That is for those that want the skintight feeling.

added piece for gripping a table wrapping around as the closure on the top of the glove.

The glove’s material is Dry Tex, a Japanese material that allows absorption. The glove’s material allows a great skintight fit, just like a glove should fit the hand.

The 3 Seconds glove has five fingers. Yes, that’s correct count them five fingers! I love that and will have a hard time going back to a typical three-fingered glove. The 3-second glove is a game-changer. The glove has an

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The Velcro closure is like an industrial grade.

Very sticky. The closure has a tiny adjustable portion but very little. I feel that this glove fits the correct size. I wear a consistent medium, and this glove fits just like a medium should.

The bottom of the glove has a moistureabsorbent mesh material that is very stretchy and has the most contact with the table’s cloth. Its double re-enforced stitches should help to make it last longer.

I think five fingers is the way to go. I’m excited to see how this affects the rest of the glove industry.

This is the tech they are using to create this new take on an old favorite.

“A new style supported with a multifunctional, ergonomic design.” . . . . . . .

Quick-Dry Moisture Absorbing Cooling Antibacterial Deodorizing More Wrist Flexibility Cross-Strap

From the website!

“The cross-strap design based on human engineering embraces the whole hand with flexibility, and the wide-open space features free wrist movement and easy access. This original five-finger structure is not only a great design, but it also increases exceptional hand support in the vertical direction.”

Photo from:Alberto Trujillo https://www.facebook.com/photo.

Dry-tex is a Japanese hybrid material.

When Dry-tex detects heat or sweat, it automatically activates a cycle of absorption and desorption of moisture, the cooling and drying processes to preserve material conditions. And the antibacterial deodorant function provides excellent performance without any external stress.” https://www.facebook.com/Alberto.

Trujillo1211/posts/10226970963642299?__ tn__=%2CO*F https://3secondscuecase.com/en/aboutus/

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All in all, it’s a great glove—no complaints. I’m curious to see exactly how long it will last with regular wear. I give this glove the SPM Seal of approval, and I hope to see more innovations from this company and growth from their first glove on the market.

Pool Synergy Coming Soon

Designed by Chris Teibel

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http://www.billiardsuperstore.com/

Get Your 3 Seconds Billiards Glove at Fort Worth Billiards Superstore! https://billiardsuperstore.com/3-seconds-glove/

817-377-1004 Follow Us

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Drills that Safety Skil

By Dominic Esposito aka The Drill In This Month We’ll Practice Drills that Develop Safety Skills

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ow pay attention, student! Almost always, it is not required to make the winning ball to win a game. But, until you do, it is required that you control the table and control your opponent.

Do you have a balanced pool game?

That means you decide when to shoot an offensive or a defensive shot (or both, which is called an ODO Shot — Offensive Defensive Option. As slang, players often call this a “Two-Way” shot.

Take a few moments to consider your own play. The professionals do, and they shoot safeties to devastate their opponents. Too bad many matches are edited to seem that billiards pros run tables often. They play safe a lot and running multiple racks from the break comes less often than many think.

So when should you play safe?

Some pool players claim playing defense makes you “weak,” but they couldn’t be more

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wrong. Defense is 50% of the game. The other half is Offense. That’s why you need to have a balanced game. It is as important to practice defensive shots as well as your offensive shots.

You need to learn defensive shots so when you’re at the table, you’ll recognize the opportunities because you have a full playbook of shots to select from. Most players shoot defensive shots because they don’t see any ball they can make with confidence.

That’s already too late.

That kind of thinking must be averted if you’re ever going to shoot pool at a high skill level. Trying to bank or kick the ball in this diagram for the immediate win is a bad idea that likely sells out the game and match.

Here’s a great safety drill exercise that can be practiced as an 8 Ball and 9 Ball Defense Shot.

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Scenario:

Leaving your opponent like this will greatly challenge them to come with a shot no matter what game you’re playing. Often, they’re response will sell out and you’ll get the win.

Strategy:

How will you know when you have mastered this vital play?

Work each drill shot until you can successfully cause the far rolling ball to land within 2 inches of the cushion.

1. The game can be 8-Ball or 9-Ball.

2. The object ball is not frozen onto the rail.

3. There is no easy shot to pocket the ball forthe win.

1. Play a legal safe using distance to leave a tough shot for your opponent.

2. Using a 2-3 Speed Shot Stroke depending on the size table and cloth condition: Option A: Thin hit on the object ball.

Option B: Full hit on the object ball 3. Leave the cue ball and object ball frozen or as close as possible on opposite ends of table.

Drill Instructor’s Drill No. 1:

Send the object ball downtown and leave the cue ball on the cushion. BAM!

Drill Instructor’s Drill No. 2:

Send the cue ball down table and leave the object on the cushion. POW!

Go to my website at https://thedrillinstructor. us/55-Safety-Drills-Book-DVD.html and get yourself the Number One Defensive Drills Book and DVD in pool. If you don’t know the shots, you won’t see them when you’re in the action.

This will take your defensive game to my level of play, the winning pro level.

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CJP Bridgeh

By Garret Troop

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s pool players we are always looking for an edge. Whether that’s a new piece of chalk or a tip. For some people they just want to be able to play a good game of pool and are grateful. For some the games that we all love and care about growing are having troubles we can’t imagine. When I say this, I am talking about the growth of the industry and personal growth as billiards players.

I slide it over my thumb, I find that fits the alignment of the natural form of my hand. I break the rack with it from about a diamond and it feels kind of weird at first. There is a little play in the position of the shaft in the bridge hole. I realize that these bridges all help you shoot with a little more than finesse in your stroke. I’m able to use it and move around the table and play the game I love with ease.

Calvin Post with CJP Billiards is creating many new and innovative tools for us all to grow with and help our games reach the level we all aspire to play. The anchor handicapped bridge has three variations and is a great invention as a bridge for the player.

The purpose of the various bridges is to give the player the ability to play pool when their hands lack the ability to form a bridge. Calvin has designed a few different creations that include an Anchor Handicapped Open and an Anchor Handicapped closed bridge as well as the anchor handicapped V bridge.

The next one I tried with the Anchor Handicapped open version bridge.

I got excited when my package came with the Anchor Handicapped Bridges and could not wait to try them out. I have been working with Calvin Post for a few years and always expect something a little out of the box. After unwrapping my package, I had to head to the billiards table and try out all three. I got the feel for using the bridges instantly. In this case I put myself into the position of someone in a wheelchair. So, I sit in a chair and play a few games on that level.

Open Version

The first one I try is the Anchor Handicapped closed bridge. As I play with a closed bridge

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head Review

The more I use these I realize that my daughter barrel of a gun. You also need to use a little “Willow” at times does not make a proper more finesse because if you hit the ball too bridge as she is 10. These products help the hard you will lose control of your bridge as I youth play a better and more consistent game found with all 3 bridges. of pool as well. Back to the bridges. The open one helps you sight down the shaft like the The third bridge has a kind of “V” section

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Closed version which is the an Anchor Handicapped V Bridge and out of all the three I tested this one seems to be the most secure and allowed the least amount of travel when stroking through the shot. I must also say that from a chair this was my favorite to shoot with. I found that the “V” held the cue more securely and allowed the least amount of travel.

From the base down all three of these an Anchor Handicapped bridges are the same and however are not universal but Calvin makes both a right- and left-handed version of all the bridges. They are all stable and fit in your hand well. I just throw them in my case and go. The kids at the youth league that Willow plays in were all challenged to play entire games with them, and I had varying outcomes, but all thought that they were useful, and they would play with them given the opportunity.

Really the only thing I have to say as a critique is that there was a little play in the

open and closed version, and I needed to focus on holding the cue in a still position.

The “V” version seemed to work the best and I would recommend starting with that.

These retail price for each bridge is $20 and they are well worth the investment for any pool player. They come in white but I’m sure upon request Calvin can make them in other colors.

All in all, these are great tools for the youth and the handicapped players looking for a little edge and will fit in any case. I give this product the SPM Seal of Approval and can’t wait to see what CJP Billiards comes out with next.

C

alvin Post makes all his own inventions through his imagination and his 3D printers. He has contributed a lot 58

Open version

of time and energy into his designs and is always innovating the industry we all love and play in.

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Garret Troop Family Celebrating 10 Years at SPM

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Shaw Blasts Str World Record, W 714 Balls Run!

By Patrick Sampey Friday, January 21st, 2022 -- We begin a New Year with news of Jayson Shaw, pool player from another planet other than Earth, with otherworldly billiards abilities...an incredible 714-consecutive-exhibition-straight-pool run of the ages, and pool news story of billiards news stories to begin this year.

I was just browsing the internet, talking in messenger, and someone told me in a chat something like, “Meanwhile, you don’t even realize that the greatest record in the game has just been broken,” and of course I replied with some smart-alec comment like, “Well if you’re talking about someone beating Schmidt’s 626, that’s more like a carnival trick than winning in competition. Winning in competition is where it’s at.” However, I was a little irritated at the individual I said that to, and also, how am I supposed to know Shaw had just set a new world record? It had just happened after all.

But man! It was all over the internet fast. It didn’t take me long to find out with people buzzing about Shaw busting the new world record all casual like, John Schmidt having had worked for months, dedicated hours upon hours of beating Willie Mosconi’s 526 that had stood as the World Record straight pool (14.1 continuous) since the 1950’s up until recent years.

Well, that didn’t last long.

Now? Now, we have Shaw, almost a sheepish grin on his face, pictured with the 714 displayed on the table he executed it on, and assassinated both Willie Mosconi’s and John Schmidt’s records like slicing through butter with a hot knife!

Just call Shaw King Kong! The man can and does dominate the billiards scene, and is making a case for his pool legacy to ring on long after he has played his last shot at the table, a monster player that deserves a monster name -- perhaps we can call him, Jayson “Eagle Eye” / “Straight Pool King” / “King Kong” / “Mr 626? I Don’t Think So! That’s Mr. 714 To You!”

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raight Pool Weighing in at

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Blowing the world record beyond the Stratosphere, into the Ionosphere!!! Blam! Plow! Holy rusted metal Batman!

Here is an article by the New York Times about how long and hard John Schmidt worked to beat Willie Mosconi’s 526 world record to highlight how substantial Shaw’s recent feat is: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/sports/john-schmidt-straightpool-record-mosconi.amp.html Now the New York Times needs a new article on Shaw, who seemed to beat the world record like a kid playing pool on the playground, just having fun. What a Billiards savant Shaw is!

The level of play for billiards players in this day and age is an example of exemplary play of the highest order the world has ever seen.

Also, Shaw didn’t train for months to beat Schmidt’s record; Shaw just casually walked up, and ran out ball after ball like some kind of billiards robot, and blasted the former world record in lickity split time.

My head is still spinning! I can’t believe how easy some players like Shaw make the game appear. He’s so good in the game, it’s almost depressing for me as a player, but even so, I gotta love it.

Shaw, if you read this, do what you do sir!

Bad.

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