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-What’s InsideIssue 28 of Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine Articles
Page 6
Calvin Post
The Secret of a Good Tip
Page 10
Tina Hodge
Will the Real Cesar Morales Please Stand Up
Page 16
Calvin Post
The Single Layer Tip and its Robust History
Page 22
Garret Troop
The Future of The Billiards Glove
Page 26
Brian Pauley
Savannah “The Roadrunner” Easton Making Her Mark
Page 34
The Drill Instructor A Winning Defensive Game part II
Page 40
Emily Duddy
Exciting Momentum for 2022 Pool Year as Gorst & Shaw Make History
Page 58
Patrick Sampey
Sneaky Pete Mafia Presents Brad Swain, Pool Instructor
Page 66
Anthony Beeler
Rack Up a Victory with Positive Self-Talk
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The Secret o By Calvin Post
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he secret to a good tip? Compression. Have you ever heard of the term work hardening? It is typically a term used in metal working, but it applies to leather here as well. Work hardening happens when a material undergoes deformation. This consequently can change how a pool cue tip plays. As the tip comes into contact with the cue ball over, and over the tip is compressed each time by the impact. The repetition of playing alters the leather in a few different ways. The first thing that you may see about your tip after a fresh install and a lot of play time is the Mushroom effect. This look is easy to spot as the sides of the tip expand outwards, and the top flattens a little. This happens from compression, and repeated impacts bending and molding the soft leather. To remedy this most players cut the mushroomed edges off,
and reprofile the tip back to their desired radius. Depending upon the brand of tip, mushrooming can occur more than once. Glazing is another issue many tips face during their lifetime. Glazing is when the surface of your pool cue tip becomes smooth and in some cases shiny. A pool cue tip plays best when scuffed, and the leather fibers are present to hold chalk, and grip the cue ball. A glazed tip can lead to miscues as it will fail to hold chalk. The best way to fix a glazed tip is rub it with a scuffing tip tool to bring some life back into it. The leather tip’s molecules are being slammed together over and over causing the tip to harden. Even choosing a Super Soft tip it will still harden over time until it plays like a hard tip. There is no fix for a hardened tip, if you don’t like how it plays it’s time to pop that 6
of a Good Tip
sucker off, and get a new tip put on. So now that you understand work hardening, this is where things get interesting. What if I took all of that stress of Mushrooming, Glazing and got rid of that from a pool cue tip? Compression is the answer. Vulkar tips are compressed for 24 hours. This process work hardens the tips, so once it’s on your cue there is little to no maintenance. Vulkar tips do not mushroom, and have a very hard time Glazing over. Since I’m controlling the work hardening, it eliminates the break in period of the other tips. Simply have your installer put on a Vulkar, and play! The average life span of a Vulkar tip, about 1-2 years before swapping it out for a fresh one
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Will the Real Ce Please Stand Up By Tina Hodge
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esar Morales p! T
hough not a household name, most folks in the pool community know who Efren Reyes is. In the opinion of many and, according to sportsbrowser.net, he is the greatest pool player of all time. One of his many monikers is “The Magician,” but he humbly states that the more he practices, the luckier he gets. Efren played his first US tournament in Houston, TX, in 1985. Red’s 9-ball Open was not an event for amateurs. Some of the billiards best graced the roster. Buddy Hall and David Matlock were among the competitors. The name Cesar Morales doubtfully struck fear with other contenders. Morales sailed through in a race to 11, knocking challengers out with ease. 11-2, 11-4. When all was said, Morales was named the winner. It wasn’t until a fan asking for an autograph got the true identity of this dynamo - Efren Reyes had crossed the pond and invaded US soil. I’ve been a fan of Efren Reyes for years. I knew the Cesar Morales story from an article in Time Magazine by Phil Zabriskie that ‘The Anitokid’ recirculated. On a whim, I decided to look up Cesar Morales on Facebook a few years back. I sent him a friend request. He accepted. Though we live in two different worlds, Cesar and I have struck up a friendship that I cherish. Much like his friend that used his name as an alias so many years ago, Cesar is also a very humble man.
Recently, I happened across a post I made three years ago on FB of the article of Red’s 9-ball Open that has an excellent photo of young Efren. I am very familiar with that look he has in his eyes. It says, “I mean business.” I jokingly asked Cesar if he knew who that skinny kid was. Suddenly I had an idea for an article. What has it been like to be friends with the greatest pool player of all time? And here we are. I asked Cesar if he’d be interested in doing the story and promised I’d let him ok the article before submitting it. To say I was excited when he agreed is an understatement. I soon realized it wouldn’t be as easy as I initially thought. Although his English is very good, we still have language barriers. I Googled the language of The Philippines - and there’s a bunch. After more research, I figured out how to translate my questions into Tagalog. Now we were getting somewhere. Cesar had already sent me a picture of him and Efren together back in the day. I asked if he had any more pictures of them together. Soon I had 28 photos and three videos. WOW! I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest! I felt like he had just opened the door of his life and invited me in. Cesar and Efren met when they were 16 playing pool (go figure). He recently celebrated his 68th birthday on February 10, 2022 (mligayang kaarawan aking kaibigan). This duo has known each other for 52 years. They have shared beers and tears, lots 11
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of laughs, and of course, a love for pool. Unfortunately, Cesar had to give up the sport in his 40’s due to health problems. Perhaps the next best thing is to relish in the victories of your friend and live vicariously through The Goat. In 1985 after the Red’s tournament, the young Filipinos roamed the roads of the US in what Cesar called “traveling by land using big car” to “many more places that we just stopover when we travel around to look for an opponent to play pool with us.” After visiting places like Houston, TX, Chicago, IL,
Las Vegas, NV, and lots of stops in between, he said that his favorite was Los Angeles, CA. Efren, Cesar, and another popular Filipino pool player you may have heard of, Francisco Bustamante, are all from Angeles City, Philippines. I don’t know if they are putting resin and slate in the water, but they sure know how to grow some shooters! I never thought much about making The Philippines a goal to visit, but I think it’s moving up on my list of places to see. I wonder if I can find a place there to hit some balls…
Robert Ross is a photographer and SPM Magazine is very greatful to be able to use his photographs of Efren Reyes in the article by Tina Hodge.
Robert G. Ross is well known for his outstanding photography. Ross is
a photographer at GoPlayPool.com and Owner of RG Ross Photography. Ross’s love and passion for photography shine through the photos that he takes. Robert has been taking pictures since the late 60s, when he purchased his first camera. Between his love of playing pool and taking photos, Robert enjoys sharing real-time images of pool players within the billiard community. Ross has been sharing pictures for the last 30 - 40 years. Ross is from California and also enjoys landscape photography. If you would like to reach Robert Ross, call/message him 951-833-0085. You can also follow him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RgRossPhotography. Go Play Pool https://www.goplaypool.com
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The single layer tip history By Calvin Post
Photo by Marissa Post 16
p, and its robust
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here’s a section of pool history that has always fascinated me. The single layer tip, and its robust history. Elk Masters, Triangle, and LePro have consistently been the top three brands of single layer, one solid piece leather tips for what seems like forever now. Hustlers back in the day used to travel pool halls and bars looking for the perfect tip. No, not one from a fresh box, one that had in fact been used but not abused. The perfect tip was one that had been compressed slightly from the repeated impact of smacking cue ball while playing. The hustler would gently pop this tip off the house cue it was on, and put it on his cue instead.
that plays exactly the same from tip to tip. A buyer knows exactly what they’re getting time, and time again. Single Layer tips are widely known to be inconsistent. Being one piece of the leather means they get punched out of a large piece, rather than take the best leathers and make one tip. So each tip varies in quality. Meaning each box of fifty Elk Masters is bound to have some bad tips inside of it. It’s not surprising pool players ditched single layer tips in favor of multi-layer, but there is still a strong demand for the Duds, as many players love the feel of a single layer tip, but want something consistent.
To produce that magical dud hustlers This was the first version of a “Dud” were popping off of house cues, tip style tip like we see in today’s market. makers began to find a way to make Milk Duds, Duds, or whatever you want the best dud tip on the market. Behold, to call a compressed single layer tip are the Milk Dud. a popular alternative to the multi-layer tips that have flooded the market. Milk has the chemical Casein inside of it. Milk is made up of 80% Casein. So why has the pool world shifted Single layer tips are placed in Milk, towards multi-layer tips? Consistency. typically whole or butter milk. Casein Each tip takes quality leather, and reacts with the tips causing them to glues layer upon layer to build a tip swell. The tips are then dried, and 17
pressed using a vice like style tool to compress them. Resulting is a tip, that plays like the fabled tip the hustlers were seeking out. There isn’t a large tip manufacturer on the market making any duds. All of the producers of these tips are small companies or individuals who have decided to take up the craft of building what they think is the best Milk Dud on the market. So what makes a CJPBilliards Vulkar tip stand out compared to the rest of the duds on the market? Consistency, and Quality. I buy 200 Elk Master tips in bulk. This is gonna sound goofy, but I bite every single tip. About 30-40 of the 200 tips don’t pass the bite test. They get put in the trash. Vulkar Tips are made with a protein blend not milk. Using a protein blend with casein and other additives helps ensure my tips swell the same height each batch. Next the Elk Master tips soak for 48 hours in my blend of liquid chemicals. They soak the casein and proteins swelling them super tall. (Almost twice the normal height) I then pull the tips out and place in fridge on a plate for 24 hours. Then 24 hours in room temperature. I inspect the tips for imperfections and cracks. About 20-25 tips develop cracks in them. So I pitch them as well.
survived the process and head over to 24 hours in my press. The tips come out of the press and I measure the height with calipers. All tips need to be roughly the same height so when I sell to a supplier their customers get the same product every time. I then bite test the tips one final time. If my tooth makes a mark in them, I pitch them. A good dud should be hard to bite into. 5-10 tips fail at this final stage. So the morale of this story? Elk master makes an inconsistent product, but I spend a lot of my time working on quality control so every single tip I make plays the same, and my customers can have confidence in a quality dud. I also offer an Installer Warranty. This warranty extends to cue smiths, tip installers, individuals that understand how to properly put a tip on a cue. If the Vulkar tip fails to install properly, I’ll send another free of charge. I’ve always strived for quality here at CJP Billiards. I want my customers to receive the best products possible, I back all my items with warranties, and the best customer support in the Industry. If you’d like to give the Vulkar tip a try head over here: https://cjpbilliards.com
So now I have about 100 tips that have 18
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The Futur Billiard By Garret Troop
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here are many ways and uses that people want to use a glove for, but the result is to help the players improve their game. So, when you look for a glove, you’re doing it for a few reasons. The most common, in my opinion, is that the player’s hands get sweaty, and it gives friction to any shaft on the market. The next is the player likes the slick, frictionless feel of cloth. There were few options for gloves that were
universal in design and look for a long time. I feel that a lot of gloves are becoming more and more fashionable. There are simplistic versions of the glove, like the UnGlove, that work well. Then on the other end, there is a new trend taking hold, which is the five finger gloves like the 3 Seconds Five Finger Billiards Gloves. All in all, they have become a part of many players’ bags, and many have a lovehate relationship with them.
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re of the ds Glove
I was recently introduced to the 3 Seconds 5-Finger Billiards Glove, and I LOVE IT. It’s a different take on the gloves, and I find the change welcome. It’s a lightweight material, and it will be a growing trend. I hope to see more innovations like this soon. There is also a new glove on the market brought to you by Piku Break Tips that I have not tried yet, but it’s on my list to check out. Many people even take it to the extreme and wear other gloves. I’ve seen Earl the Pearl wear a glove on both hands, and that just goes against the plan. I will say that gloves get stinky, being on your sweaty hand for hours getting chalk-filled residue. The future gloves are made from hypoallergenic material that take the moisture away, stay cool and keep everything slick.
I liked the full gloves that came up on the wrist for a long time, although the trend had its oppositions on both sides. People didn’t like it when they covered their watches. I personally liked how far it came up on the wrist and felt that it added more stability. After playing with 23
the 3 Seconds Five Finger Billiards Glove, I had a change of heart and now really like the natural feel of their product. The cross cover of the closure is one of the highlights of the glove, and I also see that becoming a trend in the future. I have seen and called out a few companies of the gloves that I have mentioned in this article. There are hundreds of gloves on the market that are very plain and don’t last long. Let’s face it that gloves on the market aren’t meant to last more than a season of heavy use. The tradeoff you will find is that you will have to use a thicker and more durable material with more reinforced stitches. This takes away from the feel of the shaft gliding through your hand and the feeling of the shaft’s vibrations hitting the ball. Many companies have a particular “feel” to their shafts, and the longer you play, the more you will develop what feels best to you. The glove should accentuate the feel of the shaft and not dampen it to the point of not feeling your shots. Some gloves use materials to grip the table and prevent stress movement of the glove
as they are slick on the tablecloth, which is also slick. The point of these materials is to grip the table and create friction. I see a lot of Leather Suede side up or like a silicone glue stuff they put on it. I think that it’s important to remember that the point of the glove is to allow a smoother stroke while still feeling the feel of the shaft, whatever It is made from. To end this article up here, I’d like to say that gloves are not for everyone, but those who use them are always looking for the holy grail of gloves. One that is durable and strong, thin, and feels like you’re not wearing one at all. One that doesn’t smell like a sweaty hand has been in it for hours upon hours. A new trend is coming upon the industry, and I see that as a 5 fingered glove. There are just a couple on the market now. Find what’s right for you and roll with it. Players that call them hand panties have had their stroke sticking to the shaft in a humid environment of a pool hall that has a full kitchen and hundreds of players in a confined area. Find what works for you and rock it until your stroke is as smooth as your personality. 24
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Savannah ‘The Easton Making By Brian Pauley
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he junior pool scene is as hot as it ever has been. Leagues have junior national championships, the BEF is still going strong, and Ra Hanna’s Junior International Championship (JIC) series is in its second year.
figure skater, so naturally she exposed Savannah to it. Savannah did like to ice skate but once she looked at what the “uniform” for a figure skater was, she decided to pick up a hockey stick instead. She plays right wing on her traveling hockey team.
It seems like every weekend there are posts on social media of juniors getting big wins. One player that is taking advantage of all these opportunities is “The Roadrunner” Savannah Easton. Based out of Las Vegas, Savannah is making a name for herself in the junior ranks.
Being on a traveling sports team and traveling a lot for pool is a challenge. Sometimes the events overlap with pool usually the sport that she decides to play in.
Savannah Easton has placed in the top 4 of the last two JIC events in the 13 and under division and holds her own in the main under 18 division. Savannah spends a lot of time working on her game and the results show it. She has been invited to play in her first WBPA event, which says a lot to be invited at the age of 12.
Her family is a key in Savannah’s career by investing the time and money into traveling from tournament to tournament. Sometimes it might be a month or so before they have a weekend home but they do enjoy watching Savannah grow in both hockey and pool.
This girl has a bright future ahead of her. Her biggest win to date is a ladies 640 Fargo and under tournament in Las Vegas where she won undefeated.
Between being busy with those two sports, she is taking guitar lessons and can be seen on her Facebook page jamming out to her favorite tunes. Having another sport and/or hobby can be an outlet to take a break from pool, which can be a good thing. Too many times young kids can see early success in a sport but can easily get burned out if that is all they do.
When she is not playing pool you can either find her on the ice playing hockey, or jamming on her guitar. Her mom was a competitive
If she stays on the current path, there is no doubt that Savannah can have great success in the pool industry. She will be true 26
e Roadrunner’ g Her Mark
Savannah Easton with John Bertone from Kamui
Photo by Cameron Easton 27
Savannah ‘The RoadRunner‘ Easton
Photos by Cameron Easton
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to her nickname and run circles around her competition while joyfully proclaiming, “Beep Beep!” She is sponsored by Predator cues, Kamui tips, Jam Up Apparel, Bangin’ Ballz Billiards, and Salotto. How did you start playing pool? I’ve watched my dad play pool with his friends at home at a very young age. But I started learning the concept of pool when I was 4. I remember using a training cue with the cue ball glued to the tip and a step stool. I started learning to pocket balls when I was 7 but only playing at home against my dad and brother. Last July (2021) was the first time I entered a tournament at 11 years old.
Do you prefer a 7ft table or a 9ft table? I prefer 9ft table because I am able to bring out my stroke and it’s also what I am accustomed to. Our home table has always been a 9ft table. With being on a traveling Hockey team and traveling for pool, how do you manage that busy schedule? It’s very difficult sometimes. We have hockey practices every Monday and Thursday after school and out of state tournaments once or twice a month. I have been fortunate that there are minimal overlapping weekends with pool tournaments. I enjoy both sports where I can physically and mentally challenge myself each time whether I’m in front of a pool table or at an ice rink.
What does your practice look like? Meaning, how often do you practice? How long do you practice? What do you do during practice?
Who are some of the players you look up to?
I practice about 8-10 hours a week. I do my best to practice daily but sometimes I have hockey practices or guitar lessons and piano lessons. Depends on the day. I sometimes run drills (cue ball control drills) and sometimes I set up scenarios and try to figure out how to get out of situations. I also set up shots that I struggle in.
What do you think is the strongest part and weakest part of your game?
What is your favorite game to play and why? I mainly play 9 ball tournaments now and practice 9 ball at home but my favorite pool game is 10 ball because players must call all pockets. What is your least favorite game to play and why? I don’t have a least favorite pool game! I like all of them as long as I get to play!
Margaret Fefilova, Tyler Styer, Jasmin Ouschan, Ralf Souquet, Allison Fisher, Hunter Lombardo & Thorsten Hohmann.
The strongest part of my game is my mental focus in tough situations. My weakest part is cue ball control where I’m working on with various drills. What is some of the best advice you received? You never lose, you either win or learn. If you could play any player, living or deceased in any game, who would it be? Jasmin Ouschan in 10 Ball Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 30
I would like to become a professional pool player and plan on attending college to continue with my education!
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A WINNING DE GAME Part
By Dominic Esposito “The Drill Instru
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ne secret to playing a successful Safety Shot is the requirement that the player focus on the speed and finish (final shape) of only one ball. Choosing the cue ball or the object ball you are hitting beforehand for the sum of your concentration will help you stroke cleanly and without any hitching or twitching of the stick. The Three most critical components to executing a defensive shot are: 1) Visualizing the finished safety play. See where you want the balls to land before getting into your stance to take the shot. 2) Start looking at defensive shots as game winning plays. If you don’t see 3 clear open shots, you’re on defense and that’s ok. Most players are ball bangers because they don’t have a proper playing coach to train them. Learning how to make a shot is not coaching, that’s what instruction is for. A coach teaches you how to think and why you choose to play shots in specific ways. You don’t want to become like most ball-bangers who generally look at defense as another lost chance to run the table. Most games of 8-Ball and 9-Ball are lost on only trying to make lengthy runs. Do you really 34
DEFENSIVE t II
uctor”
want to win your local league or tournament? Then STOP thinking you always must pocket a ball to win. Sure, pocketing the winning 8- and 9-balls is how you win. However, along the way controlling the table and your opponent is the most important thing, and that’s The Drill Instructor Way! The 3rd thing is maintaining sharp mental focus on One Ball to play a safety shot. A good safety shot means your opponent can’t quickly return an even better safety shot on you. 35
Here is an important coaching tip I’ll teach you. Pay attention to learn your opponent’s playing skills and weaknesses. Have a good idea what kind of shots your opponent hates or struggles to shoot. Where are their weaknesses? Left or Right Cut Shots? Banks, Kicks, Caroms, or Frozen to the Cushion Shots? How about a buried cue ball at one end of the table and a buried object ball at the other end? Remember, when you can’t bury and freeze the leave, distance is always your best friend on defensive shots! Any or all the three tips above can crush your opponent an shut off any escape route from your defense play. Another Quick Tip for Better Safety Play A lot of players have never learned how to play defensive shots effectively. You can learn to play decent safes if you’d work on them during practice sessions. Players don’t really think much about Cue Ball Speed Control, so, I’m going to give you a brief crash course on how speed and collision impact CBSC. CBSC Sample A: Hitting a one-half cut shot based on conservation of momentum means half the speed of the cue ball is released to the object ball. If the cue ball is moving at 10 miles per hour and hits a half-ball cut shot, the cue ball will roll away from impact at 5 m.p.h. CBSC Sample B: On a quarter ball cut shot at that same 10 m.p.h. Shot Speed, the cue ball will travel off the object ball at 7½ m.p.h., and the object ball about will move at 2½ m.p.h. This is critical for planning CBSC for the distance the cue ball or object ball will travel based on which one you’re focusing on. Knowing the fractional contact and speed change transfers on the cue ball and object ball can help you understand how to get the ball of choice to wind up where you’re trying to finish your defensive play. For It’s One, Two, Ten Strikes You’re Out in the
FOUL POOL Game. This Skill Building game is called Foul Pool. This can turn your safety practice into fun by adding the excitement of this Foul Pool game. The object of the game is to cause your opponent — to foul each time they shoot. 1) Rack and break the balls as you would for a regular game of 9-Ball. If you fail to make a ball on the break the inning ends as in 9-Ball and it is your opponent’s turn. If you sank a ball, things change from the usual routine. They get re-spotted. 2) Balls sunk on the break are returned to the table to be lined up on the break spot. 3) Always Shoot for the One-Ball when you play each shot. 4) When your opponent does foul, take ballin-hand, and again play safe on the One-Ball. (All nine balls are in play always and balls sunk are always spotted. 5) You earn a point for each time your opponent fouls and gives you ball-in-hand. 10 points wins (10 fouls loose). Handicapping is allowed in Foul Pool. For example, better players can score points only by making you foul twice in a row, or the stronger player needs to take the other to 10 fouls before they foul 5 times and etc. You can make it up as you like or need. Did you know that The Drill Instructor has the best Book and DVD of Safety Shot Drills? It’s called, 55 Defensive Safety Shot Drills. It’s critical you know defensive shots, or you could easily miss seeing them on the table during a game. Working with defense drills results in increased cue ball control and trains you to see more defensive shots which translates into many more ball-in-hand opportunities, and we both know what that translates into. 36
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Exciting Mom 2022 Pool Ye & Shaw Make By: E. Duddy
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mentum for ear as Gorst e History -
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Acknowledging Our Struggle & Loss, To Move Forward Stronger & Optimistic
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irst and foremost let’s acknowledge that all of us (meaning the entire world) have been living through history the last 2 years. A global pandemic with over 373 million cases & 5.6 million deaths, holy cow. It has come with insane challenges to our way of life ... quarantine, shut downs, travel bans, mask mandates, testing, vaccinations, boosters, full hospitals, hoax conspiracies, political division, pandemic fatigue & more. Regardless of what your beliefs are, I choose to respect your opinion & this article is not about COVID-19. Yet before I begin writing about a brighter future for humans & for us pool players, I need to recognize the hardships, sickness & deaths that we have all endured. I have lost good friends to this virus & my heart is not only with others who have lost people, but with all humans who have been affected by this disease in large & small ways (whether they realize it or not). With that said, I’m sure many of you share my excitement to move forward as a society stronger than ever! Although we are not out of the woods completely, as sneaky new strains of COVID keep us on our toes, progress has been made towards returning things to normal. Pool is no exception, with Matchroom keeping major pool events alive in 2021 while navigating strict CDC guidelines. Included in these was the biggest one of the year, the 2021 Mosconi Cup managed to be executed in December amidst an Omicron Storm. Thank you Matchroom!
During Jan 2022 Pool History Made Not Once, but Twice! I don’t know about you, but I love a new year! Especially during hard times, turning the first page on the calendar can mean a fresh start & perspective. Increased energy, motivation, resolutions, goals, opportunities & more. In the first month of 2022 pool has gone off with a bang & without a hitch (knock on wood it continues)! It feels different & game changing! Let’s recap this past month & talk about history being made!
Turning Stone Classic 9 Ball 1.6.22 - 1.9.22 Verona, NY 1st Jayson Shaw - $8,000; 2nd Fedor Gorst - $5,000 Shaw earns record for 7 Turning Stone Titles!
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Arcadia Arizona Open 2022 - 1.12.22 1.15.22 Tucson, Az 1st Fedor Gorst - $25,000; 2nd Roland Garcia - $15,000
* The Legends of Pocket Billiards 14.1 High Run Challenge January 18. 2022 Jayson Shaw Sets New World Record 714! Awarded $16,000 for this achievement @ Derby City
*Derby City Classic 1.21.22 - 1.29.22 Elizabeth, Indiana Divsion: Banks 1st Fedor Gorst - $16,000; 2nd Jayson Shaw - $8,000 Division: One Pocket 1st Fedor Gorst - $16,000; 2nd Josh Roberts - $8,000 Derby All-Around Champion : Fedor Gorst earns $20,000 @ 21 years old makes history! Runner Up - Jayson Shaw $3,000 3rd Place - Joshua Filler $2,000
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Derby City Classic 2022 - 1.21.22 1.29.22 Elizabeth, In Division : Bigfoot 10-Ball Challenge 1st Joshua Filler - $16,000 2nd Fedor Gorst - $80
* Derby City Classic 2022 1.21.22 - 1.29.22 Elizabeth, In Divison : 9 Ball 1st Place Francisco Sanchez - $16,000 2nd Place - Joshua Filler - $8,000
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Wow!! What an amazing month for pool, let’s total up those prize winnings for the top 3 earners so far in January - 1st Fedor Gorst $90,000 ; 2nd Jayson Shaw $35,000 ; 3rd Joshua Filler $26,000. Pool is officially back with a vengeance in 2022! What does the rest of the year have in Store for Players & Fans? Let’s give you the full calendar of announced events for this year so you don’t miss any of the action! Here is everything from one of the best resources in pool - AZBilliards.com
February 2022
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March 2022
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April 2022
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May 2022
June 2022
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July 2022
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August 2022
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September 2022
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October 2022
November 2022
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December 2022
As you can see this coming year is jam packed with many events of all skill levels & disciplines all over the country. Let’s keep our collective fingers crossed that things refrain from further cancellations & the action continues! I’ll see you on the road! 55
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Sneaky Pete Ma Brad Swain, Poo By Patrick Sampey
Photo by Rodman Cleveland
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onday, August 23rd, 2021 -- I talked with Brad Swain in a recent interview about his new cue sponsorship, partnership with Sneaky Pete Mafia, and his involvement in billiards instruction. Triple certified American Cue Sports (ACS), Professional Billiards Instructors Association (PBIA), and Set Pause Finish (SPF) billiards instructor Brad Swain and Sneaky Pete Mafia (SPM) are teaming up as SPM seeks
to diversify and expand billiards news and coverage; SPM endorses Swain to provide pool articles, in depth analysis of the game, videos on technique, and tips on how to play better in this symbiotic relationship of sorts, where both parties benefit from the exchange, as do the billiards aficionados, players, fans, and rail birds of a feather worldwide. Brad and I talked for about 2 hours, 58
afia Presents ol Instructor
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Photo by Rodman Cleveland enraptured in a dynamic discourse, ensconced within a plethora of pool pontification; Swain appears to me to be in tune to the pulse of pool -- that game of spheres, felt, chalk, pockets, slate, stone, nerve and sinew that he, myself, and so many others love with a fiery passion the color red, a crimson hue. Swain currently lives in Orange Park, Florida. He recently got back into billiards just last year after a decade-long hiatus, when his
fourteen year old son asked Brad to give him instruction on pool. “What made me decide to take a ten-year hiatus? I burned myself out. I was going on the road. I was hitting out of town tournaments. I was chasing every game I could with some buddies that were really teaching me hardcore, and my game stepped up the last year and a half bigtime. I got burned out while I was out there, so I decided 59
to take a -- I don’t know -- couple month break, and my very first visit back to the pool hall I had my cues walk off from me before I even got to a table,” Said Swain, “I just quit playing. I had no fun with it...I just wanted to focus on other things in life besides pool, because pool had been the only focus.” So Swain, downtrodden from having all his pool gear stolen at a time he could ill afford to replace it -- leaves the game in 2009, then returns just last October, performing now at about 80 percent of his top gear, he informed me. “I grew up in a really prominent scene, and when I first started playing, the poolroom actually had nap cloth still. And I remember when Simonis came out with their felt. All of the oldtimers were talking about, ‘The game has changed, and it’s only waiting for the players to catch up. And it’s only going to keep on changing more and more.’...Fast forward to today, after taking all that time off, I completely get it, because I don’t recognize the scene today, as opposed to what it was when I quit.” -- Swain. And then the pool scene from when he
Photo by Rodman Cleveland
first began to play, and back and 2009 was very different he explained, “...So, I’m seeing this generational change.” Brad feels that pool wasn’t that way when he began to play, but that now it is a very good environment for young players like his son to explore, “Now that I have a teenager, I am very grateful that it’s every bit a place for a teenager, many of them are; they’ve gone non smoking; a lot of leagues are letting juniors in; they’re even doing a lot of work for junior nationals. The pool scene, as a whole, has changed.” Swain continues on to describe how there are twice as many top level juniors as when he was a teen, and can’t wait to see when there are ten times as many. Agreed; the children are the future of the game. “We are at a point where a lot of demographics of people are coming together and joining the game. There’s a huge influx of pool players new to the game, and I find it crazy that even after a decade, I can still run some racks. I was sure of it -- that I was just going to go back and donate, and then, I was able to compete -- over the last 10 months, is about what I’ve 60
been playing again. I’m about 80 percent recovered. I am focusing more on my business, and what I can do for others right now than I am focused on myself. I’m not really working on my game,” reveals Swain.
Photo by Rodman Cleveland “But I do have a game plan down the line. Once the craziness of building my business -maybe when the dust settles, I’m going to really start working on my game. I plan on coming out guns firing (laughs),” Swain. So many options to choose from, and my favorite may be the green-felt variety, but Swain tells me his favorite color is red -- and in a world painted with so many wonderful, poolball colors -- Swain really gets it, I feel, gets the nature of pool inside and out. He teaches on the mental game. He teaches stroke technique, the physics of pool, friction, throw, all that. Clearly, he is the real deal. JFlowers Cues is now Swain’s cue sponsor, just this month, so that’s another testament to his
billiards knowledge, game, and repertoire; cue companies don’t sponsor just anyone. In billiards, we talk about “What’s the buzz in the game?” Swain is the buzz -- is coming up, rising as a new billiards instructor, working on his personal game, happy about his new sponsorship, and SPM’s Web developer is also helping him launch his new website soon. When Swain’s website is released, he plans to present a personal blog about the game, experiences and stories, instruction, as well as to host a billiards forum players can access to talk various points of contention in anything and everything pool related. Swain and I talked about the game, how things 61
used to be, how it is now, and he indicated that he liked the rail-bird culture the game used to espouse, where players would watch and learn from the best local players -- and how now it seems like so many of the players don’t know the game -- how so many like to play the game as hobbyists, but not really have much of a knowledge of various aspects and the inherent nuances related to them. He would like to change that, get back to where players know the top players of the game in their localities and worldwide, get back into talking about the game, the mental game, all the talking points that used to make the game more diverse and dynamic in the myriad of characters one can meet in any given pool hall. Swain appears to me to be family focused, with how he supports his son’s interest in billiards, how his son got him back into the sport less than a year ago. And Swain appears to love the culture of the game, mental game, the diversity of players that make up the landscape of pool entire. As to the story of Swain’s son and how it relates to his ultimate return to the game just last October, 2020, he tells me, “One of the things I wanted to add in there is that I was completely burned out of playing pool for so long, however, I was able to watch my son grow up as a pool player. His mother remained a player up until about 2 years ago, and so she used to bring him around to the APA (American Poolplayers Association) league, and he grew up around a lot of the players, and he was able to develop his game naturally. He started with the ‘Mosconi Stroke.’ That was his only option. He had to put his wrist straight up in the air. He wouldn’t have reached. He was eye level to the rail (laughs). He was playing pool at about three years old, and just barely able to stand over, and hitting the ball. Once he was about
four, he could hit the ball and make a lot of shots...he was just enthused by that. He would draw the ball length of the table not even knowing what he was doing. It was just natural...he was hitting with a monster stroke right from the get go, and I knew he was going to be something special one day when I could work with him.” “So, twelve years go by, I’m not playing pool at all. A year, year and a half after his mother quit playing, he and I had some conversations, and he asked, ‘So, dad, how good were you? I’ve been hearing all these stories. I know who your friends are, and I know how good they play, but how good were you?’ We talked about it, and that led to another conversation where he asked me to teach him how to play. And I asked him, ‘What do you want? Do you want to just look good in front of your buddies? Or what do you want?’ He said, ‘Dad, I want to get to the level you were at -- I want to run out.’” -- Said Swain of how instrumental his son was to ultimately getting him back to playing again himself (Better to teach if you can perform yourself…). Brad and I also talked a bit about the newer options in the game, such as carbon fiber shafts, tip options, chalk options, etcetera, but Swain indicated that so many players will spend an exuberant amount of money on billiards equipment, but rarely invest on the most important aspect of their game, namely their game. It’s so obvious to Swain where the problem resides for so many players. But more players are beginning to come around, back to the rail-bird culture of the past -- a time where respect was given not by the color of their skin, equipment they use, amount of money they make, but the kind of game they brought with them to the table. 62
“I want to motivate and inspire others to seek a better pool game. And I want to show people that ‘A,’ they may be better they think, and ‘B,’ improving their game may be much easier than they thought, with the right guidance and training,” concludes Swain. And Brad is thankful to those that support him; here is a link to his cue sponsor: https://jflowerscues.com
We will be doing a follow-up article about his cue sponsor within the next month. His new cues will arrive in the next couple of days from JFlowers Cues & Cases. Check out our continued coverage on Brad Swain covering what his wsponsorship by JFlowers will entail. Check out Swain on Facebook to find out about one-on-one instruction: https://www.facebook.com/brad.swain.50
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Rack Up A Victor Self-Talk By Anthony Beeler
We all experience doubt and negative thoughts, but champion players tend to deal with failure differently. They have a filter, which helps them stay positive and maintain emotional control. They don’t let doubt turn into loss of confidence or lower self-esteem.
H
ow do they do it?
In this article, I’m going to show you how you can intercept negative thoughts and push yourself to a higher playing level using the power of positive self-talk. How aware are you of how you talk to
yourself during a match and do you know how big a difference it can make to your state of mind and ability to perform? Thoughts (positive and negative) come and go. Studies have shown that we have over 70,000 thoughts per day. Some of them are positive and some of them are negative 66
ry With Positive But what helps turn thoughts into emotions and feelings, is self-talk. Self-talk is your interpretation of your personal thoughts. If your self-talk is negative, and you’ve chosen to give in to those negative thoughts your emotions can make you feel a certain way. In pool, this means more tension, a lack of focus, and more missed shots. The good news is that self-talk is a choice. You can decide how you filter out the thoughts in your mind. You can create a new positive stream of energy, which can drive you to higher performance and more wins.
DEALING WITH DOUBT Perhaps the most important time to be aware of your self-talk is when you’re struggling or feeling under pressure. As I tell my students, the mental game is easy when things are going good, it’s not until you experience adversity do you find out how good your mental game truly is. For this reason, all my students “practice” positive self-talk and visualize overcoming adversity in those tough moments at the table. Expect to have doubts when you’re out of your comfort zone and practice what you can say to yourself to restore your confidence. Notice your inner self-talk, and if needed, rewrite the script! Remind yourself that you are a mentally
tough competitor and that you have a champion’s mindset! The more you can train yourself to quash doubt using self-talk, the easier it will be to perform in the future, and the less negative self-talk you’ll experience.
MOTIVATION AND BELIEFS Many of my students follow a routine, which includes positive affirmations, hypnosis and subliminal messages. I recommend that you spend a little time each morning visualizing and verbalizing all those things you would like to be and say them out loud, e.g: • “I am a champion.” • “Winning is not a condition, it is who I am.” • “I always take the time to make the right decision.” • “I deliver a straight smooth stroke on every shot.” Repetition of these phrases and visualizing those goals vividly can change your belief system and bring them closer towards you. Notice what words have the best affect on you and add them to your personal script as needed.
MATCH TALK During a match, notice the tone of your selftalk and whether you are talking to yourself in the form of negatives or positives. I wouldn’t 67
want any of my players to give themselves instructions in the form of a negative. Examples of this would be: • “Don’t overcut this shot” or “Don’t hit it too hard.” Replace with, “I can pocket this ball with the correct speed.” • “Don’t get distracted.” replace with, “Play in the present moment.” PLAY IN THE PRESENT Notice if you’re focusing on what the consequence of a shot will be. I often hear from players “If I make this shot, I will be on the hill…”. They are no longer playing in the present. This creates higher performance anxiety and less focus on the process resulting in more missed balls. Notice if your self-talk is taking you into the future and out of an emotionally neutral state of mind.
POST-SHOT POSITIVITY You might be frustrated after missing a ball, but do your best not to turn that into negative self-talk. I play with pool players who tell themselves how bad they are (out
loud not just in their heads!). Invariably those pool players don’t go on to achieve success until they are able to learn how to improve their inner self-talk. Choose your responses to missed shots by having some sort of script you follow. Missed shots and missed opportunities are an inevitable part of the game, so it’s important that you don’t let your inner thoughts change your mood. If you wouldn’t say it to someone else, don’t say it to yourself! If you stroke a shot particularly well, remember to celebrate your success. Use some positive self-talk to enhance that positive feeling and store that memory. Every day is a new opportunity to change your belief system and how you deal with negative thoughts. Notice how you are interpreting your match experiences around you and decide to see things in a more positive way – you’ll benefit enormously from doing so over the long haul!
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.
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