SPM Billiards Magazine Issue 33

from SPM Billiards Magazine Issue 33

SPM Billiards Magazine Issue 33

Thomas Swain: SVB Junior Open 2022

By Patrick Sampey

**Thomas Swain at the River City Open**
Photo by Rodman Cleveland

Thursday, September 22nd, 2022 – “Matchroom Pool and World Champion Shane Van Boening are delighted to announce the field for the inaugural SVB Junior Open set to take place at Harrah’s Resort, Atlantic City during the US Open Pool Championship from October 13-14 has doubled from 32 players aged 17 and under to 64 with the semi finals and final set to be streamed live on the Matchroom Pool YouTube channel to over 180,000 subscribers.” – https:// matchroompool.com/news/svb-junior-openfield-to-double-with-semi-finals-and-finalset-to-be-live-worldwide/

Thomas Swain has qualified, and been selected to be in the Matchroom, Cuetec, and SVB (Shane Van Boening) backed SVB Junior Open, held this year, in tandem with the US Open; Swain is excited to be able to compete with his peers, has been on his own training regimen, and has considered both the mental and physical aspects of what it takes to be a top player in pool. He balances pool with his studies in school, explaining that he usually gets “A’s” and “B’s,” with a rare “C” in there every now and again, but his passion is obviously in pool; Thomas knows all the top world players, is well spoken, explains himself in detail, and the entire interview was a pleasure.

SPM’s Kathryn Brown Day, “What kind of training have you been doing?”

“I’ve been playing drills. I’ve been working on the mental game. I’ve been reading a lot of books; one of the books I’m reading right now is by Bob Fancher I believe, it’s called the ‘Pleasures Of Small Motions,’ there’s a couple of other books I’ve been looking into,” Swain rattles off when asked of his involvement in pool. Dr. Fancher offers a plethora of pool psychology in his book on the mental game of pool, highlighting the depths of Swain’s pool knowledge, and all this information in his young mind, having only been a student of the game 2 short years, since about age 13. Substantial.

“Working on the mental side of the game is one of the things I really enjoy, as it is something you can actually improve without being at a table. A lot of players don’t realize how strong a mental game can get you.” – said Swain.

From ‘The Pleasures Of Small Motions,’:

“I don’t offer any gimmicks or tricks, which seem to be the stock-intrade of many advisers on the mental game. Most gimmicks amount to sophisticated superstitions; they give you the illusion of control, without having any direct effect. At best, gimmicks just jury-rig the mind. I am not interested in helping you apply bailing wire and toothpicks to hold together bad mental processes. I am interested in explicating sound, normal processes as they apply to pool. In my fourteen years as a psychotherapist, I became convinced that gimmicks don’t really work consistently, over the long haul, but developing a sound mind does. I bring this principle with me to understanding pool psychology,” Dr. Bob Fancher, from the book Thomas Swain is currently reading, Fancher a mental giant in billiards.

“Overall, right now, I really need to work on my stance. My stance is a little bit messed up, and I’m still working on a ‘chicken wing’ that I’ve had for about 2 years. If I can focus on getting rid of those before the SVB Open, or at least minuting them, I could go up another ball by then.” Swain said of aspects of his physical game he needs to work on.

“My dad, Brad Swain, is coaching me. He is a triple certified instructor.” Thomas says, of his father’s influence on his game, obviously in good hands to pursue his dream of becoming a touring professional pool player, so many juniors coming up in billiards, all sharing that same dream, to break out – each seeking to establish a skill that will place them amidst billiards icons past and present.

“I hope to get my name out there, show that I’m a respectable junior player, not somebody

**Thomas Swain at River City Open See SPM Billiards Magazine Issue 33 for Full View**
Photo by Rodman Cleveland

**Thomas Swain at River City Open**
Photo by Rodman Cleveland

**Thomas Swain Junior player at the River City Open**
Photo by Rodman Cleveland

10111213that should just be considered a ‘no name.’” – Thomas Swain says of his involvement with the SVB Juniors event, and his goals overall in pocket billiards at large. He appears to me to be very well spoken, knows what direction he wants to go in, and is pursuing his dreams with lightning focus, and laser acuity.

“My favorite player is Jayson Shaw. I love how eccentric he is with the crowd. I like how he can show his emotion on the table without letting it break him,” Thomas explains.

SPM: Do you have a top Five professional pool players?

“Top five right now? I’d go with Fedor, Filler’s going to be in there, Shane, gotta throw in a couple of them, a couple of the Asian players, you gotta include Orcollo the way he’s been playing, one pocket, Alex Pagulayan is up there. There’s just so many good players that it’s hard to name a specific top five,” said Thomas.

“As of right now, I play with about a 15 year old Lucasi custom, and a Predator 314, with a Stinger break cue. Here soon, I don’t know if it will be before or after the SVB Open, I will be playing with a Nick Osbourne custom for a break and playing cue,” Thomas says of his equipment.

“We first started playing about two years ago. We went to Park Avenue Billiards, played with house cues for about an hour or so. I really realized that I loved the game, and after that night, I pretty much asked him did he want to teach me, and he said, ‘How good do you want to be? Do you want to show off in front of friends? Or do you want to be running racks?’ and I said, ‘I want to be better than you were,’” Thomas explains about his first pool outing with his father, an introduction into billiards culture, highlighting his desire to excel in the game – his father is one of the highest caliber billiards instructors in the country.

Thomas Swain has big aspirations in billiards, is seeking to improve himself in both pool, and life at large, and stands as one of the new young pillars of pool, seeking to make his mark upon the pool scene as a whole, and enter the arena with some of USA’s finest junior talents. This has been the Tallahassee Squirrel once again reporting all things pool from Sneaky Pete Mafia magazine. Hope you the reader enjoy this story about a young man pursuing his dreams.

Photography of Thomas Swain was photographed by Rodman Cleveland at the River City Open, Rodman is featured in the magazine with some of his photography and bio.

SPM Billiards Magazine Issue 33

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