SPM Billiards Magazine 50

SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE ISSUE 50

CONTENTS

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INSTRUCTION ARTICLES

ADOPT AN ATHLETIC MINDSET —BY ANTHONY BEELER FOLLOW YOUR DREAM —BY RICK PRINCE FIGHTING OFF A SLUMP —BY STEVE JENNINGS FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE —BY MATT ANDREWS CENTER TO EDGE AIMING —BY ERIC NARETTO THE BOOTCAMP GAME —BY DR. DOMINIC ESPOSITO HOW THE USA CAN WIN THE MOSCONI CUP —BY CHIP KLEIN

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BILLIARD NEWS

16 TEAM ASIA CLAIM VICTORY AT INAUGURAL REYES CUP —BY JACK MITCHELL 26 MOSCONI—EUROPE TRIUMPHS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE —BY JACK MITCHELL 32 THE HATCH IS BACK DENNIS “THE HATCHETMAN” HATCH —BY KAT DAY 38 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK WITH THE HATCHETMAN & THE PEARL —BY KAT DAY 48 KAMUI ATHLETIC TIPS “SHARPEN YOUR EDGE” —BY TINO TALAMANTES 56 TERUKO CUCCULELLI MACKLIN —BY KEITH SHANER

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FROM THE EDITOR

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Hey Pool Afficionados,

We’re excited to announce that Issue 50 is finally finished and available! It has been a challenging couple of months, including a hospital visit and the subsequent recovery. However, the show must go on, and there have been some thrilling events recently! Matchroom had the Hanoi Open, the inaugural Reyes Cup, and the highly anticipated Mosconi Cup, which ended with Team Europe as the victor.

The Mosconi Cup is the highlight of the year, where fans gather to enjoy the excitement, and players have a blast while competing. Even though the USA may have lost, they had a great time!

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I also visited Lawerence, Kansas, where I photographed Earl Strickland and Dennis Hatch. It was wonderful to see them working with the juniors. The kids learned a lot and had the opportunity to play scotch doubles with these two Mosconi Cup legends!

The excitement will begin again after the New Year with the Turning Stone Classic, The WPBA Iron City Invitational, the Derby City Classic around the corner, and so much more! Some names that stand out for 2024 are Fedor Gorst, Kristina Tkach, Rublien Amit, and Sofia Mast. They have had a champion’s year! 2024 was an exciting year, and 2025 will be even more exciting with plenty of Matchroom and Predator events!

MORE THE CUE BUDDY —BY GARRET & WILLOW TROOP ON THE CREST OF A WAVE —BY ELLIOTT WEST POINTS, BUFFALO’S, & LIGHT —BY ALBERT CHARBONNEAU

BILLIARD NEWS

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I’m deeply grateful for your support and enthusiasm. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their loved ones. As we have begun the festive season, I wish you all a joyous Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Our next Issue will be number 51 for SPM Billiards Magazine. Always some excitement happening!

Till next time!

Keep Growing the Sport we all Love!

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ANTHONY BEELER

ADOPT AN ATHLETIC MINDSET

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espite what some people say about pool, I personally believe it is an athletic sport. However, many pool players still play the game like it isn’t, and I believe this prevents them from reaching their full potential. In this article, I will show you how you can change your mindset to produce a better pool stroke when you are under pressure.

WHAT IS AN “ATHLETIC SPORT”?

In the same way that a golfer drives a golf ball or a punter kicks a goal during a football game, a pool stroke is also an athletic movement.

POOL PLAYERS THINK TOO MUCH Most pool players don’t know how to limit their thinking before a shot, and this really affects how good they become. One reason that pool is a far more difficult game than others is because there’s so much time to think. 90% of the game is spent “making decisions” or sitting in the chair, meaning we literally have way too much time to think about our stroke.

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I’m not saying that all thinking in pool is bad – one of the many great aspects of the game is that every shot is different…each shot presents its own set of unique challenges, which requires you to think about the best way to play it.

However, most pool players don’t know how to turn off their critical thinking and access their “athletic mind” so they can make a more natural stroke.

When a player is shooting their best game, they are not preoccupied by thought, judgment, or emotion. There’s no sense of self or “self-consciousness.” The mind is focused 100% on the present, and as far as they are concerned, there is no past or future.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE BRAIN DURING DEAD STROKE? The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that is responsible for managing processes like reason, logic, problem-solving, planning, and memory. In pool, this is great during the initial planning phase of your pre-shot routine, but it can quickly become “a negative voice in your head” when you are getting ready to shoot. To produce a better pool stroke and get into “dead stroke,” that little voice must be turned off, and your athletic mind needs to be activated.

In pool, think about how focused you feel when you shoot certain shots – you have a clear vision of what you intend to do, and you execute it perfectly. This is what happens when your athletic mind is turned on, and your critical mind is switched off. Your body is better able to “react” to the intentions you have set for the shot.

HOW CAN WE DO A BETTER JOB OF TURNING ON THE ATHLETIC MIND? One strategy is to focus on your breathing. This is proven to reduce activity in the thinking part of the brain. Breathing is also a key part of athletic performance, and it also helps reduce tension in the muscles.

Focusing on your senses is another excellent way to connect with the present and turn off the critical mind. Notice what you are seeing, feeling, or hearing as you walk up to the shot. Experiment with your senses and focus on one. Simply becoming more aware of where your attention is and whether you are still “thinking” all the way through the shot will help you produce a better stroke more often.

I personally believe pool is an athletic sport. Many pool players still play the game like it isn’t, and I believe this prevents them from reaching their full potential. Work to change your personal mindset, and you will produce a better pool stroke when the match is on the line.

Anthony Beeler is the current Billiards Instructor of the Decade and is a former BCAPL National Champion. He has numerous “Top 25” national finishes and is the primary author of the ACS National Billiards Instructor’s Manual. He has also authored the book Unstoppable! Positive Thinking for Pool Players.

Anthony currently has the highest established Fargo Rating of any Master Instructor. He has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competitions.

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RICK PRINCE

Follow Your Dream

EFREN REYES PHOTO BY ROBERT ROSS

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ne thing is certain: we all have goals in life, ambitions, hopes, and dreams.

Well, friends, take a look at this man in this picture. Sure, one look at this man and you intuitively know it’s no other than “the Goat” Efren “Beta” Reyes, born August 26, 1954, in Pampanga, Philippines.

Oh yeah, I did my recon; he’s been my dream from the start! I have kept my eyes on him my entire life. It’s simple: when you’re doing something that you love, you try to do the very best you can. You want to be the best at it! You own it.

Well, in billiards, you must play better players than yourself to improve. If you’re the best player in the room, get the news: you’re in the wrong room!

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The reason I’d be willing to match up with Efren is because of his one-on-one knowledge, which he would no doubt offer me. Do I think I could beat the GOAT? YOU BEST BELIEVE I DO! I’d never in my lifetime cue up at a table and not believe I would win the match! If you go into a game with doubts or thinking, there’s no way I will beat this guy or gal, and guess what? You can’t!

Negative energy from the brain shoots down your neck and your arm directly to your stroke!

Your brain needs positive affirmation. Remind yourself of all the games you have won in the past.

Video your matches; don’t delete your losses or failures. Study them, watch yourself run out, watch yourself win, but more importantly, watch yourself lose! Study both wins and losses.

Most of all, always remind yourself of how much you love the game!

Remember where your game once was and compare it to how you’re playing today.

I hope all who read this are immediately transformed back to the first game of pool they ever played when they first fell in love with it, and with every shot they take from this day forward, they fall deeper in love with it.

Let’s Have Fun, Play Well, and KEEP THE ROCK ROLLIN’!!!

Until Next Time, Happy Shootin’!

Rick “White Wolf” Prince

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STEVE JENNINGS

POOL SCHOOL IS OPEN

FIGHTING OFF A SLUMP

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nyone who competes in any sport on a regular basis is bound to find themselves in the dreaded slump from time to time. A slump is a point when nothing seems to work like it’s supposed to work. It’s hard to pinpoint when a slump will hit, what causes it, and most importantly, how to make it end. It doesn’t matter if you are a strong player or an average amateur; sooner or later, you find the wheels falling off for seemingly no reason, and the harder you work to get out of it, the worse it seems to get.

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Slumps are largely a mental issue that can show itself in your physical game. They are like the monster under the bed that sneaks up on you when you’re least prepared. We don’t really know why it showed up, we’re not sure how long it’s going to stick around, and we’re not sure how to fight it off. And even worse, the harder we fight it, the stronger it seems to get.

Slumps can appear for various reasons and can be extremely frustrating. They can steal your selfconfidence, make you question every decision, and degrade your performance.

So, what should we do to combat the problem? Well, it may be surprising to learn that even professional instructors don’t have all the answers. But we do know how to find them. I contacted some sports psychologists to learn what I could on the subject and found some things we could do to get out of a slump.

One recommendation was to simply slow down our shooting process. By taking an extra moment to just step back and evaluate our options, we allow our mind to organize our thoughts and assess our options. While frequently our first instinct is the correct choice, weighing our options may let us see a better solution for the immediate situation.

Sometimes, more experienced players have a tendency to overthink or complicate things. Over time, we learn that we can sometimes dig ourselves out of a hole by taking somewhat extreme steps. Overuse of spin or too much speed can make performing a shot more difficult. Getting perfect shape doesn’t do any good if our object ball doesn’t drop into the pocket. Making the shot with a reasonable chance at the next shot is much better than heading to your chair. Simplify your game as much as you can. That’s always good advice, even when you’re on top of your game.

Get back to the basics. Focus your energy on what makes your game work best. Have your shooting routines slipped away? Are your stroke mechanics preventing you from accurately delivering the cue ball to your intended target? Is your stance preventing your body from properly aligning with your shot? These are the things we need to maintain for peak performance.

These are simple steps we can all take to get back on track when your game falters. Thinking you can power through the situation can ultimately prolong your recovery. The biggest roadblock in your recovery is selfdoubt. You will likely find your game coming back to you by simplifying things. And as it does, your selfconfidence will return, and that slump will become a distant memory.

Until next time Steve Jennings ACS/SPF/PBIA Master Instructor

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KEITH SHANER

TERUKO CUCCULELLIMACKLIN: OLD SCHOOL VALUES IN THE NEW EMERGING WORLD OF POOL

“When you look beyond Teruko, the pool player, and look at Teruko, the person, you cannot help but see her as a modern woman with an old-world soul, and that is the kind of person everyone should be lucky enough to meet.”

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have been very fortunate to meet many great people as I have navigated the pool world over a great many years. About ten years ago, through a close friend of mine, I was introduced to someone who immediately became one of my favorite people, and not just because of her pool game. She is always so positive and kind; the word fun was created to describe her. I have watched her play, competed with her locally in tournaments, and sat with her for lunch between matches. I have wanted to do an interview with her for quite some time, and between my schedule and hers, we have not been able to line up some time.

Even though she is preparing for a wedding in one week and an event in just a couple of weeks, she was kind enough to squeeze in a few hours to sit down with me and talk. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present my friend, Ohio native, and WPBA touring professional, Teruko Cucculelli-Macklin.

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Teruko’s parents met in Japan, where her father was stationed. I asked her, just out of pure intellectual curiosity, if she was named after the Empress, the Princess, the female samurai, the scientist, the lawyer, the long-distance runner or the basketball player. It turns out her namesake is someone even better. A very close friend of her mother’s and a close link that I feel she embraces based on her devotion to her family and friends. When you look beyond Teruko, the pool player, and look at Teruko, the person, you cannot help but see her as a modern woman with an old-world soul, and that is the kind of person everyone should be lucky enough to meet.

Teruko was born in Lancaster, Ohio, and had a typical upbringing. She was a cheerleader in high school and had a fondness for basketball. In her sophomore year, she restricted her cheerleading to football after a friend encouraged her to try out for the ladies’ basketball team. Already possessed of a competitive spirit

TERUKO CUCCULELLI-MACKLIN PHOTOGRPAHY BY KEITH SHANER

and being someone who loves challenges, Teruko was setting the stage for what would not only make her one of our areas best but would one day propel her to the Women’s Professional Billiard Tour.

I met up with Teruko in her homeroom, Cushions Billiards & Lounge, as she was chatting with Danny, the owner. It had been a while since we had spoken in person, and we spent a little time catching up. I especially wanted to congratulate her on her upcoming nuptials with Bryan Macklin and let her know how happy we all are for her.

Teruko had a glimpse of the game through her father’s music but was not yet playing the game. He is a blues musician, and she traveled to some of the venues to watch him perform, and of course, many bars and SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

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clubs had pool tables in them. However, she was not even a casual player yet. She had been working full-time, and then, when her mother passed away, she suddenly had a mortgage to pay. She was also taking a few classes part-time at Columbus College of Art and Design in the evening. She took a parttime bartender/cocktail waitressing job at Cushions Billiards & Lounge. When her regular job was downsized, she began working full-time at Cushions.

It was here that she first started playing the game and eventually immersing herself in the sport. She was trying to decide if the art classes were something she wanted to pursue more or not and thinking about what she really wanted to do as a possible career. The WPBA was on TV while she fell in love with the game. Watching Jeanette Lee, Karen Corr, and Allison Fisher greatly inspired her. Especially Jeanette, as an Asian role model and what she proved could be accomplished as a player. She had a

long talk with her father about her struggle with art school, and he told her that whatever she chose to do, she needed really to want to do it every day. She said what she wished she could do every day was play pool. So, he said, “Play pool, but you must put the work into it.”

The first big event that Teruko attended was in Windsor, Canada. She was just a spectator at this event, and she liked what she saw and enjoyed the atmosphere. This was right as she was making the decision that pool was going to be her career path.

Julie Kelly was the winner of the event, and that helped spark her drive to compete. Her first step out of the local scene was at the Super Billiard Expo near Philadelphia, PA. This is the annual event put on by Allen Hopkins. She got knocked out of the main amateur event but returned to win the second chance tournament. She took second place the

TERUKO CUCCULELLI-MACKLIN PHOTOGRPAHY BY KEITH SHANER

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following year, and her fate as a player was sealed.

She understands what so many young players She eventually moved to play on a regional tour until today and even some older ones don’t. There are no she finally got the call to the WPBA. shortcuts in pool without work. You must practice the right things; you must learn to grind out long The learning process from beginner to professional sets, and you must learn to lose in order to learn tour player was arduous, as it is for many players. how to win. Another lesson she learned from her Teruko had to sort out the advice she was getting father. He taught her to be humble in taking the from other players around her. Many of the things loss and using it to learn what you must do to win. people were telling her were wrong or, in some cases, Learn what you are doing wrong so you can correct above her skill level at the time. It made for a lot of the problem. Be honest with yourself and use it confusion and many course corrections. Luckily, as motivation to drive yourself to get better each Cushions is one of serval pool rooms that mark the time. It’s a lesson she is passing down to the next central Ohio landscape, and there are several top generation in her own family as her stepdaughter local players and just as many traveling players that competes in her own sporting life. make appearances. Fortunately, she met enough people who could help her navigate the process There is no secret drill or magic cue; there is just better and shorten that learning curve. Keeping her you and the table. It’s there if you are willing to get working on things that were beneficial to her skill on the slate and work to find it. She says putting in level would help strengthen her foundation so she that time and battling tough opponents will teach could move on to the next. Eventually, she came you about the game, and it’s where you will learn through and became the strong player that she is the most about yourself—controlling your emotions, today. She is still working hard and still looking to maintaining your focus, overcoming your fears, and improve her game. embracing the challenge instead of shrinking from it.

In those early days, Teruko was especially driven to compete. There were tournaments in the central Ohio area pretty much every night, and she was there at every opportunity, looking to compete and win. She really wanted to “beat the boys.” She paid her dues, took her losses, returned to the pool room, and worked on her game. Day after day after day. She took her father’s words to heart and put in the work. Soon, she was beating the boys, and she started winning and placing high in these local events.

One thing we discussed was the mental side of the game. She says that she has the little mantras that she tells herself to help her get off to a good start and tries to laugh off any mistakes while maintaining her seriousness in a match. She tries not to let negative thoughts creep into her mind.

Staying positive and not letting her conscious and unconscious minds collide to the point where it becomes distracting. Pool isn’t life or death, but the drive to win is always there, and you have to control that drive and not beat yourself up over it.

In preparing her mental game, Teruko is old school and embraces the idea of pressure. Playing with focus when it’s all on the line. Her philosophy is you must love it even when it hurts, learn from the pain of losing, and keep moving forward. When you don’t like what is happening on the table, then learn and work to make it different the next time.

I asked Teruko, as I do with most players I talk to, about their practice routine. It’s tough to find time even for those who have chosen pool for their career, perhaps especially for them. With family and travel and those who have to work to supplement their income, it can be difficult to put in the hours you did as a kid learning to play. Especially when guys like me interrupt it with a lot of questions.

Teruko, like pretty much all professional players, tries to get as much quality out of her practice time as possible. She now has a family for the first time and lives a full life. She has to maximize her time. She took a lot of time off during COVID as there weren’t any events anywhere, so she didn’t really play anything for a couple of years. She has also recently switched equipment, and it’s tough retraining yourself to do something different, and frustration is easy. You won’t see her just banging balls around. She practices with purpose, working on specific shots she has had trouble with and improving her break and safety play. Also, she is currently adjusting to her new equipment, trying to firm up her fundamentals, and learning to trust her pre-shot routine and stroke again.

On that note of coming back and some of the things that have affected the game in the last few years, I asked her what she thought was the most positive thing she has seen happen in the last five years. Her immediate answer? Junior players. The junior players SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

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TERUKO CUCCULELLI-MACKLIN PHOTOGRPAHY BY KEITH SHANER

coming up make her more hopeful for our sport than at any other time in the game’s history. The talent they are displaying and the positive attitudes that so many have inspired Teruko and given her evidence that the game is progressing in a positive direction. Before, juniors had no inroads into the sport. Now, with the BEF and the Junior American Series (formally the JIC), local junior programs, and the influx of young talent coming out of Europe and Asia, the sport is starting to become a true sporting option for young people.

With the increase in young players, we talked about coaches and how effective they can be for players. Teruko doesn’t have a coach, but she sees the benefits of having them and how effective they can be, especially to young players—strengthening their foundations and keeping them on track to stay consistent and productive. It’s much like coaches in other sports like golf or tennis. They don’t have to be better than you as a player, but they can see what you can’t see about your play and point you in the right direction to fix issues in your game. Everyone has them; everyone gets a glitch in their stroke, and instead of taking a week 20

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to fix the problem, a coach can help you correct it that very day. She feels it is a personal choice and emphasizes the need to get a good, experienced coach. A bad coach can be worse than having no coach at all.

Another thing we discussed about the young players is how they can gain recognition. It sounds vain, but it’s a necessary thing. With social media, a strong young player may begin attracting sponsorships outside of pool-related businesses. I discussed a recent article I co-wrote about Sam Henderson and his encouragement of other young players to occasionally get into more significant regional events for the experience and to help get themselves into a position where sponsors can see them playing.

Some of the young players that Teruko looks forward to watching develop are Sofia Mast, Savanah Easton, and Payne McBride. She feels there are almost too many upcoming players to choose just one or two, and she is very excited to see these young players grow into future champions and represent our sport.

I touched on the current situation with the bansthat are going on, and Teruko is hopeful that, eventually, a solution can be found where everyone can coexist and that the players will be in a more stable situation where they can play and make a living without worrying about opportunities being unavailable to them. More and more events are being created. As the opportunities increase and the number of up-and-coming players increases, there has to eventually be a stable structure that allows growth and security for everyone involved.

With the Mosconi Cup on the horizon, I asked a question I felt Teruko was uniquely positioned to answer. Based on the history of the Cup, Europe has overtaken US players as the dominant competitors.

Asia, of course, has been a dominant force ever since the arrival of Efren, Parica, and Bustamente.

Does the same gap exist on the women’s side of pool? She feels that it does exist and a lot of it has to do with developing young players and things like government support for touring play. The mindset that the culture that has developed outside of the US has contributed a lot to raising the talent levels. She does feel that now as America increases opportunities for young players and as they grow and compete with one another, we will start to close that gap. The more successful our young players are, the more likely they are to inspire more young players to try to compete in the future. The connections these players build will indirectly lead to more connections in the future, even if they don’t play much past the junior level. They will introduce their children to the players who have moved on to the next level, and another fan and potential player/ viewer will be created. The more faces we have in the game, the more likely one of those faces will connect with fans, and they tell two friends and so on and so on and so on…

One of the things that I always want to do is offer balance, and while we all love this game, I know how much Teruko loves this sport and traveling and competing. It’s not always easy, so I asked her what are the most challenging things about being a traveling professional player. For Teruko, it’s missing out on so many things with friends and family. She has had some health issues with her back, and with the need to take every opportunity to compete in a sport where there are no millionaire athletes, it isn’t easy to take time off. She now has a family of her own, so she wants to be involved with many things: birthdays, school events, and general family time.

With nine-to-five jobs, family life can be tricky; when you are on the road every month and taking

time to prepare for an event and making travel arrangements, the complexity of it all increases. The wear and tear on the body alone takes its toll.

With all of that said, I asked what event she most looks forward to every year. She said Soaring Eagle, without hesitation. She loves the venue and the atmosphere. There is a great amateur event that runs alongside the main tournament, and they do a wonderful job all around with this event.

When she is on the road, her main road companion is Brittany “The Bombshell” Bryant. A fine player in her own right, Brittany has won at every level, from junior to professional. Just last year, she was the first player to sweep the Canadian Billiard and Snooker Association Women’s Championship. She also loves hanging out with Caroline Pao, but the reality is she enjoys spending time with a lot of the players.

They root for each other even though they compete hard against each other, trying to win. It’s been an evolution for her as when she was first on tour, she was very much a loner, just focusing on competing and not showing interest in making a lot of friends, how time changes us.

Teruko now values the friendships she has made through pool, including the one we forged. It would not have happened without pool. She is a beloved local player here and is respected by her peers, both male and female amateurs and professionals alike.

That’s not a guess. I have personally witnessed her interactions with players at every level of the game.

She sees the positive impact that pool has had on her life beyond matches and events, and she has had even more positive impacts on others in the game.

She enjoys being home with family and friends when she is away from the table. Home is where the heart is, and hers is always with those with whom she is close. She loves traveling to New Orleans, The Grand Canyon, Florida, and South Dakota. There are grand adventures both in and out of the pool world, and Teruko is living hers.

Teruko has undergone many changes in the sport, both locally and nationally, and her experience puts her in a unique position to view the sport as it is poised for its first real growth into the mainstream since the early 1900s. As the tours expand, the fanbase grows, and young players vault over higher and higher bars of excellence. Players like Teruko will be guarding the foundations and values of the sport, cheering the youth on to brilliant futures, and keeping the spirit of the sport alive for all of us.

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— Thank you, Teruko.

TERUKO CUCCULELLI-MACKLIN PHOTOGRPAHY BY KEITH SHANER

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4140 VELP AVENUE, GREEN BAY, WI, 54313 1-(800) 934-7735 FAX (920) 434-7757 www.pechauer.com

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MATT ANDREWS MENTORING

FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE – The Impact of Luck in Cue Sports

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hen speaking with people involved in Cue sports, nearly all will be able to give a solid idea of what needs to be in place to perform well and achieve their goals. They will list several controllable factors that form an excellent foundation to build upon, such as commitment, trusting their technique, quality practice, temperament, and areas such as having complementary lifestyles.

I later went on to see luck as an event, Something that just happened, and how it would go on to affect me very much depended on how I reacted to it, which is still very much the case today and how I generally encourage those I work with to look at it.

However, is it a mere illusion? What is this ghostly hand that suddenly changes something in our environment that can significantly affect our situation, mood, and the outcome of what we are However, within the sport, there is often a mystical trying to achieve? Does it really exist, this entity force that is usually mumbled about, sometimes that can elevate or diminish a player’s fortunes? shouted, frowned upon, praised, and reluctantly Because no matter my healthier outlook these accepted and apologised for, that we know as luck. days, I just can’t say that it doesn’t exist because Luck often emerges as a curious and occasionally we all, in one way or another, have experienced it. controversial factor that can pop up and swing a match on its head, affect a player’s concentration, While Skill and hard work undoubtedly form the cause them to suddenly gain in frustration, or bedrock of success in cue sports, fortune can take their next shot with a mixture of glee and be incredibly difficult to deny when it seems to embarrassment depending on what side of the influence the outcome of a match. A beneficial force you find yourself on. deflection, a fortuitous bounce off a cushion, or a seemingly impossible pot following a missed Everyone has their own thoughts on it; some attempt are all the seemingly chance occurrences will feel more affected by it than others, and a that have a significant impact that can turn the tide small minority may believe that they have neither of a game. experienced good nor bad while playing, not even recognising when luck may have played a role in However, luck isn’t a random, stand-alone their performance. force that can simply take over and dictate. It is interwoven with skill, ability, and preparation. An My own thoughts about luck have often been experienced, skilled, and well-prepared player is far tested and changed over the years. I actually saw more likely to perform still, capitalise, and achieve myself as a highly unlucky, somewhat clumsy when gaining “lucky” or “unlucky” breaks, when teenager until I had some sort of awakening and in comparison, an unskilled player may panic, decided to choose to shed the unfortunate label feel that they have limited options, and squander I had given myself. Surprisingly, as soon as I had opportunities. For instance, a player with a keen done this, my fortunes changed. understanding of controlling their emotions, angles, side, and spin can manipulate the cue ball 24

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to overcome the impact or maximize the chances of Players who label themselves “lucky” or “unlucky” a lucky shot. may fall into a dangerous trap. A player who believes they are lucky may become complacent, So, which following camp do you connect with relying on chance rather than hard work and when it comes to Luck? dedication. Equally, players who think they’re unlucky may develop a victim mentality, blaming The Illusion of luck: external factors for their failures and refraining from taking and accepting opportunities because Some argue that luck is merely a perception, a they believe they are so unlucky they just won’t way to explain unexpected outcomes that defy work out. our understanding. They contend that underlying physical laws and probabilities govern every event, While luck may play a role in cue sports, focusing no matter how random it may seem. In this view, on the factors within your control is essential. By a lucky shot is simply a rare occurrence within honing your skills, practicing, and developing the realm of possibility. For instance, when the a strong mental attitude, you can minimise the player strikes the cue ball to play a defensive shot, impact of luck. surprisingly, the power and direction used causes the object ball to deflect off another, striking a Embracing the unpredictable and remaining opencushion that sends it into a pocket. Those watching minded to the fact that anything can happen and that luck is just a possible part of the game can be have a mixture of feelings between it being a poor an exciting challenge and an excellent goal to set shot, an unlucky or lucky shot, while the player themselves just sees it as an unforeseen “Event” to for oneself. Using a structure and putting in place manage, but it was always strangely possible plans to deal with various situations, including the possibility of gaining lucky or unlucky moments, Chance: can help cultivate and maintain a positive mindset, allowing you to stay calm and focused, even when A more flexible outlook on luck that can be faced with adversity. connected with fate, a belief that chance plays a significant role in cue sports. The unpredictable Using your plans to recover and reset after nature of ball collisions, the subtle variations in table setbacks can minimise the effects of fortune and conditions, and the human element all contribute to help you return to concentrating on executing your an element of randomness. This inherent uncertainty shots and trusting your technique and process. can lead to unexpected results, which we often Use these setbacks to learn and improve and feel attribute to fortune and luck. more comfortable managing those times when luck favours you, excitement follows, or when it seems The belief: to work against you and where frustration can distract you.

A player who believes in luck may approach the game with a more relaxed and optimistic mindset. Understanding the role of luck and the part it This positive mental state can lead to improved can play, its influence upon yourself, and how you performance, which, in turn, can create a selfrespond to it can significantly help improve your fulfilling prophecy of good fortune. performance and, for some, have dramatic results.

Don’t take luck personally, and try to refrain from The flipside Is the competitor who sees themselves labeling yourself as wearing the Unlucky coat while as inherently unlucky, again that can create a self- trying to play; it will only ever weigh you down and fulfilling prophecy of bad fortune, who can easily prevent you from performing to the top of your miss any good luck they seem to have. Still, they are ability. Remember, while luck may play a part, your waiting for the bad to strike. skill, knowledge, dedication, and healthy mindset will ultimately determine your success.

Luck can profoundly affect a player’s mental state, performance, and overall outlook on the game.

Good luck!

A streak of good luck can boost confidence and Play Well! motivation, while a run of bad luck can erode selfbelief and lead to frustration. www.mattandrewsmentoring.org SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

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JACK MITCHELL

TEAM ASIA CLAIM VICTORY AT THE INAUGURAL REYES CUP

TEAM ASIA 2024 INAUGURAL REYES CUP PHOTO BY TAKAIMAGES FOR MATCHROOM MULTI SPORT

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eam Asia emerged victorious at the Overall Score after Day Two: Team Europe 6-11 inaugural Reyes Cup, defeating Team Europe 11-6 in a thrilling finale at the Ninoy Team Asia Aquino National Stadium in Manila.

David Alcaide 5-4 Johann Chua Francisco Sanchez Ruiz & Mickey Krause 3-5 Ko In partnership with Puyat Sports, this landmark Pin Yi & Duong Quoc Hoang event brings Asia’s top players head-to-head Jayson Shaw 5-3 Carlo Biado against Europe’s finest in a high-stakes competition Jayson Shaw 5-2 Duong Quoc Hoang on the World Nineball Tour. The tournament is Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 1-5 being broadcast globally by Cignal TV in the Philippines and Sky Sports in the UK. The day kicked off with a nail-biting match between Johann Chua and David Alcaide. Chua’s 26

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dry break in the first rack gave Alcaide the early advantage, though a miss on the 2-ball left Alcaide scrambling. Chua had his chance to close the gap, but a twitch on the 7-ball allowed the Spaniard to seize control.

Chua managed to fight back with a clever bank shot, but another twitch on the 9-ball allowed Alcaide to take a 3-1 lead. Chua then pounced on Alcaide’s scratch with a 2-9 combo and levelled the score after a missed shot from Alcaide. However, a golden break from Alcaide brought the match to a thrilling 4-4, and when Chua scratched in the deciding rack, Alcaide secured the win.

Shaw’s momentum continued in his next singles match against Duong Quoc Hoang. Shaw dominated the opening frames, racing to a 4-0 lead as Duong faltered under pressure. Although Duong fought back, winning two consecutive racks, Shaw’s precision proved too much, and he secured his second singles win of the day with a 5-2 victory.

The decisive moment came in the final match of the day, where Aloysius Yapp faced Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, with Team Asia just one win away from clinching the title. Yapp capitalised on a missed 7-ball from Ruiz to claim the first rack, but Ruiz quickly responded after Yapp scratched on the The second match saw Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and break. However, Yapp took charge, hooking Ruiz Mickey Krause pair up against Duong Quoc Hoang on the 3-ball and forcing a foul, setting up a 3-9 and Ko Pin Yi. After trading break-and-runs in the combo to win the third rack. A break-and-run from first two racks, the European duo gained the lead Yapp put him at 3-1, and after forcing another foul after Team Asia missed a 6-ball. But Ko and Duong from Ruiz, Yapp reached the hill. responded swiftly, levelling the score and then taking control with a clean sweep of the next rack. With his final break-and-run, Aloysius Yapp A dry break from Duong gave Europe a chance to secured the match and the Reyes Cup title for recover, but Ruiz’s miss on the 2-ball in the seventh Team Asia, capping off an outstanding individual rack handed Ko and Duong the opportunity to performance that earned him the MVP award for capitalise, bringing them to the hill. A crucial miss the tournament. Team Asia’s historic win in the on the 5-ball by Duong nearly gave the Europeans first-ever Reyes Cup marks the beginning of a new a lifeline, but Ruiz repeated the mistake, allowing chapter on the World Nineball Tour, with fans Ko and Duong to take the final rack and edge Team already anticipating next year’s showdown.

Asia closer to victory.

Next World Nineball Tour Event Jayson Shaw, Europe’s Mosconi Cup captain, was up next, facing off against Carlo Biado. Despite The World Nineball Tour heads to the Brass Tap & breaking dry, Shaw quickly regained momentum Billiards, in Raleigh, NC, USAfor The Beasley Open after Biado failed to pot the 1-ball, taking the between November 5-10th. first rack. Shaw then went on a run, clinching the third rack with a 3-9 combo and stealing the Next Matchroom Major fourth after Biado missed a 2-6 carom. Although Biado mounted a comeback by taking two racks The World Nineball Tour heads over to Orlando, due to Shaw’s errors on the 6-ball and 3-ball, Florida for the prestigious Mosconi Cup, held Shaw eventually sealed the match with a 5-3 win, between November 30 – December 3 at the Caribe keeping Europe’s hopes alive.

Royale, and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland and DAZN in the USA.

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ERIC NARETTO

Center to Edge Aiming

STAN SHUFFET & ERIC NARETTO PHOTO PROVIDED BY ERIC NARETTO

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ello everyone! Welcome back to the final edition of my aiming systems discussion.

This article focuses on CTE as revitalized by Stan Shuffet.

My History with CTE? In 2015, I ran an 88-player bar table tournament that drew pro players like Jason Klatt, Sarah Rousey, 28

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Mitch Ellerman, Larry Nevel, and Alex Olinger.

The event also drew Midwest champions like Jesse Bowman and Dave Coles. One player in particular that caught my eye in the event was none other than now current 2 time Mosconi Cup champion, Tyler Styer. Tyler made a massive jump in his game within one year of seeing him previously. Tyler effortlessly ran through my bar table tournament, claiming first place undefeated.

While Tyler was waiting in the hot seat, I had a talk with him and asked him how he could make a jump like that so fast, and he told me it was because of his work with PBIA Master Instructor Stan Shuffet. Tyler worked hard with Stan learning CTE Pro One, which is an advancement in Hal Houle’s Center to Edge teaching when Hal was alive.

Positives and Negatives of CTE

There are three targets located on the object ball to aim at: the center and the two quarters. That’s it for handling nearly all shots. For thin shots, a player needs to use the area between the outer quarter and the edge of the ball when aiming with inner edge of the cue ball. This object ball area is known as the 1/8th location of the object ball.

Negatives To some people, CTE can be complex to learn due to the players already learning other ways to aim. ● CTE has its own language. Languages are difficult to learn (but possible). The hardest thing about learning

Positives Aiming with the edges of the cue ball helps find the location of the center of the cue ball as it connects with the object ball. Using other aiming systems, there is a feel process present when aiming because the player has to connect the center of the cue ball I quickly jumped into the CTE fold and studied with a location on the object ball (or, if it’s a thin cut, Stan’s work through Tyler’s recommendation. Within the center of the cue ball somewhere outside the 3 weeks of working on the system, I had seen an object ball). unbelievable improvement in my pool game. After ● teaching myself Pro One for 5 years, in June of 2021, I The three major aim points on the object ball met with Stan Shuffet to better my understanding of connect with specific locations on the pool table. A all CTE and was endorsed by Stan to teach CTE to player who uses CTE can associate his or her misses my students. (and makes) with specific areas on a pool table.

This means that this aiming system can show a Using CTE, I won the Iowa State Championship in player where the object ball is going so that if the 2016, the Illinois State Championship in 2017, and player misses something, they can immediately The Midwest National Team Championships in identify what they did wrong and make adjustments 2019. I have also placed high in many tournaments in the future. over the years using this system. ● CTE can be used for banks.

What is CTE? ● CTE can be used when putting English and spin on Center-to-edge aiming (CTE) is a visual perception the cue ball. system driven by visually gearing cue ball-object ● ball relationships into one of three perceptions CTE has a specific language that is used by anyone that lead to half-cue ball alignments for repeatedly who uses it. This means that when the conversation of connecting with the six pockets of a regulation table.

CTE is for all shots!

CTE is present, there is no confusion about what the student or teacher needs to comprehend or is CTE is very different from conventional aiming. talking about.

Where most aiming systems have a player aim with the center of the cue ball, CTE players aim with one of It will jump-start a player’s ability if taught at the the two cue ball edges. beginning of a student’s shooting career.

When using CTE, it is very important to turn your nose toward the edge of the cue ball you are using to aim.

Having your vision offset is the best head position for seeing cue ball-object ball relationships. Turning your head allows you to engage in using the whole cue ball as an aiming piece, not just the center of it.

CTE for me was learning all the terminology behind it. ● CTE can not be used for kicks or combinations due to a lack of connection with an object ball/ pocket relationship. ○ When kicking a ball, the cue ball is being aimed at a location on the rail first, not an object ball. Therefore, the player is going to want to use a kick system to hit/ make the object ball.

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When shooting a combination, the cue ball is connected to an object ball; however, the object ball does not have a connection with the pocket. Instead it has a connection with another object ball. If a player can comprehend the second object ball as an imaginary pocket, using CTE will get the player close to connecting with the shot, however it is not guaranteed the combination will go into the desired pocket.

G1’s Final Thought I would not be the player (or instructor) I am today without talking with Tyler and meeting Stan.

Stan’s information should be known and looked upon highly. Many players and instructors dog CTE, claiming that it can’t work. I have two state championships and one national championship that disagrees. The issue at hand is people don’t want it to work, so they try their best to fill people’s heads with the idea that it doesn’t work. They don’t listen to what Stan says, and people misconstrue Stan’s words instead. I am living proof that CTE does work, and I will continue to teach CTE in a positive manner

as it is a system that has taught me so much about what the eyes can see and do.

I recommend anyone to have a CTE lesson with Stan or any other endorsed CTE instructor. Stan doesn’t throw the endorsements around lightly, as this is his life work on display. Meeting one of us and talking will be a lesson about your visual intelligence and how you can apply the knowledge of what your eyes see and do to a cue ball and object ball.

DO NOT WATCH ANY YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT CENTER TO EDGE UNLESS THEY ARE CREATED BY STAN OR AN ENDORSED INSTRUCTOR! I also recommend that everyone give Stan’s book, “Center Pocket Music,” a read as his CTE life story is within the book, as well as an unbelievable amount of CTE shots that you can practice to improve your CTE game. If you are interested in learning CTE, please contact Stan Shuffet, myself, or any other endorsed instructor.

If you would like to find out if there is an endorsed instructor in your area, you can go to Stan’s website, www. justcueit.com, to find us. At the website, you may also purchase Stan’s book, as well as a CTE object ball, that can be used as a visual training guide to learning the CTE experience.

What a great time it has been bringing you this series of aiming system instructional articles. Thanks to everyone who has followed along!

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JACK MITCHELL

2024 BETONLINE MOSCONI CUP

EUROPE TRIUMPHS TO SECURE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE TITLE

Team Europe triumphed at the 2024 BetOnline Mosconi Cup, defeating Team USA 11-6 to claim their fifth consecutive title. Held at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, this historic victory cemented Europe’s dominance in the transatlantic rivalry and provided a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 World Nineball Tour.

Overall Score: Team USA 6-11 Team Europe Match One: Skyler Woodward 0-5 Jayson Shaw Match Two: Fedor Gorst 5-4 Mickey Krause Match Three: Skyler Woodward 4-5 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz Day Four opened with a high-stakes showdown between the captains, Jayson Shaw and Skyler Woodward.

Shaw capitalised on multiple errors from Woodward, including scratches and a dry break, to deliver a clinical 5–0 whitewash. This commanding win brought Europe within a single point of the championship.

In the second match, reigning World Champion Fedor Gorst sought to keep Team USA’s hopes alive against 32

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European Open champion Mickey Krause. Gorst surged ahead, winning the first three racks with precision clearances. Krause rallied in impressive fashion, showcasing skill and resilience to draw level at hill-hill. In the decisive rack, Krause’s foul on the 5-ball handed Gorst the opportunity to clear the table, securing a hardfought win for Team USA. The final match of the day saw Skyler Woodward return to face Francisco Sanchez Ruiz. Despite a strong start from Woodward, Ruiz’s sharp play, including a brilliant 3–9 combo and a break-and-run, turned the match into a thrilling contest. With the Mosconi Cup on the line, Ruiz remained composed in the hill-hill decider, delivering another flawless break-and-run to pot the winning 9-ball and seal Europe’s victory.

2024 saw Jayson Shaw etch his name further into the history books. Not only did he secure his seventh Mosconi Cup title and his third MVP award, but he also became the first player ever to be crowned MVP as a playing captain.

Reflecting on the achievement, Shaw remarked: “It has been a lot more work this year, but I’m so proud of the boys. It’s been a pleasure to have them on my team, and I cannot wait till next year.”

Team Europe’s emphatic performance not only reinforced their dominance in Nineball but also marked a powerful rebound after their close defeat at the inaugural Reyes Cup. With this victory, Europe adds another illustrious chapter to the Mosconi Cup’s storied history, leaving fans eager to see what the next edition will bring.

Nineball fans have plenty to look forward to in the coming year, with the 2025 World Nineball Tour set to be the biggest yet, with exciting announcements on the horizon. Be sure to follow Matchroom Pool’s social media channels for the latest updates and news.

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THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR WAY—DR. DOMINIC ESPOSITO

The BOOT CAMP Game

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his multi-part lesson started with an overview of The Mental Game, followed by The Offensive Game, and then last month’s overview of The Defensive Game. Now we look to the next part of what constitutes a well-rounded pool game, The BOOT CAMP Game.

This is where the road divides between making your pool game an ever-progressive event that brings you joy with rewards or keeping it one of your passing hobbies in life. Everyone makes this choice. For those who want to make the progressive growth choice, then BOOT CAMP drills are for you.

Everyone has a picture in their minds-­eye what BOOT CAMP is all about. Some have actually experienced real military boot camp, while others have images in their heads from having seen a few movie clips about it. All in all, the common theme everyone understands is that it is all about basics, hard work, and a commitment to not giving up.

1. Place one ball on the top and bottom end rails at the center diamond as shown.

2. Start with ball in hand.

3. Pocket the first ball and make position for shooting the second ball at the other end.

4. Replace the first ball pocketed before shooting the next ball at the other end.

5. Shoot the next ball and make position on the first ball of the table again.

6. Remember to replace that last ball before shooting the next ball at the other end.

7. Repeat steps 1- 6, pocketing without missing any of the 10 shots.

8. Shoot the first series making each ball into the pockets marked A in each corner.

9. Shoot the series the second time, pocketing each ball into the pockets marked B in each corner.

These three parts make up the core of every pool player’s BOOT CAMP game: 1. Knowing and mastering the basics, 2. Applying hard work, and, 3.

Making a commitment to not give up.

Unfortunately, if you’re not under the mighty hand of a government-issued drill instructor at a military base, you can easily give in to the weaknesses of the mind and sidestep the basics, not work too terribly hard, and when you become frustrated enough, put your stick back in its case, and either belly up to the bar to whine or just go home and sulk.

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10. Shoot the series the third time, pocketing the balls into the cross pockets marked A and B. 11. Repeat this same four-series BOOT CAMP Drill from every position: W, X, Y, and Z. 12. Any time you miss, start that series of 10 shots over.

Your mission is to shoot each series 10 times. Keep score of how many times you successfully complete each of the 10 shot positions, W, X, Y and Z. To find more Pro Skill Drills like this by Foremost World Ranked Pool Master Pool Instructor and Coach Dominic Esposito, The Drill Instructor, get your annual subscription today for DITV. You can join DITV by clicking on www.thedrillinstructor.us

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3 SECRETS TO THE BREAKSHOT HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/IYPGK2CQSLK?SI=OIPU20LES3T4JCUS WATCH THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR‘S “THE CLINIC” ON YOUTUBE AND FOLLOW HIM ON HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK. COM/THEDRILLINSTRUCTOR/ IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING SOON! STAY TUNED!

TOM ROSSMAN, DOMINIC ESPOSITO, & RANDY GOETTLICHER AT THE ICI SUMMIT PHOTO BY HEIRLOOM PORTRAIT ART BY R. JEFF SMITH

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The Hatch is Back

KAT DAY

DENNIS “THE HATCHETMAN” HATCH

DENNIS HATCH AT EMPIRE BAR & BILLIARDS PHOTO BY KATHRYN DAY

“Confidence is not being cocky,” Hatch stated (and I agree). “ My father always raised me to believe in yourself and believe you’re the best, and if you don’t believe that, then you won’t win.”

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—Dennis Hatch

egarding legends, Dennis Hatch is right up there with the greats! Dennis Hatch has partaken in five Mosconi Cups and received the MVP in 2009. Hatch is the first Rookie to receive the MVP and still holds that title today! Billiards Digest wrote, “Hatch will have to mimic his 2009 performance that ended with him hoisting the MVP trophy. The big man from Buffalo was the emotional leader for an American squad that overcame hefty odds to upset the Europeans.” Hatch’s dream is to become the Team 38

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DENNIS HATCH AT EMPIRE BAR & BILLIARDS OCTOBER 20, 2024 PHOTO BY KATHRYN DAY

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Captain for Team USA eventually! In 2021, AZB Billiards wrote, “Hatch, 39, who hails from Buffalo, New York, took the final spot on last year’s team after winning the internet fans’ vote from seven other players.” With all his knowledge, experience, and skills as a pool player, I believe he would be a great captain! Dennis had a phenomenal coach growing up, and this started from a very young age. His father, Greg Hatch, was the first Hatchetman. Like Father Like, Son! Let’s start by explaining how you got started playing pool.

Dennis: I got started in Michigan. I lived on a farm at the end of a dirt road, and we used to get snowed in all the time. My father was a pool player, so he got me to play pool on the farm. I started when I

was two years old. I have a picture of myself on the floor with just a shaft. The first big event I played in was the Michigan State or Lansing Open at the Hall of Fame Billiards at nine years old. Honestly, I don’t remember how well I did, but I know I didn’t do good. I was nine, and it was the experience I was trying to get.

Was your dad pretty good at pool?

My dad was an outstanding pool player. He used to play in a team and go to tournaments, and he was friends with Buddy and Nick, and Sigel and Varner played, you know, good enough to beat those guys but not good enough to compete full-time. And be at the top level because he had four kids and worked on the railroad. But he was very, very talented and a fantastic teacher. He taught me how to play, my uncle, and some others that I won’t mention, but he

I WAS 9 IN LANSING MICHIGAN AT THE VELVET RAIL I WON THE C DIVISION STRAIGHT POOL AND MY DAD WON, I BELIEVE THE A DIVISION —45 YEARS AGO. DENNIS AND GREG HATCH

was a very talented teacher.

What was your dad’s name?

Greg Hatch Is he still alive?

He is not. He died in 2003 from cancer. He was only 62 and relatively healthy, always working out, etc.

you will have to remember that Dennis lived out in the country. His Dad would make him and his sisters do the five-mile run before they could go to the swimming hole, which was 5 miles away if they went the long way around, which is what they had to do!

So, Hatch started training from a very young age!

Did you play any other sports besides pool?

Dennis explained how he was doing wrestling at the age of four years old, and later, when he was around six years old, his dad started him boxing. Part of his workout was to go around a 5-mile block, which

How did you get started playing pro?

My father had me playing in tournaments in Michigan, trying to compete with Jimmy Mataya, who lived in Lansing; we always went there. Jimmy ended up marrying Ewa Mataya, and we used to

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DENNIS HATCH AT EMPIRE BAR & BILLIARDS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN DAY

go to their house and stuff. My dad always took me to Lansing, about a 30-minute drive, to play against—the better pool players in the pool rooms.

So I went to Lansing, playing some with Jimmy and Rick Lefever, and at the Hall of Fame and Velvet Rail.

I probably should have been in school.

about two or three hundred dollars. And she says, “I must talk to your parents.” I was 15 and missing school because I was going to tournaments. Then, she brought my mother and father in, sat me down, and said I needed to be in school more because I was a bright child. Even though I was missing two or three months out of the year, I was still passing When I was 15, I missed a lot of school because of on the merit roll but struggling to keep up. My pool. My teacher asked me what was happening, father said, “This kid is one of the best players in and I told her I played in the pool tournaments. So, the world.” I was 15. He’s like, no one at his age she sent me to the principal’s office, and the principal plays as well as he does. And she’s like, you need to said, what do you mean playing pool? I said I was at pursue a pool career or take him out of school, or he the tournament last night at Classic Cue Billiard in needs to be in school full time and quit playing pool.

Depew, NY. I said I won the tournament and was up He said what do you want to do? And obviously, I till 2:00 in the morning. And she’s like, “You’re telling said play pool. So he said, well, we’re going to go me you’re playing pool?” The look on her face was out; we’ll try it and see how it goes. If you don’t do priceless. I told her I’m a pool player, and it was like a well, we’ll come back home, and you’ll go back to Tuesday or Wednesday night tournament, and I won school full-time. We got in the motorhome, drove SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

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KAT DAY

DENNIS HATCH & TONY GONZALES AT 2022 MOSCONI CUP — DENNIS WITH A FAN AT MOSCONI PHOTO PROVIDED BY DENNIS HATCH

to Chattanooga, TN, and at the first stop, I won $10,000 gambling. That was the end of the story or the beginning!

Dennis talks about his first trip to Chattanooga after stopping school: It’s funny because my dad was upstairs. I was going to sleep because I had to play a match the next day.

I’m downstairs in the motorhome sleeping, and my dad says come on, get up. I’m like, what do you mean I got to play in the morning? He’s like, no, come on, you’re coming upstairs. So, the old man I was going to play beat my father out of all our money. So, he’s like, come on, you’re going upstairs.

You’re going to play this older man. He said, give me a chance to win my money back. I hopped in the shower, went upstairs, and started playing the old man. Joe Estes was his name. I’ll never forget it started at $50 a game. There was a guy there that I didn’t know at the time, but my father knew, named Roger, who staked me, and we ended up at $500 a game. We were betting $50 A game, then a hundred a game, then 200 a game, then 300 a game, then $500 a game. I beat him out of $10,000. I ended up doing pretty well in the tournament, too. I got third or fourth in the tournament. That was my first stop.

Needless to say, I never went back to school.

I started traveling around the country doing what I was doing just like that. I would go to little 42

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tournaments and gamble everywhere. My father would take me to different cities and states, drop me off at the pool room, and leave me to gamble all day. My dad would park our motorhome at the KOA campground and then drive his yellow Chevy Love Truck. He would drive me to the pool room; my bike would be in the back of the truck, so I would get my bike out of the pick-up truck and park it in front of the pool room. He would leave me there, and I would play pool all day. I was still 15 at this time.

I’ve gone all over the country, every state except for Hawaii and Alaska. We went out to Montana and Wyoming, and he bought me a dirt bike, and we traveled all through Oregon and Minnesota. We went everywhere and were all over the country. For five years, all I did was pretty much get seasoned by gambling at a young age, going into pool rooms and playing people for money, stop to stop, winning anywhere from $200 a day to $2000, depending on how long I played and who I beat. That’s how I got seasoned gambling at a young age and getting sent into bars and pool rooms.

I told Dennis that few pro players could say they had that experience.Dennis told me his mom and sister are still alive, and they can vouch for it!

He remembers photos of him in front of a sign in Montana wearing a cowboy hat. Dennis stated, “It’s

funny; it was rough because I had to support the family on the road. It wasn’t my dad going into the pool rooms and bars; it was me. We usually knew where to go because someone would steer us to the right place. I did that from when I was 15 until probably 19 or 20.”

After a couple of years, Dennis started to do both: travel, play tournaments, and gamble. At 20 or 21, in 1990, Hatch won at the first-ever Super Billiards Expo. Dennis Hatch stated, “I had played in tournaments up to that point and taken my lumps, but that was my first major tournament victory. I had done well in other tournaments but never won them. The Super Billiards Expo was my first major victory. I can’t remember the exact order in my last five matches, but it was Johnny Archer, Jose Parica, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, and Efren Reyes in the finals.” The event was also televised! Dennis went on to say, “And then I won the same tournament again in 2006, only this time it was eight ball. So, I won the 9 ball and the eight ball. And now it’s 10 Ball that I’ve never won. So that would be nice to get the trifecta.”

How did you get the name the Hatchetman?

I stole it from my dad! My dad’s name was the Hatchetman, and when I got better than him, I took his name! My dad said hey, you stole my name (jokingly)! Dennis thought the name was perfect! I would have to agree if you have watched Hatch play, you would know why!

the importance of confidence!

How did you get started in the Mosconi?

I got a phone call; I think it was 2009 or 2008.

Matchroom asked me if I wanted to be on the team, and I said yes. It wasn’t an invite. It was me just saying that I wanted to be on the team. But they were going to have a vote. There were five players in the vote: myself, Rodney Morris, Carly Williams, and a couple of other players. They had a big vote, and it was all over the US. They voted on the five eligible to play who they wanted to be on the team. It was America’s vote, and America picked me, and that was my first. I won the Rookie MVP award in my first year. I’m still the only player ever to win that award.

So you’ve been back doing exhibitions for the l ast 5 or 6 months. What else do you want people to know?

I want people to know I didn’t quit pool just because I wanted to leave. I quit because I needed to stop drinking, and at the beginning of my sobriety, I didn’t trust myself to be around people drinking. Plus, I got married to my beautiful wife, Jaymi Hatch! My whole life changed for the better because of this woman.

I’ll be 54 in January. I love my home life, my wife, and my dogs. I own a business. I lost my fire or drive to be competitive in pool. I still want to be part of the pool if that makes sense. If I can’t commentate on a match, tournaments, the US Open, or Did you have sponsors back then? the International Open, I would like to be a coI did not. It was just me, my father, and my mom. You captain or captain for the Mosconi Cup team or know, my uncle Mark. We would travel together in commentate. I would also continue to give lessons, the motorhome, going to tournaments. But no, I did do shows, and teach. I love teaching, like I’m doing not have a sponsor at that time. now, at exhibitions. I love teaching people pool. The smiles you see on people’s faces when you shoot What did your mom think about all this? these shots and give them lessons and see them She was on board. She went wherever my dad make a ball, and they actually feel the right stroke— wanted to go and did what he wanted. She knew when they say, “Wow, that was awesome,” it is so when she met him that he was a pool player. And, gratifying and rewarding. It’s different from going to from a very young age, they knew I would be a pool tournaments because there’s no pressure, stress, or player, too! anxiety; it is fun, and that’s what I like. It’s gratifying and rewarding to help people who appreciate Confidence it. Embrace that feeling and pass it down to the Something I would like to add is that one of Dennis younger generation.

Hatch’s great qualities is his confidence! In sports, confidence is an important factor in winning. In a I am a semi-successful business owner and can paragraph from an article titled “The Hatchetman” get back into pool now. I don’t want to compete from 2015 written by Patrick Sampey, “Confidence at a high level because of my age and the money is not being cocky,” Hatch says (and I agree). “My it takes to get to a tournament nowadays. I would father always raised me to believe in yourself and love to participate in pool doing what Jeremy Jones believe you’re the best, and if you don’t believe that, and Scott Frost do, going to tournaments and then you won’t win.” Dennis’s father drilled into him commentating. My ultimate goal would be to be the SPM BILLIARDS MAGAZINE

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A BLAST FROM THE PAST PHOTO RETRIEVED FROM FACEBOOK

captain of the Mosconi Cup team. I think that with my 45 years of knowledge and being sober.

Hatch started his used car lot business, College Motors, six years ago in South Bend, Indiana.

Dennis got into the car business after talking to his neighbor, who owns a car lot, and told Dennis it is a great business to get into. Hatch stated, “But my mistake was 45 minutes from my house, which was not a good move. The time difference is the only issue! I live in Central time, and the Car Lot is on Eastern time! But it was a choice that I made. I don’t regret it.” Besides the time zone change, he enjoys being a business owner.

Not only does Dennis conduct clinics and exhibitions with the legend Earl Strickland, but he is also a trained Recovery Coach. He works with alcoholics and addicts who want to change their lives. Hatch trained at CARC Connecticut Community for Addiction and Recovery in Ocala, Florida. With 44

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nearly 10 years of sobriety, Hatch finds it meaningful to help others suffering from addiction.

Hatch stated, “I went there, took the courses, passed, and got my certificate. I am now a certified recovery coach. I’ve helped multiple people get clean and sober and get to rehab. I’ve driven them myself and put them in rehab. And I’ve gone and picked them up from rehab. And that is also something that I currently do. So that’s something that I would like people to really, truly know: My phone is always on if anyone ever needs help. That’s why I’m always posting my sobriety dates and that if anyone needs help, I’m here. I’m not just a sober guy trying to help people. I actually care and take people to rehab and help with the whole process from start to finish.”

And the other thing is if I could get a sponsor like Earl got JFlowers. He can continue to play pool because he has a sponsor, and I know he gets paid for that.

So, if I could get a sponsor and get paid, I’d love

EARL STRICKLAND AND DENNIS HATCH IN LAWRENCE KS. AT EMPIRE BAR & BILLIARDS PHOTOS BY KATHRYN DAY

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to go back to play pool. But I don’t ever want to go back out and have to put up my own money to get to a tournament. Because it’s so stressful, that’s what I got tired of. It’s just the stress and anxiety. Having to put up thousands of dollars, and then you go to a tournament, and you get like 8th place and don’t even win

SCHOOP, PEACHES, AND PEACHES & SCHOOP DENNIS HATCH’S KIDS

your money back. It just didn’t make sense anymore.

Between exhibitions and clinics, Dennis has been spending all of his time with his 14-year-old Pitbull, who has a herniated disc. Hatch loves his dogs; he owns two: his “son” Schoop, a beautiful brindle Pit bull terrier who will steal your heart. And then there is Peaches, his female pit bull.

Dennis and Earl have been traveling all over the US doing their exhibitions and working with other players. The past few weeks, they had a show on the outskirts of Chicago at a place called Corals.

Next weekend, they went to Ohio and Parkersburg, WV, and then they will be done for the year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but next year, they will get cranked back up doing their shows again.

Regarding team captains, I think Dennis Hatch may be just what Team USA needs to get the boys to win the 2025 Mosconi Cup! What do you think?

In 2022, Dennis Hatch stated, “I think the skills I have as a player and coach, the games I know how to teach, and the drills that made me a champion could help Team USA. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, I’m a force to be reckoned with in the game of billiards, and I believe I could be a huge part of a winning USA team.” — Dennis Hatch, a.k.a.

“The Hatchetman.”

Dennis is a great guy and cares about what he does!

He is full of conviction and confidence and has heart.

Hatch is also a people person and a great pool player! Be sure to check him and Earl Strickland out 46

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if they come to your area!

I will leave you with a quote from a previous article in SPM Billiards Blog dated April 18, 2015, by Patrick Sampey: “Hatch is a man with a passion for pool; he has a seemingly indomitable heart for the competition, and his favorite color is red, which may indicate the hue of that passion, the timbre of his moxie, and the fiery, all-guns-blazing way he attacks the game with the force of a hurricane. I was curious about the psychology of what it means when red is your favorite color, and I found that ‘Having red as your favorite color identifies you as extroverted and optimistic, courageous and confident.’”

Dennis Hatch for 2025 Mosconi Cup Captain!

2009 MOSCONI CUP TEAM USA CHAMPIONS DENNIS HATCH, COREY DUEL, OSCAR DOMINGUEZ, NICK VARNER, JOHNNY ARCHER, SHANE VAN BOENING PHOTO RETRIEVED FROM FACEBOOK

DENNIS HATCH, BROOK SHIELDS, JOHNNY ARCHER ON THE TODAY SHOW AUG. 2023 PHOTO RETRIEVED FROM FACEBOOK

DENNIS HATCH WPBL 2013 PHOTO RETIEVED FROM FACEBOOK

KAT DAY

THE EMPIRE STRIKES WITH THE HATCHETMAN & THE PEARL

EARL STRICKLAND, JOLENE MOORE, & DENNIS HATCH AT EMPIRE BAR & BILLIARDS PHOTO BY KAT DAY

D

ennis Hatch is like a breath of fresh air, and it is great seeing him out with Earl Strickland doing exhibitions, clinics, and dinners and working with adults and junior players! I got to see this with my own two eyes! I spent two great days at Empire Bar & Billiards in Lawrence, Kansas. It was fun seeing the two Mosconi legends work together and enjoying their work.

Last month, October 19-20th, Dennis “The Hatchetman” Hatch and Earl “The Pearl” Strickland came to Kansas City, well just outside Kansas City, to Lawrence, Kansas. Patrick Sampey and I interviewed Hatch before the 2022 Mosconi Cup a few years ago! It was great meeting him in person two years later at Empire Bar & Billiards!

Dennis and Earl have been doing special clinics and exhibitions around the country! I can tell you firsthand that the clinic I went 48

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has the physical tools to detonate the rack.” It went on to say, “Just another explosive tool in his game’s arsenal.” I witnessed firsthand that every word in those two sentences is entirely accurate. Hatch, throughout his hiatus from pool, still has the Walking into an unfamiliar place is always a little nervous, but power. You can read the article on Dennis Hatch Laying the after I pushed through those doors, I felt calm and excited! I foundation of his break and more! http://www.billiardsdigest. wandered around a little, looking at all the Diamond Pool com/new_current_issue/sep_11/story_2.php Tables and people, but I did not see Earl or Dennis. I went to the bar, asked the bartender where the exhibition was, and Later that evening, Dennis Hatch introduced me to Jolene found out they were in the back. The bartender walked me to Moore, the organizer of the two-day event. Here is what Jolene a door that opened to another room full of pool tables and said about organizing the event: people! Getting on with the story, I carried my cameras to the back of the room where Earl and Dennis were playing pool “I work for a bar named Empire Bar & Billard’s in Lawrence, KS. There, I am in charge of tournaments and events, and we with people surrounding them, watching the exhibition! decided we wanted to try our hand at bringing in some pro Dennis Hatch is everything I thought he would be: a man of pool players for exhibitions and shows. The first person we integrity, conviction, and confidence who loves the game and thought of was Earl Strickland, and we knew he was such a inspires others to play better pool. Dennis is quite formidable showman. I then happened to come across a post from Dennis and easy to talk to! I was nervous about talking to Earl. I didn’t Hatch about doing exhibitions and how to contact him, so get to the pool hall until about 8:00 pm or later. I know it I took the leap of faith with the approval from the owner of had been a long day, and Earl was tired. I watched Earl and Empire, Chad Landis, and reached out to Dennis. He was so Dennis working with the others and then playing Scotch easy to get along with, and we started planning our weekend.

Doubles with the group that had signed up for the evening, At Empire, we also try to do a lot with our local junior players, and it was a lot of fun! One thing I will say is that Dennis and we run a small junior league. Antonio Saldana & Diego Hatch has one decisive break! Billiards Digest had written an Ironwhiteman Hernandez (they run the junior’s league) at article titled “Fundamentals of Power,” I can attest to the first this point had come to me about trying to find a way for the sentence, “Built like a Mach Truck, Dennis Hatch certainly kids to go to the exhibition, and I said, give me a day or two to was a fantastic experience. The first evening that I arrived, I had about an hour’s drive after white-knuckling it down the highway in the dark to Lawrence, Kansas.

EARL STRICKLAND, JOLENE MOORE, & DENNIS HATCH AT EMPIRE BAR & BILLIARDS PHOTO BY KAT DAY

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to think and see what I can come up and get Chad Landis’s approval. So, I came up with the idea to give the kids their own half day of all the things, lessons, sit down and eat with the pros, and an exhibition. I thought maybe we could have the parents help work at the event to pay for their children’s time, and we could do some fundraising. I went to Chad with my thoughts, and he loved the idea, so I went back to Antonio and Diego; they loved the idea, and so did the parents. So, then I went to Dennis and asked if they would be up to doing an entire half day with the kids, and Dennis loved the idea also.

The parents really stepped up to help at the event. We did a bake sale at another tournament I ran, I sold shirts and hats at other events, and we sold squares and raffle tickets for sticks.

This way, we did not have to charge a single parent for the

time their kids had with the pros, and that was important to me as not all parents would have been able to afford to pay for the time. We could not have asked for a better experience with the pro player than we had with Dennis & Earl. The adults and kids were all amazed at the trick shots, thankful for the things they learned during the clinics, and just appreciative for the time they spent with all the players signing items, playing a scotch double match with every person that attended, and just talking to each and every person making sure everyone had a little time with them.” — Jolene Moore The second day was great; Dennis and Earl worked with the kids. Hatch stated in an interview, “I enjoy doing what we’re doing right now. I love it; like the kids at the junior clinic, they

THE JUNIOR PLAYERS WITH DENNIS HATCH AND EARL STRICKLAND AT EMPIRE BAR & BILLIARDS PHOTO BY KAT DAY

were literally walking around holding their fingers in a bridge.

It was hilarious, but they were holding their hand on their cues cause we taught them the bridge, and the moms and dads were all smiling. They all enjoyed it. I’ve gotten text messages and messages on Messenger from people to say thank you!”

Afterward, Earl and Dennis did a trick shot show. Afterward, all the kids got to play scotch doubles with them! They were doing a fun clinic with the kids. It was great, and the kids were excited and loving every minute. The kids had a blast, and the smiles on their faces expressed the excitement! The first half of the day was with the kids. They got to spend four hours with 5 x US Open Champion and Mosconi Cup Legend Earl Strickland and MVP Mosconi Cup Legend Dennis Hatch! Dennis and 50

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Earl put on a fun trick shot show for the kids with Earl telling stories, which was quite entertaining! The kids had a blast.

They got to have a meal and spend time learning and playing pool, getting tips to better their game! Then the kids got to play scotch doubles, partnering up with the two legends! The kids had the time of their lives, an event they will remember for the rest of their lives, playing pool with Earl Strickland and Dennis Hatch, Mosconi legends.

After the kids, there was a break, and then the evening clinic and exhibition began with another group of pool players. It was a fun event, and all of the attendees in the evening clinic had a blast! Dennis and Earl put on quite a show! Hearing Earl’s entertaining stories while doing the Trickshot show was

fun! If they come to your area, go to one of their clinics! You won’t be disappointed!

If you would like Dennis Hatch and Earl Strickland to come teach and do an exhibition in your area, get ahold of Dennis Hatch on his Facebook. Message him! The evening clinic and exhibition ended with autographing cueballs, and photos!

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PHOTOS FRO THE CLINIC IWTH THE JUNIORS AND SOME WITH THE ADULTS AT EMPIRE BAR & BILLIARDS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAT DAY

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TINO TALAMANTES

KAMUI ATHLETE TIP: “SHARPEN YOUR EDGE”

KAMUI began with the question, “Can we create a tip that can achieve both spin and power by increasing rigidity without reducing elasticity?” The KAMUI Athlete Tip is the answer from a leading innovator who has focused on the evolution and development of cue sports ever since the KAMUI brand was born. The Athlete’s 14 mm tip design was constructed to emphasize the growing likeness of carbon fiber shafts. Its design has a base of layered hard leather finished off with layers of soft leather that combine to complement the playability of carbon fiber shafts.

If you are wondering how the name Athlete was decided upon, here is what Kamui had to say when I asked how the name Athlete came about: “The origin of the athlete’s name has a very deep meaning. First of all, one of the features of Kamui products is that anyone can quickly improve their billiards skills by using them. We carry out improvement activities every day to satisfy such quality and performance. Every player has a strong desire to improve their billiard skills. Athlete is a product that represents this aspiration. In short, no matter the environment or play style, we all have this aspiration, so we put the name, which means “Athlete.” —Kamui.

I will start by saying that all tips are subject to opinions of what you like and what’s on the market. What I found was that a carbon fiber shaft is stiffer. The tip and ferrule are essential to the feel of each shot that you take. When you play with a layered tip, it’s a little more forgiving. You get elasticity and rigidity. The tip is constructed by putting the harder layers on the base and softer compressed layered pieces on the top to create the best and the maximum amount of spin. You can get the perfect amount of spin and power 56

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simultaneously. The hit on the carbon fiber tip will feel harder because it’s on a carbon fiber shaft.

in every stroke in any element no matter where you’re shooting in the world. Add to this the meticulous tip construction paradigm that increases your shotI started playing with a hard tip, and I love the spin I making percentage by having confidence in the get out of it. I played with the Athlete Hard and loved shot at hand. Confidence! A critical fundamental it. It has taken me this long in my pool career to know that should be a part of every pre-shot routine. With the feeling that I’m after, and this works for my stroke Carbon fiber shafts gaining noticeable favor with cue speed. I have been a fan of KAMUI for years, but this sports players, it was a “no-brainer” for KAMUI to is the perfect mixture of speed and controlled English. be the first cue tip maker to address the need for a tip This game is about precision and control. specifically intended to compliment them!

With every shaft, you get a tremendously different feel from the shaft and the tip. There are other aspects that you develop a feel for what you want. I have heard from many cue smiths that the installation is easy at a price averaging $27, which isn’t a bad investment for the pool player who wants more control and precision. I found that it held chalk well, but only after scuffing it a little. But as time goes on, they will always make the tips harder. With every impact, the tip becomes a little harder. Learning the feel of a new tip takes time and feel. The more you play, the easier it is to tell instant feedback from your first rack.

The KAMUI Athlete tip has undergone a rigorous design regimen, meeting some of the highest standards, and it can be found as the benchmark tip to pair with carbon fiber shafts. Some KAMUI tips can take more than 9 years to develop before they are available to purchase. The company touts the tips are produced by founder Masato Hiraoka in Hiroshima, Japan. Did you know the company and products are named after the mythological Kamuy, a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology? So, with KAMUI, you’re getting a product with scientific designs and an integrated spirituality aspect that makes them stand out from their competitors.

KAMUI tips hit the tables 14 years ago and are synonymous with cue sports players of every skill level looking to “Sharpen Your Edge!” “With the introduction of carbon shafts, players are seriously considering tips to improve their cue speed. To Satisfy the player’s spirit of exploration, the tips combine both elasticity and rigidity to open up new playability” (borrowed from the KAMUI website.)

A stand-out feature of every KAMUI tip is vegetabletanned leather, a far superior process in durability and elasticity compared to chrome-tanned leather.

This unique treatment in the tanning process gives KAMUI leather humidity resistance in all seasons and even in highly humid environments. So with this kind of design enhancement, you’ll have confidence

With KAMUI’s passion for quality control and technology that goes into producing premiere tips created for pool, billiards, and snooker players alike, “KAMUI products are products designed for the serious pool player made by serious pool players. We make 16 tips, and we have developed KAMUI chalk,” acquired from the KAMUI web page. One of the only companies that includes a serial number on each cue tip is for counterfeit prevention. This ensures that you won’t fall for imposter tips, trying to imitate the exclusive construction and design of KAMUI tips, including the KAMUI Athlete, which is the first tip of its kind. KAMUI Athlete is reigning as the only tip explicitly designed to harness carbon fiber shafts.

KAMUI Athlete gives new meaning to their slogan, “Sharpen Your Edge!”

KAMUI’s Story “We have made evolution and development ever since KAMUI was born by questing a lot of challenges we are facing at every moment.

Our Challenge always comes from pure passion to let more and more players and cue sports fans feel motivated and inspired. We have met many partners and worked hard with them to share the challenge, and we will keep developing the playability of KAMUI products to bring out players’ strategy on a table.

The quest for the challenge will never end, and we will let all players and fans and partners get inspired more.”

Cue sports is ever-changing due to the unparalleled passion of companies that keep inventing products to enrich the competitive nature of people like you and me!

I sign off with this food for thought: “Aim while standing, not while shooting. Just don’t miss. Where you look is where the ball will go.” — Author unknown

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GARRET & WILLOW TROOP

THE CUE BUDDY

A REVIEW BY GARRET & WILLOW TROOP

T

here are many different types of bridgeheads out there now, and they have a specific purpose. The purpose of a bridge is to give you a little extra forgiveness and distance on your shot. In other words, that extra reach for those hard-to-reach shots. These come in handy when you are a little shorter.

you to put it on any type of shaft you like. It has these guide rails on the bottom that the cue sets on. It’s 3D printed and can come in different colors.

She noticed that the supplied rubber ends on the screws come off easily but realized that they are purely optional and only if the CueBuddy is applied to very expensive cues for additional protection. I liked it because I could stick it in my pocket and go with it from match to match. I liked the product, and when the adjuster properly, it gives you the reach you need.”

The Cue Buddy bridge is designed to serve a specific niche of pool players. And is the latest advancement of the original Shifty Bridge design.

This next-generation bridge targets children aged 6 to 12. The inventor, Paul Capobianco, recognized I will say that this is a great product for its target the necessary improvements and took the next step audience, and I feel that it could use just a little in its development.

TLC. Cue-Buddy is a good product because it was designed for young kids who love to play pool.

My 12-year-old daughter, Willow, did a good This is a good bridge for its target age range of 6 portion of this review. She is 5’3” and spunky years and up. I don’t see it being used outside of around the table. She played on Tyler Styer’s table that. You can customize it with different colors at at the Varsity Club in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. She was the time of ordering. My daughter Willow gives the super excited to try it out and had this to say. “I like Cue-Buddy Kids Pool Stick Adapter a thumbs up. it because it has an adjustable screw set that allows 58

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As more and more people use this product, CueBuddy’s website encourages users to provide detailed feedback to help the company continually enhance the product. All suggestions are welcome to help users provide valuable feedback for any possible improvements You can order them at www.cuebuddy.net and retail for $16.99

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ELLIOTT WEST

On The Crest of A Wave

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ELLIOTT WEST

“Sensational.”

— Neal Foulds Introduction

X

iao Guodong is mild-mannered, quietly spoken and just that nice guy who you will see in a snooker club practising for hours. A player who has always been seen as someone with tremendous potential but just outside the cusp of victory. Yet snooker is an unpredictable sport. One minute, you are in the doldrums, and the next, a switch flicks, and your game’s elements click into gear.

For this Chinese player, Bolton has been that lightning-bolt environment required. The Champion of Champions event saw Guodong beat Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby in one day after being 3-0 down in both matches and eliminating Mark Allen, producing the fantastic statistic of this player becoming the firstever Chinese player to reach a Champion of Champions final since its conception in 2013. A tournament resurrected from a previous event created by the boxing promoter Mike Barrett in 1978.

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The Magic of Guodong This former winner of the 2007 Asian Amateur Under -21 Championship, 2008 Paul Hunter English Open, runner-up at the 2013 Shanghai Masters and twice runner-up at the Snooker Shootout in 2015 and 2017, has already won one ranking title, the 2024 Wuhan Open, where he defeated Si Jiahui 10-7 in the final.

A player who is so humble, he apologised in his post-match interview after beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in Bolton after being 3-0 down in the match. He is someone who I greatly admire because even when the chips are down, he keeps plugging away. His long game is breathtaking, slotting balls into pockets many players would shy away from—a Chinese wonder who knows precisely when to strike. The opportune moment produces excellent safety play, high breaks and vital pots that win him the frame.

His performance in Bolton has caused a massive shockwave. Many thought this was Ronnie’s opportunity to land a blow on an event that he had already won four times. Yet one by one, all the usual suspects have fallen by the wayside and with only Neil Robertson and Mark Williams left to fight out a final place against him, Xiao is just moments away from potentially lifting this prized crown. It remains to be seen who he will face in the final, but whoever it is will have to step up their game to beat this player who has reached his ultimate form. The Guodong roadshow is still rolling and looks unlikely to run out of petrol soon.

Elliott West has a blog titled Snooker Loopy which he created and is inspired by his love of the game spanning over 34 years. Check out his website! It is full of great articles. https://greenbaize1972.com

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ALBERT CHARBONNEAU

POINTS, BUFFALO’S & THE LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

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t’s been three-plus years since Kat Day, the Chief Editor & Creator of SPM Billiards Magazine, found me on Facebook commenting about the new billiards game, ‘Points.’

I invented the game the year prior & released it through a local, grassroots style of playing Points with friends, but it became evident that the game was something special. Kat and I had several conversations about the game & what I wanted to do with it. She was intrigued enough by what I was trying to do. She offered me article space in issue 31 so I could share my journey with the world.

first Mid-Atlantic Regional Points Heavyweight Championship title. The current Champion, Micheal Harrison, has held the title for over 2 years. His high score of 179 points stands as the highest score in the Heavyweight Division. To earn a title shot, a player has to win a #1 Contender Tournament. The first MidAtlantic Regional #1 Contender Tournament will be announced in the coming months.

For the first year, the Charleston area will host the Points Player’s League Mid-Atlantic Regional Finals, the Heavyweight Division #1 Contender Tournament, and The Heavyweight Title Match.

The goal is to bring billiards back to its roots (general The Championship home states will change from pocket billiards) & back onto mainstream television year to year depending on Regional Finals results. with an exciting new billiards sport.

This formula will be repeated for the country’s remaining six regions. The Points Player’s League I have written several more articles in those three-plus National Finals should be held where billiards belong! years since that first article, bringing you all along for Las Vegas! the ride! I have taken Points from a simple idea to a brand new billiards discipline being played by World Each of the seven regions will start by hosting one of Champions. We’ve crowned the first-ever Points the seven different weight classes that “Points - The Heavyweight Champion. The Points tournament was Sport” has. From Heavyweight to Bantamweight, the a huge success! I developed the upcoming Points weight classes are based on different ball amounts & Players League, which will give everyone a clear different shot limits. pathway from League to Professional Sports teams.

I am hard at work developing “Points - The Sport,” As the weight classes go down from Heavyweight where seven major cities will have Professional Points to Bantomweight, the game becomes even more Teams. Those teams will eventually be competing challenging. Fewer balls, fewer shots, and fewer ways for the National Points Championship & go on to to make points, so every shot counts that much more. represent the U.S.A. on the world stage.

The pressure mounts!

The Sport will have a multitude of Champions based on weight classes, ages, genders, individuals, teams, Scotch Doubles, Jack & Jill, and local, city, state, Regional & National Champions.

The Charleston, South Carolina, area is the birthplace of Points. It is also the home of the 64

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Each region will have seven states, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest Region, which will include Hawaii as the 50th state. Each region can have a champion in each weight class but can only host one weight class per year.

The South Atlantic Region will be the first home of

Points Light-Heavyweight Champion. Buffalo’s will also be the first to host the Points Player’s League Southeastern Regional Finals.

James Leone, the owner of Buffalo’s Billiards, is one of the special people who has been willing to help me get Points out there. If you’ve been following along on my journey to bring billiards back to it’s roots (general pocket billiards) and back onto mainstream television, then you know there have been several very special people who may have done just a small part but without them, Points may not even be here.

James is one of those special people & now I want to do all I can to make Points a huge success for him & his establishments.

My next goal is to find the first host location for the Northeast Region. It will be the first home of the Points Middleweight Championship title and the host of the first Northeast Regional Finals. Every year, the Turning Stone Classic takes place in New York & it’s a strong candidate to be the first host of the Middleweight weight class. It’s played with nine balls & a 10-shot limit, including the break.

the Points Light-Heavyweight Championship title.

This division is played with ten balls with an 11-shot limit, including the break.

The offer was made to Buffalo’s Billiards in New Orleans, and they accepted! In May 2025, there will be a tournament held to determine the first

As I continue on this journey and travel from region to region, I will be setting things in place for the upcoming Points Players League so that when it does launch, the entire country will be ready to go. By the year 2026 (Our nation’s 250th Birthday), this brand new American-made billiards discipline will have the Points Players League running & we will have our first Points National Champions!

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CHIP KLEIN

False Evidence That Appears Real F.E.A.R. “That shaft gives me too much spin.

That shaft rolls an extra 2 or 3 feet.

I can’t get as much english on the cueball with this.”

players it’s just cause I brag a lot!!! It makes me feel better.

Below, the player wrongly concluded that his carbon What happens most often when we change shafts is shaft “got him off the rail better” not realizing his shaft we no longer hit the object ball where we think. This has more deflection than my 11 mm shaft. This means unfortunately makes players assume the shaft has he cut the ball more with inside and had more energy characteristics that it does not. left on the cueball which gave him false evidence.

When someone tells me they can’t get as much english on the cueball with a certain shaft I have them Black Revo overcut with low inside causing bigger shoot straight to the rail with max spin. Sure enough bounce. they don’t get as much as they do with my shaft. BUT 11mm Z with less deflection caught the ball thick and THEY ARE!!! didn’t bounce as far.

Only reason my Z is lower deflection is it’s very skinny What happens is their shaft is higher deflection and and very low endmass. hits the rail opposite direction of english applied and the cueball bites the rail, creating a sharper angle.

They then conclude that that shaft or tip does not get as much spin. Then I have them move the bridgehand forward and pivot with the spin and suddenly their shaft gets a near identical result as my shaft. In 30 years, I have found zero sticks that failed this demonstration.

Conclusion: Different shafts are causing the object ball to be hit differently, thicker or thinner making you think the shaft is getting more or less spin and more or less distance when running your cueball.

A world class player told me he gets too much spin on his outside english shots with his 12.4 Revo. I said “no you don’t!!!” In 5 minutes he had a completely different understanding of the dynamics involved. The only reason he listened is I beat him 11/6. Sometimes I gotta show a little somethin!!! 😆 If it sounds like I boast about beating world class

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