Author: Michael
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Empathy in Sports: Understanding the Human Behind the Athlete
In the high-stakes world of professional sports, emotions can run exceptionally high, and even the most seasoned athletes may experience moments of intense frustration. Recently, renowned pool player Mika Immonen faced such a moment during the final day of The Pennsylvania Open in a gripping 9-ball match against Skylar Woodward. With the score tied and…
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A Memorable Weekend at the Brendan Crockett Memorial Tournament
This past weekend, I had the privilege of participating in the Brendan Crockett Memorial Pool Tournament at Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento. As always, Oscar and Desiree Dominguez orchestrated a flawless event that drew in 157 players—all eager to honor the memory of a remarkable young man and support a great cause. My first match…
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Billiards Etiquette
For many years, pool has had a tarnished image. Ask the average person, and they’ll tell you that it’s mostly hoodlums, bikers, and gangsters who play pool in seedy bars while Hank Williams, Johnny Cash or Lynyrd Skynyrd plays in the background (please no more Ring of Fire or Freebird!). In bar fights, cue sticks…
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Practice Patterns: 9-Ball
Today’s tip is a good practice drill for 9-ball, and will put a bit of pressure on you to position the cue-ball correctly on each shot. Start with the following setup: The 1, 2 and 3 balls are one diamond from the rail. The 7, 8, and 9 balls are touching the rail, and the…
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Playing Smart
We all face that moment on the table. You’re playing 9-ball, and it’s hill-hill. Whoever sinks the 9 wins the match. You have just three balls left to make, but you have left yourself a tough shot on the 7 ball: At this point, you have a couple of considerations. You can attempt to play…
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Diagramming Billiards Shots
Recently, I ran across a post on reddit with a diagrammed shot done in MS Paint. He mentioned that he didn’t know of any sites or apps that help with diagramming. I would like to share two of them that I use. Please feel free to comment with your own preferences! For online diagrams, I like…
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Fundamentals
You hear players talk about them all of the time, usually when helping a player who has a horrendous bridge, stands up during their shots, or has some other glaring problem. If they are receptive to suggestions, there is no shortage of players willing to give them a few pointers. Sometimes, you’ll hear a pro…