Sep 16, 20193 min
The internet sensation Charles Lakey is a growing name in pool halls around the world. Charles has joined the legendary fame of trick shot artists Tom Rossman, Mike Massey and Florian Kohler. When you say trick shot around a pool table these gentlemen’s names always come up in the conversation. Charles The Inventor Lakey has had millions and millions of views worldwide of his creative artistic ability with a cue stick. After watching Charles’s innovating trick shots his nickname suits him perfectly.
What was your main reason for getting involved in artistic pool? And how long ago was your very first video post on Facebook. Also, how where your emotions that day with such a very risky thing to do?
About 6 years ago I came back to pool after being away for 20 years. Back in the day I had my own style, completely self-taught, since the coaches rejected me from courses because they didn’t think I had any talent. I practiced 8 hours a day first 2 years and backed down to 5 hours a day for 8 years. I didn’t have any patterns, but if the balls weren’t blocked, they were in the hole. I practiced speed pool, played with the lights turned off, and always alone. My game was based on the sickest of aiming accuracy and extreme power. So, I always did a lot of sick stuff in tournaments lol. As I now only play after my night shifts, I’m always alone, and it’s way more fun to do artistic than regular practice. Turning to artistic wasn’t really risky for me, I knew I was going to be alone with that combined style and in my opinion, failures are lessons and not a bad thing. It’s important to know that when you miss a train, there’s always gonna come another ahead and don’t dig yourself down cause of a missed departure.
Many viewers like that you post some of your failed attempts even though they are fun to watch and some are even painful to you. What was your reason for the failed shots in some of your videos?
I do often get the question, as I know you do too, how many tries? Maybe one of the most worn out boring questions. I usually say how many and new inventions are rarely made on the first try. If players insist that all their shots are made on first try, well they’re building up some extreme pressure, which they most likely can’t live up to when the heat is on. Set-up shots, yes usually on first try of course. I started posting bloopers because partly they’re quite funny and to show that I’m not a superhuman. And hands down, to me, artistic isn’t to show who’s the best, it’s to do what you love to do and what you think people want to see. If someone uploads a 7 second skill shot, it doesn’t look different if you make it on 1st or 1001st try if one’s honest about it, yes? One of my sponsors told me to stop uploading bloopers, because I should only show success. So, I said to him I’ll never do that, I’m not a superhuman, I work really hard and I want people to know what I do and applying it’s all success is ridiculous, and I terminated our companionship after that.
What has been a couple of your favorite moments in pool?
Favorite moments… building up friendship with you artistic guys are precious to me. Some on top are definitely when Florian Kohler commented in one of my videos and said it was good stuff. I got like 3 inches taller by that lol, he’s like the king at this game. And Abram Diaz made a statement in a video, talking about me and said I was the real deal and I should continue to do what I do. There are lots to mention, but these are a few I’ll never forget.
Do you have a favorite game that you like the most of all in the pool industry?
Author: Troy Garten
Editor: Chris Freeman
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