NO BULL! James Hanshew Jump cue First, of I have to say that is was a pleasure working with James. As far as a cue maker goes he is on my top 10 list for quality. I had the pleasure of doing this product review on his jump cue. I honestly have started to classify jump cues in two different areas. There are normal cues which are for an array of shots but generally not for the super close up shots. Then there is the specialty cue like the Marty Carry, Dr. Popper, Black Magic,

I am truly impressed and amazed by this 12-year old’s list of accomplishments that it gives me hope that the sport is alive and well. Coached and motivated by his father, takes lessons from a billiard author and instructor and is sponsored by one of the biggest names in the industry, this young man is destined to be on a short list of the nation’s top players. Charlie Marshall Jr.’s accomplishments: First and currently the only junior player sponsored by Predator® Products, W

I first met Rich Kranicki a little over 5 years ago when my business partner, Al Tonelli, introduced me to him in our new pool room. “He’s a person of great interest with great ideas; gives lessons to a few guys too,” he said. Over the years, I discovered that Al was right – Rich did have ideas brewing with a couple coming to fruition. As a student of the game myself, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of discussing, dissecting and learning about the mechanics and physics of pool

I promised a friend, Ron Kirk, a few years ago that I would try to write a story about Pool, especially about our Pool Hall hangout in Glens Falls, New York, known by several names: Charlie’s, Jake’s, or its legal name, The Empire Billiard Lounge. Now, before I start the story, I feel I must write on why I have been hesitant. I lack a proper education. Yes, I have two years of college in Glens Falls and two more in Florida, but I never graduated from high school and cheated o

Just yesterday, I started rummaging through some old documents that I pulled out of storage while cleaning house, and ran across a single printout that contained a heading and eleven sentences underneath it that I made as a reminder for my own game way back in 1999, a year before my first ever trip to Asia to compete in the huge Tokyo 9-Ball event. What a great tournament that was… I think it’s a pretty cool sheet of paper with some sound tips, and I’ve decided to share it wi

Pool is a game of ups and downs. Most pool players experience a slump at some time or another. Slumps occur when you play below your expected ability for a prolonged period of time. Most pool players do not know why they are playing bad, so they tend to look for solutions in all the wrong places. Sometimes this causes the player’s performance to drop even more. Often, the player falls deeper and deeper into despair. Pool players are often unable to break free from the chains

The game is 9-ball here. In Diagram 1, the cue ball is frozen to the 8-ball and their line of centers are aimed to miss to the right hand corner of the pocket. The 9-ball is on the same end of the table. How would you make the 8-ball and also get position for the 9-ball? Diagram 3 reveals that the answer is by using direction-induced throw. Remember that throw is counter-intuitive. Contact the cue ball on the right side of the line of centers of the cue ball and the 8-ball a

I recently had the pleasure of doing a product review on the new McDermott glove. I have to first off start by saying that I have used many different gloves and finger sliders recently. McDermott has been a leader in cues for many years and this is a newer product launch for them. The glove comes in its own box and ready to go on and be played with. The mesh on the underside is really breathable and allows it to stretch to fit the size of your hands. For those who are weari

We are all coming together under the Sneaky Pete Mafia umbrella. What follows is an introduction to the core team. We all have a role to play, and there are many things each of us does that are not listed here (an unbelievable amount goes on behind the scenes) but are still very important to the balancing of the wheel that’s been built over the past few years. These are my spokes, and Sneaky Pete Mafia is the hub that we hope will become a driving force in the billiards world

What Makes You Better? How do you know your Game is improving? What if I can show you a way to measurably see your progress toward increasing your playing skills? I can and it’s through the time tested method of training drills. I have the rudiments to push you past the plateaus that seem to hold you back , get you out of the slump that’s cost you dearly or bring you back up to speed if you’ve been away from the game for any num- ber of years. Why is Practice So Boring? Admit