Billiard Coach – Mike Fieldhammer

Pool Synergy: Favourite Game

Posted on 15. Apr, 2011 by Mike Fieldhammer.

For all the PoolSynergy crew’s articles on their favorite games, please visit Johnny’s PoolSynergy summary here.

I nearly wrote this about 8-Ball on the common 7 foot Bar Box, but that would have been so, well, common. I’d wager that 8-Ball is the most well known and accessible game to most players in the United States. League players, like it or not, drive the biggest and most successful businesses in our floundering industry. I would have liked to write about how as an instructor and as a player I’ve elevated the game to a beautiful science. It really is my favorite game to compete and teach because of the blend of strategy, knowledge, and execution required to play it at the highest level. Going this direction with my article makes the game inaccessible and somehow highbrow in a way that depresses me. Rather than go down that road, I’m taking the easy way out and writing about something that excites me in a different way. Maybe it’s the allure of something I can’t have, but I’m smitten with snooker.

Obviously, I’m a pool fanatic. I teach, compete, sell cues, photograph, and write about the game I love. You may be surprised to hear that in the last three years, I’ve watched much more snooker than pool. The draw of it is hard to explain and it is even harder to convince others to give it a try. I get so whipped up about watching streaming snooker from overseas during a tournament that I practically become evangelistic telling every pool player I meet or teach to tune in.

What’s to like about watching snooker? The game is rarely boring. Sure, there are some dull matches where both players are performing below their norm. More often at least one of the competitors is clicking along at a world class level. The game is so complex that a variety of situations arise to add drama and excitement to the match at hand. Snooker is aptly named for if a player cannot accumulate enough points by potting (pocketing) the balls remaining on the table, he can snooker his opponent hoping to add points to his tally if the other player doesn’t make a legal hit. Depending on the referee’s call, the player might have the option to have the balls restored to the snookered position and have the player re-shoot. This can lead to 3, 4, or more fouls and enough points for the player to come from behind and win a frame. I believe that defense is valued as much only in the pool game of One-Pocket

Offense is highly exciting and respected. Snooker professionals have lifetime running totals of “Century Breaks.” These are runs at the table of 100 points or more. It only takes a 74 to Nil lead to secure a frame (game) of snooker, but players continue their inning at the table. Not so in other cue sports. I recently watched a Greek 3-Cushion Billiard player run 21 and out on Dick Jaspers and he didn’t continue his run because it is considered bad form. This was even in front of a paid audience and the way he was playing, he could have set a personal best high run. More impressively, he made the run under the constraints of a shot clock. No such thing exists in traditional snooker tournaments. Most players are accepted and loved for their personal pace of play. And snooker breaks are normally continued until a miss or total clearance is achieved. Snooker players can let out their stroke, intimidate their opponent, show off for the crowd, experiment with the table conditions, pursue the elusive maximum break or high break for the tournament, or just try to add another century break to their resume.

Old timers say the snooker characters like Paul Hunter (oops-sorry-Alive: Kirk Stevens), Alex Higgins (both deceased), young Steve Davis, Jimmy White, and others brought so much personality to the game it was captivating. The current cast of players is a little dull by comparison, yet there is much to like and admire about these professionals. It is true that Higgins lost my respect and O’Sullivan is a wild card. Still the talent that oozes from these guys is beyond reproach. Most of the other players can be summed up simply as classy and talented professionals. If every pool player was forced to watch half an hour of snooker as an etiquette lesson, I believe the world of pool would be a better place. Seeing guys compete in formal attire consisting of dress shoes, slacks, tuxedo shirt, bow tie, and vest is bloody classy. The way they carry themselves and behave is inspiring. Like Ian Flemming’s super spy 007, they are calm killers except that they treat their opponents (and ladies) with respect. Players routinely pat the rail which is equivalent to clapping for an excellent safety by the other guy. They also wave their hand apologetically when they get lucky. It is so moving to see Peter Ebdon jump out of his seat and chase down Allister Carter for a hug after he makes his first tournament 147 in a televised match. I’ve seen players on an adjacent table pause play and peek around the dividing wall to watch the last few pots of a guy’s maximum.

I’ve shared a couple of things I love about watching snooker, but haven’t really mentioned the obvious: skills and execution that have to be seen to be believed. I have shown some non-player friends and family to watch a few clips of the game. While being good sports about it, I don’t think they grasped the difficulty of the game and as such didn’t connect with my awe and appreciation of what the players do. If you’ve got enough experience and ability playing pool to know how tough and complex the game of 8-ball can be, you’re going to be amazed watching proper snooker.

I could go on and on about the things I love about these telecasts. Such as referees in white gloves. Expert commentary by lucid and well spoken ex-professional players, yet delivered with loads of kitschy British slang delivered in charming accents. The commentary is so good that fans in the stands buy wireless ear pieces to tune into the telly commentary while watching the match in person. High-definition broadcasts with computer aided virtual table view, television intros and sidebars of the highest caliber, etc. They are playing for a first prize of a quarter of a million sterling pounds. That equates to over $400,000 in American currency. That is for just one tournament!

The venue adds to the pressure of the prize purse and title of World Champion. Held at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, players are dropped into the frying pan with huge crowds mere feet from the playing area.  Take a look at Ding in the in-line photo gallery which shows the close proximity of the crowd to the competitors. This intimate setting puts extra pressure on players whose every twitch, gasp, or bead of sweat is under the microscope.

Get into it! The first match should be a cracker. Defending champion Neil Robertson faces 21 year-old Judd Trump who won his first professional event at the China Open just this month. This is the biggest event all year and has the longest matches of any event. It’s a single elimination event lasting 17 days. Just the first round is the best of 19 frames and the matches get longer until the finals, which is a best of 35. Let’s to billiards! Er, I mean snooker. Let’s get these Boys on the Baize!

Important Resources:

Wikipedia page on the 2011 World Snooker Championship

Television coverage listing on the World Snooker site

Look on my forums as the event progresses for links to live streaming matches

Mike Fieldhammer

Continue Reading

Tournament Prep

Posted on 15. Mar, 2011 by Mike Fieldhammer.

I play a lot of tournaments over the course of a year. Some are just weekly local tournaments beginning at 7 p.m. on a weeknight while others are the US Open 9-Ball Championships in Virginia for an entire week. My preparation for almost any tournament I attend is usually the same. My mechanics and performance is pretty steady due to my active teaching career and frequent tournament play. I don’t do any kind of special practicing or preparation on the pool table for tournaments. I try to wrap up loose ends in my billiard instruction/cue sales business and spiff up the house.

Before I depart, I try to get all the small items running through my head finished or take action to let the student or customer that I’ll be unavailable until after the tournament. My goal is to avoid sitting in my chair during a match and having my “To Do List” run through my head. If I’ve caught up on my work before the tournament, I can compete and enjoy my time at the event unencumbered by distracting thoughts. Clearly, during matches I would prefer that my only concerns are strategy, playing my best pool, making good decisions, resting between matches, and having a good tournament experience. If I’ve got some important tasks to do that are hanging over my head during the tournament, a part of me thinks that there are more important things I should be doing rather than playing in a pool tournament. Sometimes those thoughts even make me feel guilty for entering a smaller tournament that might not be as financially lucrative as booking pool lessons or selling a cue. I’ve fallen prey to pessimistic thoughts and been knocked out of a tournament early so I could zip back to my office to work on those items running through my head during a match. This is the most destructive outcome of cloudy judgements during an event and the worst way to be knocked out. I must not allow myself to be distracted or feel guilty for attending a competition. Deep down, I know that I should still be playing in the smaller tournament to keep my competitive edge and stay sharp under pressure. The rewards of winning a smaller tournament are greater than just the cash prize money. Confidence and experience can be very valuable gains in each tournament.

If the tournament requires an overnight stay, I also tidy up around my house and water my plants. It’s nice to return to a home that doesn’t have a bunch of housekeeping after a grueling pool tournament. They can take a toll both mentally and physically and sometimes I’ve just got to crash and recuperate. I run the dishwasher, finish laundry, and take care of other things before I depart. If I’m gone for a week or more I stop the mail and have Nick my teenage neighbor mow, shovel, or snow-blow depending on the season.

Keeping a clear head focused on winning the tournament is the reward I get from my unusual tournament preparation. This freedom is more valuable to me than any kind of practice or other preparation I’ve encountered. Oh yeah, and I’ve got a lathe on my kitchen counter to tune up my tip and shaft before I leave the house if it needs a tune up. I’ll post a photo if you don’t believe me.

Best of luck in your next pool tournament,
Mike Fieldhammer
Billiard Coach

For all kinds of Tournament Preparation Advice, please visit Charles Eams PoolSynergy summary here.

Continue Reading

Pool Synergy: Favorite Pool Room

Posted on 15. Feb, 2011 by Mike Fieldhammer.

I wish I could go back through all of my travels and taken photos and made notes on each and every pool room I’ve ever been to. So many past and current rooms have made an impression on me. I always try to use the term “Pool Room” and not “Pool Hall.”  I do keep a list of current and extinct pool rooms in Minnesota on my site.  I’m afraid it could use some updating. Thinking of which room is my favorite, I noticed that I’ve written and taken more photos of one in particular. Mike Page’s Fargo Billiards & Gastropub. I try to stop in every time I head to Samsara or elsewhere in North Dakota. It is one of those rare rooms where you can stop in for a little while and end up spending the entire day there.

Here’s a link to a post I wrote about Fargo Billiards with some photos. You’ve got to see this place.

Fargo Billiards from a sissor lift.

Also, here’s a link that shows the recent posts that I’ve tagged “Pool Rooms.” You’ll be surprised to see that every one mentions Fargo Billiards.

See all the Pool Synergy bloggers choices for their favorite rooms on G2′s summary page. Click here!

Continue Reading

PoolSynergy 2011: Team Intangibles

Posted on 15. Jan, 2011 by Mike Fieldhammer.

Team Intangibles

The intangible rewards of being on a proper team.

If you’ve never been on a proper team, here are things you are missing out on.

• Each thinks of the greater good for the team and puts team needs before individual needs.
• Complete trust in one another.
• Know there is an understanding between all that needs not to be uttered.
• Never question another’s intentions or desire.
• Belief that each is there to lift up and push each other ahead.
• In spirit, we’re connected.
• A smile, nod, or pat on the back means much more than others can fathom.
• Recognition that each one brings unique gifts and talents and shares them freely.

These things and others that can’t be put into words bond us into what is truly a team. Greater than the sum of its parts, an entity that is an honor to be a part of.

A recap of our team winning the BCAPL Team Championships I wrote for a prior PoolSynergy column is here.

To see all of the PoolSynergy TEAM’s columns, visit Gary’s summary page HERE.

Continue Reading