As an enthusiastic amateur I have been greatly interested in the articles from time to time published in The Billiard Monthly dealing with the great gulf that exists between the amateur and even the second and third-rate professionals. Comparisons have been made with the amateur cricketer, who seems to be quite as good as his brother professional. In fact, some of the finest cricketers that have ever existed have been amateurs and some of the best records in cricket are held by amateurs. How is this?
One reason is not far to seek. The amateur cricketer devotes himself during the cricket season entirely to cricket. When not playing for his county you will find him playing in club and ground matches where professionals are engaged.
He is playing day after day in the best class of play, which keeps his play up to a very high standard. The good billiard amateur, as a rule, is compelled by circumstances to confine his play to the best amateurs he can find to play with, and perhaps to an occasional game with a professional.
This enables him to attain a certain stage of efficiency and there he stops. If he plays for twenty years he is no better. He has gained his high water mark and there he remains.
Give him the same opportunity as the amateur cricketer of playing a good proportion of games with professionals, and let him devote himself to the game in the same manner as the amateur cricketer and I think you would find that the difference would be greatly reduced and in some instances perhaps we might even get an amateur here and there who would be able to play the best professional on level terms.
The foregoing I give as the first reason why the amateur billiard player is so greatly inferior to the professional. The second reason is that 99 out of 110 amateurs never learn their game. They simply pick it up. The manner in which most amateurs start is that they join a club, at about the age of 18, take a cue in their hand, and, with the instruction of their club friend, start to play a game, receiving some kind of instruction as to how to make the different shots. The correct holding of the cue is never thought of, neither is the position of the body. One object only is in view, and that is to score. By playing two or three times a week, the novice, if he possesses any aptitude for the game, progresses largely by observation, but his one object remains the same. No matter what the position of the balls may be, he must score or try to do so, fluke or otherwise.
Thus time goes on and eventually he is able occasionally to make a break of 30. He possesses now a knowledge of the use of side and screw and in his own way can get quite a number of useful shots.
By this time he thinks he would like to witness a professional match and goes to see two first-class professionals.
He is astounded, first of all, at the distance they make the balls travel with so gentle a stroke. His eyes are opened to strength and touch, and he comes away saying to himself that a few lessons from a professional would double his breaks and improve his game right away. He has a lesson and at once finds that he has to unlearn all that he knows.
He knows now that for years he has played much too hard, but it is almost impossible to get out of the old groove of play. His observation and natural aptitude have been allowed to run and grow wild and it seems useless for him to try and improve. So he goes on in the old way, and perhaps plays no better now than he did 20 years ago.
Learning to play billiards is like learning to play the violin or piano—that is, if it is to be done well. The pupil must thoroughly master the rudiments of the game, and then gradually progress according to his ability. The amateur as a rule is too eager to learn all about screw backs and all-round cannons, instead of thoroughly mastering half, quarter, and three-quarter ball shots with correct strength. He seems to forget that quite useful breaks can be made with sequences of simple shots played correctly. A player need not have a large repertoire of shots at his command in order to make a good break. The correct playing; of a few shots ought to enable a player to make, say, an average of about 4 or 5.
If a professional were engaged in a club for a few evenings a week to give instruction to members possessing a natural aptitude for the game, the standard of play amongst the average amateurs would be greatly increased. Professional billiard players are occasionally engaged to give an exhibition game at clubs. Why not engage a professional one or two evenings a week, not to play an exhibition game, but to give instruction to those who wish to improve their game This is done in swimming, cricket, and gymnastic clubs. Why not at billiards? The great thing in achieving success in any game is starting in the right manner, as it is after a time much more difficult to unlearn than to learn.
Professionals may be engaged to give instruction in some of the West End clubs, but I do not know of any being so engaged in the clubs of North and North-east London.
Large pockets to tables at hotels and clubs are against the amateur's play being so correct as it should be. A man who is used to playing on an easy table is frequently all at sea on a correct standard table. All pockets should, therefore, be made to an official template whatever the make of table. The wickets and balls at cricket are of the same size and weight and the bats are of a certain width. Why not uniform pockets at billiards? The conditions at billiards must be made more uniform than at present, and the restrictions between professional and amateur games broken down. Then we shall see the great gulf which now exists between the performances of these two classes of players greatly reduced.
Fred. Lindrum, Junr., the champion billiard player of Australia, who has returned last week from his visit to England, says that he was not able to reach true form in England owing to the climatic conditions. Even in the matches which he won he did not exhibit his best form.
A hotel guest took kindly interest in a bright-faced page boy, who had answered his calls very promptly." What is your name, my boy? "he inquired." They call me 'Billiard Cue,'" replied the youth. "Billiard-cue! and why is is that'" Because I work so much better with a good tip"