International Champions to Meet in America
Just now billiard players in America are greatly interested in the visit of Edouard Horemans, of Belgium, who, as the present European champion of pocketless billiards, is challenging Willie Hoppe, of America, who claims to hold the world's title for the same class of play.
It was Hoppe, it will be remembered, whom Inman went over to America to play in mixed British and American billiards just as war was breaking out in Europe in 1914. Hoppe is supposed to possess a great asset in his hands, each of which is insured against permanent injury for £10,000. In the picture on this page Horemans would also seem to have at any rate a bridge hand that has been severely trained to meet all the various exigencies of masse playing.
There are three points in Horemans's cue hold and cue action that at once grip the attention. He is left-handed; he turns the palm of the bridge hand to the ball; and he keeps the wrist of the cue hand down and the finger and thumb up. These two methods were also Dawson's, and it would interest any amateur player who attended a billiards match by leading exponents to watch both hands of the executant in masse playing. Inman, it will be seen on another page, whilst turning the palm of the hand to the ball, raises the elbow of the cue arm instead of raising the tips of the fingers.
The masse stroke is full of interest especially to amateurs, who rarely attempt it for cannons, and only for very near pocket play. Certainly nine out of ten of them would turn the knuckles of the bridge hand to the ball and raise the elbow. Some lift the bridge hand away from the table and play with the elbow pressed against the side and with an ordinary bridge. This is also done in both France and America by some experts. Harverson once created a mild surprise by bringing along a special short and heavy cue for masse strokes. With masse as with most other strokes the play of the mere cue weight is a great factor.