Mr. J. R. Hooper in Australia
His Opinions of British Players, Balls, and Cloth
Interviewed on his return to Australia by "Snooker," of The Sydney Referee, Mr. J. R. Hooper spoke enthusiastically of the hospitable treatment that was extended to him in this country, where (he says):— "Everyone did his best to make my visit happy. Gentlemen I had never met before, at the various clubs of which I was made a member, often wished me good luck and victory."
Of his defeat he said:— "I wish to make no excuse. Mr. Fry is a great player. He possesses a beautiful style, and plays the all-round game to perfection. And he has a great knowledge of the finer points of the game, having been taught billiards by the best masters in his young days. He also had the advantage of watching and playing against the world's best during the thirty years he has taken part in amateur championships. Mr. Fry has a cast-iron nerve, and never plays better than when he is up against a tough proposition." In further paragraphs we give Mr. Hooper's remarks on balls, cloth, and players.
Prefers Bonzoline to Ivory
I found the ivory balls very tricky, especially the new ones. In practice I used an old, well-seasoned set, and they were not so bad, but the new balls were always kicking, and got untrue with a change of the weather. In one professional game I witnessed, the balls were changed five times during a week, and in another, four times in five days. In my break of 228 a very bad kick terminated the run just as I thought I would top the 236 record break made by Mr. Fry some time back.
Again, on the final day, when I made a 78 break off the red (with Mr. Fry in hand), I was fearful every stroke of the balls going back on me—I had lost confidence in them. My opinion is that for one kick with bonzoline balls you will experience ten with ivory.
I do not know why they keep on using ivory, unless it is merely old custom.
On Heavier, Nappier Cloth
The cloths used are exceptionally fine, with hardly any nap. This is most disconcerting to one used to a heavier, nappy cloth. The fine cloths have not sufficient nap to hold the side or screw imparted to the cue ball, and so make the game much more difficult. This, I feel sure, accounts for the top-notch professionals introducing so much plain losing hazard play into their breaks. I would suggest that cloth and balls be standardized, in addition to the table, and that the cloth have twice as much nap as that in present use.
I failed on the slow screw shots that I usually get, and it was solely due to the want of nap on the cloth.
The cloth could not hold the screw imparted to the ball, and so skidded away just like a motor car on a greasy road. This napless cloth makes losing hazard play easier than top-of-the-table play, and that is one of the reasons why players such as Smith and Newman are on top, because they use this knowledge to the utmost. Were it not that I had very little confidence in the ivory balls, and did not like the cloth, I think larger breaks would have been recorded from my cue, as I was really in excellent form.
The Amateurs He Met
Outside Messrs. Fry, Graham Symes, and Marshall, the English amateur players who took part in the championships were no more skilful than many amateurs in Australia, and the wonder is that our events do not draw more competitors. Major Fleming is a good player of the old school, and was unfortunate in being defeated when a sick man. Mr. Truffas is a good individual stroke player, but seems to lack the
And the Professionals
I was very kindly treated by the professionals, who put me on the complimentary list for all their engagement, even though they were turning away patrons at a guinea a seat at the Smith-Inman match. Smith and Newman stand out as the star artists, with Falkiner well up.
The former is an adept at the losing hazard game, and has much success on the napless cloth; while Falkiner is considered even a greater artist than Reece on close cannons, making more cannons in a given space than the Lancastrian.
Inman is a great shot player, and is a hard man to beat.
Stevenson is still the prettiest player to watch, but although he went through a special preparation for the championship, he found Falkiner a little too solid. He is now on an Empire tour. What surprised me most was the heavy cues used by many of the leading players. Smith's cue is 18¾ oz., Newman's 18oz., Falkiner's 17½ oz. To those used to the light cues this is a surprise, especially with a player having such a delicate touch as Falkiner. The champion and Newman find the heavy cue the right thing for the losing hazard, which they favour so much.
On Scoring Values
Asked what he thought of the proposals to reduce the value of losing hazards to two points, Mr. Hooper was of opinion that the proposal was sound.
"For one thing" (he said), "it will reduce the big breaks put up almost daily by the leading trio—Smith, Newman and Falkiner. Their breaks are becoming a trifle monotonous. My idea is that the scoring values of the various strokes might be: Red and white losing hazards 2 points, winning hazards 3 points, cannons 1 point. That would produce a well-balanced game. The most difficult stroke, the winning hazard, should count three. It is difficult from the fact that little or no side can be communicated to the object ball, which has to be cleanly potted, whereas one often goes in off a ball with a heap of side on the cue ball, which drags it in off the shoulder of the pocket."
An amateur billiard player, having asked a scientific man why a ball struck with right side diverged to the right and with left side to the left, the man of science replied that it did not diverge at all until it had struck another ball or a cushion. It would be hard to find a proposition worse put or worse responded to. Slow side, of course, operates before it reaches another ball or a cushion, but fast side does not, and when the stroke is played down the table the divergence is to the left with right striking and to the right with left striking.