Sunday, May 31, 2009

Cha Stuns Van Boening! Fisher & Ouschan Advance to Final 32
By Sally Lee
In an amazing comeback performance, Yu Ram Cha overcame a 8-4 deficit to defeat former World 10-Ball and US Open Champion Shane Van Boening. Cha was Read more …
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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Billiards Star Rises While Others Set

Gomez Makes Statement in US Debut: Van Boening & Orcullo Fall at Predator International 10-Ball Championship
By Sally Lee
Filipino Roberto Gomez has completely crushed his first opponents to qualify for the Final 32 man elimination rounds. Gomez should be seeded #1 with a 11-0, 11-2, and 11-1 wins. Ozone Billiards prese Read more …
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Billiards Stars Suffer at Predator 10-Ball

Fallen Heroes Galore: Archer, Souquet, Feijen Upsetted at Predator International 10-Ball Championship
By Sally Lee
32 ranked players were seeded in the event, with the top 16 getting a bye. It still didn’t help a few of them. Major casualties on the winners side today on Day 2 of the 9th Annual Predator International 10-Ball Championship.
Read [...] http://ping.fm/6ozq0

Ouschan and Villareal Advance at Predator Billiards Event

Ouschan and Villarreal Strike First Blood at Predator International 10-Ball Championship
By Sally Lee
Among the full field of 112 players at the 9th Annual Predator International 10-Ball Championship, there are 15 women who have decided to brave up against the vastly male fielded event. On Day 1 of the event, two ladies struck first blood aga [...] http://ping.fm/lpbkC

Monday, May 11, 2009

Appleton Crowned World Pool Masters Champ

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Kennedy Demonstrates the Art of Billiards

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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Warncock is King of the Billiards Castle

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Archer Exits World Pool Masters

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Saturday, May 9, 2009

First Round of World Pool Masters Continues

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APA Crowns Single National Champions

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Defending Champion Pagulayan Ousted at World Pool Masters

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Visa Troubles Force Billiard Star to be Replaced

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Billiards Legend Notches Another Win

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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Mitchell Wins Pechauer All-American Tour Stop

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Bowman Bests Miller Time Billiards

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Monday, May 4, 2009

All Rice on Buckeye Billiards Stop

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Lightning Strikes Florida Billiards Tour

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Sunday, May 3, 2009

Tucker Takes Down Tetreault on Joss Billiard Tour

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Guzman Grabs Tri-State Billiard Title

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Moore Takes Pechauer Billiards Tour

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Filipino Billiards Stars Invade Predator 10-Ball Event

Filipino Billiards Stars Lead Asian Invasion of Predator International 10-Ball Championship

The awesome Filipino billiards stars will headline the far eastern countries of Japan, Korea, China, and India at the 9th Annual Predator International 10-Ball Championship. Sixteen players from Asia will be looking to take their portion of the prize purse. Ozone Billiards will be presenting this year’s lineup of 112 players along with top sponsor JBETpoker.net at the Riviera Hotel & Casino May 11-16,2009 during the BCAPL’s National 8-Ball Championships.

Former BCA Open Champion Dennis Orcullo and former Player of the Year Francisco Bustamante lead a stud filled crew of pinoys. Their elite group consists of Lee Van Corteza, Rodolfo Luat, Warren Kiamco, World 9-Ball Championship Finalist Roberto Gomez, legendary Jose Parica, Al Lapena, and World 9-Ball and US Open 9-Ball champ Alex Pagulayan. With a group that high in calibre, who can you pick as the favorite?

Pagulayan will be in attendance to defend his World Pool Masters title and stick around for a few days to give the Predator 10-Ball Championship a crack.

“Dennis (Orcullo) is the best player in the Philippines now. Nobody will gamble with him there, he’s beaten everyone so many times already all the stakehorses are scared to send a player against him. He practices daily like a machine”, said Gandy Valle, a top player from Bugsy Promotions of the Philippines.

If that wasn’t enough, Japan’s hard nosed champion Hiroshi Takenaka and giant killer Goh Takami, both of whom have beaten the likes of Johnny Archer, Shannon Daulton, and Thorsten Hohmannwill be a tough draw. Kenichi Uchigak,i who knocked out Efren Reyes at the last World 9-Ball Championship, will also be looking to make some noise.

India’s Raj Hundal, who finished in the USA Pro rankings at #5 in 2008, will also be a dangerous threat with his rising, high impact game. WPBA #5 Yu Ram Cha of Korea will also be a hot ticket to watch. A rising female talent, she has already broken gender barriers with 1st place wins in men’s events such as the US Amateur 9-Ball Open and the Orlando Open.

Bustamante is always a threat to win any tournament that he enters.

Players or fans wanting info please email world10balchampionships@gmail.com or call 1-407-782-4978

Tickets can be bought in advance at www.dragonpromotions.com For more info on The Predator International 10-Ball Championships goto www.predator10ball.com

Ozone Billiards is also joined by www.Jbetpoker.net, Simonis Cloth, Diamond Tables, Laser Rack, Uni-Loc, and the event host BCA Pool Leagues in this Dragon Promotions production.

Predator Group, an international billiards industry leader, is focused on bringing constant innovation and game-improving equipment to billiards players worldwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Predator Group’s core brands include Predator Cues – high-end (professional level) cues with revolutionary technology to enhance performance, Poison Billiards – recreational cues with cutting-edge designs and Predator engineering for best-in-class playability, and Uni-Loc® – precision billiards equipment manufacturer. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorgroup.com.

Pool Tables

2” cabinet and the slate. Available in its original standard design in maple, red oak, or cherry veneer, the Prescott can also be upgraded as a hardwood table featuring any of the noted woods, or you can choose from solid knotty pine or Connelly’s latest wood offering, rustic hickory. The suggested retail price for the Prescott is $3,495. For ordering information, please contact Connelly Billiards at 800-861-9619, or visit their website at www.Connellybilliards.com.
Tiberon
Notable for its classic design and versatility, the Tiburon by DLT Billiards would look at home in almost any gameroom. The rails and legs are made of solid maple, and the Tiburon is available in cherry, honey, teak, medium oak, and walnut oak stains. Mother-of-pearl diamond sights decorate the rails, and the three-piece slate is one inch thick. The Uni-frame support structure, which is below the solid-core board, offers style and support. The suggested retail price for the Tiburon is $2,995. For ordering information, please contact DLT Billiards at 888-782-2208, or visit their website at www.DLTbilliards.com.

SPECIALTY Pool Tables
Marquette
Relive the romance of a bygone era with the Marquette, an antique reproduction first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company in 1912. Created in celebration of Brunswick’s 160th anniversary, only a limited number of these unique works of art will be produced, each one numbered on an engraved brass plate and certified authentic. This limited edition table is a stunning piece of Brunswick history featuring a unique, “sow-belly” baseframe, Italian olive wood veneer with geometric mother-of-pearl inlays, and sleek ebony pin-striping with a brandy finish. It is available in 8- and 9-foot models, and the suggested retail price is $23,499. For ordering information, please contact Brunswick Billiards at 800-336-8764, or visit their website at www.brunswickbilliards.com.
Waterfall
Olhausen Billiards’ modern line of tables integrates twentieth-century styling, which is characterized by simplicity of form, absence of decorative ornaments, and an emphasis on functional concerns. With their Waterfall table, art and functionality form a design destined to be a classic. It is available in veneer oak or maple and has black diamond rail sights and leather pockets. The suggested retail price for an 8-foot table is $8,350.
For ordering information, please contact Olhausen Billiards at 800-866-4606, or visit their website at www.olhausenbilliards.com.
Firehole
An elegant but simple design gives the Firehole by Drawknife Billiards a true rustic elegance. Shown in the Burl style, this Firehole features a rare assemblage of hard-to-find burl accents and medallions. This table is an exceptional combination of man’s craftsmanship and nature’s unique art. The Firehole design is also available in Standard and Wilderness model and begins at $14,000.
For ordering information, please contact Drawknife Billiards at 800-320-0527, or visit their website at www.drawknife.com.

SOLID WOOD Pool Tables
Scottsdale
The Scottsdale is Connelly’s latest post leg design. Featuring massive hand-carved legs stretching from floor to frame, the Scottsdale combines a stylish double-arch cabinet, carved blinds, and wide 6” rails resulting in a handsome table that would fit in any upscale home gameroom. Exclusive features found on Connelly Pinnacle Collection tables include one-and-one-quarter-inch thick tournament-sized slate, and the Connelly Rapid Rail construction. The Scottsdale is available in heirloom-quality cherry, lustrous maple, traditional red oak, and other specialty woods. The Scottsdale has a suggested retail price of $5,995.
For ordering information, please contact Connelly Billiards at 800-861-9619, or visit their website at www.Connellybilliards.com.
Huntington
Handcrafted to highlight its beauty and strength, the Huntington remains one of Olhausen Billiards’ most popular from generation to generation. This table is made from the preeminent solid American hardwood available on the market. It is available in solid oak or maple, with a variety of finishes, and has diamond pearlized rail sights and leather pockets. The suggested retail price for an 8-foot table is $3,840.
For ordering information, please contact Olhausen Billiards at 800-866-4606, or visit their website at www.olhausenbilliards.com.
CARVED Pool Tables
Columbia
The Columbia is one of DLT Billiards’ finest examples of beauty and functionality combined. Some of the hand-carving artisans have over 30 years of experience in their field, and their hard work shows with this design. Constructed of solid maple, the Columbia boasts hand-carved blind rails with mother-of-pearl diamond sights. Its one-inch thick slate and the double-arch frame also boasts detailed hand carving. The Columbia’s suggested retail price is $7,895.
For ordering information, please contact DLT Billiards at 888-782-2208, or visit their website at www.DLTbilliards.com.

Cavalier II
This table by Olhausen Billiards captures the elegance of fine furniture with its ornate carving and is sure to be a beautiful addition to your family gameroom. The highest detail and attention are paid to these tables, which are meticulously crafted by Olhausen Billiards’ master woodworkers. Available in solid oak, maple, or specialty woods, the Cavalier II also has mother-of-pearl rail sights and leather pockets. The suggested retail price for an 8-foot table is $9,975.
For ordering information, please contact Olhausen Billiards at 800-866-4606, or visit their website at www.olhausenbilliards.com.
Lonestar
This variation of Drawknife Billiards’ Glacier table features six distinctive five-pointed stars reminiscent of designs out of the Old West. As with the Glacier, the design accents and legs may be stained in a contrasting color. This table also includes star-shaped sights in the rails, fashioned from a dark cocobola wood, to add to the overall Western look. Pricing for the Lone Star begins at $6,800.
For ordering information, please contact Drawknife Billiards at 800-320-0527, or visit their website at www.drawknife.com.

COMMERCIAL Pool Tables
Gold Crown IV
The Brunswick Gold Crown IV is the standard of the industry and the professional players’ table of choice. It is available in mahogany with bronze or brushed nickel trim or matte black with chrome or brushed nickel trim. The Gold Crown comes in 8-foot pro and 9-foot sizes with either gully or drop pockets. The Gold Crown IV is a world-class billiard table of legendary quality. The Gold Crown IV has a suggested retail price of $7,999. For ordering information, please contact Brunswick Billiards at 800-336-8764, or visit their website at www.brunswickbilliards.com.
Diamond Pro-Am
Designed for players by players, Diamond Billiard Product’s Diamond Second Edition Pro-Am has it all. It features one 1-inch piece slates, Dymondwood rails, a leg-leveling system, and Simonis 860 cloth. It also boasts the fastest and quietest ball-return system in the industry. It is available in 19 different stains and starts as low at $4,175. For ordering information, please contact Brian Miller at 812-288-7665, or visit their website atwww.diamondbilliardproducts.com.

Pool Lessons - Nail-Bending Focus

Nail-Bending Focus

by Tom Simpson

I think we love pool because it’s so dang difficult. If it were easy, if we never missed the pocket or the shape, we’d get bored pretty quickly. If it were easy, it would not require us to focus. Playing pool well takes everything we have, and more.

Pool usually finds a way to smack us when we don’t focus. We have to be fully alive and aware, fully engaged in what we’re doing. Usually there are multiple aspects to consider and clearly plan or decide prior to each shot: strategy for the current shot, strategy for the current inning, which shot to take, how best to play the shot and the shape, and so on. At this point, we are still in “The Thinking Position,” standing, seeing the patterns, shot angles, ball paths, and layout problems. Our focus at this point is on “What should I do?” We focus at this level until we have made a clear decision: “What will I do and how will I do it?” The planning focus is mental. We’re organizing our thoughts until we settle on one clear plan.

simpson april 08 Nail Bending Focus Now, with our plan determined, we move our focus to execution. I know what I’m trying to do. If I have doubts or feel I should change the plan, I’d better go back to The Thinking Position and re-consider my decisions. It’s vital to be fully committed to the shot before moving into “The Shooting Position.” I can’t be fully focused on executing the shot if I still have nagging concerns about the plan. Focusing is the process of getting your intention and your body into agreement and alignment.

How do we move focus from thinking to physically doing? As we address the shot, we know the plan. The shot plan could be something like “I’m cutting the 7 ball in the side with a rolling cue ball and a touch of outside english and with enough speed to follow forward to my chosen shape region.” So now I have to physically make this happen. My focus has to move to my eyes and body.

Many players rush from decision to execution as if there was nothing in between. They plop their bridge hand down and try to adjust everything to fit the plan. They were present and aware while they were standing, and now that they’re down on the shot, they’re trying to focus on physical alignment, stroke, aiming, speed, etc. If they lost focus between standing and ball address, they have to regain it once they are down on the shot. Too late.

Execution focus is physical. We’re organizing our body until we’re satisfied that we’re as ready to shoot as we can be. When we are actively engaged in the planning and decision process, making a clear commitment to the plan, and moving smoothly into setup and shooting, we are much more likely to get the results we want. Gaps in the process mean we have broken our concentration. Not good. If your mind wanders, pool will smack you.

Many good players relate to the experience of “nail-bending focus” down the shot line. When they’re fully focused, they feel like they could bend steel nails with their mind or melt paint off the wall. They’re using their eyes like lasers, burning perfectly down the intended line. It’s a lot easier to organize your body to be accurately aligned to the shot if you’re fully involved in the alignment process before—and while—you drop into shooting position.

This brings us to a crucial—but rarely—noticed fundamental. Once your body is on the shot line and you are ready to drop into shooting position, what are your eyes doing? Where is your visual focus during the drop? Are your eyes actually focused on something? To maximize your accuracy, it’s very helpful to engage that nail-bending focus on your precise target before you start to drop and to maintain that clear, single-minded focus throughout the drop. Keep your eyes on the target while you drop. As you drop, this continuous, intense focus, locked onto your visual target, will work to keep you lined up to what you’re seeing. Your peripheral vision will help you land your bridge and move it into proper position. Of course, once you’re fully down, you will move your eyes back and forth from target to cue ball until you’ve confirmed your alignment and readiness to shoot. Then, laser-focus your vision down the line until the stroke has been completed.

If your eyes are sharply focused, your mind is focused. If your mind is focused, your body will carry out your wishes more readily, more easily, and more accurately. Focus leads to commitment. Commitment leads to confidence. Confidence leads to better results.

See the target and absolutely own the line.

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Pool Lesson - The Straight Line

The Straight Line

by Bob Henning

In pool there are many factors to take into account in order to contact an object ball with enough accuracy to send it to a distant pocket. There is the discrepancy between where the cue ball is aimed and where it actually contacts the object ball. There is the deflection involved when the cue ball is pushed off line by being struck either left or right of the vertical axis. There is the curve of the cue ball as the friction of the cloth wears away the rotational axis of english and resolves it into a natural roll. All of these adjustments, however, are referenced from a single straight line—the line of aim.

In this respect, a pool player is similar to a marksman aiming a rifle. The stock and barrel of the rifle form the straight line that he aims at the target. He makes all the adjustments that are needed to account for the effect of wind, trajectory, and barrel imperfections in reference to that straight line. If the wind is blowing strong from the right, for instance, he doesn’t imagine a curved path to the target. He factors in the effect of the wind and adjusts by aiming—a straight line of aim—a bit to the right. It’s the same with pool. When you prepare a shot you decide where the cue tip will contact the cue ball, you envision the expected path of the cue ball, and then you adjust your line of aim to accommodate the effects of deflection and curve. You don’t aim a curved line at the object ball, you aim a straight line that has been corrected for accuracy. And the straighter the line, the better the shooter.

bob pro book 232 The Straight Line So how do you find that straight line? It’s been said that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points, but that’s not enough data to consistently establish a super-straight line of aim. In fact, having only two points is how people get lost in the woods and end up walking in circles even when they know that a straight line will eventually lead to a road. They have two points—where they are and some landmark in the distance, such as a rock or a tree. So they head for that and when they get there, they pick another target and continue. It sounds like a good plan, but it’s not enough to get out of the woods.

In the Boy Scouts they teach kids that walking a straight line requires three points of reference. When you get to the first one, you find a replacement point lined up with the remaining two. When you get to the next one, you add another. You keep adding a point of reference to the other two like a good 9-ball player keeps adding a third ball to his position plan every time he pockets one. Working with three points gets you out of the woods and out of the rack.

Let’s look at our marksman and his rifle again. When he aims at a target he lines up three distinct points: the target, the front sight, and the back sight. He sets the stem of the front sight in the slot of the back sight and that gives the first two points that sets the rifle true. Then he aims that unit at a third point—the adjusted target.

If he only used the target and the front sight, his accuracy would fall dramatically, and that’s what many pool players do. They focus on only two points: the contact point on the cue ball and the contact point on the object ball. The front part of the cue stick might be in their peripheral vision, but their attention is on the front of the cue stick and the target. They’re not using a rear site!

Shooting is a visual sport, so the sights are placed in front of the eye. Pool, on the other hand, is an eye-hand discipline so the third point can actually be behind you and out of sight. It’s the back end of your cue, of course, and it’s aimed not with your eyes, but with your hand. All you have to do is learn to “put” your back hand on the line (the rear sight), keep it there as you come down to place the cue tip on the cue ball (the front sight), and line these two points up with your target. You’ll have three points of reference and a guaranteed straight line. Even if you miss, at least you’ll never get lost in the woods again!

Good luck & good shootin’!

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Inside POOL Magazine Available for Free Download

April 2009 Issue of Inside POOL Magazine Available for Free Download

austin murphy cover sm Latest Billiards Magazine Available for Free Download The April 2009 issue of Inside POOL Magazine, which features young Austin Murphy on the cover, has been made available for free download at InsidePOOLmag.com. This month the download features new technology in online magazine viewing such as flipping pages, zooming, emailing, sharing, and printing.

Austin Murphy one the cover of the April 2009 Inside POOL Magazine.

This month features some interesting articles and news including a feature article about young Superstar Austin Murphy as he makes his first appearance on the front cover. Get the scoop on how Ralf Souquet trounced the Turning Stone Classic Field and about Brandon Shuff as he snared his first NSC 8-Ball title. Dont’t miss how Ming Ng scored a free ride to the WPBA tour for the year at the Regional Tour Championship. Learn to get a plan before you bend over to shott and how to make some precision breakouts. Get pool lessons and billiard instruction from the Inside POOL Magazine instructors. Also get the latest news from the regional tour from around the world.

Download the April 2009 issue of Inside POOL Magazine for Free

Inside POOL Magazine publishes both print and online versions of each issue. The online version is usually made available for FREE (without a membershio) viewing and downloading around the middle of each month. If you would like to receive the print version of this wonderful magazine, please visit InsidePOOLmag.com tosubscribe.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Friday, May 29, 2009

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Monday, May 25, 2009

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Monday, May 18, 2009

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Friday, May 15, 2009