For nearly a century, the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) has promoted, protected, and advanced cue sports across the United States. Today, we take one of the most consequential steps in our association’s history with the formal announcement and formation of USA Cue Sports
USA Cue Sports has been established to serve as the unified player federation for professional cue sport athletes in the United States and North America. As outlined in its newly adopted Constitution, USA Cue Sports shall “encourage, promote, develop, advance, and be the recognized unifying body of all cue sports in North America” while operating in collaboration with the BCA and in coordination with the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and the World
Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS).
This is not merely a structural realignment between organizations. It is a cultural shift for our sport and our industry.
For decades, cue sports in America have wrestled with perception and way too often it is viewed as a pastime played in a smoke-filled bar rather than a disciplined athletic pursuit governed by rules, ethics, training standards, and defined competitive pathways. That narrative changes now. USA Cue Sports formally adopts sports policy consistent with the Olympic Charter, recognizes the WADA AntiDoping Code, and aligns with internationally accepted standards of governance and integrity.
This alignment is deliberate. The ultimate mission of USA Cue Sports is recognition by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Such recognition would validate cue sports as an Olympiclevel discipline in governance, athlete protection, and competitive structure. More importantly, it would position American players within a globally recognized sporting framework. One that creates a clear, credible pathway to develop tomorrow’s World Champions.
Yet this transformation extends well beyond elite competition. It strengthens the entire ecosystem of our
industry.
The USA Cue Sports Board of Directors reflects the full diversity of our sport. Representation includes North American federations, a professional women’s athlete representative, a men’s professional athlete representative, snooker and carom delegates, a paraathlete representative, a youth representative through the Billiard Education Foundation, a national amateur league representative, and a pool room proprietor representative. For now, every voting member must be in good standing with the BCA, ensuring that sport governance and industry leadership remain strategically aligned.
Article IV of the Constitution makes the federation’s intent clear: USA Cue Sports will conduct national championships across all disciplines that nominate athletes to international competitions. We will continue to maintain comprehensive ranking lists and develop training programs for officials and coaches. In short, it establishes a proper sporting code foundation our industry has long needed: one built on structure, accountability, and opportunity.
“USA Cue Sports represents unity,” shares BCA Chairman Jacklyn Ady. “It ensures that our athletes,
leagues, rooms, and industry partners stand together under one credible, internationally respected structure. This is how we elevate the sport throughout the United States and North America.”
USA Cue Sports President Ed Liddawi underscores the athlete-first mission: “For the first time, American cue sport athletes have a defined, protected, and internationally aligned federation advocating on their behalf. This creates opportunity, accountability, and
legitimacy at every level.”
And from my perspective, this is a turning point for our industry. This is bigger than governance. This is the moment cue sports in America stops asking for recognition and starts defining its place on the world stage. We are building the infrastructure that transforms players into athletes, tournaments into championships, and passion into Olympic possibility.
Shafts are one of the hottest topics when you talk about what makes a cue play better. What are the factors in a good playing shaft? What performance differences are there? Are the different types of shafts better, or does it change per person, and/or style? Everyone knows they are not all the same! Everyone will say this plays better than the other. Let’s take a second to look into the fundamentals of a shaft and understand why there are advantages to the different types.
Squirt
Let us take a look at the first and most popular topic, Squirt. What is squirt? Squirt is the immediate sideways push of the cue ball opposite the spin direction at impact. This is caused by the front-end mass and the stiffness of the shaft. This is more prevalent in traditional maple shafts as the front-end mass is higher. This determines how much you must aim off-center when applying English.
Swerve
The next major factor in shaft play is swerve, or the curve of the cue ball. This is the curved path the cue ball takes after sliding; it's done with the spin and friction of the cloth. This is all influenced by tip height, the speed of the shot, cloth, friction, and humidity. Remember, squirt happens first, and swerve happens a little later in the shot. Highspin retention shafts, such as carbon, can make swerve more pronounced because they preserve spin longer.
English
Now let’s look at the spin transfer efficiency, or “English”. This is huge for you as a player. How easily does the shaft transfer sidespin? This is influenced by tip hardness, shaft stiffness, vibration dampening, and contact time. Some shafts will feel like they “grab”, spin the cue ball quickly and consistently. Softer tips can increase dwell time, allowing more spin transfer. This affects Rail-first shots, multi-rail position play, and Inside English shots.
Now we have the front-end mass of the shaft. This is usually considered the first 5-7 inches of the shaft. Lower mass equals less squirt. This is the basis for lowdeflection shafts. Hollow cores are often used. Foam cores to reduce vibration and dampening. They use laminated wood shafts or carbon to remove bias in materials.
What factors play into the way the shaft flexes or how stiff it is? This is the shaft profile or taper. This is common practice to produce a stiffer or more flexible shaft. Stiffer shafts often have less whip or feeling of the shot. There is more direct feedback. They also often produce lower squirt. A softer or a shaft that flexes usually has more vibration or feel. There is a feeling of more dwell time when in contact with the cue ball; these shafts can produce slightly more squirt.
Between the different types of shafts, there is radial consistency in the material from which the shaft is made. Over the years, we have seen maple, torrified maple, purple heart, laminated wood shafts with splices in different styles, and carbon fiber. This was all done to eliminate the potential for grain bias. This targeted the shooter to help create confidence, reproducibility, and spin symmetry.
Vibration and resonance play a factor in how you perceive your control of the shot. High vibration helps to create more tactile feedback. This gives you a better feel of the shot. Dampened shafts create the feel of a smoother hit. This all affects stroke timing. The perceived control of the shot is also a key factor with vibration. These can affect your confidence under pressure.
Spin Retention Down the Table
Finally, we have spin retention down the table. This can be used in different skid shots during play. Some shafts maintain spin retention better than others, affecting different games and shots. Spin retention is a huge factor in several situations. Rail shots, long draw, and inside English shots are all affected by the spin retention. This plays a major role in a person’s shooting style.
To sum all of this up, there is a simple formula for the shot performance. There are four factors applied to produce the desired effect. The cue ball path is different with every shaft, with these factors in mind. The simple formula goes as follows:
This all affects the shot and ball performance when playing. It is different for every shaft, and the adjustment between shafts has to be made for this.
So, what does all of this mean in terms of shaft performance? What really matters when picking out the right shaft for you. We want to look at a key factor to decide what plays best for your style. The predictability of the shaft shot after shot. The repeatability of the shaft shot after shot. The desired reaction is for minimal adjustment when switching speeds of the shot. Rail first accuracy for shots. Finally, the reliability of inside English when playing shots in the game.
So, some shots will be advantageous to have a squirt, and others will not. This is why shooting style and game play can affect what shaft plays better for you. The major adjustment is the aiming point from shaft to shaft. This is often why players have difficulty switching from shaft to shaft.
Shots such as the following are advantageous to have. Cut shots with English can actually push the shot into the cut, creating a more forgiving shot. Rail-first shots with side spin can create a situation where the cue ball moves into the rail slightly more before contact. In a shot requiring power draw with side spin, the squirt pushes the cue ball opposite the spin and can help avoid the double kiss. In short-distance high-speed shots, the squirt dominates, and the swerve is very minimal. Another is throwing manipulation of an object ball. The contact angle and cut thickness to produce the spin transfer are affected.
When is squirt not advantageous? Long-distance shots with side spin create a situation where compensation for squirt, swerve, and throw becomes a compound error. Extreme English at slow speeds creates more swerve. Thin cuts with outside spin often create thin cuts. When going 2, 3, 4 rails, small initial errors compound with every rail.
Hopefully, this will help when deciding what shaft you want to pursue and help match up with your playing style and game.
One
This April, the neon lights of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, will once again signal the arrival of the "Greatest Show on Earth" for pool players: the Super Billiards Expo (SBE). For over three decades, this event has served as the heartbeat of the industry, a four-day pilgrimage where the lines between the wide-eyed amateur and the steely-eyed professional blur under the hum of a thousand Diamond tables.
From its humble beginnings in 1993 to its current status as the world’s largest consumer-oriented billiards trade show, the Expo is more than a tournament—it is a living archive of the sport's culture.
The Vision of "Young Hoppe"
To understand the Expo, one must understand its architect: Allen Hopkins. Known in his playing prime as "Young Hoppe," Hopkins is a BCA Hall of Famer whose resume includes World Straight Pool and U.S. Open 9-Ball titles. But while his peers were focused solely on the next rack, Hopkins was looking at the bigger picture.
In the early 1990s, the billiard industry was fragmented. There were professional tournaments for the elite and trade-only shows for manufacturers, but there was no "town square" for the average player. In 1993, Allen and
his wife, WPBA pro and commentator, Dawn Hopkins, decided to change that and launched the first Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
The concept was revolutionary in its simplicity: combine a massive open-entry amateur tournament with a retail trade show. For the first time, a player from a local tavern league could walk off a tournament table and immediately step into a booth to buy the exact cue used by the professional they just watched on the main stage.
From Valley Forge to Oaks: A Growing Legacy
For twenty years, the Expo was synonymous with the Valley Forge Convention Center. Those "Valley Forge years" are spoken of with a certain nostalgia by veterans
of the game. They remember the cramped hallways filled with the scent of cue wax and the "Action Room" stories that became the stuff of legend.
As the show’s popularity exploded, it literally outgrew its skin. The move to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks in 2012 marked a new era. With over 200,000 square feet of floor space, the event could finally breathe, accommodating more than 150 exhibitors and nearly 1,000 tables.
Throughout the years, the SBE has hosted the titans of the game. Legends like Shane Van Boening, Efren Reyes, Earl Strickland, and Johnny Archer have all graced the arena. Yet, the Expo’s true legacy lies in its inclusivity. It pioneered the "Super Seniors" and "Juniors" divisions, ensuring that the game’s history is respected while its future is nurtured.
The 2026 Edition: What to Expect
As we look toward the 2026 Super Billiards Expo, scheduled for April 9–12, the energy is higher than ever. Now in its 33rd year, the event continues evolving while maintaining the "carnival" atmosphere that Allen Hopkins originally envisioned.
The Professional Arena: WNT Bronze Ranking
One of the most significant updates for 2026 is the Professional Players Championship’s status as a World Ninja Tour (WNT) Bronze Ranking Event. This elevation means that the stakes are no longer just about the prize fund; they are about critical ranking points that determine entry into the world’s most prestigious majors.
Fans can expect a world-class field of international pros descending on Oaks to battle on the 10-foot and 9-foot Diamond Pro-Am tables. The 2026 event will once again feature the Diamond Open 9-Ball and the Pro-Am Barbox championships, the latter being a fan favorite where top-tier pros test their mettle on the "small" 7-foot tables—a great equalizer in the world of pool.
The Amateur Players Championships
The "Players Championship" series remains the backbone of the Expo. For 2026, the divisions are meticulously organized to provide fair, high-level competition for every demographic:
• Open Amateur: The "Big One," featuring a massive field of players from across the globe.
• Seniors (50+) & Super Seniors (65+): These divisions have become so popular that they often sell out months in advance.
• Women’s Amateur: A dedicated showcase for the growing talent in the women’s game.
• Juniors (17 & Under and 12 & Under): The 2026 Junior events are particularly special, as they serve as a pipeline for the next generation of American talent, with winners often receiving entries into the BEF Junior Nationals.
The American Cuemakers Association (ACA) Arena
For many, the Expo isn't about the tournaments; it's about the "Wood." The ACA Arena is a sanctuary for custom cue enthusiasts. Here, the world’s most renowned cuemakers display their latest masterpieces. The annual ACA Hall of Fame Banquet will take place during the Expo, celebrating the artisans who keep the craft of cuemaking alive. It is the one place where a collector
can hold a $20,000 custom cue and speak directly to the man who spent hundreds of hours creating it.
The "Expo Experience"
If you’ve never been to the SBE, 2026 is the year to start. The experience is a sensory overload in the best way possible.
The sound is the first thing that hits you: the rhythmic clack-clack-clack of thousands of balls colliding, a percussive symphony that never stops from 8:00 AM until the early hours of the morning. Then there are the sights—walls of chalk in every color imaginable, cases made of exotic leathers, and the sight of a ten-year-old junior player jumping a ball with more precision than the league operator at your local bar.
The "Wednesday Night Warm-Up" (April 8th) has become an unofficial holiday for attendees, a chance to shake off the travel rust and get a feel for the Diamond Smart Barbox tables before the main events begin on Thursday.
A Tradition That Defies the Odds
In an age where digital streaming and online gaming dominate, the Super Billiards Expo remains a stubbornly physical, tactile tradition. It survives because pool is, at its heart, a social game. It is a game of handshakes, "good hits," and shared stories.
Allen Hopkins once said that he wanted to be remembered for his playing career, but the Expo might be his greatest contribution to the sport. He created a place where legends are accessible, the gear is touchable, and the competition is open to anyone with a cue and the courage to pay the entry fee.
Whether you are there to hunt for a vintage Meucci, watch the best in the world fight for WNT points, or try to survive three rounds in the Open Amateur, the 2026 Super Billiards Expo is the place where the world of pool comes home.
“You Better Think of Something Good!”
Is mental rehearsal just as important as physical rehearsal? Here’s a question worth thinking about: What do you expect to happen in your next match? Are you picturing success—or are you mentally rehearsing the mistake you’re afraid to make?
The images you feed your mind have a way of showing up in your body. That’s why one of the most powerful “practice” tools I teach is mental rehearsal, also called positive visualization. It’s not magic. It’s training your
brain to run the same routines you want your body to perform under pressure.
Nick Varner said it best: “A lot of times you get what you think you’re going to get—so you better think something good.” Racing legend Richard Petty often talked about mentally rehearsing his races and seeing himself victorious before the event. The principle is the same in pool: if your mind has already practiced calm, focused execution, it becomes easier to access that state when the match gets tight.
Why visualization helps
Visualization builds confidence and clarity. It doesn’t replace time at the table, but it strengthens the mental side of your game. When you rehearse success, you reduce uncertainty. When you focus on what you don’t want to happen—dogging the 8, scratching on the break, missing a key cut—you create tension. Your grip tightens. Your breathing shortens. Your stroke speeds up. That’s not “nerves”—that’s your brain reacting to a negative image you gave it.
Here’s the upside: you can practice your mechanics without a cue in your hand. There’s a long-standing story that Willie Mosconi would pause before shots and mentally “see” what he intended to do. Whether the legend actually did it or not, the idea is spot on: the best players are rehearsing the process as much as the result.
First-person vs. third-person visualization
There are two ways to visualize:
• First person: You see what you would see at the table—your eyes on the cue ball, the shot line, the pocket.
• Third person: You see yourself as if you’re watching on TV.
In general, first person is best for rehearsing an upcoming match because it matches your real visual experience. Third person can be useful for reviewing a match you already played and learning from it.
A simple daily mental rehearsal (5–10 mins)
Try this once a day, and especially the night before a match:
1. Find a quiet place. Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
2. Breathe slowly. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Let your shoulders drop.
Anthony Beeler is the current Billiards Instructor of the Decade and is a former BCAPL National Champion. He has numerous “Top 25” national finishes and is the primary author of the ACS National Billiards Instructor’s Manual. He has also authored the book Unstoppable! Positive Thinking for Pool Players. Anthony currently has the highest established Fargo Rating of any Master Instructor. He has won over 300 tournaments and has defeated numerous professional players in tournament competition.
3. Clear the noise. If thoughts pop in, return to your breathing for a few seconds.
4. Picture your next match. See the room, the table, the lights, your opponent—calm and clear.
5. Use positive self-talk. Tell yourself: “I’m prepared. I’m steady. I trust my routine.”
6. Start with the break. See exactly what you want: your stance, your bridge, your cue delivery, the cue ball controlled.
7. Rehearse your pre-shot routine. Focus on the steps, not the outcome.
8. See your alignment. Shot line. Vision center. Still head. Quiet body.
9. Feel the stroke. Smooth practice strokes, pause, then a clean delivery—no jab, no steering.
10. Watch the result. Object ball drops clean. Cue ball stops where you planned.
11. Run racks in your mind. One shot at a time, routine repeated, confidence building.
Then open your eyes. You just practiced focus, rhythm, and execution—without hitting a single ball.
If visualization is hard at first
Some players struggle to picture future shots clearly. If that’s you, start by replaying the past: remember a time you played well, stayed calm, and competed confidently. Build the feeling first, then add the pictures. Like any skill, visualization improves with repetition. Give it a week. You’ll notice something important: your mind gets quieter, your routine feels more automatic, and pressure starts to feel familiar instead of scary.
Because in the end, Varner was right: you often get what you think you’re going to get—so you better think something good.
Don't Run 7 if You Can't Run 8
How many times have you gotten to the 8 ball before your opponent and lost? In 8-Ball, many players lose the rack after being first to the 8-ball simply because they missed the most valuable concept in the game: Winning isn't just about making balls, it's about controlling the table.
In 8-Ball, a missed shot can be tremendously valuable. A ball that doesn't go in but blocks a crucial pocket for
your opponent improves your table layout and degrades theirs. The table doesn't care if that missed shot was intentional or accidental.
The key is that a failed offense is often a successful defense executed at the wrong time. Instead of feeling disappointment after a miss, take a moment to understand where the ball landed and how that outcome can be used on purpose for defense in the future.
Good Players Know How to Make Balls
Most amateur pool players practice only offense when they're alone, and if defense is attempted at all, it's as needed in a match, so the skills are underdeveloped. Many see failure when they don't pocket a ball.
In reality, hiding an object ball is most often only shooting your offensive pocketing ability and adding speed control, usually into a rail instead of a pocket. Hiding the cue ball uses the same skills as offensive cue ball control.
For these players, defense is often a Plan B when offensive options aren't obvious, and their exit from the table is often not on their terms. They hope that a risky offensive shot drops or a challenging shot is unanswered by the opponent. Hope is a terrible strategy.
Top players don't gamble on what their opponent can do. They gamble on the only thing they have control over... what they can do.
Great Players Know How to Miss
High-level players dedicate practice time to defense— learning how to hide the cue ball, hide the object ball, or separate them. These defensive skills are simply an application of your existing offensive abilities to a defensive mindset.
2025 PBIA Instructor of the Year
PBIA Master Certified
ACS Level 4 Instructor
Senior Instructor at Billiard University
To be great, you must learn to recognize defensive opportunities even when an offensive shot is available. In 8-Ball, a game-winning defense doesn't have to be a complicated safety or lock-up. Simply blocking a valuable pocket by leaving one of your balls in the jaws can drastically sway the odds. Even a poorly executed defense that leaves an “easy” shot for the opponent is not a guaranteed make for them.
Think about the time you thought you sold out, but your opponent missed the “easy” shot. Or, maybe it was you who missed. The thing about tennis is 100% of all points ever won were won by the player who kept the ball in play, and 100% of all points ever lost were lost by the player who did not do the same. Just get the ball back over the net and make them hit it! It's not an error until it becomes an error. Remember: having fewer balls on the table does not mean you are winning.
The Best Players Know When to Do Each
The best players consider the big picture when choosing to run or hide. How many problems, solutions, and insurance balls does each suit have? They have the self-
control to choose a high-percentage defense as a Plan A, even when a reasonable offensive shot is possible. You don't have to outshoot your opponent if you can outsmart them.
Good players know how to make, great players know how to miss, and the best not only know when to do each, but, they have the discipline to listen to themselves!
The Power of Blocking: A Core Lesson
The value of this defensive mindset is best illustrated by a game I teach called "DragonBall." The rules are simple: I play against a student, but I cannot touch my cue or pocket any balls. When it’s my turn, I pick up one of my balls and place it anywhere on the table. Then it's their turn again. How could I ever win this game when I can't remove any balls?
The harsh reality is I rarely lose (except for break-andruns). Why? I identify the pocket the opponent needs most and block it with one of my balls. As the student struggles, missing shots and chasing balls, my allowable moves quickly choke off their options.
The Lesson is Clear
Pocketing balls is secondary to position and pocketcontrol. Eventually, they start pocketing my balls to clear pockets for themselves, but with none of my balls remaining for me to move, I can easily finish them off by positioning the 8 ball in ways that force them to pocket the 8 early while going after their ball, or scratch when they're stuck banking or kicking at the 8.
Top players don't gamble on what their opponent can do. They gamble on the only thing they have control over...what they can do. If a strong player can do it on purpose, any ability of player can do it on accident.
So, even if you don't want to give up that offensive mindset, at least consider this: if you're not 100% certain that you can make the ball AND get shape, try to pot the ball with pocket speed. This way if you miss, you leave yourself a hanger and your opponent a challenge.
Play smart! Control the table when you're at it, control your exits on your way back to the chair, and the wins will follow.
Ready to Transform Your Game?
Join over 8,000 other students in 64 countries who have chosen to “Quit Draggin' and Get Dragon” for live online and in-person training. Call me at 607-743-2055 or email dragonbilliardskim@gmail.com .
We can do an assessment and create goals together, and start making improvements immediately focused where it matters most. Best of all, I'll show you how to be your own coach so you can continue improving even when we aren't together.
Kim “The Dragon” Young. MPM
PBIA Master Instructor
2025 PBIA Instructor of the Year
ACS Level 4 Instructor
Doctorate of Online Billiards Instruction
Senior Instructor at Billiard University
Train Better. Do Better. Shop Better. DragonBilliardsInstruction.com
There are many aspects of pool that people focus on, from how to practice to equipment. One aspect that seems to get overlooked is the mental side of the game. Players will work on their stroke until it’s a “well-oiled machine”. Players will spend hours practicing the break and even more hours working on ball pocketing. Drills have become more popular, and players will spend countless hours on them. But how much are players working on the mental side of things?
We all have experienced those times where we are in “dead stroke” and seem to run out from everywhere, but we have also experienced those times where we are “on tilt” and can’t seem to get anything to go right. Why is that? Why can our performance change so drastically from match to match, or even game to game? Mindset.
Enter Noel Flannery of Cue Sports Hub. Noel started working in “elite sports” such as Formula 1 and golf, and eventually migrated into snooker. He is taking what he learned from those elite sports and is applying it to cue sports. “The work you do off the table is the foundation for everything- energy, focus, and quality of performance.” Cue Sports Hub lays out how to improve on what we do off the table so we can be our best on the table.
Noel says, “A player can’t be good unless they feel
good.” That makes a lot of sense. We all have had those instances where we know we don’t feel good, and our play on the table reflects that. Besides mindset, there is another focus that players should look at: nutrition.
Pool tournaments can be long and grueling ordeals. If we put the wrong things in our body, our body can’t operate at optimum efficiency. We are not setting ourselves up for success. If you compare pool to other individual sports, you find that players of those other sports focus on nutrition and health. They have personal trainers and nutritionists. They care about their body.
How many times do players “crash out” towards the end of a tournament because their body isn’t operating as efficiently as it can? Noel has been working with players from all cue sports and those players are experiencing great success including World pool and Heyball Champion Kelly Fisher, World #1 Heyball Player Steven Ellis, and world top 10 female Heyball player and WPBA player April Larson. The results speak for themselves. I had the privilege to chat with Noel on his operation. For more information, check out www.cuesporthub.com or www.cuesporthubusa. com for American players.
What was your role in the Motor Sports and Golf worlds? For motor sports, Crew chief/ team manager roles in various teams across the globe including 5 years in the IMSA series in the states. In golf, I still do currently work with tour pros mostly, but some amateur players too on mindset.
What got you into pool/cue sports?
I learned my mindset coaching in the golf world when I was working in Florida. As I got qualified, I thought of cue sports and what a great fit this would be. I thought to myself, how tough is it for these guys missing and then they have to go and sit down and let their opponent clear the table. So, when I came back from my five year stint in America, I started in Cue sports. Weirdly, I went straight into world Snooker.
What is the biggest difference you see from pro players/ athletes from the elite sports of Formula 1 and golf compared to pool. Likewise, what is the biggest similarity? The level of professionalism for one, but also in elite sports it’s so much more advanced, light years
currently ahead of cue sports. Its large part of what I teach in cue sports, process. A plan on how to become a better player. Focusing on the bits that matter the most. A tour golfer, for example, is not trying to get better at everything. They focus on the parts of the game make the biggest difference. Same in cue sports. Say an Olympian, tour golfer, or tennis player, their is relationship to failure is completely different from the majority of even pros in cue sports.
How do you break through people not thinking mindset is important?
The game is split in half. Its 50% mindset and 50% technical, like cue action, knowledge, experience etc. With this in mind take a great level pro pool player, let’s call him Dave. At Dave’s level all the players, technically, at the competitions he players in are brilliant. Tiny percentages between them. Their skill sets very closely matched. But that’s only half the job as it is in any sport. So let’s take the other half of this sports mindset, now the skill level of each player in Dave’s competition will vary massively. This becomes the defining factor, the mental side. Not because its more important. No, because that’s the side of the game 99% of the players are weakest in. It becomes not a potting balls competition, but a mindset competition. Now you don’t have to be flawless and play like a super hero. Dave just needs to be better than the other guy mindset wise and the result will take care of its self. Cause and effect.
What is the basic structure of your lessons/training?
Very open and fluid. Unplanned even. It completely depends on what comes up from the player. If it’s a player I know or a new one, its the same process. We just chat very informal. I want it to be more like hangin out with a friend. Then something will come up. Something to delve deeper into as they talk about their game. But the goal for me on a one to one is always the same. I’m not here merely to help them. I want every session to be life changing. Both on and off the table.
What can players expect to gain from working with you? Short term, massive gains in both mindset, hydration
and food intake skills. Long term, better life skills as there is more answers off the table than on it for most. Players become the best version of themselves and learn how to apply themselves in an elite, professional manner.
People may think nutrition can't help their pool game. What do you have to say about that?
I’d say they would be right! What was it henry ford said? “Whether you think you can or you can’t both will be right.” We get exactly the story we tell ourselves, so there is no getting away from that really. But for sure, in elite sports, athletes/ players eat and drink not because they are hungry or thirsty but for
performance. That’s not something I’ve seen any players do in cue sports and its why I’ve always helped players with that. Any player not doing that is for sure leaving performance on the table. Humans need to be at their best eating and hydrating for performance. It’s so key the difference I’ve seen in players doing so. They become more consistent in their play.
You have many pro players from various cue sports working with you and they are very successful. What are they saying about working with you?
Well mostly thank you! I’m very blessed I have a stable of elite pros players I look after on a one-to-one basis. Herewedeveloptheonlineprogram www.cuesporthub. com directly off the back of lessons learnt from the best players in cue sports. 2025 saw these players win three world titles, two European titles and numerous other event wins in north and south America, Asia and Europe. We won in every category of pool, but when you’re doing things the rest are not, what else is going to happen?
What is your favorite game to play in cue sports?
For me its American pool. It’s also the most popular of the pool sports in Scotland at least.
If you could play any player, living or deceased, who would it be and what game?
Easy for me. I’m not a player really as such but I’d love to have hit a few balls with Alex Higgins. He was full of flair and inventiveness and played without fear. Loved that!
Where do you see Cue Sport Hub in 5 years?
I see it as the performance cue sports program.
In 2005, I internalized a single statement from Hal Houle that changed my life forever: “Our game is being taught the wrong way.” That one sentence, by arguably the greatest pool thinker of all time, lit a fire under me to get to the bottom of what he had come to understand. I wanted to know the truth for my son, for myself, and for you.
Decades ago, Houle stated that the top 200 players in the world used his system. What was it that was common but so very special among the elite players? All the elite players visually geared their cue ball-object ball relationships. It made no difference whether the shot was a straight-in, a cut, a bank, a carom, or even a combination.
To understand the basics of visual gearing, set up an easy cut shot. Place your focus on the inside half of the cue ball. While doing so, peek at the innermost inside edge of the cue ball. As your vision picks up the inside edge, then peek around that edge to see a new edge, and even further to see more new edges. Notice that the outside edge of the object ball changes with each newly viewed inside edge. In short, that’s gearing 101.
According to Houle, a fraternity of pool players existed that was fully aware of how to really see and align to their shots. [The password for entering the fraternity was gearing.] Gearing knowledge was so potent that the players who knew about it kept it to themselves.
This secretive knowledge was passed around to a select few. You could liken it to a club, and an amateur player had zero chance of entering. Amateurs were considered the enemy! The fraternity of players who were 'in the know' about gearing and alignment understood that four specific, definable gearings made all shots.
In other words, they had in their possession four cue ball-object ball tick-to-tick combinations that served to unlock their shots. And not just to somewhere in the pocket, but to the center of the pocket.
What On Earth Does CTE Have to do with Stroke?
Stroke has come a long way since the mid-seventies. Once upon a time, there was not much of an explanation for the definition of stroke. That changed in the 1970s when stroke was described as “a beautiful throwing motion” consisting of three definable stops, currently referred to as set, pause, and finish. It’s this professional three-stop stroke structure that allows instructors to communicate to students the specific areas of their stroke that need attention.
Let’s look at the value for each component of stroke. The SET position is the most important of the three. Set is all about alignment, and if that is off then the shot is essentially missed from the get-go. The PAUSE position is the MVP of the three, as that is where amateurs really tally up the reason for most of their misses. Finally, FINISH is a structured follow-through.
To understand how CTE is a critical part of any stroke, it’s important to look at what is taught about the set position. Professionals do something entirely different for their center cue ball “set” alignments than what is taught as the global standard. Again, the stopped set position is the most important part of any stroke.
The goal for any conventional center cue ball alignment is to position the cue to be on the absolute center line of the cue ball. An alignment such as this is intended to divide the cue ball into perfectly equal halves. Professional players do not align to the center of the cue ball, splitting the cue ball into equal halves.
When a tip strikes the cue ball, it covers a patch of ticks that can be two to three millimeters wide. You must think of center cue ball as being wider than a single tick of 360. The center of the cue ball may cover as many as six or seven ticks. A cut shot using a conventional center cue ball alignment represents an intention to place the tip directly in the middle of the cue ball to divide it into
equal halves. The goal for traditional center cue ball alignments is to align directly between the two outer edges of the cue ball. Folks, that’s not what’s happening at the professional level.
The above right cut and left cut images show center cue ball alignments that do not split the cue ball into equal halves. The alignments are almost always to the last outside tick in the center cue ball patch. For almost all cut shots with center cue ball as the goal, a professional alignment yields unequal cue ball halves. This occurs because pros align to the center based on one of the cue ball edges. Professional players do not move straight in to align between the two cue ball edges. What they do is move toward one cue ball edge or the other for identifying the center. This professional approach results in half-ball alignments that are rarely equal.
Major Instructional Changes are on the Horizon
When Hal Houle stated that the top 200 players in the world used his system, he was referring to all open-level players as well. Houle learned that any player, given enough time at a table, would naturally evolve into gearing and subsequently half-ball alignments.
When any student enters the door to my JustCueIt facility I teach them what the pros are doing. Teaching students to move straight down to align between the two cue ball edges is not what’s happening at the pro level. All serious players should be taught to align to center based on one cue ball edge or the other. Hal Houle had it right when he stated that our game is being taught the wrong way.
Long live gearing and half-ball alignments! It’s what the pros are doing and that’s what I impart to my students. Gearing is at the core of it all. To ignore gearing is to teach our game the wrong way.
Stan Shuffett is the world’s foremost authority on Centerto-Edge Aiming. In 2011 and 2013, Stan produced two top-shelf CTE videos: “Stan Shuffett Presents PRO ONE and Basic Center-to-Edge” and “Stan Shuffett’s CTE PRO ONE: The Final Chapter”. In 2021, Stan authored “Center Pocket Music: Using CTE PRO ONE to Improve Your Pool Game”. Shuffett is a master instructor and has been with the PBIA since its beginning in 1992. He specializes in individual instruction at his private teaching facility in Greensburg, Kentucky. Stan’s website is www.justcueit.com.
Most players think improvement must look dramatic.
A fluid stroke. More power. Highlight-reel runouts.
But one of the biggest jumps you’ll ever make in pool can happen without changing your fundamentals at all.
It happens the moment you start making better decisions — decisions rooted in reality. You already know how this feels. You look at a shot and think, I can make that. And maybe you can… sometimes.
But the question that actually matters isn’t 'Can I make it?' It is, 'Can I make it often enough — under pressure — to justify choosing it?'
Most players answer the first question and ignore the second.
They fire at shots they’ve made before instead of shots they can repeat. They force a position instead of accepting the table. They play patterns they want instead of patterns the table is offering.
And when it goes wrong, they blame execution. But it wasn’t execution. It was the decision. Strong players don’t have access to magical shots. They simply stop asking their game to do things it hasn’t earned the right to do yet.
They don’t turn low-percentage shots into heroes. They turn high-percentage decisions into habits.
They choose routes that leave room instead of demanding perfection. They respect clusters instead of hoping they’ll open. They manage risk like someone who plans to be at the table a long time.
Nothing about their stroke changed overnight. What changed was their honesty. Honesty about what they can control. Honesty about what their game can deliver today. Honesty about when to attack — and when to wait. And suddenly… matches feel easier.
Not because the opponent got worse. But because fewer decisions are working against them.
You don’t need to shoot better to stop giving games away. You need to stop making choices that require your A+ game to survive.
That’s how players quietly jump a skill level. They stop trying to play like who they wish they were… and start winning with who they actually are.
That’s playing smart.
And smart wins far more matches than flashy ever will.
If you have followed my column for any time or have been in one of my classes, then you know that I firmly believe the most important part of a good pool game is a foundation of solid fundamental mechanics. But to become a high-level player, there are many other areas that must be considered.
I
recommend keeping a written journal of your practice sessions to help you get
One of the biggest obstacles players need to overcome on the road to improvement may have nothing to do with stroke mechanics, proper alignment, or shot execution. Oftentimes, our troubles stem from the decisions we make before we ever even get down on the shot. Making the correct choices can be the difference between winning and losing. And the correct choice is often the result of having the right information to begin with.
You’re in a close match, and you’re faced with a challenging shot. You see the shot, and you think to yourself, “I’ve made this shot before, so I can make it now”. And it’s possible that you can. However, what you may not be remembering is that you have also missed the same shot just as often. We practice maintaining positive thoughts during competition. And our brains naturally tend to recall pleasant memories before considering negative thoughts. That’s human nature. Add to that our ego and (over)confidence levels, and it’s easy to see how we might be making a decision based on incorrect information. We choose a more aggressive approach when being more conservative might be a better option.
So what can we do to make sure we are making the best choices when we are at the table? It’s not always easy, but the first step is recognizing our limitations. We would all like to perform at our highest level every
game, but the truth is, we can only play at that level sometimes. We all have our good and bad days, and our average performance lies somewhere between our best and worst days. Understanding this, it makes sense to base our selection on our average level, rather than at the extreme levels. This will increase the chances of success. I recommend keeping a written journal of your practice sessions to help you get the most accurate information for your shot selection. For example, if your practice session is f successfully made from the number attempted. When you face that shot in competition, you’ll know if it is a high percentage shot for you. That’s critical information when considering how to play the shot.
Good decision-making
can elevate your game even when your shot-making skills remain consistent.
Good decision-making can elevate your game even when your shot-making skills remain consistent. This is why an honest self-evaluation is so important. Play the game you have while continuing to work toward the game you want to have.
Until next time
Steve Jennings ACS/SPF/PBIA Master instructor
Playing pool since the age of 10, first learning on a table at home, and into pool rooms a few years later, I won several base championships while in the service. After my discharge, I continued to play recreationally, and in several regional tour events.
I started coaching and teaching game strategies in the 90s. I worked with several Master instructors reaching Master instructor status in 2015. Now Director of Training for the Southeastern Billiard Academy, and teaching classes as often as I can. I train/certify new instructors and look forward to help every player achieve their fullest potential.
George Ferris was a good player from Pa. He showed me some strategies when I was 14 years old. He said the great thing about 9-ball is you can play more than one shot and the more creative the player, the stronger he can play. He said guys get mad at him for getting lucky, but they don’t understand getting balls moving and giving yourself a chance to stay at the table.
All games have luck. That’s the fact Mack! But you can look a little deeper than many and get great outcomes that make many players go screaming down the street “he’s so lucky! Nine-ball is a lucky mans game!”
No sir, you are not good enough to appreciate percentages. Do players randomly get lucky? Yep! But make nine-ball “call pocket“ and you lose magnificent, creative shots and strategies. Few arrive at this peak level of play and simply brush off nine-ball as lucky.
Many would rather play games that reward for getting close to a pocket or blocking a pocket instead of making a difficult shot. Me too sometimes!
Here is a shot George set up and I was in awe. Changed how I thought about possibilities and percentages.
He says “I could make the one off the six or seven and maybe the six off the five. I might even get action on the nine.” He made the one, the six and got the nine moving. He says “Cliff was so hot, I just made the one on him though …hahaha!”
ENDLESS CREATIVE SHOTS IN 9-BALL
Cliff was one of these guys not smart enough to see his own luck but willing to openly criticize you for your rolls. Worst type of player. Tell those cats to go jump in a lake.
Creativity.
Knowledge is Power
Knowledge is power, in both the mind and the body. Knowledge of the body might be described as a developed skill honed through practice. In pool, there's a great deal of integration between mind and body knowledge.
Practicing a skill until it's second nature for your mind and body will significantly increase your confidence. The more you play, the more shots you'll begin to let go of and just shoot the ball, without conscious fault or calculation. This allows you to shoot with authority, knowing you'll make the ball and that your cue ball will go where you want it to. You felt this way before, absolutely sure you're going to make a shot.
Now we want you to transfer that feeling to every shot. Constant mental imaging within your game will further develop your tempo. If you can begin to shoot every shot with the same tempo and rhythm, projecting the same confidence and executing with the same sense of authority, knowing you'll make the ball and where the cue ball will go, more difficult shots will begin to find their way into the pocket. Little by little, more shots, more safeties, and more game situations will become second nature for you.
In pool, as in most athletic endeavors, beer is your
greatest enemy. Henry Ford might have never held acoustic, but he was on to something when he said whether you think you can or you can't, you're right.
If you're afraid of the shot in front of you, the situation, the score, your opponent, or people watching you, how can you possibly make a shot?
Why waste any energy thinking we can't do something? There's no upside. A friend once told us that she was concerned about her son playing football and cautioned him endlessly. Be careful, don't get hurt, protect yourself.
The coach found out and told her this was probably the worst thing she could have told him. Fear of getting
hurt could make her son overly cautious, hesitant in his actions, and more likely to injure himself.
You're not going to hurt yourself too badly playing pool, but you get the point. Fear-based play can have devastating results. Too much hesitation, too much caution, babying shots that need to be stroked with authority, this kind of fear causes errors that can be avoided.
Fear
If you're afraid of the shot in front of you, the situation, the score, your opponent, or people watching you, how can you possibly make a shot?
With fear, your light, our flight instincts kick in, which is precisely what you don't want to happen at the pool table. Extra adrenaline produces unneeded strength and reduces your sense of feel and timing. Replace Fear with confidence.
If you have faith in your ability and confidence in the outcome of each shot, you can't simultaneously fear the outcome. Confidence and fear can't coexist. Have confidence in your ability to get out of a tough situation. Have confidence that the crowd will appreciate your prowess at the table. Have faith that you can reverse a score that's not in your favor.
Once you have built a base of competence through practice and faith in your ability, you can move on to fine-tuning your confidence in self-image with effortless play and occasional self-analysis to make sure you're having fun!
Until We Meet Again, Happy Shootin'!
Rick "White Wolf" Prince.
I still remember this like it was yesterday. It was the first time Jeffrey De Luna met Skylar Woodward at Skinny Bob's in Round Rock, Texas, and it turned into Sky's first defeat to Jeff on American soil. Jeff was brand new to the United States at the time, staying with me in Tennessee and getting his first real taste of the US pool scene. Jeff’s first road trip started in Tennessee.
When Jeff first came over, he landed in New York to meet up with Geoff Conway and Nancy Z, the same people who backed legends like Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, before flying down to Knoxville to stay with me. That visit marked the starting line of a run that would see Jeff transition from a feared Philippine shotmaker to a true world stage contender, showcasing the same power and heart that would later carry him deep into major tournaments like the World Nine-ball Championship, the Asian Games, and the US Open.
Since those early days, Jeffrey “The Bull” De Luna has stacked up titles and big finishes around the globe, including the Manny Pacquiao International Nine-ball Open, the World Nine-ball Challenge, major doubles wins like the Manny Pacquiao International Open Doubles with Jeffrey Ignacio, and runs to the latter stages of the World Cup of Pool and the US Open. His explosive break, his fearless cue power, and his presence under the lights have made him one of the most recognizable Filipino forces in modern pool.
That night at Skinny Bob's was more than just another money match. It was Jeff's first US pro player backroom game, the beginning of a journey that would take a kid from Manila pool halls and put him in rooms and arenas all over the world, carrying the Philippine flag and earning the respect of fans and champions everywhere.
CURRENT RATINGS
CURRENT RATINGS
Today, we have a true experiment and a real custom cue to its core. SPM, along with cue and case maker Ronald Arnold, has presented me with the opportunity to review a concept to revolutionize cues for the tallest of them all. Speaking with cue maker Ronald, he told me this cue isn’t just a custom but a concept he wanted to prove. He wanted to make a longer cue with no extensions needed, perfect balance, and play well, while still being a beautiful piece of art.
The cue comes in at 69 inches in total because he himself is 6'7", so he started with what he knew would fit him best. The 31-inch shaft is made of Kiel wood (torrefied maple) with a low-rise taper. The tip is 13mm with a Kamikaze Platinum tip and a 1-inch ferrule. The butt of the cue is littered with amazing inlays, ringwork, veneer boxes, turquoise, silver, and a custom linen wrap. The wrap is actually three segments and four custom turquoise rings that they themselves have silver diamonds, and within those diamonds are even smaller maple diamonds.
Looking at the butt as a whole, you’ll notice the boxes wrap and sapele segmented maple. The cue is pinned in 3/8x10 modified. You’ll notice the black and blue dyed high-grade black ash burl. There are also silver inlays, and if you think this cue has a lot going on, you're right, there is.
The second goal inspiring this cue was to dial in his CNC machine program so he can make even more intricate and cleaner inlays. The core concept was met with flying colors, while the cue was on the heavier side due to its innate mass. It came in around 20-20.5oz, the butt ended at 1.25 in, and the joint at .84in. All these factors aside, it feels like absolute air in your hands; it's perfect in every way. It's not heavy; it's not back-heavy; it is perfect.
The inlays and CNC work did show some room for improvement which for him was kind of the point he needed a test run to get his systems dialed in and perfected so as a result this specific cue is never destined to hit the market but to recreate it and with his systems now perfected a cue of this magnitude would run a customer upwards of $3,500.
This cue had many things that were enjoyed, and some things I didn’t care for. What I enjoyed about the cue was its balance, intricacy, attention to detail, and the low-rise taper of 18in. I didn’t care for how big it was as a whole but it just wasn’t proportionate to me. I don’t care for the wrap, but it's just a linen vs leather again, just a preference.
The last thing I didn’t like was the 13mm tip and (and I use this term loosely) rough cut inlays… at the end of the day, I spoke with my concerns to Ronold, and he said not a problem, you tell me what specs u want, and I'll build you the best cue I can within the specs.
A big highlight for me was this being my first Kiel wood shaft, which was an absolute treat and made a believer out of me with them. Another highlight was that I absolutely found the smallest shooter I could and had
them try it; they claimed it was like wearing clown feet, and yes, it was a fun time to see as well. In short, if you are an individual looking for cues that will be tailored to you, not just in style but also in performance, balance, and length, then Ronald Arnold cues are a fantastic option.
