New-York tribune., 1913-11-23
Former Champion Tells
Why There Are So Few
Players Like Hoppe.
WRONG START CAN
NEVER BE OVERCOME
Wright Says Pacific Coast Nov.
ices Are Receiving Proper
Grounding in Game.

II is inability to attain muscular control
that prevents so many billiard player,
from surprising Willie Hoppe, George
Slosson, the late Jacob Schaefer end
Frank C'Napoleon'D Ives.
This is the theory of Chick" Wright
the former national amateur champion
who, when he had conquered all Of the
leaders of his class. became a profession
al. Wright is visiting friends in this
city, and yesterday eXpounded his the.
cries as to why there are not thousand
amateur players the equal Of Hoppe, In.
stead Of the painfully obvious void.
While men who have vainly struggled
to get a few consecutive counts from the
ivory spheres may disagree with Wright
still the Californian contends that the
game of billiards simply follows natural
laws which are absolute and which actu.
ally have to do with the handling Of
weights. 1t is the impact Of equal weight
Upon weight which determines the char.
acter and ultimate success of a billiard
shot.
The freedom and ease with which the
first weight-the cue ball-moves against
the second weight-the first object ball.
furnishes the key 10 the whole situation.
Wright declares that where the cue is
lightly held and swung through to the
finish Of a stroke it brings increased re-
ward in the way OF carroms far superior
70 that attained by the player who light
~ grips the willow wand, or whose tense
ness Of muscles must result in failure, IN
stead of the desired perfection.
In this country. Wright contends, the
average billiard player usually makes his
own beginning. and from wrong stand
point. Instead of a stroke in which the
polnt OF the cue follows on through the
spot where the ball originally lay on the
table. the novice hits the ball win mus
cles tense. so that II amounts more or
less TO the blow of a sledgehammer. he
believes that probably less than per
cent of all Of those who play the game
understand the control OF the cue oa!+
and il is this that causes billiards 10 oe
one of the most difficult games to master.
II is a simple proposition in physics.
The cue bail. hit straight against the hrs'
object ball, is simply a case OF welgm
disnlacing weight. the cue ball stopplng'
II desired. exactly on the spot the hrst
object ball was driven from. and the lat
ter travelling on according 10 the weigh'
OF the impact. II the cue Is snil'ed pei
cent of the straight line 10 the lett 10
making a stroke il responds with SINH
lar movement 70 the lett after hitting the
first object ball. This is what VIRGIN
terms proper balancing OF "eisH's AN-
the percentage OF resistance.
Instead Of studying and understaHo'ns
those things he claims that the no'''e'
from entire misconcepuon, plays ior Tie
edges of the first object ball, ana ~,
striking It a glancing blow loses a.
knowledge OF where the balls VIII Io"'
He points out that in the play oi tle
masters OF billiards the cue bail in'ai's.
h,v travels the least distance OF any o.
the three spheres.
"The chief trouble with billiards de'
clared Wright, is that the a'eIass
player attempts TO master the game WIZ
out any adequate knowledge OF "ha' ~
Is attempting. In many ways the az
Of carroms is a series Of problems IN en-
gineering. and one must az least uh1e'
stand the rudiments Of operation oeIoi.
any degree of proficiency can be hope'
for. i,
Because so few gain any degree o.
skill there is a general impression tha'
anybody who does well at billiards s
genius. | maintain that there Is "V
mystery about IT and that knowledge a"a
manual dexterity. backed by study sH1
practice, will develop many WHO -.
capable OF equalling the performances u
Hope, Schaefer or Ives.
This statement may appear Ia'N
heresy, but | believe that II is eapaU"
OF successful demonstration. In my esu
nation the time is at hand "neh e'e''
prominent club and roomkeeper VIII $50
to Il that class lessons are regulaiD
given by an expert. II Is just as l'A'
ulous for men TO attempt TO play oillia'''
without proper instruction as II "o.N
be to expect a child to understand '"'
three RS without going 10 school
II have noticed" continued Wrisn1
that as players begin 10 improve 'h.'
Invariably. although often unconsciousp
begin 10 show glimmers OF understaho'Hs
the theory OF muscular control ana
landing the cue ball directly on the oe"".
OF the first object ball. Sometimes
takes them two or three years 70 srriVs
at that stage OF their experience !e'
is my contention that these things shoN'
be taught first.
While | may be pardoned for taKins
natural pride in my own section Oh -.
country, II is my opinion that the "es'
is setting the East an example III ue,S
oping proficiency In billiards from -.
proper standpoint. Out on the raw"
Coast We are not only gratuitously lea'A
ing billiards. but we are providing
home for the game the surroundings oi
first class club. a..
Three OF the rooms on the rae"
Coast are far superior 10 anything 'h''
have seen in the East, or on my
across the continent. and this mas
ly surprised me, especially as New iO,-
ers demand refined surroundings ".
nearly everything that they 40 Nv"
business to pleasure. -
'Dr. Woods Hutchinson has presc',
billiards as a most healthful lo'"
mental relaxation and mild physi0a'
else, and am OF the opinion tna' WV. -
the roomkeepers of this city give So
heed to teaching their patrons the
It will then attain the popularity "~