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I am going on the road for a couple of months. My trip has taken me to New
England and then across the country to Wisconsin. I have two workshops in
Wisconsin scheduled for mid August. Check on my workshop schedule so
you can make plans to attend.
I will post my location from time to time so keep checking back. I was in New
England from July 1st to July 30th. There was a workshop in New London
on July 12th & 13th. If you are in the Wisconsin area and would like to spend
a special session with The Monk contact me at
monkbilliardacademy@yahoo.com.
Let's make plans to see your picture on this page soon.
The Monk in Knoxville.
I worked with James Hudson and real fine player in the Tennesee. We went
through all the strokes and shots and even handled Cue Ball Speed as he is
an advanced player. Huddy joined me in special training in The Masters of
Art in Pocket Billiards program and will work towards his masters degree.
Huddy is a real fine player. I enjoyed our time together in his home. Amanda
was a big help as well. She is his personal trainer.
Next stop in Atlanta. Then i am going to Washington DC and
then to Harrisburg. I may have a stop in Allentown PA. Hope to see you on
the road this summer.
It was a great ride to Atlanta. I took the scenic route, going through the
western mountains of Georgia. Working with Faith was a joy. She is like a
sponge, eager to learn. We worked a bonus round for a couple of hours on
the night I arrived and then all day the next day. We set some personal goals
for her and she joined The Masters of Art in Pocket Billiards so we can
continue our work and she will reach those goals. I asked her to send a
short bio of herself so you can meet the fine student I worked with in Atlanta.
My name is Faith R. Thompson, I am a Mother, Grandmother, a retired Soldier
and my most recently added title is an aspiring Master Pool Player. I started
playing pool again in 2005 after earning my Associates Degree in Electronic
Computer Technology in 2002 and my Bachelors Degree in Computer
Engineering Technology in 2004, both with a GPA of 3.9 out of 4.0 from
DeVry University. Graduating Summa Cum Laude was a personal goal
because I was told by a counselor to pick an easier career since the field I
choose was “Too hard for females especially more aged ones”. Now I am
looking for my next challenge. I consider it an Honor to learn from a Master
of a craft and I feel that way about pool. I want to learn how to play pool
instinctively. I came to win and master the game.
Faith,
I want to welcome you to the Masters program. You will be a fine master and
an inspiration to all of us with your diligence and persistent effort at your
training. Always remember our goals. We have a goal to WIN THE BCA
NATIONALS. I am excited about that Faith and I take it seriously. The Monk
in Chantilly, VA.
Alan Brown was waiting for me at the Bungalow Billiards hall when I finally
found my way. Map Quest gave me a street name that has been changed. In
any case me and Alen jumped right into the workshop. We worked on the
four strokes of pool and then discovered a slight flaw in his set up. I used the
Ultimate Billiards Coach to get him aligned properly and we worked on some
tricky alignment shots. Together we made a break through. Alan was a
pleasure to work with. He treated me to a prime rib at the end of the day. We
worked six straight hours.
He wants to become a fine pool player so he can enjoy the game to its
fullest. He will do that with hard work and dedication. He is a seven handicap
in golf so he knows how to train. I am looking for this fine gentleman in the
finals.
In Harrisburg, PA
Ron Arrington purchased my dvd's from Mueller catalog and then began a
quest to master all the material. He did very well and was a model student
during our six hour workshop. He did have some mecanical flaws and some
trouble with the 2-7-2 + 3. This session really helped him over the hump and
made the material so much more meaningful.
Ron hopes to put his entire game together and gain the respect from his
peers in Harrisburg PA. He will do just that as he is talented and understands
the value of training. He coaches bowling and and is active in other sports
as well.
There will come a time soon when we will welcome Ron into the family of
Monk Masters. He wants to complete the course and get certified as a Monk
Masters and begin a teaching career in his area.
His wife Michelle has been his biggest fan for the past nineteen years. She
knows how talented he is and suports all his efforts to improve.
If you would like to have The Monk work with you send along an email and
we will set it up. Let's get your picture here on this page. Look for The Monk
on his bike as he tours the United States.
The '08 New England Tour
Pot holes, construction, semi's and wind are no mix for a good ride on a
Gold Wing. I headed off the interstate and up through the Pocono's on route
202. This back road will take me to New York State and on up into the
Berkshires where I want to go. I won't make it today, as I intend to listen to
the 70's and see the old cold mining towns of PA. Once I was on the back
roads of Pennsylvania I settled in for a long ride. The music was good, I was
comfortable and the sun beat down on my skin. As any good rider knows,
sun screen is a survival tool and I was covered in the creamy stuff.
As each small town faded in the distance I noticed I was making great time.
At one stretch, I did not stop until I was about to run out of gas. All the
sounds, the breeze, the music, waving to farmers in the fields, fly fishermen
in the rivers and old ladies on the porch just seemed to pass the time away.
To my alarm I noticed my out of gas light and searched for a friendly gas
station. I passed a Citgo but could not go in there as they are owned by
some dictator in Venezuela. The risk was worth it as a Shell station loomed
in sight down the road. Here I got a starbuck cold coffee and was back on
the road.
It was not long before I burst through from PA into NY and headed up
towards the Mass Pike. Soon, I was at my brothers house and ready for a
nice cool shower.
The next weekend I headed down to Connecticut for my workshop. I had a
Grandfather, Son and Grand son in the class. (three in the pic) The Class
was great. They kept me hopping. The students ranged from seventy four to
seventeen. Each had their own personal set of problems and were
determined to have me solve them. I really enjoyed this group. They worked
hard all day long. A few of them accidentally ended up at the casino and
came rolling in the next day in no shape for a six hour class. I showed no
mercy as we went through the 2-7-2 cue ball speed until they got it.
Dan Rotino was the only one who could take money from me. He was the
last guy in the group to try the 2-7-2 where you hit the object ball and do not
knock off the quarter. I upped the ante as I figured there was no way he
could do it. Well, he went to the 2, then to the 7 then to the 2 and up against
the object ball which still had the quarter on it. So i had to give him five
dollars.
John and Linda Fargo hosted the event at Crown Billiards in New London
Connecticut. Linda was the star as the only female in the class. The next day,
John treated me to a suite at the Mohegan Sun resort. I had been staying in
my tent at Devils Hop Yard and he felt sorry for me. Actually, the camping
was the best part of my trip. I really enjoyed my stay at the camp ground. At
seven in the morning, with coffee in hand, you would find me sitting in the
brook at the bottom of Devils falls. What a great way to watch the sun come
up. I did that for three straight mornings.
Jacques Dupont came down from Otawa Canada for a private one on one
lesson on Monday. I really enjoyed my time with this first class gentleman.
He needed me. He is a great player but needed some work on discipline and
execution. We really made some great progress.
After the six hour session we had the match between master and student.
Jacques was able to prevail. He actually stole three games from me on his
way to a five to three victory. I played what I thought was a great safe and he
was able to get out of it with a spectacular shot and then run out.
Here is a letter Jacques wrote after he returned home to Canada.
Hi Tim,
Thank you so much for the extra time you took in teaching this 'ole player
how to play right. Yes I am now getting it at last.., thanks to you! This AM I
went down to practice on my table and was pleasantly surprised to realize
that balls were falling into pockets effortlessly.., I thought somebody else was
playing ! Yeah, I heard YOUR voice counting, 1-2-3, set, pause, finish, see the
shot, know the shot, shoot the shot!!! It works !! You weren't kidding when
you said that your workshop will forever change the way we play. I'm a
convert for sure. Tomorrow I head out to play my buddies.., I plan to
slaughter them, Heh, Heh. I'll let you know how I make out. I appreciate the
videotape of our playing together, it will be my treasured coach from now on.
Hope you had a good ride to your next teaching assignment, keep up the
good work and may all players benefit from your amazing teachings.
Your friend
Master Jacques Dupont
Ithaca, NY
My ride to Ithaca NY was filled with one challenge after another. I ran into a
thunder store with perfect timing. I was in an Italian Restaurant and noticed
rain outside. After I finished my meal I went to secure the bike and get my
rain gear. Then I stood in a hall way for about an hour. Finally, it was on the
road in the rain. My trip to this point has been great so I needed to “pay the
fiddler” and head out. Along the way the rains came down and the thunder
roared. I was in out on a country road with no place to hide so I continued
through squinted eyes. My luck ran out. I missed the sign that I should have
seen, “road closed” and went through a barrier at fifty plus miles per hour. I
knew I had to hang on as it was cold and rainy and I did not want to slide
across the road on my back. My vision was impaired with rain and wet
glasses. The fully loaded bike fish tailed across the road as I fought for
control. Twelve hundred pounds in a rain storm is not easy to harness.
Finally, I did get the bike right and was able to skid to a stop. My heart
pounding I looked around at my surroundings. Indeed the road was washed
out. I had stopped just feet from mud and deep puddles, a place where the
bike would have been lodged until help arrived. If I had gone off the edge I
believe I would have damaged the underside of the motor. The last time I did
that it cost me four thousand dollars. I sat there, wet, cold shivering and
marveled at my good luck. Now it was time to accept the luck and get off the
road. It was not easy to get the bike turned around. I had all my gear packed
and had to go carefully as to drop it meant another long delay. I drove out
the way I came in and stopped at the next motel.
On the next day the Weather Gods ask for forgiveness and sent the sun. I
finished my trip and set up camp in Trumansburg NY.
The sun began to dry off my stuff. My sleeping blanket was the biggest
casualty so I hung it up along with my towel and a few other things, set up
the oversized tent and had my home base organized.
Noni Vidal was the reason for this trip. She contacted me via email and set
up our training session at Cornell University. Noni is a three in the APA and
wants to over come a few things so she can perform better under pressure.
This was one of those great sessions where I was working with an extremely
talented player who was new to the game. She took to the material very well.
We did use the UBC stroke trainer to establish her stance and alignment.
She was a natural in the first place so there was not too much we needed to
do in that regard. Our time at Cornell was well spent and then finally we
drover to another location to work on a bar table. Here we worked on game
strategy and patterns. Once again, she showed remarkable ability for one
who has not played very much. Noni is a late bloomer to the world of pocket
billiards and I totally believe she can go as far as she desires. She knows
how to achieve as she has completed a tough graduate course at Cornell.
She knows how to finish and in pool that’s our biggest challenge, to take
our practice game to the tournament. She gave me a special tour of Ithaca
NY and then we had supper. Our workshop ended after about ten games at
her league bar. No one was there so we got a lot accomplished in this
session.
On my ride back to the campground I felt extremely nervous and on edge as I
threaded my way through the New York country side. The road was dark and
windy which reminded me of Sleepy Hollow. When I thought about it later, I
think I was in touch with the Indians who had inhabited this incredible place.
I think I was visited by their ghost as I rode alone on that road which over
looked Lake Cayuga.
I had planned to stay another day at the camp grounds and do some hiking. I
had already hiked up to the falls you see pictured here and wanted to take
another trail into the gorge, but the day threatened rain so I decided to head
south and see if I could ride out of the rain storm. Camping in the rain is not
what I call fun.
Not long after I was packed and ready to go, I ran into the rain. It was hard,
driving and relentless. I drove for almost two hundred miles and could go no
further. At one point I raced up a hill to pass a semi before the top and shot
out into a narrow passageway surrounded by tall ledges. I had hoped to
clear the truck at this point. This shoot acted like a southern breezeway with
the wind racing through the steady onslaught of rain. The turbulence from
the truck, the sweeping wind through the narrow ledges almost knocked me
off the bike. I began to feel paranoid and my imaginations ran wild. For
instance, I splashed through a deep puddle at sixty and thought my back tire
blew out. Now I am fish tailing down the high way. Because I really thought
my tire was blown, I had a hard time controlling the bike. Finally I pulled
down a ramp and ended up at a motel. The tire was fine. It was just me.
My next stop is in Plain City Ohio. I will head across RT 80 towards
Columbus and work with a fine gentleman who wants to beat every single
one of you.
Plain City, Ohio
America’s roads are the face of this great country and Pennsylvania should
be ashamed of their roads. All you get is potholes and porn shops. The
medium divider is just one big ugly block of cement separating oncoming
traffic which is two feet from you. It is noisy and confined. The PA road
system is markedly evil. There are sections where they boldly proclaim that
the fine will be doubled if you are caught speeding. Then they wait in a down
hill run just to extort the weary travelers.
I remember coming across Ohio one time and when we entered PA my
daughter said, “Dad, can we get off this road?” She felt the negative
elements of the Pennsylvania turnpike. I honored her request and went
north to New York.
Today was a fine ride after I left PA. When I finally reached West Virginia and
then Ohio I could feel my spirits lift and now I am seeing wide mowed
dividers with flowers and newly planted trees. It is time this country realized
that we need a complete over haul in our road systems. We can put a lot of
folks to work and dress ourselves up so we are once again the proud nation
we have always been. I think it would be nice if they did a special remake of
Route 66 and called the entire highway a national park like the Blue Ridge
Parkway.
I camped at a KOA for the first time. They robbed me blind. Wow do they
have their hand out. Every time I purchased something at the camp store
they asked to keep the change for some park clean up. I always say yes.
What a sucker I am. I also bought a membership so I can get ten per cent off
on my next camping. They charge forty dollars per night for a tent site and
the cost for my membership was twenty four dollars. I need to camp eight
times just to get even! What a fish I am. My sport was right in the middle of a
thousand campers all lit up with music. One group across from me featured
a group of old ladies in a big tent with air conditioning! They know how to
live. Gospel music blared out from beneath their big top and they giggled in a
southern accent all night long. What where they doing under that tent?
I did some site seeing and generally enjoyed myself. There was a big lake in
the area so I sat on its shores and enjoyed the perfect weather.
My work with Tom Walters was great. We went to Richard Whaley’s place the
8Ball Sports bar & Billiards in Columbia Ohio. Tom was a unique student in
that he had already mastered the strokes and cue ball speed. He needed to
be put in a place where he had to use the strokes and for most of the lesson I
set him up for that purpose. He was amazed by what he could do with the
follow stroke and how he could sue the snip draw to kill the cue ball. We
played many sets of eight ball so I could show him some moves that will help
him. He has a great stance, set up and alignment. He did have some
problems with proper connection to the shot so worked on that for a while.
All in all, we had a great time and solved some issues that had plagued him
as he continues to grow in this game.
Tom is building his own pool room at his place in Plain City and when he is
on the table more consistently we are going to see a guy really improve. Tom
wants to be a top player in his area. I am positively sure he will do just that
and then some.
I rode for about two hours after our workshop. The Ohio countryside on
those back roads is beautiful. The Amis farms, neatly trimmed homes, and
small towns, lull you as you roll through the wheat fields and the corn fields.
Right now the corn is eight feet tall.
The next day I rode into Indiana and saw a temperature sign that read 84
degrees. This is going to be a great day I told myself. About mid day, I shed
my long pants and my shirt and continued on in what I thought was hot
weather. It wasn’t long before I covered myself with sun screen lotion and
drank two big bottles of water. Then as I continued across the state I found
myself becoming confused and disorientated. In fact, dump trucks were
passing me. I could not concentrate on the road and had to use my
experience to intellectualize my way around the curves. In other words, I had
to say to myself, “this is a curve, I need to lean over and follow the road and
not drive into those chestnut trees.” This type of driving lasted for about one
more hour and then I finally turned into a big service station. The big neon
temperature sign read 99 degrees! No wonder I was confused. This is called
heat stroke. Fortunately there was a nice motel near by and it was not long
before I was in a cool shower.
The Mid West is a great place to ride a motorcycle. I spent a lot of time in
Indiana in the late 60’s. These country roads are exactly the same forty years
later. I really enjoyed my ride to Evansville, Indiana.
Evansville, Indiana
After a cooling off period in the motel I headed towards Evansville for my
appointment with Wayne Russell and his two pals.
These guys played little league fifty seven years ago and now they are
playing America’s greatest game pocket billiards. Wayne, Jerry and Don
have been friends for over sixty five years. During the friendly workout at
Don’s house they often bragged about each other. Jerry use to flip pizza’s
back in the fifties when they didn’t have air condition. Now he owns three
big Pizza restaurants in Evansville. Don’s work ethic is legendary around
Indiana. “I told him not to call me ever again when I worked for him.” Wayne
smiled. “They don’t know anything about ‘quitting time’” Don smiled as they
recounted stories of how Don build a multi million dollar business. Don is
also an author and gave me a copy of his book Successful Strategies For
Your Life by Don B Decker which I am going to read after losing all my
medication, my shaving stuff and riding in the rain for two hours because I
missed my motel exit and had to go to the next town.
We worked through the Four Strokes of Pool. Between shots they told
stories about each other. Wayne, as it was told by Jerry, studied in India, Viet
Nam, and other places far off. Jerry, as it was told by Don, invented the best
Pizza in the world. We did get to sample the Pizza for lunch. Each of us had
a small Pizza with was to much for me to eat but I ate it anyways.
It was a great session. The youngest was sixty seven years old. “We are the
oldest team in the league” Jerry said.
At the end of the session I decided to hold a tournament. Wayne knocked me
out with a nice safety and then Jerry finished off Wayne for the title of
Evansville 8 Ball Open Champ. We all agreed we would do it again next year.
I am looking forward to it. After reading Don’s book I will be more than ready.
With a small group like this you can make some great progress. Each of
them showed the ability to hit the strokes we need to develop a great game.
In a one day session we can’t take the time to master them, but they now
know what they need to do to become a better player. We did correct a few
stroke mechanic flaws that will not enable them to move further with their
game. There are three very unique guys. Friendships are priceless and what
Don, Jerry and Wayne have is very rare, a sixty plus year friendship that is
thriving in Evansville Indiana.
Now I am off to Chicago to take on Monk Master Dominic in eight ball, nine
ball and straight pool. I believe I will win all three. He does not feel that way.
Then we have a workshop on Saturday at a very exciting sports bar. More
later……………..
From Indiana to Chicago
was my toughest trip ever on a motorcycle. The heat was rough and then I
ran into a thunder storm that had me thinking of survival. I could see the dark
clouds up ahead and as I got closer they really took on new meaning with
scattered lightning bolts and soft rain. For some strange reason I decided to
do the right thing and duck for cover. I turned into a car wash and parked
myself inside a stall. Then all hell broke lose. Wind came up and the rain
came down. The rain slammed the parking lot and caused a flood that ran
into my stall. I took my money from the motorcycle and made plans to dash
towards a cluster of trees where there was a deep ditch. I was not going to
stay in the car wash if a tornado appeared out of the chaos. I even gathered
a few other personal items from the bike. This flimsy car wash was not going
to protect me in the high winds. The rain continued to pelt the tin roof, and
the winds howled across the lot. The thundered roared and the lightning
illuminated the dark and in one big gust, the hose attached to the wall came
lose and began to whip around and around as if to be a live tentacle seeking
a victim. I laughed out loud. This storm lasted for almost an hour and then
finally the calm settled in. I decided to search for a hotel and call it a day.
I drove north towards Chicago without any luck finding a motel. It was not
long before I came into Hammond Indiana and for over an hour I plodded
along in congested traffic as one light after the next stopped my progress.
Then I noticed I was in Chicago and things began to get worse. I was in
downtown South Chicago stuck in traffic. The cars were moving slowly as
we approached a police man directing us to turn in another direction. When I
reached the emergency I could see Fox News and the rest of the boys doing
interviews on the side walk. There were no celebrities in front of the cameras
and I found out later there had been a murder just hours before I got there.
In desperation I called Dominic and found out I was fifty miles off my goals.
He directed me to take 55 South just before Soldiers Field and head back out
of town. This was met with bumper to bumper traffic. It took me over an hour
to travel twenty miles to my exit and then to Dominic’s house.
Today I am heading to Best Buy to buy a GPS system for my bike. I did not
enjoy my trip through the south side of Chicago on a motorcycle.
The match with Dominic turned out to be a real dog fight. He has been
working hard on his game and took complete control of our straight pool
game beating me one hundred to seventy three. I was able to win the nine
ball race and the eight ball race so I suppose I could be called the winner. I
may give him another chance on Sunday.
As it turned out, I did not give Dominic another chance. He will have to wait
for the next trip through Chicago on my way back.
Three players booked the workshop in Chicago. Isaac Melendez, Jesse
Cabuyadao and Bill Downs got together to bring me in for a workshop. This
was a little easier as Monk Master Dominic Colenero was on hand to help out.
These three students also got a treat when the world famous Don “The
Preacher” Feeney walked in. He spent some time with us, always willing to
share his vast knowledge.
When Don and I were at the US Open Straight Pool Championships in New
York City in 1993 I presented him with a complimentary copy of my book
Point the Way. He held it up to the audience and said, “Thanks Monk. I have
a table at home with a leg that is shorter than the other and this book will fit
just fine”. Don had a small part in Color of Money. He still has the game. At
seventy eight years old he ran a hundred and thirty balls in straight pool.
Just this morning he ran seventy five balls at the age of eighty. Don is setting
up the MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN at the Villages in Florida. That is a match
between The Monk and The Preacher. I agreed to the match and may regret it
once this legend gets going. I was working hard on my game and he came
over to encourage me. “Tim” he said, “in ten years you will be a fine shooter.
Don’t get discouraged. You only have ten more years to go.”
Isaac Melendez took on The Monk in a race to three and racked three times.
Bill Downs sure does work hard on his game. He is a fine shooter and has
learned how to adapt to a wheel chair.
I am headed up to Twin Lakes Wisconsin for a little rest. There is a neat camp
ground there and I plan to spend three days. On my way to Michigan I am
working with three students in three different towns, should be fun.
Waukesha and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
It was nice to ride out of Chicago. As I headed up through the Wisconsin
country side, past the dairy farms I noticed the most beautiful sky I have ever
seen. The mackerel type clouds were white, fluffy and all set in rows of cloud
waves. It reminded me of my softball days. I can remember well how I would
see the ball coming through the sky, as if to float on its own as I raced back,
back back to haul it in. There is no other feeling so fine as to go back on a
ball and make the over the shoulder catch.
Sometimes when you travel these roads you get bored and begin to day
dream. I have been thinking of my age lately and that I am not getting any
younger. My stereo is tuned to the 70’s music, bringing back memories of
great times. These memories tease us as during those moments we had our
life in front of us and were always filled with optimism and hope. I’ve lived
from dream to dream and have always been ready to leap into a new venture
as soon as I was bored. That’s the way I traveled for these sixty years,
always reaching for things just out of reach. Now, with the hum of the
engine, music on satellite radio I began to think of my younger days. As I
came up over a rise that ran along a ridge I noticed an empty base ball field
down below in the valley. This was a crown jewel. The grass was mowed to
perfection, the sandy baseline raked and smooth. With youthful vigor I
slammed on the breaks and turn down the road that lead to this “field of
dreams”. When I pulled up to the gate my heart was thumping. Wow, a
baseball field!
If you ever want to recapture your younger days step up to the plate. There
was no one around. I slowly walked over to the plate and stood in awe.
Something came over me. I could see the faint images of ball players in their
positions on the field. Perhaps they were angles in the field taking a moment
to visit an old man. I stood at home plate and looked around. The stands
were filled with these faint images of fans. There was a loud command that
came over the loud speaker. “Play ball!”
I was ready. There is no such thing as age when you stand at home plate.
The ball was pitched. I noticed that the left fielder was playing close to the
line and the center fielder was cheating in up close in shallow center field.
There was a runner on first and we were down two to one. It was all up to
me. They were going to pitch me inside. That was why the left fielder was
guarding the line. There were two outs.
I slid back to the outside part of the plate and swung with everything I had at
the inside strike. I got all of it. I hit the sweet spot. It was a shot to left center
field. The left fielder would never catch this ball and the center fielder had
been playing to shallow. It was going to be over their heads. We were going
to be tied and if I could get to third, I would be a threat to score on any kind
of hit and win the game. I bolted out of home plate on a dead run. That had
always been my style. I could reach dead run in just two steps. I rounded
first in a tight turn and headed towards second. I rounded second with my
head down and my legs churning up the dirt. I was ready for the slide. It was
going to be close. The center field was the only one who could get the ball
and he had a rifle for an arm. My leg muscles burned. I had to make it. I had
to be safe. Just as I was about to go into my hard slide I noticed the third
base coach waving me on. I could score the winning run! I bolted towards
home. The announcer shrieked over the speaker “He’s around third headed
towards the plate”. I dug in with everything I had. As I neared home plate my
team mates were waving for me to get down. They were all waving frantically
for me to slide. There was no catcher at home plate. I had to score so I did
what they told me to do. I dove for the plate and slide across with a loud
crashing noise. SAFE! The umpire screamed.
My team mates picked me up and told me the ball I hit had cleared the center
field wall by ten feet. They were laughing. Just then, I noticed there was not
one single person anywhere. I was lying on the ground, all dirty, sweating
and no one was around. I really did run the bases and set a record for my
speed, but the rest was only in my mind. I don’t even know what town it was
where I won the game with a two run, two out two strike home run and a
brilliant slide into home plate.
I got up and looked around. No one was there and I was glad for that. After I
dusted myself off, I hopped on my bike and road away. You can be sure I will
do that again somewhere along the road in some small town. After all, when
you are down two to one you can always rely on Tim Miller to come
through.
My work with Brian Thomas was great. Brian is in the Masters of Art in
Pocket Billiards program and is turning in some great numbers. I knew this
six hour workshop would help him a lot. He would perhaps get over the top.
In fact, his purpose statement was “I want to master this game”. We worked
on that for a while as our purpose statement should be measurable and how
do you measure mastering this game. During the day we played a race to
five in nine ball for dinner and I really enjoyed dinner that day. We defined his
purpose statement and decided he needed to put up sixteen’s or better in
the Mid Term Exam. This we could measure. He wanted to cut down on
losses and win more games. That is ambitious seeing as he is the number
one player in his league. I do understand his desire for excellence however,
and worked very hard on his stance and mechanics.
In the end, Brian is slowing down, more deliberate, and staying level. He is
seeking that nice cue tip pop on the cue ball. He believes in his own skills
and knows he has the game to compete with anyone.
At the end of the day, we played our famous “beat The Monk race to five in
eight ball. I won the match but it was a real tough one. Brian was a lot to
handle. He signed up for the Waukesha workshop. http://www.
monkbilliardacademy.net/Waukeshaworkshop.html And I told him we could
have a rematch after the session.
I am going to end this road trip the third weekend of this month. After a short
time at home in Old Fort North Carolina I head to Aiken for the six week Monk
Special Training. I have two world class students attending. You can read
about it on http://www.themonkmastersuniversity.com/Templates/events_fp.
htm in fact, you can click on their names and read about them. You will be
surprised when you see who has signed up for this training.
When you are sixty two and decide to travel across country on a motorcycle
you need to be ready for some serious tests. After I left Chicago I did not feel
so well so I elected to stay in a Holiday Inn for two days to see if I could rest
and recover. Then I went to Salem to work with Brian. After that I traveled
over to Eagle, Wisconsin for a session with Todd Reeves which never
happened. When I woke up on the day of the workshop I was really in deep
pain. It was so severe I became confused and disoriented. The hospital was
only a block away so I rode my bike over there. That was an adventure. I
surmised I had picked up a virus in Chicago and now it was out of control.
My entire chest area was inflamed with pain.
While I was in New Zealand, I hiked hours with nerve damage to my hip and
leg. I can handle pain but not this morning. I was on the verge of passing out.
The hospital will get all my profits and perhaps I will get healthy. As it turned
out, they found a few other things going on with me that will need some
attention. I was there all day, with X-rays, blood work, and even a full cat
scan. They could not pin point the virus but we decided to treat it as a virus
and now I am on antibiotics and pain killers. The bill for the day was over
three thousand dollars.
Todd stopped by my hotel for a nice chat about the inner game. We will set
up a visit on my way back. He wanted me to sign a card for his friend who
had passed away. All the league players signed this card and it was an
honor to sign it myself. His friend, Bob Hoele gave him a copy of "The
Lesson" before he died and that is how Todd got to know me. We have
some great people in this game today and Mr. Reeves is one of them.
The antibiotics are hopefully working. I am going to go up north to work with
Scott Szydel today. To be honest, I am just going to gut it out and hope for
the best. My route takes me through down town Milwaukee. I am confused
and cannot see the signs very well. Today, I will go slow and concentrate.
The ride up north was nothing short of spectacular. While I did not feel well,
the mid central Wisconsin county side was awesome. I worked all day with
Scott Szydel. After a nice steak on the grill we had our classic match. He was
in stroke. Our work paid off as he performed brilliantly. In the first game, he
ran a great table only to scratch on the eight. I thought he was done and be
disappointed and not be able to recover. I broke dry and he ran a very tough
table. He took over and was able to beat me in eight ball and in nine ball. He
was flawless. I played a good safe but he got out of it and ran out. I broke
from the side of the rack so I would leave clusters and he still ran out. Of
course, I was proud of him but I did not go to Saukville to be a spectator.
Scott was a real pleasure to play. I did enjoy his performance. It always
makes a teacher proud to see his student do well and Scott did very well. He
knew my material well and often quoted me to help me over my troubles.
His lovely wife Leslie made me an incredible pizza. She took it out of the box
and cooked it to perfection.
After three days with my daughters I am now headed south to Watertown
Wisconsin to work with a hot shot called Amanda Saxby. Should be fun.
Watertown, Wisconsin
Amanda and Jim live out in the country. It was an adventure finding their
farm. Wow, can they shoot pool. Amanda is an over achiever with great
success in many fields, business law for one. She raises horses as well and
owns a dog grooming business in town. She also shoots pool and wants to
take her game to the top level. Her reason was to be a model for this great
game. She wants to bring some integrity to the sport by working hard and
showing others that being a good person first, makes you a good pool
player second.
We had a great workout. It is always nice to work with a top level player.
Amanda challenged me to a match when I first pulled up and with her entire
family present, she snapped the nine in off the break. Nice way to begin.
In our "official" match was able to prevail. She is great to play, a perfect
sport, never interfering always willing to give you a good turn at the table.
I played Phillip and was able to get past him. He is going to be a real fine
shooter when he matures. Right now he would be the top junior.
Then it was Jasmine's turn. She was able to beat me with a nice shot on the
nine ball. Wow, do the Saxbys know how to compete.
I am headed over to Gary Peterson's house to begin a ten day work out all
across the state of Wisconsin. I am looking forward to this. More later............
The trip to the hospital to retrieve my CAT scan and X-rays was sheer delight
weather wise. My side really hurt so each bump in the road reminded me that
the antibiotics were not working. I loaded up on Ibuprofen which made it
okay. The nurse at the hospital wanted to charge me a full doctor’s visit to
replace the pain pills I had used. I did not take her up on it and asked for
advice. She offered none. I told her she should give me advice for two
reasons. She stared at me waiting for my explanation.
”One, you are a woman and I am a man in pain. Two, you are a nurse who
knows things.”
She replied that she cannot offer medical advice because she works for the
hospital. Oh well. I will stay with the Ibuprofen.
My daughter cooked me up a formula of oils mixed together. These are oils
right out the bible. A company she is associated with offers them to their
customers. They leave a strong taste in your mouth but they really do work.
She gave me two bottles and I have to mix thirteen drops of one and three
drops of the other in these soft capsules. I will be taking one in a few
minutes. I heard a lot about this kind of therapy so I made arrangement to
buy a full kit. This comes in a variety of small oils designed for your well
being. I had trouble sleeping because of the pain in my side and she rubbed
some oil on my forehead and temples and I slept like a baby in the tent all
night long. So I am a believer. I will have a set of oils designed to create a
sense of alertness. These will be used to stimulate my ability to concentrate.
I rode into this dreamy little river town in Wisconsin to meet Gary for dinner. I
had never seen a picture of him so I did not know what to look for. However,
he turned out to look like I imagined he would look, perhaps a little younger
than I thought. The town is Argyle Wisconsin.
I am completely out in the farm country. This is a real nice part of Wisconsin.
From my bed room window I can see deer out in the field. The almost full
yellow moon lit up the back yard and I sensed that there were ‘things’ out
there. The pool table is right outside my door.
We will begin a ten day marathon of workshops and shows. Our first stop
was in Madison at the Brass Ring and look who I run into.
Jerry Briesath
He is the legendary instructor who really got us all going in this game.
I met Jerry in 1993 in New York.
He sat in on the presentation and then decided to drive up to Portage for my
second stop. Gary Peterson is a slave driver. We did two stops that night.
Several of the spectators signed up for my weekend workshop in Milwaukee.
I am glad because this is a fine opportunity for pool players to get quality
instructions at a very low price. I normally charge one thousand dollars for
two days and this is has a tuition price of just $150.00 for both days.
Over fifty players showed up in Portage at Sharp Shooters. This was a real
nice pool place. Tim, the owner really worked hard with Russ, "Pool King
Rock Star" Roundy to bring out the players.
The place was packed. In these presentations I do an overview of what you
need to do to become a complete pool player. This takes about an hour and
a half. I was happy that everyone seemed to pay attention. In fact, I told them
I should become a preacher. If I can keep fifty pool players attention for over
an hour, I should be good at long winded preaching. That got a laugh.
It was a great night. Today I will be working with Gary Peterson. He is
studying to become a Monk Master and will be a good one. Gary has a room
full of trophies and now has the desire to share his knowledge with others. I
am happy to welcome him into the family of Monk Master Teachers. We are
going to work together for six full days including a personal appearance
twice each night.
So my bike is parked under his porch. My theory is that I pulled a muscle in
my chest and do not have an infection. I believe riding the bike in this
excessive manner has caused a muscle tear in my left side. I also believe
that singing at the top of my lungs added to that damage. I ride along the
country side with my XM stereo blasting and I need to strain to hit those high
notes. So I am off the bike for eight days and I won’t be singing. Let’s see if
that works.
A late night last night. We drove over an hour to a small bar up in Central
Wisconsin called Dayton Hills. Kris Peterson, no relation to Gary, welcomed
us as she had a group of pool players who were interested in meeting The
Monk. This was a fun place. I presented the program to them and they
asked a lot of questions. Travelling to these small pool venues has been a
great experience for me. I meet the real brothers and sisters in this game. We
all share a love that bonds us together.
Then we drove to Biscotel, Wisconsin for our second stop which began at
eight thirty. This place had a full house.
Karrie promoted this stop and went all out. I put Gary on the spot and had
him shoot the shots as I talked about the program. Gary was almost perfect.
He is a top player in Wisconsin so everyone knew who he was. They were
good natured when he missed the same position shot three times in the
exact same place. We should have warmed up as each table is different. I
don¢t know how I let that happen. I usually warm up with the 2-7-2 series as
this gives me a good feel for the table. Being late for the stop may have had
something to do with it.
The Monk, Tim Hinz, his wifeTammy and Jerry Briesath
This group kept me out late with questions and general conversations. I
signed a lot of balls (cue balls) that night. When we finally rolled into Gary's
house it was well past mid night.
Gary Peterson is working towards his Monk Masters Teaching Certification.
Don't tell him but he is in line to pass all the tests. Gary is doing very well. In
fact, I ordered his degree and it will be here when he completes the program.
He also heads up the Pool Teams of America in Wisconsin. We introduce the
players to the new game called Performance Pool in each of our stops.
Now it is on to Madison for a two day workshop. This one sold out in ten
days after we announced the seminar. Thirty two students signed up so we
are in for an exciting day of learning this great game.
It is always nice to run in to old friends along the road. Jerry Briesath invited
us out to supper and welcomed me to Madison. He has long time been a
legendary teacher, perhaps the most famous of all. Jerry has help many
players over the years and still teaches today.
All of our talks about the road we decided to jump in this car and tour the
states. Problem was, there were no keys in it so we decided it was not such
a grand idea anyways.
www.poolteamsofamerica.com
www.monkbilliardacademy.net -back to the home page
www.themonkmastersuniversity.com
England and then across the country to Wisconsin. I have two workshops in
Wisconsin scheduled for mid August. Check on my workshop schedule so
you can make plans to attend.
I will post my location from time to time so keep checking back. I was in New
England from July 1st to July 30th. There was a workshop in New London
on July 12th & 13th. If you are in the Wisconsin area and would like to spend
a special session with The Monk contact me at
monkbilliardacademy@yahoo.com.
Let's make plans to see your picture on this page soon.
The Monk in Knoxville.
I worked with James Hudson and real fine player in the Tennesee. We went
through all the strokes and shots and even handled Cue Ball Speed as he is
an advanced player. Huddy joined me in special training in The Masters of
Art in Pocket Billiards program and will work towards his masters degree.
Huddy is a real fine player. I enjoyed our time together in his home. Amanda
was a big help as well. She is his personal trainer.
Next stop in Atlanta. Then i am going to Washington DC and
then to Harrisburg. I may have a stop in Allentown PA. Hope to see you on
the road this summer.
It was a great ride to Atlanta. I took the scenic route, going through the
western mountains of Georgia. Working with Faith was a joy. She is like a
sponge, eager to learn. We worked a bonus round for a couple of hours on
the night I arrived and then all day the next day. We set some personal goals
for her and she joined The Masters of Art in Pocket Billiards so we can
continue our work and she will reach those goals. I asked her to send a
short bio of herself so you can meet the fine student I worked with in Atlanta.
My name is Faith R. Thompson, I am a Mother, Grandmother, a retired Soldier
and my most recently added title is an aspiring Master Pool Player. I started
playing pool again in 2005 after earning my Associates Degree in Electronic
Computer Technology in 2002 and my Bachelors Degree in Computer
Engineering Technology in 2004, both with a GPA of 3.9 out of 4.0 from
DeVry University. Graduating Summa Cum Laude was a personal goal
because I was told by a counselor to pick an easier career since the field I
choose was “Too hard for females especially more aged ones”. Now I am
looking for my next challenge. I consider it an Honor to learn from a Master
of a craft and I feel that way about pool. I want to learn how to play pool
instinctively. I came to win and master the game.
Faith,
I want to welcome you to the Masters program. You will be a fine master and
an inspiration to all of us with your diligence and persistent effort at your
training. Always remember our goals. We have a goal to WIN THE BCA
NATIONALS. I am excited about that Faith and I take it seriously. The Monk
in Chantilly, VA.
Alan Brown was waiting for me at the Bungalow Billiards hall when I finally
found my way. Map Quest gave me a street name that has been changed. In
any case me and Alen jumped right into the workshop. We worked on the
four strokes of pool and then discovered a slight flaw in his set up. I used the
Ultimate Billiards Coach to get him aligned properly and we worked on some
tricky alignment shots. Together we made a break through. Alan was a
pleasure to work with. He treated me to a prime rib at the end of the day. We
worked six straight hours.
He wants to become a fine pool player so he can enjoy the game to its
fullest. He will do that with hard work and dedication. He is a seven handicap
in golf so he knows how to train. I am looking for this fine gentleman in the
finals.
In Harrisburg, PA
Ron Arrington purchased my dvd's from Mueller catalog and then began a
quest to master all the material. He did very well and was a model student
during our six hour workshop. He did have some mecanical flaws and some
trouble with the 2-7-2 + 3. This session really helped him over the hump and
made the material so much more meaningful.
Ron hopes to put his entire game together and gain the respect from his
peers in Harrisburg PA. He will do just that as he is talented and understands
the value of training. He coaches bowling and and is active in other sports
as well.
There will come a time soon when we will welcome Ron into the family of
Monk Masters. He wants to complete the course and get certified as a Monk
Masters and begin a teaching career in his area.
His wife Michelle has been his biggest fan for the past nineteen years. She
knows how talented he is and suports all his efforts to improve.
If you would like to have The Monk work with you send along an email and
we will set it up. Let's get your picture here on this page. Look for The Monk
on his bike as he tours the United States.
The '08 New England Tour
Pot holes, construction, semi's and wind are no mix for a good ride on a
Gold Wing. I headed off the interstate and up through the Pocono's on route
202. This back road will take me to New York State and on up into the
Berkshires where I want to go. I won't make it today, as I intend to listen to
the 70's and see the old cold mining towns of PA. Once I was on the back
roads of Pennsylvania I settled in for a long ride. The music was good, I was
comfortable and the sun beat down on my skin. As any good rider knows,
sun screen is a survival tool and I was covered in the creamy stuff.
As each small town faded in the distance I noticed I was making great time.
At one stretch, I did not stop until I was about to run out of gas. All the
sounds, the breeze, the music, waving to farmers in the fields, fly fishermen
in the rivers and old ladies on the porch just seemed to pass the time away.
To my alarm I noticed my out of gas light and searched for a friendly gas
station. I passed a Citgo but could not go in there as they are owned by
some dictator in Venezuela. The risk was worth it as a Shell station loomed
in sight down the road. Here I got a starbuck cold coffee and was back on
the road.
It was not long before I burst through from PA into NY and headed up
towards the Mass Pike. Soon, I was at my brothers house and ready for a
nice cool shower.
The next weekend I headed down to Connecticut for my workshop. I had a
Grandfather, Son and Grand son in the class. (three in the pic) The Class
was great. They kept me hopping. The students ranged from seventy four to
seventeen. Each had their own personal set of problems and were
determined to have me solve them. I really enjoyed this group. They worked
hard all day long. A few of them accidentally ended up at the casino and
came rolling in the next day in no shape for a six hour class. I showed no
mercy as we went through the 2-7-2 cue ball speed until they got it.
Dan Rotino was the only one who could take money from me. He was the
last guy in the group to try the 2-7-2 where you hit the object ball and do not
knock off the quarter. I upped the ante as I figured there was no way he
could do it. Well, he went to the 2, then to the 7 then to the 2 and up against
the object ball which still had the quarter on it. So i had to give him five
dollars.
John and Linda Fargo hosted the event at Crown Billiards in New London
Connecticut. Linda was the star as the only female in the class. The next day,
John treated me to a suite at the Mohegan Sun resort. I had been staying in
my tent at Devils Hop Yard and he felt sorry for me. Actually, the camping
was the best part of my trip. I really enjoyed my stay at the camp ground. At
seven in the morning, with coffee in hand, you would find me sitting in the
brook at the bottom of Devils falls. What a great way to watch the sun come
up. I did that for three straight mornings.
Jacques Dupont came down from Otawa Canada for a private one on one
lesson on Monday. I really enjoyed my time with this first class gentleman.
He needed me. He is a great player but needed some work on discipline and
execution. We really made some great progress.
After the six hour session we had the match between master and student.
Jacques was able to prevail. He actually stole three games from me on his
way to a five to three victory. I played what I thought was a great safe and he
was able to get out of it with a spectacular shot and then run out.
Here is a letter Jacques wrote after he returned home to Canada.
Hi Tim,
Thank you so much for the extra time you took in teaching this 'ole player
how to play right. Yes I am now getting it at last.., thanks to you! This AM I
went down to practice on my table and was pleasantly surprised to realize
that balls were falling into pockets effortlessly.., I thought somebody else was
playing ! Yeah, I heard YOUR voice counting, 1-2-3, set, pause, finish, see the
shot, know the shot, shoot the shot!!! It works !! You weren't kidding when
you said that your workshop will forever change the way we play. I'm a
convert for sure. Tomorrow I head out to play my buddies.., I plan to
slaughter them, Heh, Heh. I'll let you know how I make out. I appreciate the
videotape of our playing together, it will be my treasured coach from now on.
Hope you had a good ride to your next teaching assignment, keep up the
good work and may all players benefit from your amazing teachings.
Your friend
Master Jacques Dupont
Ithaca, NY
My ride to Ithaca NY was filled with one challenge after another. I ran into a
thunder store with perfect timing. I was in an Italian Restaurant and noticed
rain outside. After I finished my meal I went to secure the bike and get my
rain gear. Then I stood in a hall way for about an hour. Finally, it was on the
road in the rain. My trip to this point has been great so I needed to “pay the
fiddler” and head out. Along the way the rains came down and the thunder
roared. I was in out on a country road with no place to hide so I continued
through squinted eyes. My luck ran out. I missed the sign that I should have
seen, “road closed” and went through a barrier at fifty plus miles per hour. I
knew I had to hang on as it was cold and rainy and I did not want to slide
across the road on my back. My vision was impaired with rain and wet
glasses. The fully loaded bike fish tailed across the road as I fought for
control. Twelve hundred pounds in a rain storm is not easy to harness.
Finally, I did get the bike right and was able to skid to a stop. My heart
pounding I looked around at my surroundings. Indeed the road was washed
out. I had stopped just feet from mud and deep puddles, a place where the
bike would have been lodged until help arrived. If I had gone off the edge I
believe I would have damaged the underside of the motor. The last time I did
that it cost me four thousand dollars. I sat there, wet, cold shivering and
marveled at my good luck. Now it was time to accept the luck and get off the
road. It was not easy to get the bike turned around. I had all my gear packed
and had to go carefully as to drop it meant another long delay. I drove out
the way I came in and stopped at the next motel.
On the next day the Weather Gods ask for forgiveness and sent the sun. I
finished my trip and set up camp in Trumansburg NY.
The sun began to dry off my stuff. My sleeping blanket was the biggest
casualty so I hung it up along with my towel and a few other things, set up
the oversized tent and had my home base organized.
Noni Vidal was the reason for this trip. She contacted me via email and set
up our training session at Cornell University. Noni is a three in the APA and
wants to over come a few things so she can perform better under pressure.
This was one of those great sessions where I was working with an extremely
talented player who was new to the game. She took to the material very well.
We did use the UBC stroke trainer to establish her stance and alignment.
She was a natural in the first place so there was not too much we needed to
do in that regard. Our time at Cornell was well spent and then finally we
drover to another location to work on a bar table. Here we worked on game
strategy and patterns. Once again, she showed remarkable ability for one
who has not played very much. Noni is a late bloomer to the world of pocket
billiards and I totally believe she can go as far as she desires. She knows
how to achieve as she has completed a tough graduate course at Cornell.
She knows how to finish and in pool that’s our biggest challenge, to take
our practice game to the tournament. She gave me a special tour of Ithaca
NY and then we had supper. Our workshop ended after about ten games at
her league bar. No one was there so we got a lot accomplished in this
session.
On my ride back to the campground I felt extremely nervous and on edge as I
threaded my way through the New York country side. The road was dark and
windy which reminded me of Sleepy Hollow. When I thought about it later, I
think I was in touch with the Indians who had inhabited this incredible place.
I think I was visited by their ghost as I rode alone on that road which over
looked Lake Cayuga.
I had planned to stay another day at the camp grounds and do some hiking. I
had already hiked up to the falls you see pictured here and wanted to take
another trail into the gorge, but the day threatened rain so I decided to head
south and see if I could ride out of the rain storm. Camping in the rain is not
what I call fun.
Not long after I was packed and ready to go, I ran into the rain. It was hard,
driving and relentless. I drove for almost two hundred miles and could go no
further. At one point I raced up a hill to pass a semi before the top and shot
out into a narrow passageway surrounded by tall ledges. I had hoped to
clear the truck at this point. This shoot acted like a southern breezeway with
the wind racing through the steady onslaught of rain. The turbulence from
the truck, the sweeping wind through the narrow ledges almost knocked me
off the bike. I began to feel paranoid and my imaginations ran wild. For
instance, I splashed through a deep puddle at sixty and thought my back tire
blew out. Now I am fish tailing down the high way. Because I really thought
my tire was blown, I had a hard time controlling the bike. Finally I pulled
down a ramp and ended up at a motel. The tire was fine. It was just me.
My next stop is in Plain City Ohio. I will head across RT 80 towards
Columbus and work with a fine gentleman who wants to beat every single
one of you.
Plain City, Ohio
America’s roads are the face of this great country and Pennsylvania should
be ashamed of their roads. All you get is potholes and porn shops. The
medium divider is just one big ugly block of cement separating oncoming
traffic which is two feet from you. It is noisy and confined. The PA road
system is markedly evil. There are sections where they boldly proclaim that
the fine will be doubled if you are caught speeding. Then they wait in a down
hill run just to extort the weary travelers.
I remember coming across Ohio one time and when we entered PA my
daughter said, “Dad, can we get off this road?” She felt the negative
elements of the Pennsylvania turnpike. I honored her request and went
north to New York.
Today was a fine ride after I left PA. When I finally reached West Virginia and
then Ohio I could feel my spirits lift and now I am seeing wide mowed
dividers with flowers and newly planted trees. It is time this country realized
that we need a complete over haul in our road systems. We can put a lot of
folks to work and dress ourselves up so we are once again the proud nation
we have always been. I think it would be nice if they did a special remake of
Route 66 and called the entire highway a national park like the Blue Ridge
Parkway.
I camped at a KOA for the first time. They robbed me blind. Wow do they
have their hand out. Every time I purchased something at the camp store
they asked to keep the change for some park clean up. I always say yes.
What a sucker I am. I also bought a membership so I can get ten per cent off
on my next camping. They charge forty dollars per night for a tent site and
the cost for my membership was twenty four dollars. I need to camp eight
times just to get even! What a fish I am. My sport was right in the middle of a
thousand campers all lit up with music. One group across from me featured
a group of old ladies in a big tent with air conditioning! They know how to
live. Gospel music blared out from beneath their big top and they giggled in a
southern accent all night long. What where they doing under that tent?
I did some site seeing and generally enjoyed myself. There was a big lake in
the area so I sat on its shores and enjoyed the perfect weather.
My work with Tom Walters was great. We went to Richard Whaley’s place the
8Ball Sports bar & Billiards in Columbia Ohio. Tom was a unique student in
that he had already mastered the strokes and cue ball speed. He needed to
be put in a place where he had to use the strokes and for most of the lesson I
set him up for that purpose. He was amazed by what he could do with the
follow stroke and how he could sue the snip draw to kill the cue ball. We
played many sets of eight ball so I could show him some moves that will help
him. He has a great stance, set up and alignment. He did have some
problems with proper connection to the shot so worked on that for a while.
All in all, we had a great time and solved some issues that had plagued him
as he continues to grow in this game.
Tom is building his own pool room at his place in Plain City and when he is
on the table more consistently we are going to see a guy really improve. Tom
wants to be a top player in his area. I am positively sure he will do just that
and then some.
I rode for about two hours after our workshop. The Ohio countryside on
those back roads is beautiful. The Amis farms, neatly trimmed homes, and
small towns, lull you as you roll through the wheat fields and the corn fields.
Right now the corn is eight feet tall.
The next day I rode into Indiana and saw a temperature sign that read 84
degrees. This is going to be a great day I told myself. About mid day, I shed
my long pants and my shirt and continued on in what I thought was hot
weather. It wasn’t long before I covered myself with sun screen lotion and
drank two big bottles of water. Then as I continued across the state I found
myself becoming confused and disorientated. In fact, dump trucks were
passing me. I could not concentrate on the road and had to use my
experience to intellectualize my way around the curves. In other words, I had
to say to myself, “this is a curve, I need to lean over and follow the road and
not drive into those chestnut trees.” This type of driving lasted for about one
more hour and then I finally turned into a big service station. The big neon
temperature sign read 99 degrees! No wonder I was confused. This is called
heat stroke. Fortunately there was a nice motel near by and it was not long
before I was in a cool shower.
The Mid West is a great place to ride a motorcycle. I spent a lot of time in
Indiana in the late 60’s. These country roads are exactly the same forty years
later. I really enjoyed my ride to Evansville, Indiana.
Evansville, Indiana
After a cooling off period in the motel I headed towards Evansville for my
appointment with Wayne Russell and his two pals.
These guys played little league fifty seven years ago and now they are
playing America’s greatest game pocket billiards. Wayne, Jerry and Don
have been friends for over sixty five years. During the friendly workout at
Don’s house they often bragged about each other. Jerry use to flip pizza’s
back in the fifties when they didn’t have air condition. Now he owns three
big Pizza restaurants in Evansville. Don’s work ethic is legendary around
Indiana. “I told him not to call me ever again when I worked for him.” Wayne
smiled. “They don’t know anything about ‘quitting time’” Don smiled as they
recounted stories of how Don build a multi million dollar business. Don is
also an author and gave me a copy of his book Successful Strategies For
Your Life by Don B Decker which I am going to read after losing all my
medication, my shaving stuff and riding in the rain for two hours because I
missed my motel exit and had to go to the next town.
We worked through the Four Strokes of Pool. Between shots they told
stories about each other. Wayne, as it was told by Jerry, studied in India, Viet
Nam, and other places far off. Jerry, as it was told by Don, invented the best
Pizza in the world. We did get to sample the Pizza for lunch. Each of us had
a small Pizza with was to much for me to eat but I ate it anyways.
It was a great session. The youngest was sixty seven years old. “We are the
oldest team in the league” Jerry said.
At the end of the session I decided to hold a tournament. Wayne knocked me
out with a nice safety and then Jerry finished off Wayne for the title of
Evansville 8 Ball Open Champ. We all agreed we would do it again next year.
I am looking forward to it. After reading Don’s book I will be more than ready.
With a small group like this you can make some great progress. Each of
them showed the ability to hit the strokes we need to develop a great game.
In a one day session we can’t take the time to master them, but they now
know what they need to do to become a better player. We did correct a few
stroke mechanic flaws that will not enable them to move further with their
game. There are three very unique guys. Friendships are priceless and what
Don, Jerry and Wayne have is very rare, a sixty plus year friendship that is
thriving in Evansville Indiana.
Now I am off to Chicago to take on Monk Master Dominic in eight ball, nine
ball and straight pool. I believe I will win all three. He does not feel that way.
Then we have a workshop on Saturday at a very exciting sports bar. More
later……………..
From Indiana to Chicago
was my toughest trip ever on a motorcycle. The heat was rough and then I
ran into a thunder storm that had me thinking of survival. I could see the dark
clouds up ahead and as I got closer they really took on new meaning with
scattered lightning bolts and soft rain. For some strange reason I decided to
do the right thing and duck for cover. I turned into a car wash and parked
myself inside a stall. Then all hell broke lose. Wind came up and the rain
came down. The rain slammed the parking lot and caused a flood that ran
into my stall. I took my money from the motorcycle and made plans to dash
towards a cluster of trees where there was a deep ditch. I was not going to
stay in the car wash if a tornado appeared out of the chaos. I even gathered
a few other personal items from the bike. This flimsy car wash was not going
to protect me in the high winds. The rain continued to pelt the tin roof, and
the winds howled across the lot. The thundered roared and the lightning
illuminated the dark and in one big gust, the hose attached to the wall came
lose and began to whip around and around as if to be a live tentacle seeking
a victim. I laughed out loud. This storm lasted for almost an hour and then
finally the calm settled in. I decided to search for a hotel and call it a day.
I drove north towards Chicago without any luck finding a motel. It was not
long before I came into Hammond Indiana and for over an hour I plodded
along in congested traffic as one light after the next stopped my progress.
Then I noticed I was in Chicago and things began to get worse. I was in
downtown South Chicago stuck in traffic. The cars were moving slowly as
we approached a police man directing us to turn in another direction. When I
reached the emergency I could see Fox News and the rest of the boys doing
interviews on the side walk. There were no celebrities in front of the cameras
and I found out later there had been a murder just hours before I got there.
In desperation I called Dominic and found out I was fifty miles off my goals.
He directed me to take 55 South just before Soldiers Field and head back out
of town. This was met with bumper to bumper traffic. It took me over an hour
to travel twenty miles to my exit and then to Dominic’s house.
Today I am heading to Best Buy to buy a GPS system for my bike. I did not
enjoy my trip through the south side of Chicago on a motorcycle.
The match with Dominic turned out to be a real dog fight. He has been
working hard on his game and took complete control of our straight pool
game beating me one hundred to seventy three. I was able to win the nine
ball race and the eight ball race so I suppose I could be called the winner. I
may give him another chance on Sunday.
As it turned out, I did not give Dominic another chance. He will have to wait
for the next trip through Chicago on my way back.
Three players booked the workshop in Chicago. Isaac Melendez, Jesse
Cabuyadao and Bill Downs got together to bring me in for a workshop. This
was a little easier as Monk Master Dominic Colenero was on hand to help out.
These three students also got a treat when the world famous Don “The
Preacher” Feeney walked in. He spent some time with us, always willing to
share his vast knowledge.
When Don and I were at the US Open Straight Pool Championships in New
York City in 1993 I presented him with a complimentary copy of my book
Point the Way. He held it up to the audience and said, “Thanks Monk. I have
a table at home with a leg that is shorter than the other and this book will fit
just fine”. Don had a small part in Color of Money. He still has the game. At
seventy eight years old he ran a hundred and thirty balls in straight pool.
Just this morning he ran seventy five balls at the age of eighty. Don is setting
up the MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN at the Villages in Florida. That is a match
between The Monk and The Preacher. I agreed to the match and may regret it
once this legend gets going. I was working hard on my game and he came
over to encourage me. “Tim” he said, “in ten years you will be a fine shooter.
Don’t get discouraged. You only have ten more years to go.”
Isaac Melendez took on The Monk in a race to three and racked three times.
Bill Downs sure does work hard on his game. He is a fine shooter and has
learned how to adapt to a wheel chair.
I am headed up to Twin Lakes Wisconsin for a little rest. There is a neat camp
ground there and I plan to spend three days. On my way to Michigan I am
working with three students in three different towns, should be fun.
Waukesha and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
It was nice to ride out of Chicago. As I headed up through the Wisconsin
country side, past the dairy farms I noticed the most beautiful sky I have ever
seen. The mackerel type clouds were white, fluffy and all set in rows of cloud
waves. It reminded me of my softball days. I can remember well how I would
see the ball coming through the sky, as if to float on its own as I raced back,
back back to haul it in. There is no other feeling so fine as to go back on a
ball and make the over the shoulder catch.
Sometimes when you travel these roads you get bored and begin to day
dream. I have been thinking of my age lately and that I am not getting any
younger. My stereo is tuned to the 70’s music, bringing back memories of
great times. These memories tease us as during those moments we had our
life in front of us and were always filled with optimism and hope. I’ve lived
from dream to dream and have always been ready to leap into a new venture
as soon as I was bored. That’s the way I traveled for these sixty years,
always reaching for things just out of reach. Now, with the hum of the
engine, music on satellite radio I began to think of my younger days. As I
came up over a rise that ran along a ridge I noticed an empty base ball field
down below in the valley. This was a crown jewel. The grass was mowed to
perfection, the sandy baseline raked and smooth. With youthful vigor I
slammed on the breaks and turn down the road that lead to this “field of
dreams”. When I pulled up to the gate my heart was thumping. Wow, a
baseball field!
If you ever want to recapture your younger days step up to the plate. There
was no one around. I slowly walked over to the plate and stood in awe.
Something came over me. I could see the faint images of ball players in their
positions on the field. Perhaps they were angles in the field taking a moment
to visit an old man. I stood at home plate and looked around. The stands
were filled with these faint images of fans. There was a loud command that
came over the loud speaker. “Play ball!”
I was ready. There is no such thing as age when you stand at home plate.
The ball was pitched. I noticed that the left fielder was playing close to the
line and the center fielder was cheating in up close in shallow center field.
There was a runner on first and we were down two to one. It was all up to
me. They were going to pitch me inside. That was why the left fielder was
guarding the line. There were two outs.
I slid back to the outside part of the plate and swung with everything I had at
the inside strike. I got all of it. I hit the sweet spot. It was a shot to left center
field. The left fielder would never catch this ball and the center fielder had
been playing to shallow. It was going to be over their heads. We were going
to be tied and if I could get to third, I would be a threat to score on any kind
of hit and win the game. I bolted out of home plate on a dead run. That had
always been my style. I could reach dead run in just two steps. I rounded
first in a tight turn and headed towards second. I rounded second with my
head down and my legs churning up the dirt. I was ready for the slide. It was
going to be close. The center field was the only one who could get the ball
and he had a rifle for an arm. My leg muscles burned. I had to make it. I had
to be safe. Just as I was about to go into my hard slide I noticed the third
base coach waving me on. I could score the winning run! I bolted towards
home. The announcer shrieked over the speaker “He’s around third headed
towards the plate”. I dug in with everything I had. As I neared home plate my
team mates were waving for me to get down. They were all waving frantically
for me to slide. There was no catcher at home plate. I had to score so I did
what they told me to do. I dove for the plate and slide across with a loud
crashing noise. SAFE! The umpire screamed.
My team mates picked me up and told me the ball I hit had cleared the center
field wall by ten feet. They were laughing. Just then, I noticed there was not
one single person anywhere. I was lying on the ground, all dirty, sweating
and no one was around. I really did run the bases and set a record for my
speed, but the rest was only in my mind. I don’t even know what town it was
where I won the game with a two run, two out two strike home run and a
brilliant slide into home plate.
I got up and looked around. No one was there and I was glad for that. After I
dusted myself off, I hopped on my bike and road away. You can be sure I will
do that again somewhere along the road in some small town. After all, when
you are down two to one you can always rely on Tim Miller to come
through.
My work with Brian Thomas was great. Brian is in the Masters of Art in
Pocket Billiards program and is turning in some great numbers. I knew this
six hour workshop would help him a lot. He would perhaps get over the top.
In fact, his purpose statement was “I want to master this game”. We worked
on that for a while as our purpose statement should be measurable and how
do you measure mastering this game. During the day we played a race to
five in nine ball for dinner and I really enjoyed dinner that day. We defined his
purpose statement and decided he needed to put up sixteen’s or better in
the Mid Term Exam. This we could measure. He wanted to cut down on
losses and win more games. That is ambitious seeing as he is the number
one player in his league. I do understand his desire for excellence however,
and worked very hard on his stance and mechanics.
In the end, Brian is slowing down, more deliberate, and staying level. He is
seeking that nice cue tip pop on the cue ball. He believes in his own skills
and knows he has the game to compete with anyone.
At the end of the day, we played our famous “beat The Monk race to five in
eight ball. I won the match but it was a real tough one. Brian was a lot to
handle. He signed up for the Waukesha workshop. http://www.
monkbilliardacademy.net/Waukeshaworkshop.html And I told him we could
have a rematch after the session.
I am going to end this road trip the third weekend of this month. After a short
time at home in Old Fort North Carolina I head to Aiken for the six week Monk
Special Training. I have two world class students attending. You can read
about it on http://www.themonkmastersuniversity.com/Templates/events_fp.
htm in fact, you can click on their names and read about them. You will be
surprised when you see who has signed up for this training.
When you are sixty two and decide to travel across country on a motorcycle
you need to be ready for some serious tests. After I left Chicago I did not feel
so well so I elected to stay in a Holiday Inn for two days to see if I could rest
and recover. Then I went to Salem to work with Brian. After that I traveled
over to Eagle, Wisconsin for a session with Todd Reeves which never
happened. When I woke up on the day of the workshop I was really in deep
pain. It was so severe I became confused and disoriented. The hospital was
only a block away so I rode my bike over there. That was an adventure. I
surmised I had picked up a virus in Chicago and now it was out of control.
My entire chest area was inflamed with pain.
While I was in New Zealand, I hiked hours with nerve damage to my hip and
leg. I can handle pain but not this morning. I was on the verge of passing out.
The hospital will get all my profits and perhaps I will get healthy. As it turned
out, they found a few other things going on with me that will need some
attention. I was there all day, with X-rays, blood work, and even a full cat
scan. They could not pin point the virus but we decided to treat it as a virus
and now I am on antibiotics and pain killers. The bill for the day was over
three thousand dollars.
Todd stopped by my hotel for a nice chat about the inner game. We will set
up a visit on my way back. He wanted me to sign a card for his friend who
had passed away. All the league players signed this card and it was an
honor to sign it myself. His friend, Bob Hoele gave him a copy of "The
Lesson" before he died and that is how Todd got to know me. We have
some great people in this game today and Mr. Reeves is one of them.
The antibiotics are hopefully working. I am going to go up north to work with
Scott Szydel today. To be honest, I am just going to gut it out and hope for
the best. My route takes me through down town Milwaukee. I am confused
and cannot see the signs very well. Today, I will go slow and concentrate.
The ride up north was nothing short of spectacular. While I did not feel well,
the mid central Wisconsin county side was awesome. I worked all day with
Scott Szydel. After a nice steak on the grill we had our classic match. He was
in stroke. Our work paid off as he performed brilliantly. In the first game, he
ran a great table only to scratch on the eight. I thought he was done and be
disappointed and not be able to recover. I broke dry and he ran a very tough
table. He took over and was able to beat me in eight ball and in nine ball. He
was flawless. I played a good safe but he got out of it and ran out. I broke
from the side of the rack so I would leave clusters and he still ran out. Of
course, I was proud of him but I did not go to Saukville to be a spectator.
Scott was a real pleasure to play. I did enjoy his performance. It always
makes a teacher proud to see his student do well and Scott did very well. He
knew my material well and often quoted me to help me over my troubles.
His lovely wife Leslie made me an incredible pizza. She took it out of the box
and cooked it to perfection.
After three days with my daughters I am now headed south to Watertown
Wisconsin to work with a hot shot called Amanda Saxby. Should be fun.
Watertown, Wisconsin
Amanda and Jim live out in the country. It was an adventure finding their
farm. Wow, can they shoot pool. Amanda is an over achiever with great
success in many fields, business law for one. She raises horses as well and
owns a dog grooming business in town. She also shoots pool and wants to
take her game to the top level. Her reason was to be a model for this great
game. She wants to bring some integrity to the sport by working hard and
showing others that being a good person first, makes you a good pool
player second.
We had a great workout. It is always nice to work with a top level player.
Amanda challenged me to a match when I first pulled up and with her entire
family present, she snapped the nine in off the break. Nice way to begin.
In our "official" match was able to prevail. She is great to play, a perfect
sport, never interfering always willing to give you a good turn at the table.
I played Phillip and was able to get past him. He is going to be a real fine
shooter when he matures. Right now he would be the top junior.
Then it was Jasmine's turn. She was able to beat me with a nice shot on the
nine ball. Wow, do the Saxbys know how to compete.
I am headed over to Gary Peterson's house to begin a ten day work out all
across the state of Wisconsin. I am looking forward to this. More later............
The trip to the hospital to retrieve my CAT scan and X-rays was sheer delight
weather wise. My side really hurt so each bump in the road reminded me that
the antibiotics were not working. I loaded up on Ibuprofen which made it
okay. The nurse at the hospital wanted to charge me a full doctor’s visit to
replace the pain pills I had used. I did not take her up on it and asked for
advice. She offered none. I told her she should give me advice for two
reasons. She stared at me waiting for my explanation.
”One, you are a woman and I am a man in pain. Two, you are a nurse who
knows things.”
She replied that she cannot offer medical advice because she works for the
hospital. Oh well. I will stay with the Ibuprofen.
My daughter cooked me up a formula of oils mixed together. These are oils
right out the bible. A company she is associated with offers them to their
customers. They leave a strong taste in your mouth but they really do work.
She gave me two bottles and I have to mix thirteen drops of one and three
drops of the other in these soft capsules. I will be taking one in a few
minutes. I heard a lot about this kind of therapy so I made arrangement to
buy a full kit. This comes in a variety of small oils designed for your well
being. I had trouble sleeping because of the pain in my side and she rubbed
some oil on my forehead and temples and I slept like a baby in the tent all
night long. So I am a believer. I will have a set of oils designed to create a
sense of alertness. These will be used to stimulate my ability to concentrate.
I rode into this dreamy little river town in Wisconsin to meet Gary for dinner. I
had never seen a picture of him so I did not know what to look for. However,
he turned out to look like I imagined he would look, perhaps a little younger
than I thought. The town is Argyle Wisconsin.
I am completely out in the farm country. This is a real nice part of Wisconsin.
From my bed room window I can see deer out in the field. The almost full
yellow moon lit up the back yard and I sensed that there were ‘things’ out
there. The pool table is right outside my door.
We will begin a ten day marathon of workshops and shows. Our first stop
was in Madison at the Brass Ring and look who I run into.
Jerry Briesath
He is the legendary instructor who really got us all going in this game.
I met Jerry in 1993 in New York.
He sat in on the presentation and then decided to drive up to Portage for my
second stop. Gary Peterson is a slave driver. We did two stops that night.
Several of the spectators signed up for my weekend workshop in Milwaukee.
I am glad because this is a fine opportunity for pool players to get quality
instructions at a very low price. I normally charge one thousand dollars for
two days and this is has a tuition price of just $150.00 for both days.
Over fifty players showed up in Portage at Sharp Shooters. This was a real
nice pool place. Tim, the owner really worked hard with Russ, "Pool King
Rock Star" Roundy to bring out the players.
The place was packed. In these presentations I do an overview of what you
need to do to become a complete pool player. This takes about an hour and
a half. I was happy that everyone seemed to pay attention. In fact, I told them
I should become a preacher. If I can keep fifty pool players attention for over
an hour, I should be good at long winded preaching. That got a laugh.
It was a great night. Today I will be working with Gary Peterson. He is
studying to become a Monk Master and will be a good one. Gary has a room
full of trophies and now has the desire to share his knowledge with others. I
am happy to welcome him into the family of Monk Master Teachers. We are
going to work together for six full days including a personal appearance
twice each night.
So my bike is parked under his porch. My theory is that I pulled a muscle in
my chest and do not have an infection. I believe riding the bike in this
excessive manner has caused a muscle tear in my left side. I also believe
that singing at the top of my lungs added to that damage. I ride along the
country side with my XM stereo blasting and I need to strain to hit those high
notes. So I am off the bike for eight days and I won’t be singing. Let’s see if
that works.
A late night last night. We drove over an hour to a small bar up in Central
Wisconsin called Dayton Hills. Kris Peterson, no relation to Gary, welcomed
us as she had a group of pool players who were interested in meeting The
Monk. This was a fun place. I presented the program to them and they
asked a lot of questions. Travelling to these small pool venues has been a
great experience for me. I meet the real brothers and sisters in this game. We
all share a love that bonds us together.
Then we drove to Biscotel, Wisconsin for our second stop which began at
eight thirty. This place had a full house.
Karrie promoted this stop and went all out. I put Gary on the spot and had
him shoot the shots as I talked about the program. Gary was almost perfect.
He is a top player in Wisconsin so everyone knew who he was. They were
good natured when he missed the same position shot three times in the
exact same place. We should have warmed up as each table is different. I
don¢t know how I let that happen. I usually warm up with the 2-7-2 series as
this gives me a good feel for the table. Being late for the stop may have had
something to do with it.
The Monk, Tim Hinz, his wifeTammy and Jerry Briesath
This group kept me out late with questions and general conversations. I
signed a lot of balls (cue balls) that night. When we finally rolled into Gary's
house it was well past mid night.
Gary Peterson is working towards his Monk Masters Teaching Certification.
Don't tell him but he is in line to pass all the tests. Gary is doing very well. In
fact, I ordered his degree and it will be here when he completes the program.
He also heads up the Pool Teams of America in Wisconsin. We introduce the
players to the new game called Performance Pool in each of our stops.
Now it is on to Madison for a two day workshop. This one sold out in ten
days after we announced the seminar. Thirty two students signed up so we
are in for an exciting day of learning this great game.
It is always nice to run in to old friends along the road. Jerry Briesath invited
us out to supper and welcomed me to Madison. He has long time been a
legendary teacher, perhaps the most famous of all. Jerry has help many
players over the years and still teaches today.
All of our talks about the road we decided to jump in this car and tour the
states. Problem was, there were no keys in it so we decided it was not such
a grand idea anyways.
www.poolteamsofamerica.com
www.monkbilliardacademy.net -back to the home page
www.themonkmastersuniversity.com
ON THE
ROAD
WITH
ROAD
WITH
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The Monk
| level of play year after year? Would you like to move to the next level? Don't miss out on your chance to move to the next level. This is the opportunity to work with the world's most famous teacher The Monk. Yes, you can work with The Monk for six hours in your home or pool hall for just $350. If you bring a friend, the cost is just $250 each. Save on travel and save on lodging. The Monk comes to YOUR TOWN! The Monk is no ordinary teacher. The Monk has written six books. The Monk is the best selling author in pocket billiards history. The Monks work is sold all over the world. The Monk worked with the number one player in Russia for one month. He spent a month in Moscow. The Monk works with the top five players in the South Pacific, He spent two years in New Zealand. The Monk has twelve dvd's to help you with your game. The Monk works with your skills and takes you to a new level. The Monk has coached five different girls to win the BCA National Championships in Las Vegas. The Monk has created the only on line coaching program in pocket billiards today called The Masters of Art in Pocket Billiards. The Monk has created The Monk Masters University web site that has over five thousand links to it. The Monk created the Monk Masters Teaching Program. Write to The Monk today. Be ready to commit to a time and place. Do not delay. Once The Monk passes by that area he is not going to return. Write today. Take your game to a new and exciting level. You deserve to break through. The Monk is here to help you. |
| On October 15th I will head out for one last trip on the road. I am travelling across Oklahoma, Texas, NM, AZ and on into CA. If you are in this area, contact me and schedule a personal Monk session in your town. The cost for this complete training is $350.00. You receive a dvd plus The Lesson valued at $90.00. Don't pass up this opportunity to learn from The Monk. If you can get a friend to join you, the total cost would be only $600. Check out "Workshops" for updates on locations |
| After our current stock of DVD's is depleted, we won't have the DVD's available for individual sales. They will be available as a download for your computer. Technology has made this a great way to provide you with the same great training tools! We will, however, still supply the major retailers, but will not be selling them to individual customers from our home office. Be sure to get your own DVD before they're all gone. Click Here to order yours today! |
| After our current stock of DVD's is depleted, we won't have the DVD's available for individual sales. They will be available as a download for your computer. Technology has made this a great way to provide you with the same great training tools! We will, however, still supply the major retailers, but will not be selling them to individual customers from our home office. Be sure to get your own DVD while supplies. Click Here to order yours today! |
| Monk Master, Dominic Colonero |
| Dominic and his wife Evon took very good care of me while staying in their home. They treated me with wonderful home cooked meals. |
| The Monk Masters University Learn how to follow the training for Rachael Abbink and Ekkhard Schneider-Lombard a.k.a. Ekkes, from Germany JOIN IN ON THEIR INCREDIBLE AND INTENSIVE TRAINING http://www.themonk mastersuniversity.com |
| NEWS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS!!! The Performance Pool Tour is paving INTERACTIVE, INTERNET GAME PLAY! Gather your friends, kids, church, pool room, business partners, co-workers together and...... click here for details |