BILLIABDS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6954, 6 July 1929, Page 8 (Supplement)

BILLIABDS

WILLIE SMITH’S ADVOCACY OF COMPOSITION BALLS

By RISO LEVI Author of “Billiards: The Strokes of fh§ Game/’ and “Billiards For the Million.’’ [Copyright.]

Only a few years ago no professional was more strongly opposed- to the introduction of composition balls for professional matches than Willie Smith. In an article which appeared in a London sporting paper on March: 29, 1924, he had these lines: |’ “I can say at once and without thd slightest reservation that any attempt to put composition balls on the table for championship games will have my unrelenting opposition.” 1 Times have, however, changed, and for the last 12 months the great Darlington player has been just as unreservedly in favour of composition balls taking the place of ivories in professional games. In an article in a Manchester paper of February 19 last, he made use of these words: "To my brother professionals I would say, ‘Let us get together and decide on a unanimous change to composition balls for next season, and don’t let professional billiards die a -natural death.’ ” Today rising young amateurs play only Avith composition balls. They

have learned their. .billiardsAYitlr.these balls, and they no longer Jhavje tq change over to ivory balls, as McLeod and Earlam have' to, in order toi wiri the amateur championship. The longdelayed change to composition balls was made before the 1926-7 competition, and the youthful Steeples ?won this with ease, notwithstanding 'that the limitation of red ball was already in force in this contest. Last February Wardle, another composition ball player, Avon the championship at the first time of asking, and incidentally made more century and double-cen-tury breaks than have ever, been compiled by any other player in these contests. . - ■ : >

When the B.A. and C.C. ruled,;last July, that the professional championship must in future be played with, composition balls they were, of bourse, quite aware that professionals, were going to play with compositions this season, and that three long:-games Avith these balls had already been arranged between Smith and Newman, otherwise they would never have dared to legislate as they did. -Ous top-notchers are a law unto, themselves, and the men who comprise, tha ruling body fully recognised ' that it would have been unwise to attempt to coerce them in any way whatever had the players themselves not been desirous of making the change. 'They would only have made themselves look ridiculous if*dictation on their part had been ignored by our great cuemen. , . . v ; .-•

It was, however, .quite open to tha council to suggest to our . professionals years ago that the time had come for ivory balls to be scrapped for ever. Indeed, in my opinion, it was the duty of the ruling body to take this step, and to tell our great cuemen that'the change which they were advocating Avas for the good of professional billiards. HOW SMITH HAS BEEN COPIED When Smith first came on the scene with a brass ferrule on his cue, his brother professionals, without exception, ridiculed his innovation, but before very long they all copied it. They also laughed at his 18oz. cue, but today most of them play Avith a heavier cue than they did a few years ago. And just as they copied him in these things, so will they follow him now that he has decided to play with composition balls. No one wants to; play one week with composition balls, and the next week with ivories, an& therefore now that professionals are playing with composition balls ivories will be scrapped, and the wonder will then be why the change Avas. delayed so long. There is no question whatever that spectators like seeing big breads. Any player would rather see one of our top-notchers make, say, a 600 break, than two of 300 in successive hands. Indeed even when we turn to the all too meagre reports of billiards matches in our morning paper, we like to read of big breaks. And there can be no question that big breaks vyill be more frequent Avith composition balls than they have ever been with ivories—and by exactly the same kind of play which has characterised all the great breaks of the past by Smith, Newman* Joe Davies, etc. Years ago Smith’s great ambition was to make 50 breaks of 500 or more in the course of a season, and he realised this a couple of seasons ago with no less than 67 of these colossal breaks, Quite recently he told me that his ambition is noAv to make a 2,000.-break. The goal lie aspires to is tremendous, but it ’s not outside the bounds of possibility for him to attain it. In anv case I am quiie convinced that ho will cross Hip 1.500. line ip his first season Avith composition balls. Next Article: Playing.for Position.