UNDRUM’S PROPOSAL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20510, 11 January 1935, Page 13

UNDRUM’S PROPOSAL.

Abolition of the Balk Line Rule. Although leading billiardists and officials agreed that the suggestion made by Walter Lindrum that the balk line rule should he replaced by a simpler rule, their views on the effect of Lindrum’s proposal showed striking differences of opinion, states a Melbourne journal. Lindrum’e suggestion was that instead of making the player cross the balk line at every 200 points, he should be made to play from hand every 100 points. Opinions expressed were:— Captain A. M. Treaev, president Victorian Amateur Billiards Association: I am with Walter Lindrum right up to the hilt. Mr. K. Mousallv, former treasurer of the Australian Amateur Billiards Council: The new rule would bring leading professionals closer together in competition, and so would be good for the game. Eliminating the specialist would deprive the amateur of opportunities of learning the correct way to play strokes. Mr. E. Hicks, secretary of the Melbourne Clubs’ Association: The rule would improve the professional game, but would not greatly affect the amateur whose play has not reached the standard of making 100 breaks with successive scoring strokes of the same type. The amateur should not be subjected to any restrictions. Mr. Len Beauchamp, Australian amateur champion in 1913, and triple Victorian champion: This rule would greatly aid the professional game by eliminating mechanisation and would improve the display for the spectator. If any amateur improved so far as to reach the 100 break class, it would also help to keep his game on the right Mr. C. E. Norman, Victorian amateur champion: The rule would improve the game in every wav. The professional would run up bigger breaks by eliminating the unnatural strokes now required to comply with tile balk line rule. The public like to see big break. and the new rule would take all the monotony away from them.