Interview with Eric Yow - Masse Insanity
Posted March 31st, 2007Categories: Interviews
When I completed my list of the ten best trick shot videos - I didn’t spend nearly enough time speaking about Eric Yow and the great trick shot content he has put on the web. He is clearly one of the leading artistic pool players - and he has the video to prove it.
Want to try your hand at trick shots? Simply looking for a entertaining video of pool magic? You really need to go and check out the hompage of Eric “the preacher” Yow - specifically the list of all of his trick shot videos to get a full understanding of the content he has made available.
I recently contacted Eric about a quick interview - and he was provide some helpful info on the man behind the videos.
How did you get started with trick shots?
I began playing pool in the Fall 2000, when I started college. Soon after I ran the gameroom as a work-study job to help pay the bills. Turns out, I wound up playing pool everyday! Watching the pro players on television and the internet do impressive trick shots peaked my interest. I began to study the game diligently until I understood how and why things work the way they do. In 2004, I began practicing the trick shots I had seen on tv. As I developed a strong stroke and a keen eye, I became more and more able to perform the more difficult shots. Later, I decided to turn pro and since then, God has shown me the world, opening door after door for me to walk through. I greatly anticipate what else He has in store for me.
How do you practice?
I practice often and diligently. I tell those who are interested in developing a stronger game, both in artistic and otherwise, to practice, but practice consistently. This means that you learn something from every shot. For instance, when working on a shot, shooting it over and over, change only one variable at a time (speed, english, angle of elevation, etc). This way, you’ll learn exactly what makes things happen the way they do, and soon enough, exactly what it takes to make a particular shot. So, practice, but practice consistently.
Who of your contemporaries impresses you?
Semih Sayginer, Roberto Rojas, and Miguel Torres genuinely impress me and are my trilogy of heroes in the game (They are renowned Artistic Billiard players). I am of course impressed by Mike Massey, more by what all he’s done for the game, than anything else. Other players impress me for other reasons: Tom Rossman impresses me with his dedication to the progress of the game and his enthusiasm; Andy Segal impresses me with his consistency and persistence in mastering shots; Matt MacPhail impresses me with his continually improving performances; other new players like Tim Chin, Dave Jamieson, and Jamie Gray impress me by their perseverence and striving to excel. I could go on for days.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to learn artistic pool?
Once again, practice, but practice consistently. Learn the physics, then the technique. Too many try to learn the tricks before they learn the game. If you can’t run a rack or two of nine ball fairly consistently, don’t dive head first into artistic yet. Master the elementary principles of the game, develop a rock solid stroke and fundamentals, THEN tackle the great shots one at a time. And, my last advice - get help wherever you can get it. I make myself available whenever possible, email me. If I can’t help, I’ll tell you where to go to get what you need.
For a preview of Eric’s Trick Shot Madness… here’s his popular “masse insanity” video.
