Walter Lindrum, a Billards genius at work

[KeithinFrance]

[/B]

Hi Keith
yes i have seen the 200, spell binding stuff, i think only 27 minutes for a 1,000 break, his records will never remotely be challenged, can you imagine how many 500 point and above breaks he would have got in practice???

Those fellow players in that golden era of Billards must have wondered what the hell was going on. In 1929 when Lindrum came over to play [B]Willie Smith[/B] in a series of matches (then recognised as the world's no 1) Willie actually beat him in the first game i believe, however Walter cut loose from then on and despite Willie apparantly playing wonderful billiards he was beaten out of sight, with Willie ever the gentleman giving full praise to Walter's efforts in a celebratory dinner.

what is particularly brilliant is how he was able to move effortlessly between scoring methods, top of the table to open play, then back to the tott and then nurseries, even though he was far from 'orthodox' in his rear arm alignment he must have had the most relentlessly consistent cueing action in history, perhaps only Steven Davis, Hendry and Ronnie could compare in consistency of cueing?
Cheers Bbg

To be honest, I don't think anyone could compare to Walter in consistency of cueing, now, or ever! The man really was a magician and his control of the balls was a miracle. I really do feel sorry to have been born too late to have seen him in the flesh; that would have been a real pleasure and privilege for any cue sports fan.

[RGCirencester]

I don't understadn how hes that good! I mean these days ronnie for instance has a lot of natural talent but that has been honed through hours and hours of coaching on exactly how to stand, where the cue should finish etc. Sometime walter seems to just play a shot from wherever hes standing and it still goes in! Truly a genius!

[davipp]

So many times I read on this forum that we should not think about our technique just concentrate on the pot, I suppose Waltrer proves that once you know the shot he can execute it with no thought to where he is standing. I too watch his technique and think how does he do that playing the way he does.

[wildJONESEYE]

baldblindgit...

you are NOT blind ... bald... who knows... git... probably because like me you are aware of Walter Lindrum!!!

youre not that aware of him lol you thought he was Horrace

[baldblindgit]

more Lindrum magic

200 break, such purposeful cueing, frightening ability, such speed of scoring at the top of the table never mind nurseries
enjoy again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZsj4BZ8BWU

[KeithinFrance]

200 break, such purposeful cueing, frightening ability, such speed of scoring at the top of the table never mind nurseries
enjoy again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZsj4BZ8BWU

Still as enjoyable as ever! Every time I watch that video, I'm in awe and I discover something new as well!

Ta much, BBG. :snooker:

[JP1]

You are confusing the Lindrums, Walter Lindrum was NEVER runner up to anyone, the only times he lost was when he had to conceed 7000 points start in exhibition matches to the likes of Joe Davis, to put it in Joe Davis own words, read Joes book "the breaks came my way" Lindrum was at least twice as good as Davis, Horace Lindrum who was Walters nephew had changed his name to Lindrum by deed poll, Horace was an excellent billiards and snooker player, HB Billiards 1431 HB Snooker 147, he was runner up to Joe Davis in the snooker and won the then vacant title in 1952 in Manchester, but it is notregarded as an official world title as none of the other leading players entered due the then prevailing dispute.
In Australia Horace found the going quite tough, in Snooker he was regularily and easily beaten by the then up and coming Eddie Charlton as well as Warren Simpson, in Billiards exhibitions he found the Empire now IBSF world champion Bob Marshall to tough an opponent, Marshall beat Horace on a regular basis.

[JP1]

You should try and get hold of a tape that floats around, I have a copy of it somewhere, must try and put it on DVD and download it on the web, of Walter Lindrum ending an exhibition at the Caulfied Club in 1956/7 his opponent was his touring partner Tom Cleary former Empire World Billiards Champion, with three frames of snooker, Walter disliked snooker and told Tom Cleary many times that the game was so easy and predictable that the better players will soon come to the end of it, he was wrong of course as we know today, but the three frames show WL clearing the table on every one of the 3 frames with breaks of 137,138,138 and you must remember that the official record in those days was a break of 131 held by Joe Davis. If you want to know about cue ball control, go on You Tube and look at the clip from WL making a 50 break at the top of the table and a further 50 with NC, the TOT 50 break was made with the opponents ball above the red spot, an easy way to run a quick 100 if your cue action and ball control is of the highest order, I noted with interest that Geet Sethi in his match against Mike Russell for the 2008 WCH in Leeds had an identical situation, I was keen to see how many points Geet would be able to extract from that, he managed a mere 9 ?? Billiards unlike Snooker offers a good comparrison with all players over all periods on account of the averages scored, so it easy to say that in a 5 hours final like the one between Sethi & Russell where the final score was 1821 - 1342 in Russells favour, averaging around 50 per visit,WL taking his worst ever average would score around 7000 points in 5 hours.
The most interesting aspect about WL is the cue he used, I will put a whole new chapter about that one on the forum.

[jb134]

Hurry up JP1

[100-uper]

You are confusing the Lindrums, Walter Lindrum was NEVER runner up to anyone, the only times he lost was when he had to conceed 7000 points start in exhibition matches.

Without wishing to detract from the predominant status of Walter Lindrum, your statement is not correct. Clark McConachy, Willie Smith and Joe Davis all defeated Lindrum on more than one occasion in level matches between 1928 and 1934 when Lindrum was considered to be at his prime.

[baldblindgit]

Without wishing to detract from the predominant status of Walter Lindrum, your statement is not correct. Clark McConachy, Willie Smith and Joe Davis all defeated Lindrum on more than one occasion in level matches between 1928 and 1934 when Lindrum was considered to be at his prime.

hi
that is true i believe, i think he lost twice? in fact in the first tour where he played Willie Smith in several matches before he really let himself go and proceded to avenge the Lindrum family honour (Willie Smith had beaten 'earlier members of the Lindrum billiards family in previous years) and i suspect also "hang back for bets" as i believe there was some significant betting on the side just as there is now on sports.
Even Walter was human and he was subject to the vagaries of the table conditions and balls they played with.
Cheers bbg

[baldblindgit]

You should try and get hold of a tape that floats around, I have a copy of it somewhere, must try and put it on DVD and download it on the web, of Walter Lindrum ending an exhibition at the Caulfied Club in 1956/7 his opponent was his touring partner Tom Cleary former Empire World Billiards Champion, with three frames of snooker, Walter disliked snooker and told Tom Cleary many times that the game was so easy and predictable that the better players will soon come to the end of it, he was wrong of course as we know today, but the three frames show WL clearing the table on every one of the 3 frames with breaks of 137,138,138 and you must remember that the official record in those days was a break of 131 held by Joe Davis. If you want to know about cue ball control, go on You Tube and look at the clip from WL making a 50 break at the top of the table and a further 50 with NC, the TOT 50 break was made with the opponents ball above the red spot, an easy way to run a quick 100 if your cue action and ball control is of the highest order, I noted with interest that Geet Sethi in his match against Mike Russell for the 2008 WCH in Leeds had an identical situation, I was keen to see how many points Geet would be able to extract from that, he managed a mere 9 ?? Billiards unlike Snooker offers a good comparrison with all players over all periods on account of the averages scored, so it easy to say that in a 5 hours final like the one between Sethi & Russell where the final score was 1821 - 1342 in Russells favour, averaging around 50 per visit,WL taking his worst ever average would score around 7000 points in 5 hours.
The most interesting aspect about WL is the cue he used, I will put a whole new chapter about that one on the forum.

fascination stuff JP1, Thanks for the info, i think i said previously that Joe Davis when he heard of Walter's death said with no sentimentality that Walter would have been the top snooker player if he had been inclined to it!

Walter's averages are almost beyond comprehension, i believe in one of those matches in the early 1930's he played Tom Newman in a final of a challenge tournament, (with Walter giving many start) Tom played out of his skin for an average of 130, superb billiards, but Walter simply annihilated him with an average of 350.
Cheers bbg

[100-uper]

hi
that is true i believe, i think he lost twice? in fact in the first tour where he played Willie Smith in several matches before he really let himself go and proceded to avenge the Lindrum family honour (Willie Smith had beaten 'earlier members of the Lindrum billiards family in previous years) and i suspect also "hang back for bets" as i believe there was some significant betting on the side just as there is now on sports.
Even Walter was human and he was subject to the vagaries of the table conditions and balls they played with.
Cheers bbg

I am aware that Willie Smith had at least three victories over Lindrum. In addition to the two during his first English tour, he also beat him in Australia at Sydney YMCA just before his English visit.

I don't believe that betting was a significant consideration in billiard matches of the 1920s and 30s. This was more of a Victorian thing when the main supporters of the game were the horse-racing fraternity. The issue at this time would have been gate receipts, and there is the possibility that he held back for these reasons, but it is impossible to say with any certainty from this distance in time.

[jb134]

Betting was a huge thing. Willie Smith is on record as saying his beloved cue, his "pit prop" was taken and broken by rival supporters (I think Lindrums) during a match.

[100-uper]

Willie Smith said a lot of things which were not entirely consistent over the years. One thing is a certain fact, (as it was witessed by hundreds of spectators) his cue broke while he was in play, it was not broken by Australian gamblers in the pay of Lindrum or anyone else.

I don't know how much gambling went on at billiard matches in Australia in 1929, but it was certainly not "huge" in England at this time.