Whats Patsy Fagan like as a coach?

[mick farrell]

The whole kind of technique with gripping the cue isn't something we've covered as that's something that luckily has always come quite naturally to me. What I do know however is that just because that's the way Patsy did it, he won't necessarily force that on you.

I mean obviously being a coach he will have ideas that he'll want you to try out, but he works with you to find out what works best for you as opposed to (as I have experienced before first hand with others) just telling you what is best for you; be it about gripping the cue, stance, etc etc. So to answer your question he wouldn't be telling you "you HAVE to hold it like this" or "you MUST have 4 fingers round it" because who knows? You might play best gripping the cue like he did or with a tighter grip; and that's what as a coach Patsy has a knack for being able to work out.

Thanks for the reply joesyd.
Patsy's grip was unique in snooker. It was so light it looked like the cue could fly out of his hand if he hit the cue ball with power. It worked for him in his prime, thats for sure. I could have probably written my question better. I should have been asking why Patsy held the cue the way he did and did he experiment with a more orthodox grip at any time.

[joesyd]

Thanks for the reply joesyd.
Patsy's grip was unique in snooker. It was so light it looked like the cue could fly out of his hand if he hit the cue ball with power. It worked for him in his prime, thats for sure. I could have probably written my question better. I should have been asking why Patsy held the cue the way he did and did he experiment with a more orthodox grip at any time.

I'll ask him for you when I speak to him next. But I would imagine that he would have experimented with different grips like most players and just settled for the grip that felt most comfortable to him, as I know from asking him he never really had someone to teach him when he was younger. So perhaps he just started off gripping the cue like that and from thereon nothing else ever felt right for him. Every player has their own quirks in the same way Joe Swail has his cueing arm jutting out or Dave Harold doing an impression of a statue before striking the cue ball .

[mick farrell]

I'll ask him for you when I speak to him next. But I would imagine that he would have experimented with different grips like most players and just settled for the grip that felt most comfortable to him, as I know from asking him he never really had someone to teach him when he was younger. So perhaps he just started off gripping the cue like that and from thereon nothing else ever felt right for him. Every player has their own quirks in the same way Joe Swail has his cueing arm jutting out or Dave Harold doing an impression of a statue before striking the cue ball .

That would be very much appreciated joesyd, thanks.
I remember when Ray Reardon beat Patsy in the second round of the 1985 World Championship 13-9. Reardon was 12-9 up and in the middle of a 40/50 break which left Patsy needing snookers when Ray's tip flew off after a screw shot mid break. Ray's face was a picture of berwilderment and he even asked the audience if they had any super-glue! Patsy promptly got out of his chair and handed his own cue to Ray so he could continue his break to much laughter and applause from the audience. Ray made 70+ to win the match entering into banter with the audience & Patsy in praising the cue. Patsy's gesture had to be the nicest, most genuine displays of good sportsmanship ever seen at the conclusion of a match at the Crucible.