Interview with Martin Goodwill
WBL Head Billiards Coach
Author of "The Snooker Players Guide to English Billiards"& "Advanced English Billiards"
WBL Head Billiards Coach
Author of "The Snooker Players Guide to English Billiards"& "Advanced English Billiards"
Interview with Martin Goodwill – March 2018
Billiards Australia: How old were you when you first started playing? Where was the billiard room?
Martin: I was about 11 when I started playing in the Teesside Boys Billiards League at the Acklam Garden City Club in Middlesbrough.
Billiards Australia: Who was your first coach (or who first showed you the basic billiard shots)?
Martin: Keith Mallen was my first coach. Keith wasn’t a great player but he was enthusiastic and knew how to teach the basics. He used to hit my head with a cue if I moved on the shot (I could do with his help now!) and made me practice set routines.
Billiards Australia: How long before you made your first 100 break at billiards? Do you still remember that day?
Martin: I can’t remember but I do remember that I seemed to be stuck on a best break of 29 for a long time! In match-play I was the first boy to make a 100 break in the Teesside Boys Billiards League and I was 18 when I made a 100 break exactly.
Billiards Australia: When you were a young man improving, before you won your first major event, how many hours a week did you practice?
Martin: Probably about three or four. It was very difficult getting access to a table.
Billiards Australia: If you watch sport on TV (not billiards and snooker) – what do you watch?
Martin: Football, boxing and tennis.
Billiards Australia: Who is your sporting hero (outside of cue sports)? Why?
Martin: Muhammad Ali. I used to love watching him when I was a kid.
Billiards Australia: How many different cues have you used in competition over the years?
Martin: Two because I ruined my first one by trying to shorten it!
Billiards Australia: Tell us about your current cue – how long have you had it, how long is it, how much does it weigh, maple or ash, what size tip do you use.
Martin: I’ve had it for over 40 years, it’s an ash cue - 58 ½ inches and 19 ½ ozs. The tip is 9.5mm.
Billiards Australia: What would you consider the strengths and weaknesses of your game?
Martin: I’ve studied the game for a long time so I feel that I’m reasonably knowledgeable. I think that my top of the table play is better than my all-around game. I’ve got a bad neck and I’m getting old so my main weakness is a poor stance – I can’t straighten my back leg any more and I tend to move on the shot.
Billiards Australia: How do you feel about the various formats (150 up, long up, timed)? Which do you enjoy playing and which do you think suit you most?
Martin: To promote billiards I think we need to take a look at other sports and adjust the format accordingly. The main reason billiards is not popular to watch is there is very little pressure on the players. For example, who would watch a tennis match until the end if the scoring system was 200 up and one player was dominant, winning say 170 v 45? But of course it’s not like that and in tennis there’s pressure on every point, which makes it interesting. None of the billiards formats we have introduce that pressure. I think all of the players (myself included) enjoy playing the longer formats and this is part of the problem.
Billiards Australia: What is your highest competition break? When and where?
Martin: I don’t know – sorry! I’ve had a few 400+ breaks.
Billiards Australia: Of all the billiard players you have seen play, who do you admire the most and why?
Martin: Norman Dagley. He played the game in such an elegant manner and had a fantastic temperament.
Billiards Australia: How did your englishbilliards.org web site and the two books come about? Do you recall the original motivation?
Martin: The seed was planted when I began chatting to my (now) good friend and colleague Roger Morgan. He’s extremely knowledgeable about all computer and technical aspects as well as billiards. We agreed to work together to try to promote the game.
Billiards Australia: It appears that a massive amount of work has gone into these projects.
Martin: Yes thousands of hours!
Billiards Australia: It must be very satisfying to have seen the popularity of these projects and to have made such a significant contribution?
Martin: Well that’s debateable, I’m not sure that we’ve actually made that much of a difference to the number of people playing the game! We’ve both really enjoyed the experience though and learnt a lot.
Billiards Australia: Will we see a third book at some stage?
Martin: It’s written and was originally titled Top Billiards. It is all about top of the table play and the finer aspects of the game. I’m not sure that there’s a market for it but we might eventually put it into print. It costs around $9,000 AUS to do a print run so it can be pricey if you don’t sell many!
Billiards Australia: How are you enjoying your role as WBL head coach?
Martin: It’s a challenge!
Billiards Australia: If you were to give some general advice to your average player who wants to improve – say a person who makes only an occasional 30 or 40 break, how would you advise them to split their practice time between solo and match play? What aspects should they focus on if, like many of us, they have only limited time to practice?
Martin: First and foremost I’d suggest that they make sure that they enjoy what they are doing and if they are prepared to put the effort in they could try picking a shot they are poor at and try to make it their favourite shot. Then move on to another shot. Depending on their motivation and time available I’d try to spend the majority of the time on practice.
Billiards Australia: How did you enjoy your time in Australia last year running the WPBSA course for Billiards coaches? Anything in particular that sticks in your mind from your trip?
Martin: I enjoyed it very much. It was great to meet such interesting and knowledgeable players/coaches and there were some great learning points as well as good banter! I thought that in general the standard was very high and I learnt a lot myself. The highlight of my trip was visiting Walter Lindrum’s room – what a fantastic experience!
Billiards Australia: What are the chances of us seeing you compete in Australia at some point?
Martin: I’ll definitely make it but it might be after a couple of years when I get more time.
Billiards Australia: What is your proudest achievement in billiards?
Martin: Winning my first English Amateur title.
Billiards Australia: Do you have a table at home? If so, can you describe it?
Martin: Yes it’s an Orme table about 100 years old. I made some new oak and steel block cushions for it. The pockets are far too tight and I need to adjust them!
Billiards Australia: Do you have a day job? Does it allow you much time to practice?
Martin: I work for British Airways as a pilot, flying the Airbus A319, A320 and A321 around Europe and sometimes beyond. It’s a great job with regards to billiards practice because you often have two or three days off between work periods. It’s not so good for tournaments as it can be very difficult to book time off in advance.
Billiards Australia: Thanks for your time. Much appreciated.
Billiards Australia: How old were you when you first started playing? Where was the billiard room?
Martin: I was about 11 when I started playing in the Teesside Boys Billiards League at the Acklam Garden City Club in Middlesbrough.
Billiards Australia: Who was your first coach (or who first showed you the basic billiard shots)?
Martin: Keith Mallen was my first coach. Keith wasn’t a great player but he was enthusiastic and knew how to teach the basics. He used to hit my head with a cue if I moved on the shot (I could do with his help now!) and made me practice set routines.
Billiards Australia: How long before you made your first 100 break at billiards? Do you still remember that day?
Martin: I can’t remember but I do remember that I seemed to be stuck on a best break of 29 for a long time! In match-play I was the first boy to make a 100 break in the Teesside Boys Billiards League and I was 18 when I made a 100 break exactly.
Billiards Australia: When you were a young man improving, before you won your first major event, how many hours a week did you practice?
Martin: Probably about three or four. It was very difficult getting access to a table.
Billiards Australia: If you watch sport on TV (not billiards and snooker) – what do you watch?
Martin: Football, boxing and tennis.
Billiards Australia: Who is your sporting hero (outside of cue sports)? Why?
Martin: Muhammad Ali. I used to love watching him when I was a kid.
Billiards Australia: How many different cues have you used in competition over the years?
Martin: Two because I ruined my first one by trying to shorten it!
Billiards Australia: Tell us about your current cue – how long have you had it, how long is it, how much does it weigh, maple or ash, what size tip do you use.
Martin: I’ve had it for over 40 years, it’s an ash cue - 58 ½ inches and 19 ½ ozs. The tip is 9.5mm.
Billiards Australia: What would you consider the strengths and weaknesses of your game?
Martin: I’ve studied the game for a long time so I feel that I’m reasonably knowledgeable. I think that my top of the table play is better than my all-around game. I’ve got a bad neck and I’m getting old so my main weakness is a poor stance – I can’t straighten my back leg any more and I tend to move on the shot.
Billiards Australia: How do you feel about the various formats (150 up, long up, timed)? Which do you enjoy playing and which do you think suit you most?
Martin: To promote billiards I think we need to take a look at other sports and adjust the format accordingly. The main reason billiards is not popular to watch is there is very little pressure on the players. For example, who would watch a tennis match until the end if the scoring system was 200 up and one player was dominant, winning say 170 v 45? But of course it’s not like that and in tennis there’s pressure on every point, which makes it interesting. None of the billiards formats we have introduce that pressure. I think all of the players (myself included) enjoy playing the longer formats and this is part of the problem.
Billiards Australia: What is your highest competition break? When and where?
Martin: I don’t know – sorry! I’ve had a few 400+ breaks.
Billiards Australia: Of all the billiard players you have seen play, who do you admire the most and why?
Martin: Norman Dagley. He played the game in such an elegant manner and had a fantastic temperament.
Billiards Australia: How did your englishbilliards.org web site and the two books come about? Do you recall the original motivation?
Martin: The seed was planted when I began chatting to my (now) good friend and colleague Roger Morgan. He’s extremely knowledgeable about all computer and technical aspects as well as billiards. We agreed to work together to try to promote the game.
Billiards Australia: It appears that a massive amount of work has gone into these projects.
Martin: Yes thousands of hours!
Billiards Australia: It must be very satisfying to have seen the popularity of these projects and to have made such a significant contribution?
Martin: Well that’s debateable, I’m not sure that we’ve actually made that much of a difference to the number of people playing the game! We’ve both really enjoyed the experience though and learnt a lot.
Billiards Australia: Will we see a third book at some stage?
Martin: It’s written and was originally titled Top Billiards. It is all about top of the table play and the finer aspects of the game. I’m not sure that there’s a market for it but we might eventually put it into print. It costs around $9,000 AUS to do a print run so it can be pricey if you don’t sell many!
Billiards Australia: How are you enjoying your role as WBL head coach?
Martin: It’s a challenge!
Billiards Australia: If you were to give some general advice to your average player who wants to improve – say a person who makes only an occasional 30 or 40 break, how would you advise them to split their practice time between solo and match play? What aspects should they focus on if, like many of us, they have only limited time to practice?
Martin: First and foremost I’d suggest that they make sure that they enjoy what they are doing and if they are prepared to put the effort in they could try picking a shot they are poor at and try to make it their favourite shot. Then move on to another shot. Depending on their motivation and time available I’d try to spend the majority of the time on practice.
Billiards Australia: How did you enjoy your time in Australia last year running the WPBSA course for Billiards coaches? Anything in particular that sticks in your mind from your trip?
Martin: I enjoyed it very much. It was great to meet such interesting and knowledgeable players/coaches and there were some great learning points as well as good banter! I thought that in general the standard was very high and I learnt a lot myself. The highlight of my trip was visiting Walter Lindrum’s room – what a fantastic experience!
Billiards Australia: What are the chances of us seeing you compete in Australia at some point?
Martin: I’ll definitely make it but it might be after a couple of years when I get more time.
Billiards Australia: What is your proudest achievement in billiards?
Martin: Winning my first English Amateur title.
Billiards Australia: Do you have a table at home? If so, can you describe it?
Martin: Yes it’s an Orme table about 100 years old. I made some new oak and steel block cushions for it. The pockets are far too tight and I need to adjust them!
Billiards Australia: Do you have a day job? Does it allow you much time to practice?
Martin: I work for British Airways as a pilot, flying the Airbus A319, A320 and A321 around Europe and sometimes beyond. It’s a great job with regards to billiards practice because you often have two or three days off between work periods. It’s not so good for tournaments as it can be very difficult to book time off in advance.
Billiards Australia: Thanks for your time. Much appreciated.