Grady Mathews

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Randi and Grady Mathews
Randi and Grady Mathews

Grady Mathews (born January 3, 1943, San Antonio, Texas), also known as "The Professor", is an American pool player and was the first inductee into the One-Pocket Hall of Fame[1] in 2004.

In addition to success at the table, he has been a technical advisor to movie producers, a regular commentator on pool matches taped by Accu-Stats Video Productions, a producer of billiard instructional video tapes, and an author.[2] He is also revered for his contributions to pocket billiards through his promotional activities and lessons.

Mathews has worked tirelessly throughout his career to promote pocket billiards, particularly the game of one-pocket. He is the creator of the Legends of One-Pocket series, and has given fans of the game many other tournaments as well. Mathews is also well known for his work as a commentator on countless matches recorded by Accu-Stats Video Productions, and has produced many of his own instructional videos providing strategies that have made Mathews "the most feared one-pocket player in the world.[3] He currently writes a monthly instruction column for InsidePOOL Magazine and has been a contributing writer to other pool periodicals such as Billiards Digest, 1984-1987, as well as The National Billiard News.

American Pool Champion Rodney Morris in consultation with Mathews at the 2003 Derby City Classic in Louisville, Kentucky
American Pool Champion Rodney Morris in consultation with Mathews at the 2003 Derby City Classic in Louisville, Kentucky

Today, he lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife Randi and continues to compete professionally as well as putting on exhibitions, pool clincis, and private lessons throughout the United States.[4]

Contents

[edit] Early Days

Mathews took up pool in the late 1950s while living in California. When he was 14 years old in San Mateo, California, Mathews began playing pool at a local bowling alley. When he reached 18, he commuted to nearby San Francisco to watch great pool players of this era, claiming it was very important to watch the game being played by those who know how.[5] He took his game on the road in the 1960s and graduated to become a top player in straight pool, nine-ball, one-pocket, and bank pool. Straight pool was the game played in most American tournaments before the 1960s, but when television broadcast came to the fore, the shorter game of nine-ball replaced straight pool, and a professional player was required to play all games to survive. The era of straight pool played with clay or mud balls on 5-by-10 tables was replaced by the 4½-by-9's and the plastic balls that are commonly used today.[6]

Over the next 35 years, Mathews captured several major titles in the four forms of the game, although he is best known for his successes in one-pocket.

[edit] Professional career

At the 1984 Busch Open Nine-Ball at Miller Time Billiards in Moline, Illinois, Mathews captured the first-place prize monies as well as a Brunswick Gold Crown pool table, defeating Howard Vickery in the finals. [7]

In December 2005, Grady Mathews competed in the International Pool Tour King of the Hill Shootout in Orlando, Florida, an invitational event consisting of 43 pool players with accomplishments in the discipline of pocket billiards, and is a member of the International Pool Tour.[8]

Mathews, considered a veteran in the pocket billiards industry, promoted and produced the following pool tournaments:

[edit] Filmography

In 1986, Mathews played the character "Dud"[9] with Paul Newman and Tom Cruise in Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Color of Money,[10] loosely based on the novel by Walter Tevis (the sequel to The Hustler).

[edit] Titles

  • 1983 Red's Open One-pocket (Houston, Texas)
  • 1984 World One-pocket
  • 1984 River City Open One-pocket (Austin, Texas)
  • 1984 Busch World Nine-ball (Moline, Illinois)
  • 1985 Red's Open One-pocket (Houston, Texas)
  • 1995 Legends of One-pocket (Olathe, Kansas)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Grady Mathews, One-Pocket Hall of Fame, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2007
  2. ^ "Grady's Grad School," InsidePOOL Magazine, page 18, December 2005
  3. ^ Page 3, The National Billiard News, February 1986. Retrieved May 19, 2007
  4. ^ GradyMathews.com
  5. ^ "Player Profiles", by Elaine Smith and Benny Conway, page 47, Snap Magazine. Retrieved August 4, 2007
  6. ^ "Rack 'em Up with Grady 'The Professor' Mathews", by Steve Booth, OnePocket.org
  7. ^ "It's Mathews at Busch Open Nine-ball," page 6, The National Billiard News, November 1984. Retrieved May 18, 2007
  8. ^ International Pool Tour Player Bio Retrieved May 19, 2007
  9. ^ Internet Movie Database Inc. (1990-2007). "Grady Mathews, Actor", at IMDb. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  10. ^ Internet Movie Database Inc. (1990-2007). "The Color of Money" at IMDb. Retrieved May 19, 2007
v • d • e
Cue sports
Pocket billiards (pool)
Carom billiards
Other games
Resources