Walter Lindrum’s Wizardry

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 903, 21 February 1930, Page 9

Walter Lindrum’s Wizardry

ENGLISH CRITIC’S TRIBUTE “Modern Cinquevalli of Billiards”

Several visits to the Memorial Hall in Farringdon Street, where Walter Bind rum is proving such a powerful attraction, have served to emphasise first impressions of the Australian as the master-craftsman of the billiards world (writes "Hazard" in London “Sporting Life”). Without a doubt Lindrum is the world’s wizard of the green cloth. His play borders on the uncanny! Superb of touch, with a cue action as even and regular as a sweetly-mov-ing piston-rod, his stance is ideatf Delicate as he is machine-like during his nursery cannon runs, Lindrum’s rapid scoring is a revelation. Jn this particular branch he has revolutionised the game. What a pity he is not to be a contender for the championship! Notwithstanding that, and the fact I have often stressed in these columns —that the championship must supply the real test of a player’s ability—it is hard to realise even for one moment that any other living player possesses the remotest, chance of beating Lindrum over any distance on level terms. In fact, the difficulty would be to handicap the foremost professionals to give them a chance! CONSISTENT HANDICAPPERS By comparison with Lindrum’s classic genius, Smith, Davis and Newman must be rated merely as consistent handicappers, if the borrowing of a racing expression bo permitted. Eliminating freak billiards. Lindrum stands as the ideal combination of all the giants of the table that have come and gone during the last century. Those unable to attend Lindrum’s exhibitions should try to visualise a player as deadly as the elder Peall and Mitchell as winning hazard strikers, on© with the deftness of touch of Reece and Falkiner at their very best, and with the subtlety of Stevenson in tho close-cannon department. with the all-round ability of John Roberts, Smith and Inman at their best. Those who can draw such a picture can realise what a master of his craft Lindrum is. A perfect scoring machine, it has justifiably been suggested that if it were possible to remain mentally alert he should never break down. His style of play recalls Cinquevalli. He juggles with the ivories in a manner reminiscent of that famous stage artist. PRECISE DROP CANNONS Drop cannons are played so precisely as to collect the object balls within a radius of inches. Otherwise Lindrum displays surprise! Nursery cannons are made with amazing dexterity, and without a moment’s thought.

While the ordinary player is registering a dozen breaks. Lindrum is amassing hundreds. One break last week of upward of 600 was compiled in 20 minutes. A few years ago a century in seven or eight minutes was regarded as something out of the ordinary. No other player of our experience has utilised the cushions to 1 the same extent. He acquaints himself with their exact strength, knowing the va.lue of their assistance. By this system shot after shot is simplified. It is not surprising that those with only an elementary knowledge of the gam© go into ecstasies over his play. And in Lindrum's case no superlative is too flowery. He is the preesnt-day wonder of the billiards world and, at tho ideal age, is likely to remain so for years to come. Well as Smith has played during the past week, he has never looked like holding Lindrum. Smith has rolled out his big breaks day after day. but his opponent has always capped them with bigger. Not even in the days of George Gray with his gigantic red-ball breaks has there been such red-hot interest in the game. Gray was only a one-stroke player: Lindrum, as has been said, is master of every intricate phase.