The World Trick Shot Championships is a worldwide championship of trick shot pool. The competition was first held in 1991 and took place on snooker tables. It was organized by Matchroom Sport. Matchroom Sport organized the competition. The judges evaluated players based on their technical merits and presentation style. The 2005 competition took place at Celtic Manor.
Many professional billiards players from around the world began performing tricks shots in the 1970s. These players were awarded prizes like the World Championship of Artistic Pool, International Challenge Cup, or the Swedish Championship. Today, trick shot is a form of pool that is a sanctioned sport by the World Pool-Billiard Association. Trick shot artists not only play in tournaments but also teach the sport to others.
Mike Massey, a trick-shot artist from the UK, has been a household name since the late 1970s. Massey has shared many games with athletes like Jason Gedrick or Paul Sorvino. Massey is also an instructor and fund-raiser for the sport. His performances at the Waste Management Pheonix Open and the Volvo PGA at Wentworth have garnered him a significant level of visibility.
Mike Massey has been teaching many professionals in the sport, including Scott Baiin, Dean Cain, and James Tolkan. He has been a member and winner of several professional international competitions. This team has also performed at the HSBC Championships in Abu Dhabi and at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
Jim Sommer is another great trick shot artist. He has participated at many international Trick-shot turning competitions and has also traveled all over the United States to compete for the US Nationals. He was the winner of the US Nationals Artistic Pool Championship.
The World Trick Shot Artists Association, (WTSAA), is an association of trick shot artists around the world. Paul Gerni, world champion trick shot artist, is the founder of the association. The WTSAA book contains 160 tricks. These tricks include machine gun shots, quick-fire shots, and the "kick". Other trick shots include: the "pro", the "extreme" and the "proper" shots.
Tim "The Dragon", the 2022 US Nationals Artistic Pool Champion in Artistic Pool, won the title by beating Jason "The Michigan Kid", Lynch in the finals. Both Lynch and Chin are WPA World Ranked. Lynch is still in school at Ohio State, but Chin is a more experienced professional.
The Trick Shot Magic competition will take place October 9-10. This competition will feature eight international stars of the sport. The prize pool is $40,000. Each player will get to choose between six and ten of the predetermined shots. Each player will have three chances to complete each shot after they've chosen their favorite shots. A point will be awarded to the player who completes a successful shot.
Geoff McIlroy was the best trick shot artist of all time for many years. Noel Hunt taught him how to do trick shots. He has fallen from ladders and met people that he never thought he would meet, but he has never given up on trying.