“And there’s the Z-stroke — put that on the highlight reel!”
Those words still echo in the halls of pool history — because when Efren “Bata” Reyes picked up a cue, geometry itself bent to his will. Today, we look back at the legendary
Z-strokes that stunned the world — the kinds of shots that only the Magician could imagine, let alone execute.
So, without further ado — let’s dive in.
THE BEGINNING — DENNIS HATCH VS. EFREN REYES (1991)
It was 1991. A young Dennis Hatch faced the Filipino legend in a classic nine-ball duel. Hatch executed a tight counter-kick safety, leaving the one ball completely hidden.
But then —
Efren stepped up.
He calculated a three-rail kick, threading the cue ball through impossible angles, hitting the one ball full — and pocketing the nine on the opposite corner.
The crowd erupted. That single shot wasn’t luck. It was foresight, calculation, and the magic touch that would become Efren’s signature.
“That’s not pool,” one commentator whispered.
“That’s physics with personality.”
THE CLASSIC — EFREN REYES VS. JOHN SMITH (U.S. OPEN, 1994)
This was the year the world finally witnessed the Magician.
In a tense tactical battle, both players traded safety after safety. John Smith executed a perfect kick save — but Efren wasn’t done.
He lined up, smiled faintly, and played an outrageous zig-zag kick — the cue ball danced across the rails in a Z-shaped path, hit the target ball dead-on, and left perfect position.
That shot, captured live on U.S. television, became the textbook definition of the Z-stroke — a creative, artistic positional play that looked like luck to amateurs, but pure science to pros.
Efren would go on to win the match 8–4, and just a few months later, the entire championship — becoming the first non-American to win the U.S. Open Nine-Ball title
THE MASTERPIECE — EFREN VS. GABE OWEN (U.S. OPEN, 2005)
Fast forward to 2005.
The venue: Chesapeake, Virginia.
The atmosphere: electric.
Efren Reyes, now a living legend, faced young champion
Gabe Owen in one of the most iconic matches ever recorded.
Midway through the match, Efren faced a nightmare position — the four ball needed to lead into the seven, but the eight and nine blocked every natural path.
Then, the whisper from the booth:
“He’s pointing… is he going to try the Z-stroke?”
Efren lined up, hit low with controlled power — the cue ball bounced rail to rail in a perfect Z pattern
, stopped dead behind the seven for flawless position.
The audience gasped. The commentators laughed in disbelief.
“And there’s the Z-stroke! Put that on the highlight reel!”
He cleared the rack, won the match 11–8, and walked off with quiet grace — as if such shots were routine. For Efren, maybe they were.
THE LAST MAGIC ACT — EFREN REYES VS. ROB SAIS (JUNIOR NORRIS MEMORIAL, 2019)
Efren Reyes — 62 years old.
Most would have retired. But the Magician was still performing miracles.
In the finals of the Junior Norris Memorial Shootout, against defending champion Rob Sais, Efren found himself corner-hooked on the six ball. The crowd thought it was over.
Then came the familiar calm — the quiet chalking of his cue.
Efren measured, leaned, and softly kicked two rails — the cue ball glided perfectly into the six, sank it cleanly
, and stopped dead on the eight for shape.
Gasps. Applause. Awe.
Even at 62, he was still rewriting physics.
Efren went on to win the tournament, smiling humbly as always.
“Sometimes, the ball just listens,” he said afterward, half-joking, half-mystical.
THE GENIUS OF THE Z-STROKE
The Z-stroke isn’t just a shot — it’s a symbol of Efren’s mind.
Where others saw walls, he saw windows.
Where others saw defeat, he saw an angle — three cushions away.
Every Z-stroke carried more than just points. It carried the philosophy that made him immortal:
“There’s always a way — if you can see it.”