In the world of billiards, where shots require absolute precision and endless creativity, there is only one name that truly commands the respect of the world – Efren “Bata” Reyes, who is known as “The Wizard” or “The Living Legend of Billiards”.
Among his many talents, there is one skill that has taken his name to a different level – the artistic kick. He is not just an excellent player, he is the one who turns every seemingly impossible shot into a masterpiece, leaving both spectators and opponents in awe.
In any tournament, when Efren Reyes is faced with a difficult situation – when the target ball is hidden, when the shot angle is too dangerous or when the possibility of scoring seems impossible – that is when he shines the most. His kick shots not only save the table but also often put him in the perfect position, as if everything had been calculated to the millimeter.
Reyes did not just hit to escape, he turned the defensive shot into a sharp weapon, forcing his opponent into a passive position. Many experts have said that when Reyes steps onto the table, especially in a complicated game, the opponent should be mentally prepared that "anything can happen" - because no one can predict what Reyes will do next.
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Many times, audiences around the world have stood up and applauded after seemingly risky but flawless kicks. One shot made the white ball take a complicated detour, hit three cushions and then return to the target ball. Or once, he used the kick to force his opponent's ball into a defensive position, creating the perfect position to score another point. No software can replicate the subtlety and precision of each shot like Reyes.
Former world champion Earl Strickland once said:
“No one in the world can kick like Efren. When he is faced with a situation that everyone thinks is dead end, he turns it into an opportunity to score. That is genius.”
Reyes’s virtuosity comes from a perfect combination of intelligence, spatial awareness, and power control. In a famous match at the World Pool Championship, he kicked the white ball across three cushions to hit the object ball hidden behind a series of blocks – a shot that not only saved the game but also left his opponent stunned, unable to believe his eyes.
What makes the world respect Reyes is not only his technique, but also his sportsmanship and humility. Despite being a legend, he always smiled gently after each shot, not arrogant, not ostentatious. He played for passion, for the love of billiards, and that made millions of people admire him.
In the eyes of young players today, Efren Reyes is not only a technical icon, he is a living textbook on the art of kicking shots. They review his matches, analyze each shot, each angle, and many people have said that "we learn more from one video of Reyes than a whole year of training".
It is worth mentioning that Reyes is not a person with outstanding physical strength, he is not a muscular or agile athlete. But he possesses a genius mind and a heart that loves billiards passionately, which helps him survive and dominate for decades, regardless of age or the changes of the times.
Today, whenever Reyes appears at exhibition tournaments or international competitions, audiences flock from all over the world just to see him play. They don’t wait for spectacular scores, they wait for magical moments – when Reyes stands in front of an “impossible” situation and… makes it happen.
His kicks are art in motion, a display of mathematics, physics and intuition. And because of that, Reyes is not just an excellent billiards player, he has become a living legend – a monument that the entire billiards world must look up to.
Just one shot, one look, one touch of the ball – is enough to make the audience amazed and cheer. They don’t just watch Reyes play, they witness miracles. And when that magic is repeated over and over again, over the decades, there is no doubt: Efren Reyes is the King of the Kick, the man who changed the way the world sees the complexity and beauty of billiards.
In short, from defensive shots that no one else dares to execute, to unbelievable shots calculated in seconds, Reyes has earned everyone's respect and admiration. He is an irreplaceable legend, a timeless icon - and with each of those skillful kicks, the whole world is reminded that: billiards is not just a game, but an art, and Reyes is the greatest artist.
