Another excerpt from "The Hustler" script;

... in that cheap, crummy poolroom ... Now,
why'd I do it, Sarah? Why'd I do it? I coulda
beat that guy, I coulda beat him cold. He
never woulda known. But I just had to show 'em,
I just had to show those creeps and those punks
what the game is like when it's great, when
it's really great. You know, like anything can
be great -- anything can be great ... I don't
care, bricklaying can be great. If a guy
knows. If he knows what he's doing and why, and
if he can make it come off. I mean, when I'm
goin' -- when I'm really goin' -- I feel
like...
[[beat)
... like a jockey must feel. He's sittin'
on his horse, he's got all that speed and that
power underneath him, he's comin' into the
stretch, the pressure's on him -- and he
knows -- just feels -- when to let it go, and
how much. 'Cause he's got everything workin'
for him -- timing, touch. It's a great feeling,
boy, it's a real great feeling when you're
right, and you know you're right. It's like all
of a sudden I got oil in my arm. Pool cue's
part of me. You know, it's a -- pool cue's got
nerves in it. It's a piece of wood -- it's got
nerves in it. You feel the roll of those balls.
You don't have to look. You just know. Ya make
shots that nobody's ever made before. And you
play that game the way nobody's ever played it
before.