Spidey,Dr. Dave:
I noticed your BU score has you rated at semi-pro. Would you be willing to record some uneditted 14.1 run attempts or a 9b ghost race? It'd be interesting to see how accurate your rating system is.
As I mentioned at the beginning on this BU thing, people become proficient at the TEST, not playing ability.
You must not have seen the statement I included with the post of my latest videos and scores. I think it explains things fairly well. Here it is again:
I can hear the detractors already. ... They will say: "There is no way you are a A++/AAA player (based on the BU rating) or an A+ player (based on the 10-ball ghost drill)." Concerning the BU rating, they would be right. I definitely don't play like a AAA player. However, remember that these are the best runs at the exams I have been able to accomplish over a many-month period. Also, I'm playing on an 8' table with fairly generous pockets. Now, if a person were to get a score of 160 on a 9' table with tight pockets on a regular basis (which I for one can't do), then the A++/AAA/semi-pro rating would probably be appropriate.
I would be happy to post 10-ball ghost drill runs on video. I have posted my 10-ball ghost scores with my BU scores, but I have not posted any video for these. If it will make you feel better, I would be happy to post some 10-ball ghost video. FYI, my best 10-racks-of-10-ball-ghost score to date is a 62 (A+), but I'm sure I can do better with more practice.
I also hope you will try the BU Exams and post some scores and videos. If you are as good as you claim, and if it is as as you claim to score really high by "practicing" the drills, you should easily be able to post perfect scores on both Exam I and the Doctorate version of Exam II. I look forward to seeing your results.
I think the most accurate player rating will occur after minimal "practice" with the Exams. And I agree with you that after "practice," a person should be able to increase their scores, especially with some of the drills (e.g., the kick shot and bank shot drills). However, if a person does not have good run-out skills and does not have good skill-shot technique (e.g., with the jump and break shot), they will not improve their Exam II scores very much unless they practice enough to actually develop and improve their skills. Actually, that's the main purpose for the BU Exams: to provide a useful and thorough pool workout that will motivate you to practice by having a goal to work toward.
I look forward to seeing your scores and videos, both after an initial attempt (in which case I suspect the rating will be fairly accurate) and after lots of "practice" with the exams, in which case the rating will be more as I described in the quote above from a previous post.
I hope you are the first to post a perfect score in either Exam. I certainly plan to some day a video of a perfect score on the Masters-level Exam II on my "8' table with generous pockets." Will that mean I am a perfect player? Absolutely not!!!
Good luck on the exams,
Dave