99 Critical Shots In Pool should be on dvd

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
I don't know the cost of getting a dvd produced but Ray Martin already has one of, if not the best pool training books out there. Again, I don't know how hard it is to make a dvd but he could just follow his book with the shots he teaches on the dvd. I think it would sell pretty good. Johnnyt
 
99 Critical Shots is by far the greatest book ever written about the game of pool. It is the only book that you need - I say that in my books.

I think the book stands on its own.

I spoke with Ray a couple of years about doing a DVD (geared towards 14.1), but it never materialized.

I'm still willing to do the DVD with Ray ...

(you listening Fatboy?)

However, I don't want it to just be an instructional DVD, I would like to do a DVD that also documents Ray's career - his world championships - his greatest matches, etc.

Pool should do that for all its champions.

Ghostball, send me a PM and I will explain the particulars.
 
Johnnyt said:
I don't know the cost of getting a dvd produced
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Really not bad, more effort than cost. If your reasonably good with software and you have a decent digital camcorder, lighting & a table... you could do it pretty cheap.


Johnnyt said:
but Ray Martin already has one of, if not the best pool training books out there. Again, I don't know how hard it is to make a dvd but he could just follow his book with the shots he teaches on the dvd.
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No idea why he hasn't. Frankly, doesnt make sense. In all the years it's been out and been recognized as one of the holy grail instructional tools for pool... why he hasnt bothered to try to cash in a bit using multimedia... dunno.
 
That is a great book. My only issue with it is how much he strokes his own ego constantly. At least with a book I can skip over it. I don't think I could deal with that in video form though.
 
JCurry said:
That is a great book. My only issue with it is how much he strokes his own ego constantly. At least with a book I can skip over it. I don't think I could deal with that in video form though.
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A player that has won 3 World Championships can have as big of an ego as they wish. (JMO).

:p

Ray is an excellent teacher - here is a video of Ray teaching 14.1 (courtesy of dmgwalsh).

Ray Martin 14.1 Clinic
 
books and DVD's can compliment each other

The 99 shots book is one I keep handy to flip through when I am looking to kill a few minutes. So many nuggets in there that I catch things I had forgotten pretty much every time I look at it.

How strong would it be to have the book and a DVD with every shot indexed on the DVD so that you could look at the shot in real time if it wasn't working for you?

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
The 99 shots book is one I keep handy to flip through when I am looking to kill a few minutes. So many nuggets in there that I catch things I had forgotten pretty much every time I look at it.

How strong would it be to have the book and a DVD with every shot indexed on the DVD so that you could look at the shot in real time if it wasn't working for you?

Hu
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That's what I'm talking about. Johnnyt
 
I like your idea about making it in dvd form......would love to see the book accompany it in spiral-bound form....so it would lay flat on the table. All pool teaching books should be spiral- bound. (although the cost would go up).
 
javi2 said:
I like your idea about making it in dvd form......would love to see the book accompany it in spiral-bound form....so it would lay flat on the table. All pool teaching books should be spiral- bound. (although the cost would go up).
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It actually costs less to produce my books in spiral bound than in saddle-stitch and perfect bound. It depends which company you use (I use Lulu Publishing). I have always found the spiral bound to be user friendly for players to take to the pool table, lay it out flat, and accurately recreate the diagrams.
 
99 Critical Shots in Pool is a book I always recommend to players of every caliber, but I never ever offer to loan my copy. I don't want to have to replace it...
 
supergreenman said:
I've read the book multiple times, bought it twice and I've never noticed any ego stroking.

none.

nada.
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I'm with you on this, I've met Ray {albeit, many years ago} and he seemed proud of his accomplishments, not egotistical at all.
 
occasional ego stroking

JCurry said:
That is a great book. My only issue with it is how much he strokes his own ego constantly. At least with a book I can skip over it. I don't think I could deal with that in video form though.
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There is the occasional comment that would have to be taken as ego stroking if Ray Martin wrote it. However these are always written in the second or third person so I assume that Rosser Reeves, Mr. Martin's co-author, actually wrote these things.

Hu
 
It's definitely a great idea. Sometimes seeing diagrams just doesn't "sell" a player on a concept. They have to see it unfold before their eyes on a real pool table before they believe the shot goes in or the cue ball will go where the book said it would. It also gives a better sense of the speed in certain shots; the viewer can see you need to really pound certain caroms in order to make sure the first object ball hits the 2nd in a sliding state rather than at a rapid roll.

Beyond that, the diagrams in the book are a bit weak. They get the job done, but they show some stuff in an unrealistic way. For one thing, the balls are larger than the pockets.

If Mr. Martin doesn't want to go 'reinvent the wheel' so to speak, maybe some player would like to create a 'video companion' with his permission... a DVD that shows each shot correctly executed, maybe with a little explanation from the shooter. But the bulk of the explanation would come from the book itself. The goal isn't to make a replacement for the book... just a supplement.
 
Good Idea

Tiddler said:
99 Critical Shots in Pool is a book I always recommend to players of every caliber, but I never ever offer to loan my copy. I don't want to have to replace it...
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I've probably given more than 20 copies of his book to player's I've coached over the years,and always used the copy I was going to give them as the teaching aide at the table. Good Idea!!
 
Without reading the preceeding posts I gotta say that I prefer it in book form. It's easier to access the information.... for me.
 
This book is a must have in hard copy form if you play the game. It's easy to read & follow. One doesn't have to read it or study it all at once. IMO, the diagrams are easy to follow & nothing in the book is rocket science like the book the science of pocket billiards.
 
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I got smart

DoubleD said:
Man, if I had all of the books I've given away...

...I'd have a boatload of books.

Funny thing is, I give my favorites away and end up happily buying them again. I've had three copies of 99 critical shots and am going to buy another this week.

I bet I don't own it more than five months.
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I got smart! :D

I bought three brand new copies of my favorite ragged old book and gave the new ones away instead of my copy. I do the same thing with a friend's music CD's.

Hu
 
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