This is not a joke.
When playing pool some people have a awareness of whats on the table as opposed to what they can do.
I am thinking someone new goes to a pool hall and instead of someone saying join or lets shoot, a player can be given a written test or brochure.
The potential pool player can read it and then become informed of the great sport while being given a spatial awareness test.
Ive been hearing about social media challenges. How about billiard IQ test, pros and amateurs alike can use it to build community?
Sports teams do this, I dont know if there is a standard for pool though.
the main concept is let new people read about pool and get educated on it.
i tried some brain teasers only pool players would know and it feels fun
then the standard ones about physics
A brochure at a pool hall would be nice. It would be a good thing for either a hall, or better yet, someone in the industry, like diamond/brunswick/etc to produce and distribute to their customers. Some of the older pool books are good for introducing new players to the game, some of the old mosconi books, and many beginner books have the right idea. The older books seem to be very good at introducing a complete beginner (pre internet and sometimes color tv era) to the ideas of pool. Mastering Pool by George Fels is a real trip, good book even for the more advanced players. Back then they kept it simple and that's probably best for beginners. Show a standard pool stance, open and closed bridge, how to follow, draw, etc. Maybe introduce something like aiming (ghost ball would probably be simplest). Work in the fact that by using different spin, you can leave the cueball in an easy spot for the next shot. I had a non pool playing buddy and I explained cueball spin and leave to him and it blew his mind. He's a smart guy but he thought every shot was random other than how far the cb goes after a hit (speed/hardness of shot). It's like a light bulb went off and he got way more interested. Work in the approximate angle the CB takes after contact on a rolling or a stop/non rolling shot.
I don't know if I'd mess much with showing banks, maybe just a simple mirror system and say it takes practice to get the feel. Fly on the wall is great for teaching people 3 rail in person, but it's probably WAY too much for a beginner brochure.
Don't assume anything, explain what
CHALK is and how/why you should use it on every shot. Explain that clean, washed and dried hands will make playing and stroking much smoother/better. It's simple stuff we don't even think about, but I know from seeing my non pool playing friends shoot 8 shots without chalk until they miscue, it's not a thing beginners know about. If you don't know, you don't know.
No clue if there would be enough space, but simple pool etiquette might be a good addition, or make a separate brochure. Things like not sitting drinks or your butt on the table, regular bathing, not talking or moving around while your opponent shoots, not being on your phone and missing your turn, etc. The phone thing... good luck with younger non pool players. You gotta get them interested before they will leave their phone in their pocket. Speaking of phones... maybe a QR code at the counter or by the cue racks could get a few cell phone zombies to view the material. Paper is so "grandpa tier" in today's world.
Pocket speed and not needing to hit hard would be a good thing to show as would follow through. It might even be worthwhile to show the "shoot the CB to the diamond and back to your tip" drill for getting your stroke straight. That one drill can give new players the feel for the mechanics and give them hope in this punishing game.
