What is the best DVD for learning the Diamond System?

Hey Cuejunkie,go to youtube and type in Dr Cue,there are a couple of videos' with him in there,just to give you an idea of how simply he explains things and has a great sense of humor too.And my apologies to Dr.Dave,his site is terrific too,just a simple oversight on my part.

Grady Mathews 3 rail system is about as simple as it gets. It works on knowing the scratch point on the first rail, then making simple adjustments based on where the cb is, and where you want the cb to go.
There are a ton of good systems out there, but if you need quick and easy, Gradys system is the way to go.
He shows it in several videos too.
Chuck

I'm with just about everyone else...all the video's listed are good systems.

Since you mentioned not wanting/unable to do the math or memorize a bunch of numbers, I would not recommend the Jimmy Reid videos. But I must say if you take some time to watch/learn his systems, it becomes much easier down the road. I would invest again in the "Almost all I know" set. Every time I watch it, I learn something I didn't know before.

If you go the route of Grady, the Finer points of banking and safety play might be best for you. I would follow it up with Only Kicks, in which Grady goes through most of the same material, at a faster pace and talks about a couple things not in the Finer Points. "Finer Points" was the first video I watched on diamond systems, circa 1997, and the way he presented everything really clicked in my head and the pieces fell together well for me.

I would say I got more out of these three video's than I did out of the monk 202 series and lil Joe's video. However, I did learn from these, but not nearly as much as the previous ones. I do own all of these however, and go back to them all from time to time, and I really hope Joe does get Vol 3 of Pool IQ complete sometime in the near future.

dr_dave said:

FYI, here are some videos covering the most popular diamond systems:

NV B.81 - Bank and kick shot terminology and basics, from VEPS IV
NV B.82 - Rolling-cue-ball through-diamond kick-shot aiming system, from VEPS IV
NV B.83 - Shallow-angle contact-point-mirror-image kick-shot aiming system, from VEPS IV
NV B.84 - Plus System for aiming two-rail kick shots, from VEPS IV
NV B.85 - Corner-Five System for aiming three-rail kick shots, from VEPS IV​

Enjoy,
Dave

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I hope many people take the time to actually look at the gold in the links provided here. Thanks Dr. Dave.

cuejunkie said:

I am coaching an alternate for my league team and would like to familiarize both him and myself with the Diamond System.

What are some good DVD's that teach/explain this system?

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I liked Jimmys dvd for kicking but found his Diamond System complicated.

"Don Feeney's: The Diamond System" is much easier to understand. I don't know if it is available on dvd I have it on VHS.

If some of you are talking about Jimmy's system using the number system, I agree it can be a little difficult. But the Gold system that he teaches on his DVD where you pick a spot exactly across from your target, is very simple and very effective. It is great for three and four rail kicks. I think some of the systems get way to complicated, at least for me. If you have tried Jimmy's Gold system, and can't seem to get it to work, if you drop me a PM, I will help you if I can.

irock said:

If some of you are talking about Jimmy's system using the number system, I agree it can be a little difficult. But the Gold system that he teaches on his DVD where you pick a spot exactly across from your target, is very simple and very effective. It is great for three and four rail kicks. I think some of the systems get way to complicated, at least for me. If you have tried Jimmy's Gold system, and can't seem to get it to work, if you drop me a PM, I will help you if I can.

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Do you mean the second diamond system? That is a good one. I wish the cushions on my table were better. I would practice this more.

I like

Donald Duck on youtube for the basics and then Jimmy Reid:thumbup:

Kicking basics is all about reflection. The diamond system is complicated. Learn two or three dead angles and then adjusting for where you are on the table is so much easier. after you find the deads you experiment with english and practice to see what it does. I say experiment because you don't hit the ball exactly like the guy next to you. You have to find a little of yourself after you learn the basics. Alot of bank pool players see some angles naturally because they've played so much.

A system is all about building a foundation

When someone says.....what works for me may or may not work for you it doesn't mean my faith in the system is shaky. It means that parts of this system work for me better than others. People think differently.

Like for instance. When you're teaching a particular kick, some people use extreme english and some people use none. It's all personal preference, but the basic angle is still there. One person can shoot a shot 10 times and not get it, but you shift the angle and add english and a speed they are comfortable with and they'll hit it atleast 1 out of 4.

You learn a system to give you something to base the rest off of. diamond system is all about the math. You don't see bank or kick players with calculators out doing 5.25 plus 1.75 is 7 on every shot.

Of course i'm a nobody so don't take what I say to heart.

Good luck with your studies

I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned lil Joe villapondos "pool IQ" DVD. That, IMO, is some of the best material on diamond system kicking. In addition to the excellent material, the DVD also has great graphic overlays to show the cueball paths.

Joe is an excellent teacher that is also a great player. He has the knowledge AND the playing ability to know what works, and how to execute it.


Eric >pooliq.com or pooliq.net

TX Poolnut said:

dr_dave said:

FYI, here are some videos covering the most popular diamond systems:

NV B.81 - Bank and kick shot terminology and basics, from VEPS IV
NV B.82 - Rolling-cue-ball through-diamond kick-shot aiming system, from VEPS IV
NV B.83 - Shallow-angle contact-point-mirror-image kick-shot aiming system, from VEPS IV
NV B.84 - Plus System for aiming two-rail kick shots, from VEPS IV
NV B.85 - Corner-Five System for aiming three-rail kick shots, from VEPS IV​

Enjoy,
Dave

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I hope many people take the time to actually look at the gold in the links provided here. Thanks Dr. Dave.

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Thanks Todd. I put a lot of time and effort into VEPS-IV. It is almost 2 hours long. I think it is my favorite VEPS disc so far.

Regards,
Dave

Myrtle_04, good points to think about, dr-dave, thanks for the clips, I will definately experiment with them.

cuekev said:

Do you mean the second diamond system? That is a good one. I wish the cushions on my table were better. I would practice this more.

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On disc 1 of "all I know" Jimmy refers to it as the home court advantage system, he also calls it the "spot on the wall" as does Grady in "Only Kicks". For this system to work, you still need to know the starting points for the banks/kicks to which it applies, but it absolutely makes things easier, so long as no one moves the items you are using for your known points.

Another aspect of Little Joe's teachings that adds LAYERS of knowledge to your kicking is...he can show you how to do this with precision! No guesswork whatsoever.

Joe's developed a three-circle clock system for tip placement (on the CB) that gives you the basis to accurately bend a kick just about anywhere you want. Let's face it, most kicking systems fail when you end up with an interefering ball right on your line...such as the 4B & 9B in the attached drawing. Joe shows you how to work around that.

CueTable Help

Here's another example of how Joe's system can open up whole new kicking lanes for you. Let's say the table you are playing on requires you to aim at the 2nd diamond for the typical 3-rail kick to the corner (the black line)...you know this because you've tested out the table before your match, right?

Let's assume a situation comes up where you can't see the 2nd diamond due to an interefering ball. Joe teaches his students how to adjust the kick (by changing the english applied to the CB) so it can still be made...either going long or short of the interefering ball (red & blue lines).

CueTable Help

Jimmy Reids is super. An at a great price. An a cool guy. :smile:

cuekev said:

I liked Jimmys dvd for kicking but found his Diamond System complicated.

"Don Feeney's: The Diamond System" is much easier to understand. I don't know if it is available on dvd I have it on VHS.

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I agree - Don Feeney's Diamond system VHS is a good one. I think Fast Eddie Parker had one, too.

I've noticed that none of the books or DVDs that have been recommended include Banking With The Beard. Is that because it doesn't focus on the Diamond System?

I've been "kicking" around the idea of getting the Beard's book or DVD, but don't really know what it includes. Does it cover systems or mostly individual shots?

I admit I have never used any kicking system, but how can a system be so great when speed and english are the most important factors?

Not an argument, just a question.

Nature Boy said:

I admit I have never used any kicking system, but how can a system be so great when speed and english are the most important factors?

Not an argument, just a question.

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For slow to medium speed, the through-diamond, rolling-CB, one-rail-kick system is very accurate:


With the two-rail-kick Plus System, speed and English can be your friends. For more info, see:


Regards,
Dave