“101 Tips to Improve Your Game” by George Fels. Priceless gems for beginners and AAAs alike

arnaldo

arnaldo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
“101 Tips to Improve Your Game” by George Fels

Haven’t seen this mentioned on AZB for a few years so I thought it might be helpful to post it for newer members and anyone who missed it or would like a refresher viewing.

Exactly thirty years ago, George Fels’ great above-named article appeared in Billiards Digest magazine. Kudos to Dr Dave for having featured a pdf of it for a number of years on his incredibly instructive site. George's article runs 4 pages and you may enjoy reading the thoughts of a skilled and articulate billiards writer who was, not least, also a superlative non-pro Straight Pool player who routinely ran 80s, 90s and often 100s (seven sequential racks, plus).

A number of these gems will be stimulating no matter what your favorite pool game is, even to top-level players. To download, read and print out a 4-page pdf of the article just click on this link:

https://billiards.colostate.edu/resource_files/Fels_101_tips.pdf

The pdf contains all the original 101 short paragraphs of George’s wisdom gleaned from his lifetime of playing and meticulously observing the game, and his intelligent distilling of what works. I encourage improvement-minded players to print out the pages in order to review them more carefully for present and future use.

(Btw, tip # 41 should be read as “Inside” english. Likely a typo that wasn’t caught in the 1991 original article.)

Arnaldo ~ (a personal fav of mine -- among several dozen other of his priceless gems is #82 advising: "train yourself to observe your game -- rather than judging it". That wisdom uncannily clears and focuses your path to rapid progress (and should also govern the regular tune-ups all of us at any skill level need from time to time).
 
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I miss George. While living in Chicago I use to run into him at Chris's during the day. He would come in and shoot straight pool all alone and occasionally you could chat with him after he finished. I tried many times to play with him to no avail. The Chicago scene lost a lot of greats in the last ten years or so. George Fels was one of them. Along with John Davis, Freddy Bentivegna, and perhaps least known The Polish Prince, George Pawelski... All great pool characters, players and contributors to pool and its roots in the Windy City!
 
arnaldo said:
“101 Tips to Improve Your Game” by George Fels

Haven’t seen this mentioned on AZB for a few years so I thought it might be helpful to post it for newer members and anyone who missed it or would like a refresher viewing.

Exactly thirty years ago, George Fels’ great above-named article appeared in Billiards Digest magazine. Kudos to Dr Dave for having featured a pdf of it for a number of years on his incredibly instructive site. George's article runs 4 pages and you may enjoy reading the thoughts of a skilled and articulate billiards writer who was, not least, also a superlative non-pro Straight Pool player who routinely ran 80s, 90s and often 100s (seven sequential racks, plus).

A number of these gems will be stimulating no matter what your favorite pool game is, even to top-level players. To download, read and print out a 4-page pdf of the article just click on this link:

https://billiards.colostate.edu/resource_files/Fels_101_tips.pdf

The pdf contains all the original 101 short paragraphs of George’s wisdom gleaned from his lifetime of playing and meticulously observing the game, and his intelligent distilling of what works. I encourage improvement-minded players to print out the pages in order to review them more carefully for present and future use.

(Btw, tip # 41 should be read as “Inside” english. Likely a typo that wasn’t caught in the 1991 original article.)

Arnaldo ~ (a personal fav of mine -- among several dozen other of his priceless gems is #82 advising: "train yourself to observe your game -- rather than judging it". That wisdom uncannily clears and focuses your path to rapid progress (and should also govern the regular tune-ups all of us at any skill level need from time to time).
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I put this up, with permission from George and Billiards Digest, many years ago. I removed it from my mediafire account due to some problems. I offered it to members via email at first and then someone suggested putting it online and providing a link. I've printed this out for a new room owner to give away as part of a package of stuff to celebrate the opening of his room. I've shared it with many, many people who have never heard of AZ Billiards. I never got to meet George in person but I corresponded with him by mail and later by pm on AZ. I miss him a lot.
 
arnaldo said:
(Btw, tip # 41 should be read as “Inside” english. Likely a typo that wasn’t caught in the 1991 original article.)
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Sorry for the slight thread drift, but I need help understanding this one. The article states "Outside English lets you use the true aiming point instead of allowing for throw." However, your statement, the picture, and his description point to inside english. Here's my confusion: I thought outside english can eliminate throw, not inside english. For instance Dr. Dave's videos and papers describing "gearing outside english". https://billiards.colostate.edu/bd_articles/2015/jan15.pdf

Thanks for posting the article!
 
Mobiker said:
Sorry for the slight thread drift, but I need help understanding this one. The article states "Outside English lets you use the true aiming point instead of allowing for throw." However, your statement, the picture, and his description point to inside english. Here's my confusion: I thought outside english can eliminate throw, not inside english. For instance Dr. Dave's videos and papers describing "gearing outside english". https://billiards.colostate.edu/bd_articles/2015/jan15.pdf

Thanks for posting the article!
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Perhaps the shot was to the corner pocket?

Outside example.png
 
Mobiker said:
Sorry for the slight thread drift, but I need help understanding this one. The article states "Outside English lets you use the true aiming point instead of allowing for throw." ...
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As mentioned in the original post, you should substitute "inside" for "outside" in item #41.
 
Bob Jewett said:
As mentioned in the original post, you should substitute "inside" for "outside" in item #41.
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I don't think so because then not only would it still be technically false, but now also materially false instead of it just being an obvious typo along with the use of the wrong diagram as it is now.

It seems pretty clear to me that the bit was intended to be about outside english, and was specifially intended to read "Outside english (i.e., english on the opposite side to the direction of your cut shot) can be a valuable ally. Lets you use the true aiming point instead of allowing for throw", and that a diagram showing outside english was also intended to be used rather than one showing inside.
 
Poolplaya9 said:
I don't think so because then not only would it still be technically false, but now also materially false instead of it just being an obvious typo along with the use of the wrong diagram as it is now.

It seems pretty clear to me that the bit was intended to be about outside english, and was specifially intended to read "Outside english (i.e., english on the opposite side to the direction of your cut shot) can be a valuable ally. Lets you use the true aiming point instead of allowing for throw", and that a diagram showing outside english was also intended to be used rather than one showing inside.
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If you stroke it, that's dead with inside. :cool: Step 4" to the right and you'll see it. The perspective is off in the image.
 
I think the shot into the side pocket in Tip #41 with left english does appear to throw less (or not at all) in reality. There are two reasons for this. Using inside on a thin cut does reduce the throw. The high relative surface speed of the cue ball at the contact point reduces friction -- you want lower speed to get max friction. Also, squirt will make the cut thinner. Depending on conditions, everything can cancel and you get "true" aiming.
 
#41

“English on the same side as the direction of your cut shot can be a available ally. Let’s you use the true aiming point instead of allowing for throw.”

Using inside allows you actually aim your cue to the contacts points on the cue ball and the object ball.

In this case, the left side of the cue ball is being used to cut the object ball to the left. The left contact point on the cue ball is hitting the right-side contact point on the object ball in order to propel it in a leftward direction.

How much simpler can it get?

Basic aiming.

That is one of the reasons I prefer using inside on most of my shots. That, and to counteract the natural spin that will be imparted on the cue ball after coming off the object ball when I plan on hitting a rail afterward with the cue ball. I use outside when I need to change the angle, throw an object ball, or to add some running speed.
 
HawaiianEye said:
Basic aiming.
That is one of the reasons I prefer using inside on most of my shots.
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H.E. -- You should work that idea into an instructive aiming system . . . maybe call it something like "Touch of Inside"

Oh, . . . wait . . . never mind.

Arnaldo
 
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