Looking for reviews of Bert Kinisters video site where you can watch unlimited instructional videos on different facets of the game for monthly fees.
Bert Kinister
- Thread starter book collector
- Start date
No one instructor will give you all you need; it is just like buying a song album for that one hit song; you still need to buy other albums, and there are many singers out there, at times you just want to destroy all CDs and create your own!!
I tried it and was not a fan. There are far better instructional materials for the money IMHO. It seems like half of each video is him ranting about something based upon his huge ego and had zero to do with the pool lesson.
Don't know abut the website, but I've watched about a dozen of his videos and some are great, some can be 10 minutes long instead of 60 hehe. If you pick out the good ones, you'll get your money's worth. His talking is actually part of what I like about the videos, he's a character for sure. Too bad he does not do more with pool these days, either play or do commentary. I think there was only one video I've seen when he does commentary and even then it was not for long.
Best I found:
Shot Makers workout (both of them)
Hangers
Long Shots
Mighty X
All of the above helped me quite a bit, not just me but also people that I've taught things to, especially the long shot video. I would recommend you take a few days and at least go though those videos on his site.
Neils Feijen is (was?) a student of Berts and he went though his drills a lot, ended up in a pretty good spot I think hehe.
The rest have good info and drills but a lot of the tapes are just someone running though the drills with Bert giving them corrections once in a while which is also good to see as whoever is watching the tape will end up making the same mistakes also at some point.
Best I found:
Shot Makers workout (both of them)
Hangers
Long Shots
Mighty X
All of the above helped me quite a bit, not just me but also people that I've taught things to, especially the long shot video. I would recommend you take a few days and at least go though those videos on his site.
Neils Feijen is (was?) a student of Berts and he went though his drills a lot, ended up in a pretty good spot I think hehe.
The rest have good info and drills but a lot of the tapes are just someone running though the drills with Bert giving them corrections once in a while which is also good to see as whoever is watching the tape will end up making the same mistakes also at some point.
Last edited:
Bert's videos are a mixed bag, but a few of them have great tips.
Some of them have little tricks you can use to make certain common tough shots easier.
Others focus on one or two specific drills and how to fine tune stuff like draw speed control,
rail cuts, stun-follow, and so on.
A few of the drills are really unique and actually kind of fun to practice. In one you do a simple pattern
that is something like... low outside rail cut, get leave on another rail cut,
high inside 3 rails to get leave on another rail cut, then zigzag to final rail cut.
Depending on your patience and technical skills, it's possible to sign up for 1 month
and then download every single video. You don't have to sit through them all in a few sittings,
you can save them for later. $35 for 100ish videos is a no-brainer IF you're someone who is
actively working on their game and like do new drills.
Some of them have little tricks you can use to make certain common tough shots easier.
Others focus on one or two specific drills and how to fine tune stuff like draw speed control,
rail cuts, stun-follow, and so on.
A few of the drills are really unique and actually kind of fun to practice. In one you do a simple pattern
that is something like... low outside rail cut, get leave on another rail cut,
high inside 3 rails to get leave on another rail cut, then zigzag to final rail cut.
Depending on your patience and technical skills, it's possible to sign up for 1 month
and then download every single video. You don't have to sit through them all in a few sittings,
you can save them for later. $35 for 100ish videos is a no-brainer IF you're someone who is
actively working on their game and like do new drills.
I went to Dallas and spent four days with him. It did more for my game than anything else I had ever tried (including some of the other well known instructors on here). I wish I lived closer to Dallas because I would take lessons from him on the regular, then call Niels to match up. :grin:
I posted some comments on Bert's web page and in-person instruction a few weeks ago:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=356824&page=2
You can't go wrong signing up for a month of Bert's web page and checking it out.
Before I met Bert I had started practicing the 60-minute workout for a few weeks. But when I started taking lessons from him the first drill we actually worked on was the 6-point star. You build up to the 6-point star a few balls at a time. Previously I was not confidence with rail shots, but after getting proficient with the 6-point star I actually prefer rail shots to where the OB is slightly off the rail. Doing this drill you learn how to pocket a rail shot, how the CB reacts, and when to hit OB-first and when to hit rail-first with inside english. Very valuable.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=356824&page=2
You can't go wrong signing up for a month of Bert's web page and checking it out.
Before I met Bert I had started practicing the 60-minute workout for a few weeks. But when I started taking lessons from him the first drill we actually worked on was the 6-point star. You build up to the 6-point star a few balls at a time. Previously I was not confidence with rail shots, but after getting proficient with the 6-point star I actually prefer rail shots to where the OB is slightly off the rail. Doing this drill you learn how to pocket a rail shot, how the CB reacts, and when to hit OB-first and when to hit rail-first with inside english. Very valuable.
You will learn at least one thing that will make you better. Likely more than one thing. Subscribe for a month and check it out -- I am guessing you will be glad you did.
Watching Bert perform some of the shots and drills without editing shows what a good player he really is.
Watching Bert perform some of the shots and drills without editing shows what a good player he really is.
cluelesscuer
New member
I would subscribe for a month. Quickly watch all the videos. All the ones you like, order them on DVD.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
You're aren't seriously gonna try to say Neils wasn't already a world class champion before working a little with Bert, are you? That would be just silly. 
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Just making sure you understand this...ALL OB's frozen to the rail are hit slightly rail first, whether with english or not. There is no such thing as "ball and rail at the same time". You can, of course, hit ball first, which sometimes results in missing the shot.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
You're aren't seriously gonna try to say Neils wasn't already a world class champion before working a little with Bert, are you? That would be just silly.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Depends on when he met Bert and started working with him.
I remember when Neils was about Norm Wines speed maybe 8 years ago .
Something took him up a couple of levels?
I guess he would be the person to ask.
Thanks everyone for the replies, I have seen a couple of his videos and I am sure I can learn a lot from him.
In all fairness...
To be fair:
- I know for a fact that Bert was working extensively with Neils as early as the late 90's. My first hand recollection tells me it was 1996-1997...but I could be off by a year.
- Their relationship consisted not just of tapes or a lesson here and there, but in fact Neils stayed with Bert at his home for an extended period of time, sat in on lessons that Bert gave, and acted as sort of a teaching assistant.
- I Don't know whether Neils was considered world class at the time or not. But his tournament record certainly did not reflect this. Prior to his breakout year of 2001 he had finished no higher than 9th at the US open and earned less than 10k in tournament winnings (according to AZB). My recollection is that he was not considered world class at the time he was working with Bert.
- As a matter of chronological fact, his accomplishments (if not his game) grew immensely after working with Bert. Whether there was any cause/effect is a separate matter for debate.
But I do not think it is a given that he was World Class prior to working with Bert.
BJT
You're aren't seriously gonna try to say Neils wasn't already a world class champion before working a little with Bert, are you? That would be just silly.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
To be fair:
- I know for a fact that Bert was working extensively with Neils as early as the late 90's. My first hand recollection tells me it was 1996-1997...but I could be off by a year.
- Their relationship consisted not just of tapes or a lesson here and there, but in fact Neils stayed with Bert at his home for an extended period of time, sat in on lessons that Bert gave, and acted as sort of a teaching assistant.
- I Don't know whether Neils was considered world class at the time or not. But his tournament record certainly did not reflect this. Prior to his breakout year of 2001 he had finished no higher than 9th at the US open and earned less than 10k in tournament winnings (according to AZB). My recollection is that he was not considered world class at the time he was working with Bert.
- As a matter of chronological fact, his accomplishments (if not his game) grew immensely after working with Bert. Whether there was any cause/effect is a separate matter for debate.
But I do not think it is a given that he was World Class prior to working with Bert.
BJT
Last edited:
You're aren't seriously gonna try to say Neils wasn't already a world class champion before working a little with Bert, are you? That would be just silly.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
I met Neils several times when he was taking lessons at Bert's house in IL about 16 years ago. Neils was flying to the states a lot then to take lessons.
You're aren't seriously gonna try to say Neils wasn't already a world class champion before working a little with Bert, are you? That would be just silly.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
I don't know when Neils and Bert got together, but form the videos, he was saying that Neils played pretty good and was ready for the big time. Meaning he was not world class just yet.
like others have said, the guy comes across like a nut job in some of the videos and some are better than others, but a few are must haves! Must Haves!!!!!
I agree, but try telling that to the legions of readers that picked up "99 Critical Shots" and took the word as gos-pool....