Feedback For A Writing Project.

mnorwood

mnorwood

Moon
Silver Member
I have done numerous videos on pool and would now like to try my hand at print.

I would rather not write another broad instructional book. I feel like there is ample literature on the basics. Some topics for pool are not communicated well in print.

I really want to do something useful that does not already have 14 other well done books covering it.

For all of you who like to read books on pool what subject do you think needs further examination?

The two ideas I have come up with are as follows: a comprehensive inventory of drills, a comprehensive discussion of diamond systems.

What say you?
 
mnorwood said:
For all of you who like to read books on pool what subject do you think needs further examination?
...
The two ideas I have come up with are as follows: a comprehensive inventory of drills, a comprehensive discussion of diamond systems.

What say you?
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A lot of books on drills have come out in the past few years, and there are all sorts of drills to be found online, so I'm not sure there's much need for another book on drills.

Although I don't own Walt Harris's books (yet), doesn't his four-volume series A Billiard Atlas cover diamond systems (albeit for 3-cushion)?
http://www.billiardsatlas.com/

Ceuleman's Mister 100 book is highly rated by 3-cushion players. For pool players there's also Desmond Allen's Win at Pocket Billiards. There's room for another book on the subject, especially if it includes elegant diagrams that can be understood at a glance.

Recently I've been reading excerpts from Blackjack's 9-ball book, which I play to buy in the near future. Here's a sample:
http://www.pro9.co.uk/html/print.php?sid=203

For my money there isn't enough instruction out there like Blackjack's. I could read hundreds and hundreds of pages about reading racks and still want more. This goes for many games: 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, snooker, banks, etc.

Although I appreciate the value of breaking the game down into principles and specific shots, lately I've been more interested in finding examples of an author discussing the thought process of a player making decisions while working through an entire rack (rather than just a few key shots).
 
Good luck on your venture following are thoughts from someone who reads most pool books and magazines. Victor Castro (top San Diego player) used to say I had a pro's stroke and a B players brain).

I've read all kinds of pool books the "how to" fundamentals subject seems exhausted. I think if another fundamental book is written it should be heavy on the why's and not just say people stand (stance) different with one picture.

If you write a "drill" book I would suggest a sized book easy to carry and spiral bound (to lay open) that details purposes of the drill and trouble shoots common problems so the reader can complete the drill. Seeing a picture and a one line sentence saying don't hit the rail isn't worth my money. If the book explains game situations I think the different levels of players have to be addressed.

Most drills I've seen you have to be a pretty good player (there should be an explanation of progression) to complete them. I had trouble with the "L" drill for a long time until I could consistently run 14 balls without a miss.

The 8 ball bible finally made the diamond system clear to me best explanation I've read.

I would buy a book that thoroughly covers the mental game (pleasures of small motions or Capelle's mental game doesn't do it for me) or a chapter that details what's a top player's progression (gambling or playing better players is to vague) to develop a strong mental game.

Pool is supposed to be 90% mental for a top player so why are only 10% of the books on the mental process?

Why isn't there a "Inner Game of Pool"?
 
Rethunk said:
Bump.



Mnorwood, have you had any more thoughts on the type of book you might write?
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Leaning more towards a book on the mental game. Most of my graduate hours are in educational psychology.

The main goal is not to beat the proverbial dead horse. I want to write on a subject that has very little or no writing on it.
 
mnorwood said:
Leaning more towards a book on the mental game. Most of my graduate hours are in educational psychology.
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I think that's something that a lot of folks would be really interested in. I know I would. There's days were I it would take blunt force trauma to the head to make me miss....then there's days where you could give me $20 for every ball I make and I wouldn't be able to earn cab fare home.

Keeping your mind in check and focus on the reasons behind a solid pre shot routine and how integral it is in success, in my mind, are parts of the game that are so important but are merely foot notes in a lot of the current/past literature on the game.

Good luck to you either way you go.

Mattie
 
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mnorwood said:
Leaning more towards a book on the mental game. Most of my graduate hours are in educational psychology.

The main goal is not to beat the proverbial dead horse. I want to write on a subject that has very little or no writing on it.
Click to expand...

There's definitely room for more material on the mental game. The few books available that are relevant to pool hardly exhaust the subject.

My favorite is Pleasures of Small Motions by Bob Fancher. Fancher can write well, he has solid credentials, and his material agrees with what I've read in other books about how the brain actually works. For me it's just the right mix of the scholarly and the down-to-earth.
http://mind-for-hire.com/

The Inner Game of Tennis by Gallwey is a favorite for some shooters. I just purchased the book, and in the half I've read so far the author presents ideas simply and effectively. His advice doesn't contradict what one would find in Fancher. That said, the references to (pseudo-)Zen and pop psych mark this book as a product of the 1970's. It reads like one of the better business management books: catchy and simple, but a bit too caught up in cute metaphors. Not surprisingly the author has spun the book's success into a business.
http://www.theinnergame.com/html/about_tim.html

A Mind for Pool should be mentioned, too, though of the books I've read by Capelle it's his weakest effort. His usual method of cramming a lot of information in a honkin' big book doesn't serve this subject well: a book on the mental game should remain focused and sharp. The poor editing as well as Capelle's weakness for bullet points and graphical clutter further blunt his message. Though Capelle can't write with the same authority as Fancher, he does have good points and it's a shame they get buried.

Lastly, just today I watched a video series by Blackjack entitled "Mental Training Techniques":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQrGTbkvj4M&NR=1
I like Blackjack's focus on practical exercises, and in his written material I've appreciated how he presents the thought process of someone reading a rack. He's effective at putting the reader "in" a specific situation, which I believe helps immensely.

If your background in educational psych equips you to write a focused book rooted in well-established principles, and if this book provides simple, practical methods for improving one's mental game, then I think you'd have a winner and I'd line up for a copy.
 
There are no good books on aiming systems. While they are controversial there is much interest. Something like a review of the literature with a statement by one or more of the primary proponents, a clear explanation with photos and drawings accompanied by a critical review and videos would probably be welcomed by many in the pool community. It is an area where a relatively unknown person could make a serious contribution as editor / reviewer. From what I have read you are a teacher so your skills could be of use in this area.

I have been working on an academically based review of the literature written from a pop psych perspective for the "mental game" for some time. It is a complicated topic. I think there are many things that can be done in this area as much of the work that is available is not sufficiently related to pool and much of what has been written is not well organized from an academic point of view. There are several people who have written in this area who do not have a very good understanding of the science of psychology. If you do something here I would suggest something like an intro to psych text book style using some of the ideas presented below.

Many of the posts here on AZB are of use in learning about the audience for pool related texts. While there are many highly educated people here on AZB there is a good mix. Bob Byrne's work sets the standard for quality, tone and illustration. However Jack Koehler's work shows that pool players are often quite sophisticated.

There is much room for improvement in pool related texts and it can be a lot of fun. From what I have learned over the years there is a real need for a sound fundamental book. The snooker player web sites and their texts clearly show that the English are far better at explaining the fundementals than we are in this country. See for instance Jack Karnham's (sp) work. There is a basic need for a modern sound approach to the basics. Much of what instructors "sell" in a three day workshop could be reduced to a straight forward text. With today's tools that allow for printed ebooks accompanied by videos that can be constrained for distribution there is much room for some good work. Your videos are an excellent example of the kinds of things that can be done with little investment and I do not think you should not sell yourself short on a modern well designed basics book / DVD. Much of the work produced including the BCA's DVD leaves a lot to be desired from a teaching perspective. Many topics are left out of the current fundamentals and illustrations are usually poorly done. There is a definite need for a simple, thorough, structured approach that would lead a new player from stance to cue ball control without missing any of the stops along the way. When people like Jenette Lee make a video it is more about production and dazzel than it is about including all of the content that needs to be included.

Please feel free to contact me through my web site. This is not always the best place to discuss things.
 
JoeW said:
There are no good books on aiming systems. While they are controversial there is much interest. Something like a review of the literature with a statement by one or more of the primary proponents, a clear explanation with photos and drawings accompanied by a critical review and videos would probably be welcomed by many in the pool community. It is an area where a relatively unknown person could make a serious contribution as editor / reviewer. From what I have read you are a teacher so your skills could be of use in this area.

I have been working on an academically based review of the literature written from a pop psych perspective for the "mental game" for some time. It is a complicated topic. I think there are many things that can be done in this area as much of the work that is available is not sufficiently related to pool and much of what has been written is not well organized from an academic point of view. There are several people who have written in this area who do not have a very good understanding of the science of psychology. If you do something here I would suggest something like an intro to psych text book style using some of the ideas presented below.

Many of the posts here on AZB are of use in learning about the audience for pool related texts. While there are many highly educated people here on AZB there is a good mix. Bob Byrne's work sets the standard for quality, tone and illustration. However Jack Koehler's work shows that pool players are often quite sophisticated.

There is much room for improvement in pool related texts and it can be a lot of fun. From what I have learned over the years there is a real need for a sound fundamental book. The snooker player web sites and their texts clearly show that the English are far better at explaining the fundementals than we are in this country. See for instance Jack Karnham's (sp) work. There is a basic need for a modern sound approach to the basics. Much of what instructors "sell" in a three day workshop could be reduced to a straight forward text. With today's tools that allow for printed ebooks accompanied by videos that can be constrained for distribution there is much room for some good work. Your videos are an excellent example of the kinds of things that can be done with little investment and I do not think you should not sell yourself short on a modern well designed basics book / DVD. Much of the work produced including the BCA's DVD leaves a lot to be desired from a teaching perspective. Many topics are left out of the current fundamentals and illustrations are usually poorly done. There is a definite need for a simple, thorough, structured approach that would lead a new player from stance to cue ball control without missing any of the stops along the way. When people like Jenette Lee make a video it is more about production and dazzel than it is about including all of the content that needs to be included.

Please feel free to contact me through my web site. This is not always the best place to discuss things.
Click to expand...
Over the last few days I have thought about what I want to do with the book. One thing I have learned from all the feedback from youtube is that there are two types of learners. One wants all the background information and theoretical support for everything that is proposed. The other larger group absolutely hates theory and wants practical advise only. I believe that I can please both audiences with a book on the mental game. I also want to take a holistic approach to the topic. This will mean this project should take a year or more to produce a draft if not more.

To address aiming systems video support is definitely needed. I do not have an adequate camera at the moment. I will take that project on when and if I acquire an adequate camera.
 
Marcus,
If you do a book on the mental game, the best advice I can give you is to just write it as if you were talking to someone at the pool hall. It's a dry topic, and as Rethunk said, it is best to put the reader in a "specific" situation and trace the thought patterns in as many directions as you can.

I think the best book that should be written today - although I believe it wouldn't sell more than 3 copies domestically - is one that is specifically about the history of the personal and business ethics within the billiards industry. If that book is ever written, it would make a great stocking stuffer for a lot of people.
 
Mental game

I like your idea of a book on the mental game, but extend it some. Let readers know how a Poolplayer thinks in different situations, from being a road player on the road going to a new room to hustle, to matching up, to evaluating his competition, and how he thinks about the game.

I have always said that if you can find out how your competitor thinks, you can defeat him. And this corresponds to some of the principles that Sun Zsu advocated in the Art Of War.

Interview 4 really good players or pros, and put their answers to your questions in the book. Let people see the different approaches players take to get to the same spot.

Also, the mental aspects of the game change somewhat as a player ages, that should be expounded upon too.
 
Snapshot9 said:
I like your idea of a book on the mental game, but extend it some. Let readers know how a Poolplayer thinks in different situations, from being a road player on the road going to a new room to hustle, to matching up, to evaluating his competition, and how he thinks about the game.

I have always said that if you can find out how your competitor thinks, you can defeat him. And this corresponds to some of the principles that Sun Zsu advocated in the Art Of War.

Interview 4 really good players or pros, and put their answers to your questions in the book. Let people see the different approaches players take to get to the same spot.

Also, the mental aspects of the game change somewhat as a player ages, that should be expounded upon too.
Click to expand...

That's the kind of mental approach book I would pay money. The scientific analysis view wouldn't be interesting to me (I'll read a journal if I want the terms) how would I apply it to a better pool game is what's important to me.

I would like to see from a player's point of view how they think.

The only book written on the mental approach that appealed to me was a small pocket sized book called 'The one minute guide to playing better pool" dealing exclusively with the shot.

"Pleasures of small motion" never did it for me because there's a lot I don't agree with from the author's view. I could spend years in a Buddhist colony or I can read a book that gives proven techniques I can apply to playing better pool.
 
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