Gadgets and learning aids.

Sore_Aintya

Sore_Aintya

Donating money since 1985
Silver Member
What does everyone think is the best gadget/learning aid on the market today?

This can include books, videos, balls, aiming tools etc.
I just purchased "Banking with the Beard" and cant wait until it arrives, as I have heard rave reviews about it forever. I also own about 30 of Bert's videos, some I think have done me more harm then good.:o


What items have you guys and gals bought over the years to help you out. Which of those do you think are marketing gimmicks and which would you recommend to others?

Seems like almost every Pro has their name on something these days and just wondering how much of this stuff actually works.
 
It depends on your present skill level and what you want to learn. The one training aid I use more than any other with my students is either the elephant training balls, or the Rempe training ball. The elephant training balls are lighter than regular balls, but are designed to hold chalk marks very well, so if a student isn't hitting the cue ball where they think they are, this is a great tool.
Steve
 
The best teaching aid that I have is Joe Tuckers racking secrets, it goes through every aspect of the 9 ball break, straight pool, 1 pocket, 8 ball and at the end he even does a little 15 ball rotation oh and I forgot to mention he also covers the secrets behind the 10 ball rack.

So I suggest if you want to learn how to split the pack better get this dvd and it will change your break for the better, I couldn't live without it.
 
pooltchr make an excellent point about your skill level and what helps you. I remember buying a book called "pool players edge" a couple years ago, and at my skill level back then the book really didnt help me very much. Then last year when i jumped up a few notches i reread that book and wow, it was a goldmine. Id say after lessons, my next favorite gadgets would be a video camera and elephant balls.
 
Missed the point of the thread I think.

Not asking for input on what I should buy, only asking what others have bought in the past, and if they liked it or thought it was a "gimmick".

Off topic however. Don't you find it hard to walk with elephant balls?:eek:

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Try the veal.
 
There are two things that i would say are a must for any person that says they want to become a force to be weary of ....Bert Kininster's 60 minute work out and Joe Tuckers third eye trainer...
 
Sore_Aintya said:
What does everyone think is the best gadget/learning aid on the market today?

This can include books, videos, balls, aiming tools etc.
I just purchased "Banking with the Beard" and cant wait until it arrives, as I have heard rave reviews about it forever. I also own about 30 of Bert's videos, some I think have done me more harm then good.:o


What items have you guys and gals bought over the years to help you out. Which of those do you think are marketing gimmicks and which would you recommend to others?

Seems like almost every Pro has their name on something these days and just wondering how much of this stuff actually works.
Click to expand...


I found that the Kinister tapes I have were not worth the money. Most are shot on 4 x 8 which gives a different visual perception in understand anything. Very shallow explanation and dark dingy setting. Joe Tucker's shot making drills/system and break info were great.

Mike
 
The Monk, Point the Way, was the best book I ever bought. All the standard books about technique only give you a few little tidbits to learn about strategy. But this book gives you all you need to learn about your mental game, which is just as important.
 
Deadon said:
I found that the Kinister tapes I have were not worth the money. Most are shot on 4 x 8 which gives a different visual perception in understand anything. Very shallow explanation and dark dingy setting. Joe Tucker's shot making drills/system and break info were great.

Mike
Click to expand...


Yep, the Mighty X videos, I have those as well. There are some good drill shots in them, and you can tell the difference in Bert from those and the newer ones out in the last couple years. The first few volumes it seems he is rushing through everything and is afraid of the camera.
 
best tool

I got the stroketrainer 2 about a month ago and it really helped my stroke out. i highly recommend it.
 
a few things

I went on a buying binge a few months ago to keep me occupied during some unavoidable down time. Here are reviews of what I purchased.

Joe Tucker's stroke trainer is nice, what people aren't mentioning is that the DVD that comes with it may be worth many times the modest price of the DVD and tool. I liked his racking secrets DVD's also. While I need to watch them again and again to pick up details just understanding the basic theory from the DVD's has noticeably improved my balls pocketed on the break percentage.

The measles ball is interesting and really lets me see what the cueball is doing. It is very distracting to see what the cueball is doing and my measles ball seems to play a little faster than the typical house cue balls. Some good, some bad, doubt it was thirty dollars well spent for me.

Banking with the Beard was a good investment for me. For a lot of years I have been doing things without knowing why. This book helped me understand why which makes it far easier to make adjustments.

I skimmed the 99 shots book, no opinion yet. I read it and the banks book back to back and found Freddie's book far more interesting . . . for me. Obviously this is considered one of the must have books by many so I am probably judging it a bit unfairly.

The Pleasures of Small Motions is a book on the mental game which I also purchased to fill some down time. After reading maybe a dozen other books on the mental game over the years(not necessarily pool related) I found this book to have little value for me and indeed I think it has little value for all but one group of people, those that get down on themselves to the degree that it interferes with their ability to compete.

Moose bridge head. This was $2.50 well spent and I will order a few more for when I inevitably forget this one in a pool hall. I like shooting off of the same bridge head all of the time and I despise the metal bridge heads some halls still use.

Hu






Sore_Aintya said:
What does everyone think is the best gadget/learning aid on the market today?

This can include books, videos, balls, aiming tools etc.
I just purchased "Banking with the Beard" and cant wait until it arrives, as I have heard rave reviews about it forever. I also own about 30 of Bert's videos, some I think have done me more harm then good.:o


What items have you guys and gals bought over the years to help you out. Which of those do you think are marketing gimmicks and which would you recommend to others?

Seems like almost every Pro has their name on something these days and just wondering how much of this stuff actually works.
Click to expand...
 
ShootingArts said:
Moose bridge head. This was $2.50 well spent and I will order a few more for when I inevitably forget this one in a pool hall. I like shooting off of the same bridge head all of the time and I despise the metal bridge heads some halls still use.

Hu
Click to expand...


I'm with ya there. In my opinion, the "Moose Head" is probably the best addition to the game in the last decade.

A buddy gave me one of the newer adjustable bridges. The ones with the felt on the bridge part, rotates when you turn the cue.
What a POS that thing is! I see why after spending 30 dollars on the thing he gave it to me. Its permanent resting place is on a house cue hanging on my wall, only being used when I am too lazy to get my Moose out of the case.:D
 
I have been a sucker for all of the gimicks and books, except for the Spider.

First thing to do is have someone give you personal lessons on stroke, grip and alignment.

I have 55 of Bert's tapes and they are ok but there are better on the market.

I have found that Bob Hennings Pro Book Series and DVD to be better than Bert's

Capelle's Books are great also. The new book Practicing Pool is a good book for a beginner once you figure out how to use the diagrams. He is not very clear about what he is doing. You need to read a few pages past some of the diagrams to figure out what he wants you to do.
 
Pocket Reducers - they are just great! for $30 they really force you to have good mechanics, good alignment, good setup, etc, etc, or you arent going to make shots.

they force you to concentrate............

DCP
 
The best *gimmick* you could probably have is a *qualified instructor* :grin-square: (seriously meant :p)

The website from Dr.Dave on colostate itself is a BIG gimmick. A must read for each player and instructor in my opinion.

Further i recommend the Pat 1 DVD to everyone- the first 20- minutes are one of the best teaching finding out about your *natural* stance and stroke. Next to the drills those things explained by Ralph Eckert and Andreas Huber right on the beginning are excellent (available in german, but also with english translating to choose) For beginners and players who wanna to increase their abilities the best i have seen.

If books are also ok: a german book *Richtig Billard* , and all books from George Fels, and ofc Capelle- but these books are more for a bit advanced players than for absolute beginners- except practising pool from capelle with good training materials. Tucker s stuff is also good.

The only technical gimmicks i recommend is a video cam- nothin can show a player more than seeing his errors *pure*. And sometimes a laser-pointer to learn to *see* the ghostball. Each tool which helps somebody to aim better (no matter which tool it is) and be able to imagine the correct point of aiming is worth :)


lg
Ingo
 
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Woah! Am I mistaken or did you just revive a post that was almost 4 years old?

Regardless, best gadget out there is the beekeeper suit, keeps your focus on the table and stops you from looking at the rail birds!
 
Ratta. Are you familiar with the pool school in Germany run by David Alfieri and Uwe Sander? They published a book called The Basics of Pool Billiards, based on what they learned by spending quite a bit of time with Jerry Briesath here in the states. Jerry is one of the best instructors around, and the book they published is very closely aligned to the programs many of us teach. Just wondered if you had ever had a chance to meet them or visit their school.

Steve
 
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