Good books for learning 3 cushion

TXsouthpaw

TXsouthpaw

My tush hog
Silver Member
I wanna take up 3 cushion, or some other carom games. What would be a few good books to get started with?
Ive never even seen someone play a carom game. the only table in town is never used. It just sits there. But i figure if i take it up ill meet Someone in town who plays.

Basically i just wanna know where to start. Thanks
 
TXsouthpaw said:
I wanna take up 3 cushion, or some other carom games. What would be a few good books to get started with?
Ive never even seen someone play a carom game. the only table in town is never used. It just sits there. But i figure if i take it up ill meet Someone in town who plays.

Basically i just wanna know where to start. Thanks
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Start here: http://www.usba.net and http://www.billiardsystems.com

Here the Rule of the game.
http://www.usba.net/rulesofthegame.asp

There enough basic information in this section to answer most question.
Robert Byrne Books, Wille Hoppe book
 
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A very good book to begin with is Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards by Robert Byrne (which you can get on Amazon or probably at your local large bookstore). In Book Two (which starts on p. 231 and runs for about 170 pages) he covers all the basics in a very understandable way, and begins to introduce some of the more advanced concepts. Later you can read books on systems, etc. -- but that's later.
 
Like others have suggested, Robert Byrne's first two books are all you need for quite awhile to learn three cushion billiards. Absolute bargain and no one else has anything nearly as informative with clear diagrams. He has diagrams of tons of shots that show the proper english. He covers the Corner Five diamond system with a few adjustments that is a perfect primer.

After Byrnes' books, most of the instructional stuff out there is either in a foreign language, requires a bunch of mathmatical calculation, or is just plain wrong or not worth spending time on.

Walt Harris has a number of books with system shots. Google "billiard atlas"; he has at least 4 books. Lots of numbers.

Eddie Robins has a three cushion book that costs 80-150 bucks and is a little esoteric. Some great stuff, but a good bit of masse and other miracle shots you don't need to worry about for a couple of years if you're just starting out.

Raymond Ceulemens republished his "Mister 100" classic book but its complicated and expensive.

I'd recommend getting Byrne's books and a couple of Accu-Stat videos and start from there. If you don't mind spending money, go to Kozoom.com and order the Caudron video that's especially well rated by those who have seen it.
 
TXsouthpaw said:
I wanna take up 3 cushion, or some other carom games. What would be a few good books to get started with?
Ive never even seen someone play a carom game. the only table in town is never used. It just sits there. But i figure if i take it up ill meet Someone in town who plays.

Basically i just wanna know where to start. Thanks
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When you say the only table in town , I take it you mean there is one in the pool rm you play in. WE had that where I live now and it lasted only like 2-3months and the owner got rid of it because only I would play on it
and perhaps one or two of the countermen. The owner got rid of it - so don't be surprised after you start playing on it the owner does something like that.
 
For the free game (straight rail) I suggest Maurice Daly's "Daly's Billiard Book", ISBN: 0-486-25724-x, published by Dover books. The best book I have come across written in english.
 
Frederic Caudron's book 'Billiard En Expansion' has excellent coloured diagrammes(about 500 , think) and chapters about kiss control,some tactics and positional play are impressive and includes some original system work .

The book is in french

regards,

Timur
 
TimurA said:
Frederic Caudron's book 'Billiard En Expansion' has excellent coloured diagrammes(about 500 , think) and chapters about kiss control,some tactics and positional play are impressive and includes some original system work .

The book is in french

regards,

Timur
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isn't the game tough enough, do I have to learn a new language too, lol :D
 
It's true !!!

eze123 said:
Learning the language is probably easier.:smile:
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I totally agree with you eze123, I am a french major ( I will be graduating this semester) and 3 cushion is by far more difficult to learn than French lol. But that's what makes this game so interesting and fun !!!

By the way, there are a couple of videos of the caudron video on youtube for those of you who haven't seen it yet. And they are in english.
 
I decided to look up Maurice Daly's "Daly's Billiard book" on the internet. I went to the Dover publications web page and typed in the ISBN number in the search engine, nothing turned up. I went to Amazon.com and found that the book is selling for 37.95 and up. I paid less then ten dollars for my copy about seven years ago. Hopefully it will get republished soon.
 
Dean_H said:
I decided to look up Maurice Daly's "Daly's Billiard book" on the internet. I went to the Dover publications web page and typed in the ISBN number in the search engine, nothing turned up. I went to Amazon.com and found that the book is selling for 37.95 and up. I paid less then ten dollars for my copy about seven years ago. Hopefully it will get republished soon.
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That's weird. I bought a copy not more than two years ago for I think about ten bucks, definitely not close to twenty. Even Half.com's best now is $40. I guess it's a good sign for the game in general.
 
I don't know if anyone mentioned it but Willie Hoppie made a book and it is great. He was the best from his time and he was also great at teaching the game through writing. I think he won a title in three cushion every decade he was alive. If anyone can even be compared to Mr. 100 it's Mr. Hoppie.
Jamison
 
One other book I would recommend for beginners, but I'm guessing it would be very hard to find, is "Key Shots - Beginner's Course 3-Cushion Billiards" by Harry Sims (Hollywood Fats). No systems used at all so you just enjoy the results. It begins with keys of where to hit the cue ball and object ball, and then lists many common shots one would play during a game. It diagrams the shot and tells you where to hit the cue ball and object ball and with what speed. I also believe that there were posters made of the book w/all the shots & diagrams so room owners could hang it near the billiard tables.

Byrnes books are very good and easy to understand, I would recommend those as well. They will introduce systems as well as shots. it's the systems and tips of english that will allow you to be creative in how you make each shot. The different language books and detailed systems will just make your head spin in the beginning so I would personally pass.

Good luck and welcome to the most elegant of all the cue sports. Warning - it's addictive! :thumbup:

Dave
 
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TXsouthpaw said:
I wanna take up 3 cushion, or some other carom games. What would be a few good books to get started with?
Ive never even seen someone play a carom game. the only table in town is never used. It just sits there. But i figure if i take it up ill meet Someone in town who plays.

Basically i just wanna know where to start. Thanks
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Txsouthpaw, This offer expired
 
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12squared said:
One other book I would recommend for beginners, but I'm guessing it would be very hard to find, is "Key Shots - Beginner's Course 3-Cushion Billiards" by Harry Sims (Hollywood Fats). No systems used at all so you just enjoy the results. It begins with keys of where to hit the cue ball and object ball, and then lists many common shots one would play during a game. It diagrams the shot and tells you where to hit the cue ball and object ball and with what speed. I also believe that there were posters made of the book w/all the shots & diagrams so room owners could hang it near the billiard tables.

Byrnes books are very good and easy to understand, I would recommend those as well. They will introduce systems as well as shots. it's the systems and tips of english that will allow you to be creative in how you make each shot. The different language books and detailed systems will just make your head spin in the beginning so I would personally pass.

Good luck and welcome to the most elegant of all the cue sports. Warning - it's addictive! :thumbup:

Dave
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Indeed this very poster, with probably 30 or so diagrams, is on the wall at a room near me (Mazin Shooni's current room in Hooksett, NH)
 
1pocket said:
Indeed this very poster, with probably 30 or so diagrams, is on the wall at a room near me (Mazin Shooni's current room in Hooksett, NH)
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It's a cool poster, isn't it? It really simplifies how a beginner can learn basic shots. When the book and poster first came out people pooh-poohed it as being a waste and too simplistic. I disagree, it can really help a beginner learn to enjoy the game using very simple and basic teaching technics without them getting dizzy.

Please say hi to Mazin for me - he can REALLY play! (and he tries hard on every shot, too :))

Dave Gross
 
I hope Azers' in the carom billiard section have noticed the 3Cushion Book I been selling in the Want/Sale section.
 
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