Most underrated cue game instructional materials?

Yukon Ed said:
The Wagon Wheel System by Ted Brown. Also, a series of Filipino Gene articles from a CA magazine. An AZ member mailed the articles to me years ago and I wish I remembered his name. I'm still thankful! :thumbup:
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There were two articles about Ted Brown's Wagon Wheel ideas in two recent issues of On The Break News (which also publishes under two other regional names).

As for the Filipino Gene articles, those were in the "Cue Sports Journal" from about 20 years ago. John Henderson is resurrecting that magazine for the Northern California area. The member may have been Leon Waki who I think helped with Gene's articles.
 
LAlouie said:
Any of George Fels' books on pool is better than the regurgitated stuff written by ghost writers and signed off on by pros. He's more strategy oriented, though iirc. When it comes to mechanics they all basically say the same thing.
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I like this post....I've given at least 20 copies of Mastering Pool as gifts.
...and a lot of the physical stuff is best learned by doing.
 
pt109 said:
I like this post....I've given at least 20 copies of Mastering Pool as gifts.
...and a lot of the physical stuff is best learned by doing.
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Some good stuff being thrown out here.

I have Ted Brown's "Wagon Wheel" book. It's neat and useful.

I also have Joe Tucker's "Guaranteed Improvement", but haven't gotten to use it too much yet. It does seem good, tho.

I honestly have a nice, lil collection of pool training books/DVD's, etc., but I'm always on the look out for something new to try.

Keep 'em comin'!
 
LAlouie said:
Practice is wasted if one is not practicing the right things. A mediocre player only knows mediocre things.
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Yup...Moe Norman, who may have had the purest golf swing, said....
"Practice does not make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect."

...but all this agreeing is getting to me, Louie...
...let's argue about something....:rolleyes:
 
pt109 said:
Yup...Moe Norman, who may have had the purest golf swing, said....
"Practice does not make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect."

...but all this agreeing is getting to me, Louie...
...let's argue about something....:rolleyes:
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I hate that dude in your avatar and his scumbag family.
 
Wagon Wheel System - as stated on the back cover by Paul Brienza " ..... In pure knowledge-per-page, this book is a real bargain."
 
LAlouie said:

I hate that dude in your avatar and his scumbag family.
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Well, I asked for it.:embarrassed2:
On the other hand, how many people do you admire who was a war hero,
could speed-read with comprehension, and wrote several books?
...and make Kruschev blink in a staring contest?
 
fathomblue said:
HB, I own the IPAT tests. I've only shot on level 1 and it was killer. I definitely need to revisit them.

I'm not familiar with Kim Davenport's Target Pool. Is it still available?

Mantis, I've never heard of those "beat sheets". Who came up with them and where can they be found?
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Sorry, I typed that on my phone. It should have been "cheat" sheets, not beet sheets.

http://www.billiardgods.com/Descriptions/CBC/cheats.htm

You can do the ebook for $10 I think.
 
fathomblue said:
I know there's a section where this might fit better, but I'd like for it to stay here, just because this area sees high traffic.

What books, videos, etc. seem to be the most UNDERRATED in what it can do to improve people's games?

As in, have any of you folks picked up a pool, 3-cushion, snooker.....basically any cue game instructional material.....and it did wonders for you, however you rarely ever see it mentioned?

I'm just hoping we can find some rarely sourced information that, for one reason or another, doesn't get the credit it deserves.
.
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For 3-cushion billiards, I think the matches from Carom TV with AZB's own Robert Raiford are underrated. Most 3-cushion matches wind up with two color commentators because neither one knows what the player's going to shoot. Tough to learn that way.

Raiford (a former Top 10 billiards player in the US and coach) does great commentary, giving multiple shot options including which one he'd choose in that situation. If the player chooses something else, Raiford often explains why that player must have thought it was the best choice.

For example "He must have that the chance of a kiss was too high with the natural, so he opted for..." or "it was a tough shot, and he chose this one which would leave the player in a good defensive position if he missed."
Truly great stuff, explaining shot selection for 3 cushion billiards. Check 'em out http://www.caromtv.com/
 
fathomblue said:
Anyone ever tried any of these? The website does look interesting.

Are there any actual books or is it all "e-book" stuff that you need to print out? Just curious.

Several different resources on there.
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You can buy the paperback book at amazon or as one of the many electronic versions.

I can't say the "cheat sheets" aren't useful, but the big problem with learning position this way is that it is teaching you by rote examples. The book isolates various types of positional shots on both a half table and full table and shows you the speed and spin to make the cue ball take a particular route. You can certainly learn that way but it takes longer without developing a foundational understanding for why you're combining that speed and spin. As such, a good accompaniment to that would be something like Mike Page's (FargoBilliards) excellent two part video series on cue ball control on youtube.
 
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Hustle_Bustle said:
Hi there,

the IPAT Test created by Jurgen Sandman(Swedish Coach/trainer), Andreas Huber(German National Head Coach) and Ralf Eckert (Top Pro,commentator, author and coach) is by far the most underrated test of ability and Americans don't generally take it because it REALLY gauges your ability.
And the other most helpful but hard-to-find improvement is
Kim Davenport's Target Pool-
enjoy!
HB
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_______________________________________________________________
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Forgot Jerry Briesaths new DVD's and RunOut Media's Break and Run with 13 of the most well known Pro's demonstrating!

http://www.runoutmedia.com/

http://www.thepoolschool.com/videos.html
:thumbup:
HB
 
Joe Davis's Complete Snooker for the Amateur is the best instructional book that I have ever read.
 
I'm going to attempt to collect all of the resources here and put them into my original post. Then I'll try to update the list as time goes on.

Thanks, guys!
 
I don't know how its rated but I hardly ever hear anyone talk about Jimmy Reid's DVD package. Here is a real champion and gambler giving all tips he can think of. The package might be better if it was scripted and edited that said I got ton of Great info for a real good price. He shows how to use the systems at the table dont be fooled into thinking that all of them are easy his kick system was hard for me, but then he shows a alternate system that was more my style. He shows how to run a rack of 8ball that I still look at because of the way he sets up the run out. His stories are Great too!
Enjoy
 
ELBeau said:
For 3-cushion billiards, I think the matches from Carom TV with AZB's own Robert Raiford are underrated. Most 3-cushion matches wind up with two color commentators because neither one knows what the player's going to shoot. ) great commentary, giving multiple shot options including which one he'd choose in that situation. If the player chooses something else, Raiford often explains ... w.com/[/URL]
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Agree Raiford provides excellent commentary often describing where ball #2 will likely end up.
 
Bluey2King said:
I don't know how its rated but I hardly ever hear anyone talk about Jimmy Reid's DVD package. Here is a real champion and gambler giving all tips he can think of. The package might be better if it was scripted and edited that said I got ton of Great info for a real good price. He shows how to use the systems at the table dont be fooled into thinking that all of them are easy his kick system was hard for me, but then he shows a alternate system that was more my style. He shows how to run a rack of 8ball that I still look at because of the way he sets up the run out. His stories are Great too!
Enjoy
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Jimmy Reids stuff is for sure still every buck worth!
 
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