I have all 3 PAT books. I have yet to get any of the DVDs but they are harder to get and cost quite a bit.
The PAT books represent a great means of self-improvement and self-measurement of your skill sets. I have incorporated all 3 PAT books into my own personal training system that I created for myself this summer.
I normally test myself under PAT 1 about every 10 days, and test myself under PAT 2 & 3 once a month. The demands of PAT 2 & 3 are definitely higher thats for sure. But that's good. Measuring yourself at those higher standards gives you a truer understanding of where your skills sit.
It is true though that the translation work from German to English could have been better. When I started working under PAT 1 there were a couple of questions about how to interpret some of their instructions regarding 1 of the drills. But I have a PAT examiner, Robin Dreyer, who lives in my state and who on occasion makes it into my pool room to conduct group lessons for the local players. So having him as a resource helped in cleaning up some of the understanding of those translation issues.
I encourage everyone to invest in a complete set of the PAT books. The sooner that your really begin working the material, the faster that you will gain a truer understanding of where your skills are at and begin making serious improvement in your game skills.
David "Glamour Dave" Nienow
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