Villalpando, J. (2007). Little Joe Villalpando's Pool IQ: Volume II: Cue ball control. Welter Pictures. http://pooliq.net
One of the major aspects of learning to play pocket billiards well is learning to control the cue ball. There are many ways to do this. Joe Villalpando has taken the old Wagon Wheel System originally published by Ted Brown and revised it in such a way that it is easy to learn and remember. Most importantly when the concepts have been internalized the ideas will come quickly to mind in a competitive situation.
Joe begins with a description of the cue ball as seen from the shooter's position as a clock face. Thus, 12:00 O'clock and 6:00 O'clock are on the vertical axis. Next he shows the well known idea that the cue ball leaves the object ball at a tangent of 90 degrees for many shots. He sets up a stop shot wherein the cue ball is one diamond off the side pocket and has the student pocket the object ball with center ball (12-0). The result of course is that the cue ball moves to the first diamond off the top rail.
Here is where Mr Villalpando gets unique. The student learns that clock position 6 - 1 is about one eighth of an inch below center ball and this will make the cue ball return to the second diamond or the center of the head rail. That is the "1" in position 6 -1 means the cue ball backs up one diamond. Position 6-2 is about a quarter inch blow the center of the cue ball and this will return the cue ball to the third diamond or two diamonds back from the starting position. There are of course positions 6-3, 12-1, 12-2 and 12-3 Each number following the clock designation is the number of diamonds the cue ball returns off the tangent line. This is an elegant conceptualization: The student has a numerical system that corresponds with the angle of return for many shots based on the spacing between the table's diamonds.
Of course this system requires one to find the positions for their stroke. When these positions have been determined through practice the student of the game knows what the cue ball will do based on the location of the hit on the vertical axis and can easily learn to move the ball around much of the wagon wheel. With this knowledge of lines of return based on the numerically designated hit, one can place the cue ball in many different places following a shot. Joe does not give locations for other than seven positions mentioned on the cue ball's vertical axis so not all of the Wagon Wheel is incorporated. He would, I assume, use cue ball return off the rail to get to the opposite rail.
Joe does more in his instructional DVD and shows the student how to use the clock face combined with the hit positions above and below center to gain even more control over the cue ball. However, it would not be appropriate to tell all in a review. The serious student will need the DVD.
I was impressed by Joe's natural teaching ability. I have been a college professor for over 25 years and note that many of my colleagues at the University do not have the people skills that Joe has. He is not only likeable; he handles people well to facilitate their learning. This is no mean accomplishment and from what I gather after our telephone discussion he comes by this ability naturally. There are times when his clarity of presentation could be improved but through repetition the message comes through. A verbal script as a basis for his dialog could serve as a basis for his extemporaneous dialog. The presence of the whole Behnke family, their trophies, and their ability to make the shots in his previous video is mute testimony to his teaching skills.
The intent behind the DVD was to repeat a shot several times to impress the ideas on the student. This was not the best idea as some shots are repeated far too many times. It is suggested that the menu system on the DVD could be used to allow a student to return to any particular segment for replay as often as needed by that particular student. No shot should be repeated more than three times.
The lines and graphics were excellent and are very helpful in assisting the student to see exactly what is going on and why. On screen graphics of the cue ball are excellent and should be kept on the screen for the whole segment. The graphic lines the cue ball travels are one of the better aspects of the DVD and are well used to illustrate the lines of travel.
There is more, much more, in Joe's video and I recommend it highly for anyone seeking to learn a truly elegant system for controlling the cue ball.
One of the major aspects of learning to play pocket billiards well is learning to control the cue ball. There are many ways to do this. Joe Villalpando has taken the old Wagon Wheel System originally published by Ted Brown and revised it in such a way that it is easy to learn and remember. Most importantly when the concepts have been internalized the ideas will come quickly to mind in a competitive situation.
Joe begins with a description of the cue ball as seen from the shooter's position as a clock face. Thus, 12:00 O'clock and 6:00 O'clock are on the vertical axis. Next he shows the well known idea that the cue ball leaves the object ball at a tangent of 90 degrees for many shots. He sets up a stop shot wherein the cue ball is one diamond off the side pocket and has the student pocket the object ball with center ball (12-0). The result of course is that the cue ball moves to the first diamond off the top rail.
Here is where Mr Villalpando gets unique. The student learns that clock position 6 - 1 is about one eighth of an inch below center ball and this will make the cue ball return to the second diamond or the center of the head rail. That is the "1" in position 6 -1 means the cue ball backs up one diamond. Position 6-2 is about a quarter inch blow the center of the cue ball and this will return the cue ball to the third diamond or two diamonds back from the starting position. There are of course positions 6-3, 12-1, 12-2 and 12-3 Each number following the clock designation is the number of diamonds the cue ball returns off the tangent line. This is an elegant conceptualization: The student has a numerical system that corresponds with the angle of return for many shots based on the spacing between the table's diamonds.
Of course this system requires one to find the positions for their stroke. When these positions have been determined through practice the student of the game knows what the cue ball will do based on the location of the hit on the vertical axis and can easily learn to move the ball around much of the wagon wheel. With this knowledge of lines of return based on the numerically designated hit, one can place the cue ball in many different places following a shot. Joe does not give locations for other than seven positions mentioned on the cue ball's vertical axis so not all of the Wagon Wheel is incorporated. He would, I assume, use cue ball return off the rail to get to the opposite rail.
Joe does more in his instructional DVD and shows the student how to use the clock face combined with the hit positions above and below center to gain even more control over the cue ball. However, it would not be appropriate to tell all in a review. The serious student will need the DVD.
I was impressed by Joe's natural teaching ability. I have been a college professor for over 25 years and note that many of my colleagues at the University do not have the people skills that Joe has. He is not only likeable; he handles people well to facilitate their learning. This is no mean accomplishment and from what I gather after our telephone discussion he comes by this ability naturally. There are times when his clarity of presentation could be improved but through repetition the message comes through. A verbal script as a basis for his dialog could serve as a basis for his extemporaneous dialog. The presence of the whole Behnke family, their trophies, and their ability to make the shots in his previous video is mute testimony to his teaching skills.
The intent behind the DVD was to repeat a shot several times to impress the ideas on the student. This was not the best idea as some shots are repeated far too many times. It is suggested that the menu system on the DVD could be used to allow a student to return to any particular segment for replay as often as needed by that particular student. No shot should be repeated more than three times.
The lines and graphics were excellent and are very helpful in assisting the student to see exactly what is going on and why. On screen graphics of the cue ball are excellent and should be kept on the screen for the whole segment. The graphic lines the cue ball travels are one of the better aspects of the DVD and are well used to illustrate the lines of travel.
There is more, much more, in Joe's video and I recommend it highly for anyone seeking to learn a truly elegant system for controlling the cue ball.
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