Reviewing instructional Materials
- Thread starter JoeW
- Start date
A DVD Review
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.
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.
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I guess the trade offs here would be.
1. I have learned enough to know I don't need to buy the DVD to learn what he teaches.
2. I have learned enough to know that I will or will not buy the DVD to learn more.
I have written several reviews in the past in other areas and find that I am not inclined to write a review of something that has no merit. I suspect that this is true for many people, unless they make their living writing reviews. So in one sense a review is to some extent an endorsement of the material. At least that is the way I perceive it. None-the-less all materials can use improvement so a good review should show the strengths and the limitations. Hmm where is that line???
1. I have learned enough to know I don't need to buy the DVD to learn what he teaches.
2. I have learned enough to know that I will or will not buy the DVD to learn more.
I have written several reviews in the past in other areas and find that I am not inclined to write a review of something that has no merit. I suspect that this is true for many people, unless they make their living writing reviews. So in one sense a review is to some extent an endorsement of the material. At least that is the way I perceive it. None-the-less all materials can use improvement so a good review should show the strengths and the limitations. Hmm where is that line???
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I think reviews, if done correctly, have strong merit for both the presenter, and the student. I do not, however, think the review should reveal the actual systems, or that the material presented should be discussed in any detail in the following posts. We do not have a right to divulge what someone else has worked hard to create!
A good review will tell people enough about the material to know whether or not that material will be of benefit to them, without telling them what it is. It will also make statements as to how well put together the material is, how good the reviewer found the teaching methods, and whether or not the reviewer benefited from the material. If the reviewer already knew the info in the material, a statement as to whether or not the author/creator has materials beyond this level should also be made, so the reader does not simply disregard their material if the current description is of something too basic for them.
We tread on thin ice when we begin talking about instructional material, especially if we allow our bias into the conversation. Overall reviews of material can be great, but should be done very carefully. Sometimes people should just stick to whether or not they liked it, how it affected their game and why it did so, and the skill level they currectly play at.
A good review will tell people enough about the material to know whether or not that material will be of benefit to them, without telling them what it is. It will also make statements as to how well put together the material is, how good the reviewer found the teaching methods, and whether or not the reviewer benefited from the material. If the reviewer already knew the info in the material, a statement as to whether or not the author/creator has materials beyond this level should also be made, so the reader does not simply disregard their material if the current description is of something too basic for them.
We tread on thin ice when we begin talking about instructional material, especially if we allow our bias into the conversation. Overall reviews of material can be great, but should be done very carefully. Sometimes people should just stick to whether or not they liked it, how it affected their game and why it did so, and the skill level they currectly play at.
That third paragraph is questionable to me also. I am assuming that their is much more to it, or I do not think Joe would have written this part. The third paragraph should probably let it be know that their is much more to the system, and that buying the DVD would still be of benefit. That paragraph does intrigue me though, and is the main part that makes me want to buy the DVD, as I know very little of that system to start with. I worry that others would read it and think they did not need to buy the DVD, knowing what is in that paragraph. I do think it was a good review overall, and I am not sure that the 3rd paragraph is all that bad, it should just say that the description is in no way an all inclusive description of the system.
I don't see how that review could be considered too revealing. If summing it up in one paragraph or two could replace the DVD, then it's not much of a DVD.
I also think negative comments on products are welcome, that's a value of this community. If something is unfairly criticized, then someone else will usually (in fact nearly always) correct them.
I also think negative comments on products are welcome, that's a value of this community. If something is unfairly criticized, then someone else will usually (in fact nearly always) correct them.
I think negative comments may sometimes be necessary. The review simply needs to be honest. If negative comments were never given, you would never know what to stay away from. I saw a comment the other day about one teacher being better than a whole other group of teachers. The poster had only been to the teacher that he was talking about, and none of the others that he discredited. That is not the type of review I want to read.
I agree with the idea that it's almost impossible to go too in-depth with just a written paragraph and ruin the value of the DVD. There's a lot of value in seeing the results, watching how it's done correctly, and some encouragement to be had from seeing the instructor (or student) actually do it. It sort of reinforces that what you're supposed to be doing is very possible and you can see the usefulness of it in a real situation if you can watch it happen on a table instead of on paper.
I guess it goes on the principle that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Your review is great but it's no replacement for the DVD, and I say don't hesitate to do more.
I guess it goes on the principle that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Your review is great but it's no replacement for the DVD, and I say don't hesitate to do more.
RandyG, "What is a review?"
This is a good point. One definition is that it describes the material in such a way that the reader can come to a conclusion about the usefulness of the material. Your question is good guidance for what should be in a review. Thanks -- Seems to me that the answer to your question leads to the "why" of a review.
I am going to buy "Zen Pool" as it fits with the work I am about to undertake. I will post a review here.
The "What is in it?" idea also seems to incorporate more than the Table of Contents. Perhaps what is needed is a presentation of what is new that is in it. Describing the what, does not mean that one tells how the instructor goes about it. Perhaps this is where I went too far in my review of Little Joe's work.
This is a good point. One definition is that it describes the material in such a way that the reader can come to a conclusion about the usefulness of the material. Your question is good guidance for what should be in a review. Thanks -- Seems to me that the answer to your question leads to the "why" of a review.
I am going to buy "Zen Pool" as it fits with the work I am about to undertake. I will post a review here.
The "What is in it?" idea also seems to incorporate more than the Table of Contents. Perhaps what is needed is a presentation of what is new that is in it. Describing the what, does not mean that one tells how the instructor goes about it. Perhaps this is where I went too far in my review of Little Joe's work.
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