Best billiards & pool books according to redditors

99 Critical Shots is overrated and one of the worst books for a beginner in 2018. Before you jump down my throat, remember that being old and popular doesn't make something good.

It was a good book in 1977.

I'll let Bob Jewett point out the issues (page 13). He's much more generous than I am—I honestly don't think 99CS worth reading considering the wealth of other excellent material that's available.

Better books would be Illustrated Principles, Byrne's Standard, and Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots. Even PYBP or Science of Pocket Billiards would be better.

99CS is outdated and surviving largely on nostalgia, and personally there is not a single piece of information in the book that I didn't learn better from somewhere else.

Actually it gives some 100% incorrect information at least once, regarding rail shots. I literally had a guy defending it by saying "well beginners won't understand the complicated truth so the (incorrect) rule of thumb is fine." Right then is when I realized that some fools will defend the book because they think they should, rather than on its merits.

Don't be that guy.

Rant: Over

PoSM is easily the best book ever written on the mental game.

Kinda funny, the best and the worst right next to each other.

As someone who has done this a few times, my best advice is to hire someone else to do it. It's a pain in the ass! I'll give you a short rundown of what all is involved to help you make a decision, but honestly, you're probably going to want to hire professional pool table movers/assemblers which will probably run you around $200. When I did it, I used a guide like this:

• Disassembly: This is the easiest part. Basically, you remove a bunch of bolts that is holding it all together, unscrew the legs, take apart the rails, break the seal between the slates, and pack everything CAREFULLY into a moving truck of some kind. You want to be VERY careful about the slate, which can easily chip and get ruined. It's also extremely heavy. Each piece (three total) takes two full grown men to move. God help you if it's one piece slate. You'll be able to reuse the cloth (OCD note: Not actually called felt) if you fold it carefully while removing.
  
  
• The space: You'll need fairly flat surface with lots of room. Refer to this guide to determine if your room is big enough. I'm 95% sure that table is 4' x 8'.
  
  
• Assembly: Total bitch. You have to level it about 3-4 times during the process, so you'll need a very good professional level, wooden shims, bees wax, razor blades, a torch, a heavy duty staple gun, an electric drill, and a ratchet set. The process in short is to put the four legs where you want them, set the frame on top, level, add the slate, level, seal the pieces of slate with beeswax, scrape away all excess beeswax until the seams are smooth, level, lay the cloth down, pull it tightly, staple the crap out of everything, bolt the bumpers down, bolt the pockets in, staple more, play pool.
  
  Congrats on your purchase, though! Having a pool table in your house is totally worth the pain of getting it there, I promise :)

Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards


Tor Lowry YouTube

tl;dr: I think you can improve a lot just with more knowledge. I reached APA7 pretty fast, despite a shitty stroke and bad habits, by just absorbing a ton of books, videos, and websites. I had to work on execution and fixing those habits to reach APA9 speed. At no point did I ever become any kind of serious tournament or money player, it's very possible to improve without doing those things, despite what "they" say. But there's a limit to how far you can go on knowledge only, you WILL need to practice and spend hours at the table, and you will need to enter pressure situations if you want to perform well in tournaments, league, etc.

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● Playing better players is a bit overrated - you don't just magically absorb someone's skills by playing against them. I'm not saying it's bad, but find people that are willing to teach and answer questions... don't just hit balls with someone and be their rackboy.

If you figure watching the better player shoot will help you learn, then you can double your learning by just watching 2 better players shoot against each other.

There's a lot to be said for shooting people who are very close to your level, or just a hair better. You both learn together, and (hopefully) talk things over and figure stuff out. And you both feel like you can win, which is important. It makes things more competitive. A lot of people improve simply because their ego can't tolerate losing to 'that one guy'.

● People will also tell you that you need to just enter a bunch of tournaments, or gamble. That's only half-correct. Tournaments train one specific skill - handling pressure. They don't teach you stuff like advanced cueball control, or how to compensate for english, or how to aim a kick shot. You don't get those skills just because you paid your $20 and now you need them to win.

● So how do you get better? Well, there are two areas where everyone could stand to improve - knowledge and execution.

Of these two things, knowledge is much easier to get. You can get it from the internet, books, or by watching and talking to those local pros. It's free/cheap, and takes very little effort... there's no reason you can't max out your knowledge ASAP.

The trick is to make sure you get correct knowledge, because the pool world is unfortunately full of bad info. I wanna recommend some books which I know are good, because the info is easily tested and confirmed, and that's exactly what I did in a lot of cases.

Byrne's Standard Book of Pool and Billiards - comprehensive explanation of all sorts of useful concepts, explanations of how the balls will react on certain shots, and why, and how to take advantage of it... lots of specific shots to master... safety and runout strategy... pretty much everything you could need.

The 99 Critical Shots - If you want specific shots to practice, and a lot of the same useful info, but much shorter and cheaper... this is for you. As a 6 you maybe know most of this, but I bet you don't know all of it, and you can get a copy for $1.50.

If you feel like reading is for losers, you can learn off websites too -

Everything on Dr. Dave's website and videos is outstanding. Tested and proven both on paper, on video, and in the real world. http://billiards.colostate.edu/pool_tutorial.html ...see also http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads.html ...and http://billiards.colostate.edu/pool_secrets_gems.html .

Or, just watch his videos - it's great to actually see the info put into action: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrDaveBilliards

These tips I think are just about right for someone around your speed - https://www.reddit.com/r/billiards/comments/6oo5e7/tip_compilation_various_tips_kicking_systems/

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As far as execution goes, you do need to spend hours on the table. But before doing anything else, you want to first make sure you have good fundamentals and a normal, textbook stroke. I can't say it strongly enough:

IF YOU DON'T FIX YOUR BAD HABITS NOW THEY WILL FUCK YOU LATER.

I had several that I needed to unlearn, and they still screw up my game to this day. I wish I could go back in time and learn how to stroke straight, not spin the cue ball all the time, and develop a correct stance. Don't be me, get your bad habits and stance issues under control now. Everything after that will come much easier. Don't hesitate to pay for a lesson from a pro instructor to have them go over your stroke and fix any problems they see. If you don't wanna spend money, you can video yourself and try to evaluate it, or upload it here and we'll give you some feedback.

Other key things that helped me learn how to execute better:

● Get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Don't just stick to the shots you know, try new shots. That doesn't mean try 2-rail banks every time you step to the table, I mean try "new" shots that you know you need to master, but haven't yet.

For example, maybe you suck at jumping and this situation comes up where you're hooked on the 5. You might be tempted to just kick it, but you KNOW any pro player will jump this ball and make it. So suck it up and try the jump, even though you suck at it. You need that practice. Don't chicken out and kick just because you're scared of missing and losing.

Whatever shots you hate and you're tempted to avoid, make yourself do them. Hate shooting the CB off the rail with heavy inside spin? Of course you do, we all do. But there will be times when you have to do it, so when the situation comes up, don't avoid it.

● Practice while you play. When you shoot with friends for fun, don't just stick to the safe comfortable stuff because you're worried about losing. You gotta make self-improvement a higher priority than winning every rack. If you miss and lose, so what? It doesn't cost you anything.

You might think "I don't need to try that spin shot right now, I'll just hit 50 of them when I go practice on sunday afternoon". Don't kid yourself... most people don't have the discipline to do that. They either don't practice at all, or do it for a few weeks and then lose interest, or they forget about that spin shot they said they'd practice. Even if you DO practice religiously, you will probably spend far more hours playing than practicing. Don't let those hours be wasted by refusing to learn new skills.

● If you do drills, do them with a specific purpose. Don't ever just hit balls without a goal. You're too advanced for that to help you much. Work on a specific shot... rail cuts, thin cuts, long straight shots, position drills, banks, whatever. And keep track of your results, so you know if you're improving or not. For example, don't just bank 50 balls and say "ok I practiced banks". Keep track (you can use your phone) of how many you made out of 50. Is it more than you made last week? Or 5 weeks ago? If not, why not?

● If you miss a ball, set it up and shoot it again, and don't just shoot it until you make it once. Shoot it until you make it several times in a row.

● Always be paying attention to your fundamentals. Even if they're already pretty good, bad habits can creep in if you don't pay attention.

● Be careful of laziness and wishful thinking. I explain more on that here: https://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=2429822&postcount=16

● For the jump specifically from 6 to 7, I'd say mastery of inside english and uncommon position routes is crucial. You gotta get good at moving the cue ball along the safest path. Good pool is identifying 10 potential fuckups and identifying the solution that should prevent at least 9 of them. That sometimes means moving the cue ball with funky english or more force than you're comfortable with.

Here are some example shots that hopefully show what I mean. Some may disagree with the routes or say "I'd do this instead" or "you could totally do the other route here" or whatever... that's fine, focus on the theory more than on whether everyone agrees which route is best.

https://pad.chalkysticks.com/97d8d.png

https://pad.chalkysticks.com/6d4f3.png

https://pad.chalkysticks.com/1bee7.png

https://pad.chalkysticks.com/2a00b.png

...ok, this thing is long enough. If you made it this far, I guarantee you'll be a 7 in less than 24 hours, or your money back :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/076116250X/

Banking with the Beard comes in both book and video. Freddy 'the Beard' Bentivenga, a Hall of Fame bank player started publishing about 10 years before his death.

Here is a link
https://www.amazon.com/Banking-Beard-Secrets-Master-Banker/dp/0976622815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527094544&sr=8-1&keywords=banking+with+the+beard

I suggest you stick with your intuition. Keep it as your base, and add aiming systems to augment, if they work for you. Use aiming systems to double-check when it doesn't look right to your eye, or you need a little help. For me, the mirror system helps on some shots. Half the time I can kick or bank my way out of a safety.

This book helped me tremendously. It's not over-complicated and teaches you pretty much everything you need to know. I'm not a pro, but it seriously boosted my game. http://www.amazon.com/Byrnes-Standard-Book-Pool-Billiards/dp/0156005549

• Buy some books, sit in a chair, and actually read them.
  
  
• Pay attention to your mistakes. You can't learn from them if you ignore what happened. What went wrong? Did it curve left? Did you twist your cue? Did you jump up? It'll be exhausting to pay attention to so much, but it'll help you learn.
  
  
• Repetition. Shoot as many balls as you can, but remember to pay attention to every shot. Don't half ass them because you're planning on doing 10 in a row.
  
  
• Work on your cueing. Setup the cueball on the spot, shoot it forward as straight as you can, stay down, try to get it back to your cue tip. Analyze what happened after. Did it go left? Why? Did you mishit it or did you accidentally add English? If you're not sure... stroke slower.
  
  
• Work on a routine. Look at the table, step up to the cue ball, eye the object ball, get into your stance, put your bridge down, get over the cue, do your strokes, and fire. You don't have to follow that specific routine, but find one that works for you and stick to it. If you mess up while you're down... get up and do it all over again.
  
  
• More repetition mixed with paying attention. If you're able to do something over and over... try to think about why. If things are going wrong, try to think about why. Make adjustments. You'll be shooting a lot of balls over and over, but that's what it takes.
  
  There are probably some more tips of course, but this could be a good start.

Check out the works from Robert Byrne, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Byrne_(author), if you would enjoy reading and watching instructional materials about pool. I don't know if there's anyone on the planet who knows more about the game than he does.

Here would be my recommendations:

Byrne's Standard Video of Pool Volumes 1, 2 and 5. (3 and 4 are trick shot videos so they're not that important). The only issue is that only 5 is on DVD. 1 and 2 are on VHS and you'll need to grab them used off Amazon or Ebay.

If you want to read I would suggest Byrne's New Standard of Pool and Billiards

These are the materials that helped me, hopefully they can help you too. Good luck!

Eisenhorn is probably the best possible place to start in 40k. You get every possible angle of 40k explored in this omnibus as well as a some fantastic characters. Add Ravenor for flavor.

After that, dive into the military side of things with Gaunt's Ghosts. This covers primarily the Imperium vs Chaos side of the conflict, but also the internal conflicts the Imperium suffers from.

Now that you're thoroughly acquainted with the human side, view the universe through the eyes of the super-human Space Marines in The Ultramarines Omnibus. This series shows the strengths (and weaknesses) of the Space Marines as well as introducing the terrifying Chaos Space Marines more thoroughly.

Cry for death to the False Emperor with Soul Hunter. Follow up with the sequels in Void Stalker and Blood Reaver to get a very interesting perspectives from the Renegades.

Finally, finish your introductory odyssey with The Horus Heresy. You'll be reading how the modern universe came to be.

This is a "fuck-ton" of reading and will keep you busy for 6 months to a year or more before you finish. These series are the best of the best in the novel side of things. There are huge amounts more in the Army Codexes ^^that ^^you ^^should ^^be ^^able ^^to ^^find ^^for ^^$0 ^^on ^^"sharing" ^^sites and other excellent novels. PM me anytime and I'll happily answer questions/suggestions.

I played the TCG years ago and I'm still playing the 3DS games, but I've got a Christmas wishlist here that sparked some questions. Can someone help me?

• If a kid wants specific cards, where should I go about ordering them? I remember using eBay back in the day, but I found a bunch of other sites when I did a quick search. Is one more reputable than the others?
  
• If a kid wants to get into the game, which of the basic starter decks would be a good choice? I assume we'd stick with SuMo and not buy legacy stuff, but there's a dozen options within that. Ideally, I'd like to get two decks that don't precisely "counter" one another. Going by the VGC, I'd say Steel Sun + Bright Tide would be a good combination, but I'm not sure if the same rules apply.
  
• Is this playmat from 1999 still relevant? I haven't played the TCG in like 10+ years, but I remember the playmat being really helpful when I was learning the rules.
  
• Does the game still use coins and damage tokens? Anyone have links to some fun ones? Etsy, Pokemon Centre, whatever.

https://www.amazon.com/Byrnes-Standard-Book-Pool-Billiards/dp/0156005549

You should check out my book excerpt for Inquisitor Obiwan Sherlock Clousseau.


Here is a link to the book with Inquisitor Obiwan Sherlock Clousseau.



https://www.amazon.com/Warhammer-40-000-Rogue-Trader/dp/B001DF0OIO

Actually not that expensive on amazon if you check the used offers

I will have to concur with the posts here. I cut my teeth on Robert Byrne's books. The 99 Critical Shots in Pool is a great book as well.

If you are looking for a book on One-Pocket, then Winning One-Pocket...As Taught by the Game's Greatest Players is the way to go. However, good luck on getting your hands on a copy.

If they reprinted Unearthed Arcana I might consider it. That and the wilderness/dungeoneer's survival books really took it to the next level for me as a kid.

http://www.amazon.com/Official-Advanced-Dungeons-Dragons-Unearthed/dp/0880380845/

http://www.amazon.com/Dungeoneers-Survival-Advanced-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/0394554159/

http://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Survival-Miniature-Collectors-Edition/dp/B000WLXB4O/

Here is the mobile version of your link

Consider reading the below while watching. Great for beginners, but anyone would learn a lot from it, and it will really help you understand what you're watching for.

http://www.amazon.com/Byrnes-Standard-Book-Pool-Billiards/dp/0156005549/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344037432&sr=1-1&keywords=byrne+billiards

I've been playing for years. Few things that helped me... other than constant practice.

Read this: Byrne's Book of Pool and Billiards
This book explains tons of different 'pool' games, as well as theory and whatnot.

Watch this:Pool Hall Junkies If your not pumped for playing pool after watching this, you should just quit now.

I was in your shoes 25 years ago, and picked up Byrne's standard book of pool and billiards, and it was excellent. I have given copies out over the years to friends who wanted to learn. I still own a copy myself. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0156005549?pc_redir=1411030730&robot_redir=1