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Basic Pool: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide
Learn tips and tactics of pocket billiards from the very best, in this newly revised and expanded edition of the classic guide to playing better pool from Hall of Famer Arthur “Babe” Cranfield. Whether your next game will be a tournament match or part of a night out with a group of friends, this book will give you leg up on your opponent and help make the game for fun for you. Chapters What to Look for in a Pool Cue Hand Position The Points of Aim, the Point of Contact, and the Difference Between the Two Combination Shots The Draw Shot Speed Control Straight Pool Nine-Ball Eight Ball And much More! They say that shooting a good game of pool is the sign of a gentlemen, and that shooting too good a game of pool is the sign of a misspent youth. Well, with the instructions here, your friends may question how you spent your youth.
232 pages, Spiral-bound
First published January 26, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 20, 2024
Woe unto ye who dare playeth me in poole now
January 3, 2023
A worthwhile Basic Pool book. - 2.5 star rating, with a round down to a 2 is fair.
This covers the basics from table sizes, etiquette, cue stick facts, and opens with a nicely done pool love story coming from the heart by the author.
When it comes to pool coaches, whether their delivery method is text or video based content... one thing that repulses me is one-size-fits all mentalities. I hard disagree that there is a single best body position/hand bridge and really cringe when I read or watch this online. People are tall, short, fat, have injuries such as bad shoulders or spine/lower body ailments that change everything from knee bend, feet placement, and even torso rotation.
My shoulder is so shot that the only surgical option is to rip it out entirely and get a metal+plastic implant. Additionally, I have a L5-S1 disc herniation, I am also 275 lbs. and 6'3" with shoes on. I say again, how are you going to tell me to stand and place my hand ... versus a 150 lbs. injury free female that's 5 foot something?
When it comes to playing pool and positioning (hand or body), I believe 100% that it comes down to the player. Are they comfortable, confident, and can they sustain consistency.
Readers, don't hard lock yourself in to trying to perform a rigid position that makes you feel uncomfortable/unnatural. My Dad used to play with his fist on the table and let me tell ya, he was a hustler in his youth and dominated on the pool table in $20 a ball games in local pool halls. I say again, with his fist on the table. As a kid, I remember watching his opponents get extremely mad and say that his hand bridge was unfair.
I'll never forget watching my Dad betting a $1,000 on a shot. His opponent cowered and did accept. He put his fist on the table and nailed it with ease. Miss ya Dad. He passed in 2021.
Bottom Line Up Front:
- No matter how many books you read or videos you watch, nothing replaces time on the table.
- Practice, practice, practice.
- Play games solo by yourself. If you miss a shot during practice play, redo that missed shot 3+ times until you understand the all the various outcomes of top spin, bottom spin, quick taps versus follow-through strokes, left/right English, speed/power of your stroke, and everything else in between.
This covers the basics from table sizes, etiquette, cue stick facts, and opens with a nicely done pool love story coming from the heart by the author.
When it comes to pool coaches, whether their delivery method is text or video based content... one thing that repulses me is one-size-fits all mentalities. I hard disagree that there is a single best body position/hand bridge and really cringe when I read or watch this online. People are tall, short, fat, have injuries such as bad shoulders or spine/lower body ailments that change everything from knee bend, feet placement, and even torso rotation.
My shoulder is so shot that the only surgical option is to rip it out entirely and get a metal+plastic implant. Additionally, I have a L5-S1 disc herniation, I am also 275 lbs. and 6'3" with shoes on. I say again, how are you going to tell me to stand and place my hand ... versus a 150 lbs. injury free female that's 5 foot something?
When it comes to playing pool and positioning (hand or body), I believe 100% that it comes down to the player. Are they comfortable, confident, and can they sustain consistency.
Readers, don't hard lock yourself in to trying to perform a rigid position that makes you feel uncomfortable/unnatural. My Dad used to play with his fist on the table and let me tell ya, he was a hustler in his youth and dominated on the pool table in $20 a ball games in local pool halls. I say again, with his fist on the table. As a kid, I remember watching his opponents get extremely mad and say that his hand bridge was unfair.
I'll never forget watching my Dad betting a $1,000 on a shot. His opponent cowered and did accept. He put his fist on the table and nailed it with ease. Miss ya Dad. He passed in 2021.
Bottom Line Up Front:
- No matter how many books you read or videos you watch, nothing replaces time on the table.
- Practice, practice, practice.
- Play games solo by yourself. If you miss a shot during practice play, redo that missed shot 3+ times until you understand the all the various outcomes of top spin, bottom spin, quick taps versus follow-through strokes, left/right English, speed/power of your stroke, and everything else in between.
September 12, 2011
This is a good book for bginners and for those, like me, whose fundamentals can use some help. Clearly written, and inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews