Pool and Billiards For Dummies E-Book

Nicholas Leider

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 486

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Practical, step-by-step tips for players of all levels

From Snooker to Carom to good-old-fashioned 8- or 9-Ball, Pool & Billiards For Dummies reveals the tips, tricks, and rules of play, covering the variety of the ever-popular games that make up pool and billiards. This hands-on guide discusses everything from the rules and strategies of the games to how to set up a pool room to choosing the right equipment, and is accompanied by dozens of photos and line drawings.

• See how hard to hit the cue ball and where to hit it, the angle to hold the cue stick and how much chalk to use, how to use a bridge, and how to put spin on the ball
• Includes advanced pool techniques and trick shots for the seasoned pool sharp

With Pool & Billiards For Dummies, even a novice can play like a champion!

Leseprobe

Pool & Billiards For Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Making Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Fundamentals of Pool

Part II: Controlling the Cue Ball

Part III: Taking Your Shots

Part IV: The Games You’ll Play

Part V: Gearing Up

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Fundamentals of Pool

Chapter 1: Arriving at the Pool Party

Introducing Games You Can Play

Getting in Position

Aiming for Success

Stroking the Cue

Controlling the Cue Ball

Seeing Shots

Playing for Your Next Shot

Playing Defense

Gearing Up

Playing Nicely

Chapter 2: Getting Down: Building a Solid Stance

Keeping Your Preshot Routine Consistent

Approaching and stepping into the shot

Lowering into your stance

Keeping your eyes in line

Eying a Shot

Checking and rechecking your line

Final focus? The object ball

Chapter 3: Handling the Cue

Holding Back: The Grip Hand

Forming a ring with two fingers and a thumb

(Still) no clenching

Building Bridges

Spread or palm down?

Closing the bridge

Bridge adjustments for special cases

Grasping mechanical bridges

Chapter 4: On Target: The Science and Feel of Aiming

Staying Centered: The Line of Centers

Ready, Aim, Shoot: The Contact and Aiming Points

Did You See That? The Ghost Ball System

With a Little Geometry: Aiming with Parallel Lines

From Thin to Full: Aiming with the Fractional Ball System

Chapter 5: Hit It: Creating a Solid Stroke

Practice Time: Warming Up

Getting Comfortable: Rhythm and Routine

Finding your rhythm

Making it routine

Starting the Stroke with the Backswing

Staying still

Keeping the cue level

Making Contact: Swinging through the Ball

Accelerating into the ball

Keeping control

Hitting the cue ball

Grand Finale: Following Through

Holding the elbow in place

Staying down

Chapter 6: Playing Nice: The Etiquette of the Game

Competing Graciously

Set the record straight

Ask when you don’t know

Get extra eyes for close calls

Other little things . . .

Sharking

Respecting the Tools

Part II: Controlling the Cue Ball

Chapter 7: Getting Control and Stopping the Cue Ball

Going Out from Center

Working the Angles in a Stun Shot

Finding the angle

Using the angle for position

Making the Stop Shot: Straight and Stun

Sitting for position

Stopping for safety

Shooting Stun Shots

Drag

Change of speed

Incorporating an angle

Chapter 8: Aim High: Incorporating Follow

Starting on a Straight and Narrow Roll

Rolling Askew

Playing Position with Follow

Hitting Above Center

Speeding Along

Dragging you down

Taking time to take

Experimenting with force follow

Chapter 9: Using Draw: Putting Backspin on the Cue Ball

Figuring Out What Draw Is

Looking at Full Hits

Drawing Cut Shots

Understanding Drag

Stroking with Draw

Playing Position with Draw

Pulling the cue ball back

Bending the angle

Chapter 10: The English Effect: Using Sidespin on the Cue Ball

Getting to Know English

Experimenting with English

Deflection

Swerve

Rebound angle

Pocketing a Straight Shot with English

Coming at English from an Angle

Outside English

Inside English

Throwing Object Balls

Finding New Opportunities for Position

Shortening the cue ball’s path

Avoiding obstacles

Part III: Taking Your Shots

Chapter 11: Opening Shots: The Rack and the Break

The Rack: Setting Up for the Break

Location, location, location

Tight is right

The Break: Covering the Who, What, and Where

Defining goals for each break

Positioning the cue ball

Gaining Power on Your Break Stroke

Closing the bridge

Easing into the backswing

Following through in a big way

Throwing your body into your break stroke

Adding Accuracy to Your Break Stroke’s Power

Hitting the head ball as full as possible

Finding where to cue the cue ball

Knowing When to Mix It Up

8 for the game

Soft break

Safety breaks

Chapter 12: Thinking Ahead: Position and Pattern Play

Beginning to See Patterns

Limiting cue ball movement

Staying in control with pocket speed

Avoiding contact

Position Play: Seeing into the Future

Playing three balls ahead

Positioning your cue ball

Playing to a zone, not across it

Getting on the right side of a ball

Dealing with problem balls

Chapter 13: Shot-making: Tackling the Most Frequent Situations

Enough Speed’s Enough

Keep Your Shot Process Simple

Looking at a Spectrum of Angles

Getting used to cuts

After impact: Feeling angles and distances

Dealing with Hangers

Cheating the pocket

Rail-first possibilities

Making a Shot Along the Rail

Chapter 14: Eying Combinations: Making Shots with Multiple Balls

Understanding the Difficulties

Removing your wiggle room

Distance dooms

Cut combinations? Don’t even think about it!

Finding Makable Combinations

Hangers

Dead combinations

Aiming for Multiple Balls

Finding the contact points

Focusing on one aiming point

Simplifying the Execution

Never stray from center ball

Playing position

Chapter 15: Billiards and Caroms: Finding New Ways to Pocket Balls

Billiard Shots: Using the Cue Ball After Impact

Knowing when to use a billiard

Finding an aiming line

Caroms: Sending an Object Ball Off Another

Recognizing open chances

Aiming aids

Jumping to a Conclusion with Jump Shots

Knowing the rules

Using jump cues

Setting up to jump

Building a stance

And stroke!

The strategy of jumping

Chapter 16: Banks and Kicks: Making the Most of the Rails

Rail First: Banking an Object Ball off the Rail

Making the decision

Altering angles

Aiming banks

Rail First: Sending the Cue Ball off a Rail

Aiming for the cue ball off a rail

Eying makable kicks

Chapter 17: Thinking Defensively: Playing Safe

What to Achieve: Setting Goals for Defensive Play

Finding blockers

Creating distance

Freezing the cue ball

Bunching it up

Percentage Play: Knowing When to Play Safe

The Two-Way Shot: Taking Out Insurance

The One to Know: Getting to Know Stop-Shot Safeties

Part IV: The Games You’ll Play

Chapter 18: The Magic of 8-Ball

Getting Started in 8-Ball

Producing a playable rack

Making a “break” for it

Choosing stripes or solids

Winning the game

Fouling: Common No-Nos

No hit or illegal hit

No rail

Other common fouls

8-Ball Strategy: Thinking to Win

Choosing your group

Using your balls

Planning your way out

Playing Defensive 8-Ball

Exploring House Rules

Using Handicaps to Level the Playing Field

Chapter 19: 9-Ball: The Hustler’s Game

Winning a Game of 9-Ball

Racking for 9-Ball

Taking the Break

Pushing Out

9-Ball Strategy: Thinking Ahead

Playing position

Playing safe

Handicapping 9-Ball

Chapter 20: Pool’s Many Other Games

Running into Straight Pool

Breaking

Clearing balls

Making the break shot

Playing safe

Experimenting with straight pool

Focusing on One-Pocket

Winning the game

Fouling

Using other pockets

Handicapping one-pocket

Popular Variations: 10-Ball and Rotation

Multiplayer Games

Cutthroat

Kelly pool

8-ball and 9-ball for teams

Three-Cushion Billiards

Snooker

Breaking and playing

Snooker’s variations

Part V: Gearing Up

Chapter 21: Equipment Check: Looking for Quality Tools

Finding a House Cue

Wanting a tip?

Shooting for straight

Lifting weights

Buying Your First Cue

Money isn’t everything

Checking the specs

Cue cases

Maintaining Your Cue

Your tip’s top shape

The shaft: Keep it clean

Joints, butts, and wraps

Accessorize Your Game

Choosing a Table

Know what you get at each price point

Figure out what size fits best

Play on the bed you made

Call the pocket

Dress your table cloth

Consider style and substance

Think about table accessories

Chapter 22: Pool Is Mental: Winning the Head Games

Staying Positive

Projecting confidence

Practicing confidence

Thinking Straight: Keeping Your Head in Line

Choosing a shot

Thinking about execution

Dealing with distractions

Turning up the pressure

Know Too Much: Being Honest with Yourself

Chapter 23: Drilling It Home: Practice Techniques

Making the Most of Practice

Working on the Fundamentals

Tip to tip

Stop shots

Fine-Tuning Your Shot-Making Skills

Controlling Your Cue Ball

The L drill

Circle drill

The center of position play

Breaking

Making a Game of It

Allen Hopkins Q Skills

Playing the ghost

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 24: Mastering Ten Trick Shots

The Butterfly

The Hustler Bank

The Snake Shot

Mizerak’s Just Showin’ Off

Life on the Railroad

Prison Break

First on the Three

Frozen Treat

Clearing the Way

Don’t Try This at Home

Chapter 25: Overcoming Ten or So Common Problems

Following the Cue Ball

Miscuing No More

Losing Control of the Break

Failing to Draw

Keeping Focused: Pocket versus Position

Scratching Too Often

Getting Bored with Practice

Rechecking Your Fundamentals

Attempting the Cue-All Solution

Pool & Billiards For Dummies®

Nicholas Leider

Pool & Billiards For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010920660

ISBN: 978-0-470-56553-7

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

Nicholas Leider has been playing pool since he bought his father a pool table (with his mom’s money) for Father’s Day when he was 15 years old. But only since joining Billiards Digest as an editor in 2007 has he realized how much there is to learn about pool. With 7,000-plus hours spent reading, talking, and writing about the sport, Nicholas is prepared to answer the two Trivial Pursuit questions about pool. You can contact him at [email protected].

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my parents. To my dad, who provided me with first-hand proof that hard work pays off (even if I’m just making boxes). And to my mom, who has no idea what her strength and determination has meant to our entire family. (Well, I hope she has some idea now.)

Author’s Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank those people who learned that I’m only on deadline when it’s the third deadline I’ve been given — acquisitions editor Michael Lewis; project editor Kelly Ewing; art director Alicia South; photographer Brien Richmond; and last but not least, technical editor, “Dr. Dave” Alciatore. Thanks also to John Novi, Jr. for allowing us into his home for the photo shoot. And finally, many thanks go to my agent, Marilyn Allen, who has been nothing but supportive.

And a special thanks to those who have taught me so much about this game, especially Larry Schwartz, George Fels, Mike Panozzo, and the rest of the crew at Billiards Digest.

Also, I’d like to thank my brother and sister for the constant support (and comic relief), my special ladyfriend, Jenny, for putting up with plenty of nights where I was a little less than sunny, and my friends for allowing me to drop out of society for a few months.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

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Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Kelly Ewing

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Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney

Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen

General Reviewer: Dave Alciatore

Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich

Editorial Supervisor and Reprint Editor: Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Assistant: Jennette ElNaggar

Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South

Photographer: Brien Richmond

Cover Photos: © iStock

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond

Layout and Graphics: Ashley Chamberlain, Carl Byers, Ronald G. Terry, Christine Williams

Proofreaders: Laura L. Bowman, John Greenough

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Publishing for Technology Dummies

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Composition Services

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Introduction

Welcome to Pool & Billiards For Dummies, where you’ve got an in to the sometimes intimidating world of pool. I’ve written this book to help you develop in all areas of the entertaining and challenging aspects of pool. So whether you aren’t sure which end is which on a cue stick or you’re looking to pick up some tips after hours spent at a pool table, the skill-building and strategic principles in this book will help you become a better pool player.

You may have picked up this book because you’re thinking about taking up pool as a hobby. The game of pocket billiards is a fantastic, low-impact physical activity that incorporates walking and stretching with a boatload of hand-eye coordination. Aside from the physical benefits, pool is a social game. You can play against some friends in a home game room or you can join a league to make new friends. No matter how you see pool fitting into your life, you’ll be playing with other people, which makes the game that much more enjoyable.

No matter your goals with pool, the game isn’t always easy. But it’s nothing near impossible. Some books cover the subject as if you’ve grown up with a cue in your hand. But break down all the cool pool lingo and boil down some of the complex systems, and pool is a sport that anyone can play proficiently.

About This Book

I know that you have plenty of options when it comes to books on pool and billiards. But I have a few reasons why this book is better than all the rest.

It’s in plain English. This book isn’t a complex treatise on the geometry and physics involved in pool. Instead, this book is a straightforward look at a game that anyone with a little determination and time can master. In Pool & Billiards For Dummies, I have one simple goal: If someone who doesn’t know a cue ball from an 8 ball can understand the subject matter, I’ve done my job.

To that end, I try to keep the developing player — someone who is just starting to play pool or someone who has played for awhile but is just starting to study the game — in mind. When I used to tool around on the pool table in my house as a teenager, I didn’t have much direction, though that didn’t stop me from practicing. But lately, since joining the staff at Billiards Digest, I spend my days reading and talking to the best minds in the game. These two experiences allow me to cover the technical aspects of pool in an everyday way.

It’s a reference. You can read this book cover to cover if you want. But I’m guessing you’re not going to quit your job to take up pool for hours on end. And because it may take awhile before you’re winning world championships, you can use this book as a reference guide. No matter what topic you want to explore on a given night, you can pick up this book and flip to any chapter at any point. If you want to jump to Chapter 20, you don’t need to skim the first 19 chapters. Instead, feel free to explore the subjects that interest you.

It’s comprehensive. Just because this book is written in a way that anyone can understand the subject doesn’t mean that it’s an incomplete look at the absolute basics of pool. Instead, this book drops a lot of the pool jargon while still covering all the information you need on all the different aspects of the fascinating game of pool.

It’s objective. I’m not trying to convince you that you absolutely must get a pool table or spend $100 on a pool cue. This book is about increasing your knowledge of the game. I want you to learn how to become the pool player you want to be. That’s it!

Conventions Used in This Book

Every book has its own conventions, and this one is no different. To make the most of the information I provide, keep your eye out for these conventions:

Terms I use for the first time are in italics. To be sure I keep you up to speed, plain-English explanations or descriptions of these terms are nearby.

When I go through a process in a particular order, I number the steps and put the action part of each step in bold.

Web addresses are in monofont. Note: When this book was printed, some Web addresses may have needed to break across two lines of text. If that happened, rest assured that we haven’t put in any extra characters (such as hyphens) to indicate the break. So, when using one of these Web addresses, just type exactly what you see in this book, as though the line break doesn’t exist.

What You’re Not to Read

When you bring this book home, you’re not signing up to read every single page. You can jump around to find the information you need. You can also skip the sidebars (text in gray boxes) — sidebars are interesting, but they aren’t essential to your understanding of the topic at hand. Finally, you can skip anything marked by a Technical Stuff icon. (For more on icons, see “Icons Used in This Book,” later in this Introduction.)

Making Assumptions

I’m not saying I know everything about you, but here are a few assumptions I’ve made about you:

You like to play pool or are thinking about taking up pool as a hobby.

You either own a pool table or have easy access to one, whether it’s at a pool hall, bar, or friend’s house.

You have little or no experience in learning the proper techniques of a pool stroke.

You may be an experienced pool player who is looking for some additional tips on stroke fundamentals and the mental side of the game.

How This Book Is Organized

As the table of contents shows, this book is divided into six parts. Here’s what you can find in each of them.

Part I: Fundamentals of Pool

Part I is where you discover the fundamentals of a sound stance and stroke. From finding out where your feet go to the proper way of swinging your cue stick from backswing and on through the cue ball, you’ll find all this information in this part. In this part, I also cover some of the social etiquette of pool. All in all, Part I gets you set for some of the more in-depth aspects of pool.

Part II: Controlling the Cue Ball

This part of the book covers one of the most underrated aspects of the game — controlling the cue ball. As any experienced pool player can tell you, the secret of the game isn’t so much making the shot at hand. It’s about leaving the cue ball in position for your next shot. I’ve broken up the different ways of controlling the cue ball, so you can read about each process by itself — all on the way to getting a handle on controlling the cue ball.

Part III: Taking Your Shots

If you like the sound of a ball hitting the back of a pocket — and who doesn’t? — this is the part of the book for you. In Part III, I dissect some of the many shots you’ll face on a pool table. From the opening shot (the break) to some tricky shots like banks, kicks, and caroms, Part III covers the most important categories of shots that are bound to show up on a table near you.

Part IV: The Games You’ll Play

You might think of pool as 8-ball or 9-ball, but a pool table can host a wide array of different games. In this section, I go into detail on the games of 8-ball and 9-ball — by far the most popular disciplines. But I also run through some other games that you may find fun to try. No matter what your taste, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a game for you.

Part V: Gearing Up

In this part, I handle some of the peripheral aspects of the game. Pool is full of accessories and tools and equipment. Picking a cue out of the rack at your local pool hall seems so easy, but you need to know what to look for when it comes to the hardware side of the sport. Also, Part V deals with the mental side of the game. You’re hitting a cue ball that’s completely stationary, so it’s not about reaction time or instinct.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

This is the part that all For Dummies books are known for — the cool lists of things in the back of the book. In this part, I include lists of ten trick shots that can help you show off for your friends and ten common problems that you may be able to troubleshoot.

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout the book, you come across icons in the margins. These little symbols alert you to specific information. Here’s what each icon means:

You can avoid some of the common mistakes made by developing pool players in a number of ways. When I’ve got a particularly useful suggestion that may help you avoid a frustrating situation, I flag it with this icon.

Because you were nice enough to open this book, I’ll soothe your worries: You’re not gonna be tested on anything in any of the 26 chapters. This book is only a reference. Occasionally, I do come up with something that’s worth remembering. In this case, I mark it with this icon.

Pool is a game that is wrought with trouble — or at least situations that can be a problem for the uninformed player. So when I put a little Warning! icon on the page, take note. Check out these warnings to keep yourself and your cue in line.

The bits of information marked with the Technical Stuff icon are facts that you may find interesting but don’t need to know. Feel free to skip over the text marked with this icon if you’re not interested in the topic.

Where to Go from Here

This book is a reference, which means you can jump around to whatever section you want. If you’re wondering how to aim a particular shot, check out Chapter 4. If you’re looking for the basics behind the game of 9-ball, flip to Chapter 19. If you’re sick of picking up a house cue at the pool hall and want to get one of your own, Chapter 21 can help. The point is that you’re welcome to flip around the book to where you wanna go.

Finally, send me an e-mail with some feedback or a photo as proof that your pool game is on its way up. You can reach me at [email protected]

Part I

Fundamentals of Pool

In this part . . .

Within this book, you have all the information necessary to develop into a pretty solid pool player. But if you’re completely new to the sport of pool, this part is where you want to start. In this part, I start with the fundamentals involved in pool. I show you how to get into a comfortable stance, how to hold the cue, how to aim, and how to stroke the cue so that you’ll be pocketing balls in no time. Finally, I also cover basic etiquette so that you’ll know your place around any pool table.