The Book Reviews
Play Your Best Pool
Tom Shaw - Pool & Billiard Magazine Nov 1995
"PLAY YOUR BEST POOL, by Phil Capelle is the most thorough book on playing pool ever published. This huge to me is pretty amazing. It is well written - in fact, the style is exceptionally clean and neat, a reflection of its overall approach to pool. Though not really a book for raw beginners, Play Your Best Pool starts out with twenty-four pages on grip, bridges, etc. It then systematically covers every single aspect of the game right through to professional level. Every shot you can think of is discussed. And I mean every shot and situation. I even started a little game with myself while I was reading, trying to think of a shot or situation not covered because the completeness of the book just smacks you in the face. I gave up. This is one thorough book. It might have been titled, Everything you ever wanted to know about pool. With a book this thorough, you tend to get carried away with its impressive numbers, but we don't want to forget the quality. It is very clearly written and illustrated, and contains a huge amount of practical information to help you deal with improving and enjoying your game. This is a book to study and use. You'll love it".
George Fels – Billiards Digest
What’s life without a little yin and yang? This month, the creative sector of our magical game has offered up two super books – plus a videotape so bad it’s practically laughable.
Play Your Best Pool, by BCA-certified senior instructor Phil Capelle, is one of the most ambitious projects in the game’s bibliography. The table of contents alone is 11 pages long! Its subtitle is Secrets of Winning 8-Ball and 9-Ball for All Players, and while its content would suggest that the primary target is beginners, Mr. Capelle rationalizes that even experts should begin their repairs by visiting the basics.
His chapter on position play runs 89 pages, and contains some of the best writing on the subject ever presented. Beyond the position basics of draw, follow, and English, he takes you into the seldom-discussed areas of position zones, the right-side-of-the-ball concept, rail targets, two- and three-rail position, and much more. While his diagrammed examples teach position for no more than two shots ahead, sometimes three, his principles are eminently correct; this one is one of those rare books from which you can actually learn something.
In addition to the two games mentioned above, Mr. Capelle also addresses the basics, the mental game, how to improve, and many other aspects. He claims that his 420+ pages project took him a year of full time – sometimes 7 days a week – work, and that’s not hard to believe. Highly recommended.
John Cash –National Billiard News
It is difficult to believe Phil Capelle could improve upon his original Play Your Best Pool – Secrets to Winning 8-Ball & 9-Ball, but he has!
His 448 page 10th Anniversary completely revised edition is essentially the same as the original; however, as Capelle says, this effort’s subtle changes offer the reader “an even more poolplayer friendly book.”
For those of you who have not enjoyed the original, NBN’s review of Capelle’s first Play Your Best Pool offering informed readers the book “tops all previous ‘how-to’ books and the author has compiled a volume that is must reading for beginner, intermediate and professional players.
The revised edition has a total of 480 pages (including the appendix) compared to 464 in the original version.
The price, however, remains $29.95. For details on ordering a copy, see the advertisement on page 9.
Included in the changes for the revised edition are the following:
-- Four pages have been added to the Aiming chapter that includes more insight on this process.
-- A section on the rules has been added to the appendix.
-- Straight Pool, One Pocket, Rotation, and Bank Pool are introduced in a separate new chapter, including a rules summary and winning tips for each game.
-- A new section teaches the reader how to structure a practice session for maximum effectiveness.
-- Key thoughts have been emphasized in bold face type for easy reference.
-- The book is divided into four parts – Laying the Foundation, Position Play, The Games, and Play Your Best Pool.
Briefly these sections offer a course in the fundamentals and shotmaking, basic routes, principles, off the rail position and fine points, big chapter on 8-Ball and 9-Ball plus an introductory chapter on the four games previously mentioned and a course on how to become the best player you can be that covers the mental game, improving, competition and practice.
In addition, Capelle has added all new diagrams featuring grid lines that make it easier to set up some of the shots during practice.
He includes a large cue ball with cross hairs to see exactly where to strike the ball.
Several of the chapters have been reorganized. As Phil says, “all information is easy to locate in the expanded table of contents – a Capelle
trademark.
The major chapters on 8-Ball and 9-Ball include mastering offensive and defensive strategies where Capelle asks the reader, “What Can Make You a Winner?” and then gives 11 points to achieve the desired goal.
He breaks down these chapters into offense and defense. In the chapter on offense, Capelle informs players the biggest mistake of all is the failed runout.
He follows by instructing the player to think three balls ahead at a time.
Phil emphasizes the importance of the break shot in 9-Ball.
For advance players including professionals, the break shot is the most important aspect of 9-Ball. Failure to pocket a ball on the break has led to numerous downfalls in these matches.
Capelle’s use of diagrams is of utmost importance throughout the revise edition and is designed to assist the reader/player during his practice sessions.
It is this tool that is probably the most important in making Play Your Best Pool the best how to volume on the market today.
NBN strongly recommends this revised edition as must reading for all aspiring players to better their overall performance and ultimately achieve their desired goals.
Ken Cormier - Billiard Beat
I recently had the good fortune to read Phil Capelle's book "Play Your Best Pool." Until I read it, I hadn't been a proponent of self-help pocket billiards books, but a strange thing happened as I got into this book - I started playing better. A strong part of my gains was in basics. Sometimes it is a good thing to get right down to the nitty gritty of stance, grip, stroke, etc., to be able to execute the more complex shots with consistency.
The book is well organized into chapters that detail strategies for shotmaking, position play, 8-ball and 9-ball. In addition, attention is taken with competitive play, mental pool, English, and practice strategies. Easy-to-understand diagrams are all through this book, and there are strong, intelligent illustrations of dealing with a winning game plan.
John Biddle – Poolstudent.com
One of my favorite instructional pool books is Play Your Best Pool by Phil Capelle. It is the most comprehensive and thorough single volume of general pool instruction I know of. My copy, the one I’m reviewing here, is from the 1st printing. The book was updated last year and it’s been made even better.
Phil starts out with the fundamentals; stance, grip, bridge, etc., and covers them in detail. This is all to the good, since without good fundamentals you’ll not advance very far, or at least not very quickly. Aiming is next, covered well in 15 pages, including different aiming methods, where in the pocket to aim for various shots, and even a section on contact induced throw.
Moving forward, the chapters become longer and more detailed as the increasingly complex subject matter warrants. In Shotmaking, a wide range of shots is covered, from cut shots and combinations to banks, caroms, billiards, rail first shots and more. Phil includes a detailed explanation of throw and how it works in quite a number of situations. As is true throughout the book, the diagrams are clear, well labeled, accurate and always on the same page as the relevant text.
After covering english, including how to apply it, how it affects the path of the cueball, and how it can wreak havoc on your game until you learn to compensate for its various effects (all explained), the groundwork has been completed and it’s time to discuss position play. This most important of topics is covered in great detail for a hundred pages. Every one of those has at least one diagram and many have more. Many of the diagrams show various options for moving the cue ball to different parts of the table. By devoting so much space to this important topic, Capelle has space to cover the subject both broadly and deeply. He hits all the subject areas, and goes into great detail on each of them. When he writes about all the various types of shots (stop, stun, follow and draw) he breaks each one down into many variations, not only revealing the richness and depth of the subject, but explaining how and when to do each one. You can feel your pool knowledge expanding and you can’t wait to get to the table to try out all the new stuff.
This chapter isn’t just a brute force coverage of a list of shot types. The explanations usually cover subtleties as well. Like talking about paying attention to the details that make the difference between getting the position you wanted and missing it. Making sure you know on which side of the line you want to be on for your next shot in order to be able to move on to the third ball in sequence; paying attention to
the size and shape of the target area, and knowing if being short of ideal is preferable to being long, or vice versa.
By this point , Play Your Best Pool has already more than delivered excellent value for your hard earned dollar. But there’s more; much more.
It’s all well and good to have your mechanics down pat, and extensive pool knowledge to help you do what you want to do on the table. But pool is a thinking game as much as it’s a physical skill game, and the sections that follow will help you with that other half, knowing what you want to do. The next two chapters are devoted to the two most opular pool games of our time, eight and nine ball. In eight ball, Phil covers
topics including but not limited to assessing the table and picking the best group, knowing how and whether to run out, or if you need to wait, how to improve the table for your return visit without giving too much to your opponent. Balancing offense and defense and how to play the end game are also covered in depth.
Nine ball requires different skills but the idea is the same, how do I best use the skills I have learned and refined in the 1st 200 pages of the book to improve my winning percentage. Nine ball is more demanding technically than 8 Ball, so additional detail is provided for a few specific areas, including position play, shot making, the break and kicking. The strategic areas receiving the most attention are the pushout, safety play, adjusting to your opponent, minimizing the impact of mistakes, balancing offense and defense, and assessing the rack correctly.
Chapters 8 and 9 cover the mental game and competitive play. These areas are more important than you might think, and if you work on them you’ll reap significant benefits. Capelle shows you how.
Wrapping up, chapter 10 is all about how to improve. You’ve spent the money to buy the book and spent the time reading and understanding it, now you need to turn that knowledge into ability. Using tried and true training techniques, this section will help you to focus your effort and get the most out of your practice time. Many drills are presented to work numerous areas of your game. Phil gives a good introduction to the topic here, and he returns to it later with a whole book, Capelle’s Practicing Pool. As a matter of fact, Phil has done that for three games, with Play Your Best Eight Ball, Play Your Best Nine Ball and Play Your Best Straight Pool, as well as expanding on the mental side of the game with A Mind for Pool.
Because of the completeness of the treatment of his subject, the care and detail Phil has given to selecting his examples and the way he illustrated them with numerous clear and accurate diagrams, I’m giving this book a 9 on my 10 point scale.
John Evans -On the Wire
The air is crisp, football is on the television, and the pool establishments are doing a brisk business. Yes it is indeed Fall, and another seasonal tradition is an offering by the most prolific, and arguably the most accomplished author on the subject of billiards today." Play Your Best Pool", the 10th anniversary revised edition, penned by Phil Capelle, is the one necessary staple for your instructional library!
Whether you are novice or the number 1 rated professional, the first part called "Laying the Foundation" is well worth the money spent on this book alone. Phil covers subjects like grip, stance, and stroke with pictures, text, and easy to comprehend diagrams to scale. If you are new to pool, being educated in the fundamentals will save you time, money and patience. If you are an advanced player, you know returning to the fundamentals is what keeps you consistent, which is imperative to playing winning pool.
Phil's 36 year odyssey in pool began with a copy of "Willie Mosconi on Pocket Billiards", which he credits for rapidly improving his game. Always an eager student, Phil's enthusiasm for detail and fact shine the light of discovery on myth and misperception offering the reader the opportunity to theorize based on well researched knowledge.
"Play Your Best Pool" is a comprehensive study on nearly every aspect of cue sport. Aiming, position routes and principles, the mental game, practice routines are just a few meaty nuggets thoroughly covered here. The book has 4 parts with 16 chapters, and numerous subheadings included in the hefty 448 pages of well thought out instruction. The wealth of insight packed in this book is a must have for any serious student of the game! The revised edition presents the reader with the latest knowledge data to assist in his or her quest to become the best pool player possible. If you follow the step by step instruction, the book is a literal diagram meant to produce a complete fundamentally sound pool player.
It really is my pleasure to be able to wholeheartedly recommend Phil's book, which I believe to be the paragon of the genre. So don't waste anymore time slowly trudging up the improvement trail. Run right out and purchase "Play Your Best Pool" revised edition, so you too can... run out, and play... your best pool!
Darwin's Billiard Emporium
If I could only recommend one book out of all of the pool books in publication for new to intermediate players to purchase, this is it! In my opinion, it is the best comprehensive book on billiard instruction.
"PLAY YOUR BEST POOL, by Phil Capelle is the most thorough book on playing pool ever published. This huge to me is pretty amazing. It is well written - in fact, the style is exceptionally clean and neat, a reflection of its overall approach to pool. Though not really a book for raw beginners, Play Your Best Pool starts out with twenty-four pages on grip, bridges, etc. It then systematically covers every single aspect of the game right through to professional level. Every shot you can think of is discussed. And I mean every shot and situation. I even started a little game with myself while I was reading, trying to think of a shot or situation not covered because the completeness of the book just smacks you in the face. I gave up. This is one thorough book. It might have been titled, Everything you ever wanted to know about pool. With a book this thorough, you tend to get carried away with its impressive numbers, but we don't want to forget the quality. It is very clearly written and illustrated, and contains a huge amount of practical information to help you deal with improving and enjoying your game. This is a book to study and use. You'll love it".
George Fels – Billiards Digest
What’s life without a little yin and yang? This month, the creative sector of our magical game has offered up two super books – plus a videotape so bad it’s practically laughable.
Play Your Best Pool, by BCA-certified senior instructor Phil Capelle, is one of the most ambitious projects in the game’s bibliography. The table of contents alone is 11 pages long! Its subtitle is Secrets of Winning 8-Ball and 9-Ball for All Players, and while its content would suggest that the primary target is beginners, Mr. Capelle rationalizes that even experts should begin their repairs by visiting the basics.
His chapter on position play runs 89 pages, and contains some of the best writing on the subject ever presented. Beyond the position basics of draw, follow, and English, he takes you into the seldom-discussed areas of position zones, the right-side-of-the-ball concept, rail targets, two- and three-rail position, and much more. While his diagrammed examples teach position for no more than two shots ahead, sometimes three, his principles are eminently correct; this one is one of those rare books from which you can actually learn something.
In addition to the two games mentioned above, Mr. Capelle also addresses the basics, the mental game, how to improve, and many other aspects. He claims that his 420+ pages project took him a year of full time – sometimes 7 days a week – work, and that’s not hard to believe. Highly recommended.
John Cash –National Billiard News
It is difficult to believe Phil Capelle could improve upon his original Play Your Best Pool – Secrets to Winning 8-Ball & 9-Ball, but he has!
His 448 page 10th Anniversary completely revised edition is essentially the same as the original; however, as Capelle says, this effort’s subtle changes offer the reader “an even more poolplayer friendly book.”
For those of you who have not enjoyed the original, NBN’s review of Capelle’s first Play Your Best Pool offering informed readers the book “tops all previous ‘how-to’ books and the author has compiled a volume that is must reading for beginner, intermediate and professional players.
The revised edition has a total of 480 pages (including the appendix) compared to 464 in the original version.
The price, however, remains $29.95. For details on ordering a copy, see the advertisement on page 9.
Included in the changes for the revised edition are the following:
-- Four pages have been added to the Aiming chapter that includes more insight on this process.
-- A section on the rules has been added to the appendix.
-- Straight Pool, One Pocket, Rotation, and Bank Pool are introduced in a separate new chapter, including a rules summary and winning tips for each game.
-- A new section teaches the reader how to structure a practice session for maximum effectiveness.
-- Key thoughts have been emphasized in bold face type for easy reference.
-- The book is divided into four parts – Laying the Foundation, Position Play, The Games, and Play Your Best Pool.
Briefly these sections offer a course in the fundamentals and shotmaking, basic routes, principles, off the rail position and fine points, big chapter on 8-Ball and 9-Ball plus an introductory chapter on the four games previously mentioned and a course on how to become the best player you can be that covers the mental game, improving, competition and practice.
In addition, Capelle has added all new diagrams featuring grid lines that make it easier to set up some of the shots during practice.
He includes a large cue ball with cross hairs to see exactly where to strike the ball.
Several of the chapters have been reorganized. As Phil says, “all information is easy to locate in the expanded table of contents – a Capelle
trademark.
The major chapters on 8-Ball and 9-Ball include mastering offensive and defensive strategies where Capelle asks the reader, “What Can Make You a Winner?” and then gives 11 points to achieve the desired goal.
He breaks down these chapters into offense and defense. In the chapter on offense, Capelle informs players the biggest mistake of all is the failed runout.
He follows by instructing the player to think three balls ahead at a time.
Phil emphasizes the importance of the break shot in 9-Ball.
For advance players including professionals, the break shot is the most important aspect of 9-Ball. Failure to pocket a ball on the break has led to numerous downfalls in these matches.
Capelle’s use of diagrams is of utmost importance throughout the revise edition and is designed to assist the reader/player during his practice sessions.
It is this tool that is probably the most important in making Play Your Best Pool the best how to volume on the market today.
NBN strongly recommends this revised edition as must reading for all aspiring players to better their overall performance and ultimately achieve their desired goals.
Ken Cormier - Billiard Beat
I recently had the good fortune to read Phil Capelle's book "Play Your Best Pool." Until I read it, I hadn't been a proponent of self-help pocket billiards books, but a strange thing happened as I got into this book - I started playing better. A strong part of my gains was in basics. Sometimes it is a good thing to get right down to the nitty gritty of stance, grip, stroke, etc., to be able to execute the more complex shots with consistency.
The book is well organized into chapters that detail strategies for shotmaking, position play, 8-ball and 9-ball. In addition, attention is taken with competitive play, mental pool, English, and practice strategies. Easy-to-understand diagrams are all through this book, and there are strong, intelligent illustrations of dealing with a winning game plan.
John Biddle – Poolstudent.com
One of my favorite instructional pool books is Play Your Best Pool by Phil Capelle. It is the most comprehensive and thorough single volume of general pool instruction I know of. My copy, the one I’m reviewing here, is from the 1st printing. The book was updated last year and it’s been made even better.
Phil starts out with the fundamentals; stance, grip, bridge, etc., and covers them in detail. This is all to the good, since without good fundamentals you’ll not advance very far, or at least not very quickly. Aiming is next, covered well in 15 pages, including different aiming methods, where in the pocket to aim for various shots, and even a section on contact induced throw.
Moving forward, the chapters become longer and more detailed as the increasingly complex subject matter warrants. In Shotmaking, a wide range of shots is covered, from cut shots and combinations to banks, caroms, billiards, rail first shots and more. Phil includes a detailed explanation of throw and how it works in quite a number of situations. As is true throughout the book, the diagrams are clear, well labeled, accurate and always on the same page as the relevant text.
After covering english, including how to apply it, how it affects the path of the cueball, and how it can wreak havoc on your game until you learn to compensate for its various effects (all explained), the groundwork has been completed and it’s time to discuss position play. This most important of topics is covered in great detail for a hundred pages. Every one of those has at least one diagram and many have more. Many of the diagrams show various options for moving the cue ball to different parts of the table. By devoting so much space to this important topic, Capelle has space to cover the subject both broadly and deeply. He hits all the subject areas, and goes into great detail on each of them. When he writes about all the various types of shots (stop, stun, follow and draw) he breaks each one down into many variations, not only revealing the richness and depth of the subject, but explaining how and when to do each one. You can feel your pool knowledge expanding and you can’t wait to get to the table to try out all the new stuff.
This chapter isn’t just a brute force coverage of a list of shot types. The explanations usually cover subtleties as well. Like talking about paying attention to the details that make the difference between getting the position you wanted and missing it. Making sure you know on which side of the line you want to be on for your next shot in order to be able to move on to the third ball in sequence; paying attention to
the size and shape of the target area, and knowing if being short of ideal is preferable to being long, or vice versa.
By this point , Play Your Best Pool has already more than delivered excellent value for your hard earned dollar. But there’s more; much more.
It’s all well and good to have your mechanics down pat, and extensive pool knowledge to help you do what you want to do on the table. But pool is a thinking game as much as it’s a physical skill game, and the sections that follow will help you with that other half, knowing what you want to do. The next two chapters are devoted to the two most opular pool games of our time, eight and nine ball. In eight ball, Phil covers
topics including but not limited to assessing the table and picking the best group, knowing how and whether to run out, or if you need to wait, how to improve the table for your return visit without giving too much to your opponent. Balancing offense and defense and how to play the end game are also covered in depth.
Nine ball requires different skills but the idea is the same, how do I best use the skills I have learned and refined in the 1st 200 pages of the book to improve my winning percentage. Nine ball is more demanding technically than 8 Ball, so additional detail is provided for a few specific areas, including position play, shot making, the break and kicking. The strategic areas receiving the most attention are the pushout, safety play, adjusting to your opponent, minimizing the impact of mistakes, balancing offense and defense, and assessing the rack correctly.
Chapters 8 and 9 cover the mental game and competitive play. These areas are more important than you might think, and if you work on them you’ll reap significant benefits. Capelle shows you how.
Wrapping up, chapter 10 is all about how to improve. You’ve spent the money to buy the book and spent the time reading and understanding it, now you need to turn that knowledge into ability. Using tried and true training techniques, this section will help you to focus your effort and get the most out of your practice time. Many drills are presented to work numerous areas of your game. Phil gives a good introduction to the topic here, and he returns to it later with a whole book, Capelle’s Practicing Pool. As a matter of fact, Phil has done that for three games, with Play Your Best Eight Ball, Play Your Best Nine Ball and Play Your Best Straight Pool, as well as expanding on the mental side of the game with A Mind for Pool.
Because of the completeness of the treatment of his subject, the care and detail Phil has given to selecting his examples and the way he illustrated them with numerous clear and accurate diagrams, I’m giving this book a 9 on my 10 point scale.
John Evans -On the Wire
The air is crisp, football is on the television, and the pool establishments are doing a brisk business. Yes it is indeed Fall, and another seasonal tradition is an offering by the most prolific, and arguably the most accomplished author on the subject of billiards today." Play Your Best Pool", the 10th anniversary revised edition, penned by Phil Capelle, is the one necessary staple for your instructional library!
Whether you are novice or the number 1 rated professional, the first part called "Laying the Foundation" is well worth the money spent on this book alone. Phil covers subjects like grip, stance, and stroke with pictures, text, and easy to comprehend diagrams to scale. If you are new to pool, being educated in the fundamentals will save you time, money and patience. If you are an advanced player, you know returning to the fundamentals is what keeps you consistent, which is imperative to playing winning pool.
Phil's 36 year odyssey in pool began with a copy of "Willie Mosconi on Pocket Billiards", which he credits for rapidly improving his game. Always an eager student, Phil's enthusiasm for detail and fact shine the light of discovery on myth and misperception offering the reader the opportunity to theorize based on well researched knowledge.
"Play Your Best Pool" is a comprehensive study on nearly every aspect of cue sport. Aiming, position routes and principles, the mental game, practice routines are just a few meaty nuggets thoroughly covered here. The book has 4 parts with 16 chapters, and numerous subheadings included in the hefty 448 pages of well thought out instruction. The wealth of insight packed in this book is a must have for any serious student of the game! The revised edition presents the reader with the latest knowledge data to assist in his or her quest to become the best pool player possible. If you follow the step by step instruction, the book is a literal diagram meant to produce a complete fundamentally sound pool player.
It really is my pleasure to be able to wholeheartedly recommend Phil's book, which I believe to be the paragon of the genre. So don't waste anymore time slowly trudging up the improvement trail. Run right out and purchase "Play Your Best Pool" revised edition, so you too can... run out, and play... your best pool!
Darwin's Billiard Emporium
If I could only recommend one book out of all of the pool books in publication for new to intermediate players to purchase, this is it! In my opinion, it is the best comprehensive book on billiard instruction.
Play Your Best Straight Pool
Tom Shaw – Pool & Billiard Magazine
Play Your Best Straight Pool by Phil Capelle is his third book. The first two, Play Your Best Pool and A Mind For Pool started out as best sellers and continue to draw enthusiastic readers. Capelle’s new one should be no different because Play Your Best Straight Pool is the most complete book on Straight Pool ever written, yet one of the easiest to use.
I suppose that readers will come to the book from one of two groups: players of Straight who are looking to improve their game, and newbies who know little about it other that it is often referred to as “pure pool.”
Both will be more than happy. For the tyro, Capelle has devised a clever New Players Guide that allows them to easily find the key, basic sections without having to read the entire book. They’ll give you that firm foundation in the game.
The player with some Straight Pool background can use the book as a reference tool for problem areas in their game. The lengthy table of contents allows these players to find exactly what they are looking for without leafing through other sections.
A shot or concept in any pool game is often easier to understand visually than verbally, and with that in mind the book has 355 clear diagrams with all balls in proportion to the table. There’s even a triangle in every diagram so you can easily reference ball positions.
And recognizing that most players will come to the game from either and 8-Ball or 9-Ball background (a reversal of the trip taken before 1960), Capelle frequently points out how you need to adjust your game. That’s the kind of detail and comprehensives you’ll find throughout this great book.
This is a big book, and though you might be tempted to read it all straight through, it is really designed as a reference book. Pick it up, check out the contents, and head to a section that you’d like to know more about. There’s no doubt the information you want will be there in detail.
As the mother of all pool games, every player should have an understanding of Straight, and be open to the joys of playing a game that will improve the other pool games that you play. This is certainly the book that will accomplish that for you. It’s a Straight Pool lovers treasure chest, and with the New Player’s Guide, it has also become the book for all beginners of the
game.
Top marks for detail, organization, accuracy, illustration, and completeness!
Elliot S. Eisenberg – Accomplished 14.1 Player (HR of 180+)
Four adjectives characterize Phil Capelle's book "Play Your Best Straight Pool."
First, it's encyclopedic in scope.
Second, it's scholarly in presentation.
Third, it's articulate in style.
And, finally, it's superlative in contribution to pool/billiards education.
Right from the opening frame of this straight pool treatise Mr. Capelle leaves his competitors frozen on the end rail without having disturbed a single ball in the pack. Stated alternatively, the Table of Contents of this book is voluminous, comprehensive, and erudite. Even without carefully reviewing each of the nine pages in the contents section the reader is given a glimpse of the type of detail the author employs. My first thought in reading it was that it was like an encyclopedia. No stone left unturned... somewhere between the Duane's Series of Ophthalmology and Britannica...an accurate foreshadowing of the surgically precise 394 pages that follow. While many fine straight pool texts on the market help to educate all levels of players none of them fracture the game to its component parts to the level of "Play Your Best Straight Pool." The topic specificity is so high and so discriminating all 14.1 players will be thoroughly addicted by Chapter 1. By the time I read the subsection `Bending with Draw' and `Bumping Balls with Spin' I was in need of an immediate fix. STAT. Two hours of nothing but straight pool at `Hard Times...No other instruction text in the field has demonstrated this level of
comprehensiveness.
In order for a book to be considered scholarly it should meet the burden of bringing the hidden to the revealed. Capelle's text aptly passes muster in this regard. In most cases, with the exception of a few naturally gifted elite players, straight pool knowledge is the gradual accumulation of years of practice and experience. With luck, a beacon such as "Play Your Best Straight Pool" arrives and a bright light
transforms the journeyman into a player. A specific example in Capelle's text is his discussion of jumping the cue ball into the rack. In a chapter entitled "Break Shots" the author discusses a dreaded phenomenon where the player has a potential break shot but unfortunately leaves the cueball in a position that is almost straight in. This would result in a situation where there is an insufficient angle of cue ball defection after impact. The net effect is a lack of the necessary force to scatter the triangulated balls and continue the run. In other words the cut angle is too shallow. The author's solution to the dilemma is to send the cueball airborne by executing a jump shot. The flying cueball then descends on the nearby rack and its weight and velocity are an impetus to scatter the balls. This concept is clearly not obvious. Even a moderately skillful straight pool player, one who is capable of stringing a number of racks together, may not envision a jump shot as a solution to dispersing clustered balls. Furthermore, as a corollary to this principle Capelle amplifies the idea in another section of the text where he advocates a semi-jump shot with force follow to break a difficult cluster. In both scenarios the reader is illuminated with sophisticated knowledge not evident by casual observation.
The book is clearly presented, well formatted, and fits together in a distinct but connected sequence. Exemplifying this articulate style is a seven page mini-dissertation on `Manufacturing Break Shots' - a subsection from the chapter labeled "Pattern Play." First, Capelle introduces the reader to the concept. Then he defines the goal and necessity of maneuvering critical balls into strategic positions to maintain runs. Next, with the use of precise and scaled drawings (consistent throughout the book) he takes the pool enthusiast on a step by step tour teaching the creation of break shots. Finally, he masterfully ends the short discourse with advanced techniques employing spin, draw, bank shots, and visualization.
On a somewhat personal note my goal in reading "Play Your Best Straight Pool" was to facilitate coming out of retirement. I hadn't played 14.1 Continuous in over a decade. For over ten years I didn't even walk into a pool hall. There was a significant hiatus in my billiard career. As a result a burning question remained in my mind. Will the game come back like riding a bicycle or will I be struggling to make every ball?
After I read the section of `Manufacturing Break Shots' I couldn't think of anything else. Brushing my teeth in the morning I was pushing out the 15 ball into the classic `Mosconi break.' At noon I nudged the 2 ball into position for a break shot behind the rack. Going to sleep I kissed and banked the 5 ball into position alongside the triangle. Day and Night Straight Pool. In practice it went the same way. Phil's book actualized my goal and made it reality. This was love, baby. Real love.
A quotation from the often cited 1961 immortal film masterpiece `The Hustler' is relevant. The protagonist, Fast Eddie Felson--a straight pool player--cavalierly enters a billiard room. Addressing the cashier behind the counter he says "No bar?" Sternly, in a reprimanding tone, the cashier replies "No bar, no pinball machines, no bowling alley, just pool...nothing else. This is Ames, Mister." The observant viewer gleans an epiphany from these lines. No other games of value exist. Nothing else matters. Phil Capelle intimately understands those lines and with his labor of love "Play Your Best Straight Pool" he has given pool a lasting contribution by dissecting the greatest of games. This book is the finest in its genre and one can only hope Capelle will bless us with a sequel.
Scott Huffman – A reader’s story of improvement
I recently completed the Book titled Play Your Best Straight Pool as I now play 14-1 every chance I get. I have played pool off and on for the last 25 years but not much 14-1 until last January when I got a table in my house. At that time my high run in 14-1 was 29. I read the book several times in an effort to understand all the finer aspects of the game. Since that time my high run is now 71 balls, 29 short of my objective of 100. I have had numerous runs in the 40-59 range with the frequency of such runs increasing.
The parts of the book that were especially helpful were the writing and illustrations on the break shot, secondary, and primary key balls. The chapter titled "How To Run A Rack" helps significantly in managing a run. The illustrations are well thought out and it is obvious that the author put a significant amount of effort in writing the book. The book will not only help ones straight pool game but it makes 8 & 9 ball much easier as a result of the improvement in cue ball control. I am a strong believer that straight pool is without a doubt the games best teacher no matter what game you play. After reading numerous books on pool I can say with certainty that Phil's book on straight pool is without question the best one out there.
Thanks and well done.
Play Your Best Straight Pool by Phil Capelle is his third book. The first two, Play Your Best Pool and A Mind For Pool started out as best sellers and continue to draw enthusiastic readers. Capelle’s new one should be no different because Play Your Best Straight Pool is the most complete book on Straight Pool ever written, yet one of the easiest to use.
I suppose that readers will come to the book from one of two groups: players of Straight who are looking to improve their game, and newbies who know little about it other that it is often referred to as “pure pool.”
Both will be more than happy. For the tyro, Capelle has devised a clever New Players Guide that allows them to easily find the key, basic sections without having to read the entire book. They’ll give you that firm foundation in the game.
The player with some Straight Pool background can use the book as a reference tool for problem areas in their game. The lengthy table of contents allows these players to find exactly what they are looking for without leafing through other sections.
A shot or concept in any pool game is often easier to understand visually than verbally, and with that in mind the book has 355 clear diagrams with all balls in proportion to the table. There’s even a triangle in every diagram so you can easily reference ball positions.
And recognizing that most players will come to the game from either and 8-Ball or 9-Ball background (a reversal of the trip taken before 1960), Capelle frequently points out how you need to adjust your game. That’s the kind of detail and comprehensives you’ll find throughout this great book.
This is a big book, and though you might be tempted to read it all straight through, it is really designed as a reference book. Pick it up, check out the contents, and head to a section that you’d like to know more about. There’s no doubt the information you want will be there in detail.
As the mother of all pool games, every player should have an understanding of Straight, and be open to the joys of playing a game that will improve the other pool games that you play. This is certainly the book that will accomplish that for you. It’s a Straight Pool lovers treasure chest, and with the New Player’s Guide, it has also become the book for all beginners of the
game.
Top marks for detail, organization, accuracy, illustration, and completeness!
Elliot S. Eisenberg – Accomplished 14.1 Player (HR of 180+)
Four adjectives characterize Phil Capelle's book "Play Your Best Straight Pool."
First, it's encyclopedic in scope.
Second, it's scholarly in presentation.
Third, it's articulate in style.
And, finally, it's superlative in contribution to pool/billiards education.
Right from the opening frame of this straight pool treatise Mr. Capelle leaves his competitors frozen on the end rail without having disturbed a single ball in the pack. Stated alternatively, the Table of Contents of this book is voluminous, comprehensive, and erudite. Even without carefully reviewing each of the nine pages in the contents section the reader is given a glimpse of the type of detail the author employs. My first thought in reading it was that it was like an encyclopedia. No stone left unturned... somewhere between the Duane's Series of Ophthalmology and Britannica...an accurate foreshadowing of the surgically precise 394 pages that follow. While many fine straight pool texts on the market help to educate all levels of players none of them fracture the game to its component parts to the level of "Play Your Best Straight Pool." The topic specificity is so high and so discriminating all 14.1 players will be thoroughly addicted by Chapter 1. By the time I read the subsection `Bending with Draw' and `Bumping Balls with Spin' I was in need of an immediate fix. STAT. Two hours of nothing but straight pool at `Hard Times...No other instruction text in the field has demonstrated this level of
comprehensiveness.
In order for a book to be considered scholarly it should meet the burden of bringing the hidden to the revealed. Capelle's text aptly passes muster in this regard. In most cases, with the exception of a few naturally gifted elite players, straight pool knowledge is the gradual accumulation of years of practice and experience. With luck, a beacon such as "Play Your Best Straight Pool" arrives and a bright light
transforms the journeyman into a player. A specific example in Capelle's text is his discussion of jumping the cue ball into the rack. In a chapter entitled "Break Shots" the author discusses a dreaded phenomenon where the player has a potential break shot but unfortunately leaves the cueball in a position that is almost straight in. This would result in a situation where there is an insufficient angle of cue ball defection after impact. The net effect is a lack of the necessary force to scatter the triangulated balls and continue the run. In other words the cut angle is too shallow. The author's solution to the dilemma is to send the cueball airborne by executing a jump shot. The flying cueball then descends on the nearby rack and its weight and velocity are an impetus to scatter the balls. This concept is clearly not obvious. Even a moderately skillful straight pool player, one who is capable of stringing a number of racks together, may not envision a jump shot as a solution to dispersing clustered balls. Furthermore, as a corollary to this principle Capelle amplifies the idea in another section of the text where he advocates a semi-jump shot with force follow to break a difficult cluster. In both scenarios the reader is illuminated with sophisticated knowledge not evident by casual observation.
The book is clearly presented, well formatted, and fits together in a distinct but connected sequence. Exemplifying this articulate style is a seven page mini-dissertation on `Manufacturing Break Shots' - a subsection from the chapter labeled "Pattern Play." First, Capelle introduces the reader to the concept. Then he defines the goal and necessity of maneuvering critical balls into strategic positions to maintain runs. Next, with the use of precise and scaled drawings (consistent throughout the book) he takes the pool enthusiast on a step by step tour teaching the creation of break shots. Finally, he masterfully ends the short discourse with advanced techniques employing spin, draw, bank shots, and visualization.
On a somewhat personal note my goal in reading "Play Your Best Straight Pool" was to facilitate coming out of retirement. I hadn't played 14.1 Continuous in over a decade. For over ten years I didn't even walk into a pool hall. There was a significant hiatus in my billiard career. As a result a burning question remained in my mind. Will the game come back like riding a bicycle or will I be struggling to make every ball?
After I read the section of `Manufacturing Break Shots' I couldn't think of anything else. Brushing my teeth in the morning I was pushing out the 15 ball into the classic `Mosconi break.' At noon I nudged the 2 ball into position for a break shot behind the rack. Going to sleep I kissed and banked the 5 ball into position alongside the triangle. Day and Night Straight Pool. In practice it went the same way. Phil's book actualized my goal and made it reality. This was love, baby. Real love.
A quotation from the often cited 1961 immortal film masterpiece `The Hustler' is relevant. The protagonist, Fast Eddie Felson--a straight pool player--cavalierly enters a billiard room. Addressing the cashier behind the counter he says "No bar?" Sternly, in a reprimanding tone, the cashier replies "No bar, no pinball machines, no bowling alley, just pool...nothing else. This is Ames, Mister." The observant viewer gleans an epiphany from these lines. No other games of value exist. Nothing else matters. Phil Capelle intimately understands those lines and with his labor of love "Play Your Best Straight Pool" he has given pool a lasting contribution by dissecting the greatest of games. This book is the finest in its genre and one can only hope Capelle will bless us with a sequel.
Scott Huffman – A reader’s story of improvement
I recently completed the Book titled Play Your Best Straight Pool as I now play 14-1 every chance I get. I have played pool off and on for the last 25 years but not much 14-1 until last January when I got a table in my house. At that time my high run in 14-1 was 29. I read the book several times in an effort to understand all the finer aspects of the game. Since that time my high run is now 71 balls, 29 short of my objective of 100. I have had numerous runs in the 40-59 range with the frequency of such runs increasing.
The parts of the book that were especially helpful were the writing and illustrations on the break shot, secondary, and primary key balls. The chapter titled "How To Run A Rack" helps significantly in managing a run. The illustrations are well thought out and it is obvious that the author put a significant amount of effort in writing the book. The book will not only help ones straight pool game but it makes 8 & 9 ball much easier as a result of the improvement in cue ball control. I am a strong believer that straight pool is without a doubt the games best teacher no matter what game you play. After reading numerous books on pool I can say with certainty that Phil's book on straight pool is without question the best one out there.
Thanks and well done.
Play Your Best Nine Ball
Tom Shaw – Pool & Billiard Magazine
Phil Capelle doesn’t mess around. When he sets out to write a book he bores onto the subject with a very focused
objective: to write the definitive book on his chosen subject. He did it with “Play Your Best Pool, “A Mind for Pool”,and“Play Your Best Straight Pool”, and now he’s done it again with “Play Your Best Nine Ball”. If you play 9-balll – or want to play 9-ball – you should have this book.
With an average of one illustration per page, every concept and technique is graphically displayed – and all the balls, pockets and tables are to scale, a big plus. There are fifteen chapters, and each is broken down into thirty, forty or even fifty sub-sections, so you can use the book as a reference and easily find the topic that interests you.
Reference – or read at one sitting? Well, I doubt you could do the latter; there’s a mountain of information between these covers. Fifty-four pages of text, with sixty-seven diagrams, on just safety play, for example. The sheer thoroughness of the book is overwhelming. You’ll probably take it in parts, but at the same time you’ll have the comfort of knowing that anything and everything you want to know about playing 9-ball is right there in your hands.
Nine-ball is the tournament game and, outside of league play, the most popular game in pool, so you might as well play it to the best of your ability. The better you play, the more fun you have.
If you’re already a good 9-ball player you can get better. “Play Your Best Nine Ball” is useful for every player, at any level.
Capelle uses instances from real matches, generic situations that illustrate principles, and gives information about specific shots you’ll likely
encounter. And it’s not just how to play the game (“just” seems like a funny word to use when describing a book this big). There’s also information on racking, how to analyze your own game, analyzing your opponent’s game, winning strategies for A, B and C players, advice on how to beat a better player. Capelle is making a habit of writing “must have” books. This is definitely one more.
John Cash – National Billiard News Review
Phil Capelle’s New Offering on 9-Ball Gives Thorough Study of Top Game
So you want to learn how to play 9-ball? If that is your goal, reading Phil Capelle’s latest book, Play Your Best Nine Ball is THE BEST way to begin!
As with most of Capelle’s instructional offerings, Play Your Best Nine Ball incorporates easy reading with a very thorough understanding of one of today’s top games.
Included in the 480 big pages are 470 illustrations and diagrams with more than 140 of those taken from professionals in play.
Additionally, there are 9 complete run outs by various champions detailed in perhaps Capelle’s best effort to date. Player’s shots are indexed in the back of the book.
Whether you are a beginner or even a professional player, Play Your Best Nine Ball has information of value.
There are 15 chapters devoted to 9-ball with perhaps the best being The Break, Pattern Play, How to Run Out, The ABC’s of Strategy and
Competitive Nine Ball. In his segment on The Break, Capelle features top pro Johnny Archer’s break in a sequence of photos. This series of 8 photographs shows Archer from the inception of his breaking technique to the end of his follow through. Capelle delves into detail how Johnny has developed one of the most powerful breaks among all the pros.
As Phil says, “This book is intended to be your one stop reference guide to playing Nine Ball. It is for players of all levels of skill who have a
sincere desire to play their best Nine Ball. I suggest you develop your own specific course of study based on your game and goals.”
Of particular interest is the chapter on How to Run Out. In this 22-page segment, Capelle highlights various runs by such professional champions as Archer, Efren Reyes, Buddy Hall, Ralf Souquet of Germany, Mike Sigel, Nick Varner, Earl Strickland and Jim Rempe as well as others.
Each of these players has a style of his own, as no doubt you readers do. Mastering some of these techniques will only help you to become more knowledgeable and a better player.
In the chapter on the ABC’s of Strategy, Capelle offers some of his best advice. He covers situations where players of the same ability meet and others where you might be playing someone far superior in knowledge and skill. Phil tells the reader what to expect in these instances and how to prepare your game to meet the challenges.
He notes under the chapter heading a quote from Jim Rempe, known in the professional realm as King James. Rempe succinctly says, “It’s all a game of percentages.”
So play the percentages, read, swallow and digest the pertinent information given by Capelle in Play Your Best Nine Ball. The final results will be “a given.”
Gerald Lilje – On the Wire
Phil Capelle's new book on nine ball is an encyclopedia of information on this fascinating
game. It's huge, detailed, and clear. The diagrams, over 470 of them, are exactly to scale and readily understood. The accompanying explanations make the shots quick and easy to set up.
The book is organized in a way that will be useful to any player who wants to improve his/her nine ball skills. In Chapter 3, "Position Routes," for example, he introduces the ABC's of position play. Each of the diagrams in this chapter is labeled according to the skills
required to accomplish its position route. C routes are those that are basic and doable for the nine ball neophytes. B routes are more advanced; and A routes call for abilities not a lot of us are blessed with. This, of course, makes them challenging and a kick to try.
Many of these A diagrams are taken from pro matches, and Capelle tells us the who, what and where of each one. For example on page 110:
Cory Duel showed exceptional planning and skill in executing this powerhouse four-railer against Fong-Pang Chao at the 1999 World Nine Ball Championships.
The game referred to is, no doubt, one of the 1000 plus pro games Capelle studied in preparation for writing this book. This sort of thoroughness is evident all through the book. We get 37 pages on shotmaking and then a total of 77 pages on position play. The differing number of pages reflects Capelle's view that "to excel at Nine-Ball you've got to be more of a position playing shotmaker than a shotmaking position player." Nothing gets left out. Where else are you going to find nearly 30 pages on kicking? Or over 50 pages on safety play?
If you can already take down the cheese against Cory Duel or Mika Immonen, you might not need to learn what "Play Your Best Nine Ball" can teach you. For the rest of us, though, it's the mother lode for nine-baller
Buy it, 'cause you're not going to be able to borrow it. Get someone to give it you for Christmas. Leave this review lying around somewhere. Or buy it for your best bud. But don't count on him loaning it to you.
Rhonda Jackman – Chalk & Cue
Play Your Best Nine Ball is the most recent book in the Play Your Best series by the prolific Phil Capelle. If you want Capelle’s instruction on the basics of stroke, stance, etc., You’ll have to go back to his earlier book, Play Your Best Pool.
As part of his research for the book, Capelle conducted a study of 500 professional games. This led him to some very detailed statistical conclusions. For example, Out of the 500 games studied, 426 went the distance, and the pros missed only four 9-balls, or less than 1%! He can cite percentages of making or missing a particular shot based on this study. An awareness of these statistics can only help the serious player.
All of Capelle’s books have exhaustive tables of contents. This is a worthy use of space, simplifying your hunt for specific information in this thick book. To help insure the books usefulness, he asks in his introduction that you realistically assess yourself as an A, B, or C player.
It has been said that 9-ball is a shotmaker’s game, so it’s appropriate that Capelle’s first chapter is titled “Shotmaking”. He talks about comfort zones, recognizing shots you tend to miss and analyzing those misses to help you learn. He gives a list of sixteen types of shots that he advises you to master to become a truly effective 9-ball player.
He devotes an entire chapter to the break, recognizing its importance in the game. There is an interesting stop-action photography series showing Johnny Archer’s break. Going back to his 500 game study, he tells us what pocket the pros scratch in most often (when they scratch) off the break. But they only scratch 7.6% of the time.
I find Capelle’s attention to detail one of the strong points of his books.His chapters on position play are comprehensive. Recognizing the differences in skill level, he tells how to develop positional patterns and discusses“recovery shape”. He uses real game examples of games by well-known players to illustrate many of the principles of shot selection, safety play and cluster management.
In the chapter on competitive play he talks about the different styles of players you may encounter in tournament play. He talks about the intimidation factor and stresses that you want to intimidate with your play, nothing else!
The book ends with a set of useful practice drills tailored to the 9-Ball player. There are drills for shotmaking, position play, safety play and kick shots.
Phil Capelle covers so much material in this book I can’t do more than scratch the surface. As someone who is striving to improve my own 9-Ball game, I know I’ll be keeping this book handy.
Inside Pool
Phil Capelle must have the work habits of an Amish farmer, up at the crack of dawn and still working when the sun is going down. It was just January of this year that his definitive work on 14.1 rack, Play Your Best Straight Pool, was published. This 394-page reference work was one of the most complete treatises on a single pocket billiard game that I have ever seen. Now, less than a year later he releases a similarly complete text about the most popular tournament game in America. Nine ball’s popularity is now international in scope. When channel surfing on your digital cable, etc., if you happen upon a match, whether it be between men or women, they are probably playing nine ball.
Phil reviewed about 1000 9-ball games on videotape during his research of the subject matter, but he charted every shot in 500 games played at the professional level in compiling the statistics that he quotes in the various chapters. This blending of game situations with the historic perspective of how a top professional player handled the layout in a pressure packed tournament situation is one of the book’s most interesting qualities. Who better to study than the best nine ball players in the world!
Pat Fleming of Accu-Stats Video Productions, in making his catalog containing thousands of tournament games available for purchase, has provided students of the game with an invaluable learning resource. There is much information to be gleaned from these tapes, and now Phil has done the hard work of a shot by shot analysis for us. For instance, Phil let’s us know that out of 500 break shots, the pros scratched a grand total of 1 time in the 2 pockets at the end of the table the balls are racked on. This is dramatic evidence that the pros don’t let the cue ball roll forward on their break, period. You could have known that, too, if you had analyzed 500 matches or read the book.
How complete is this new work of Phil’s? It’s 480 pages containing 470 illustrations including 24 diagrams showing push out strategy, a key maneuver. There are 67 diagrams on safety play, a critical element in nine-ball, as well as 66 diagrams of pattern play to help you learn to run out more often. That only covers about 150 of the 470 diagrams. It’s complete!
The book covers pretty much every facet of the game that a player, regardless of skill level, needs to know to play nine-ball to the best of their ability. Phil makes it easy to know how to get the most of your practice efforts through the use of his ABC System that helps tailor the instruction based on how you currently play. If you make an honest evaluation of your skills you will be advised concerning not only your practice subjects, but also about game and match strategy to employ when playing players of differing skill levels. This type of advice could prove immediately beneficial, especially to B and C level players.
In a relatively short time Phil Capelle has become the most prolific poolinstructional author that we have here in America. He has published four books in the last six years that totaled 1,680 pages as well as more than 40 magazine articles in that time span. A writer must really enjoy his subject matter to be so dedicated to it. The addition of a volume (an appropriate title might be Play Your Best Eight Ball) detailing the most popular game among the league players in this country would seem to be a logical next project for Phil.
Don “Cheese” Akerlow - On the Break
If you are a nine ball player this new book will build your game a solid foundation. You will find instructions on all facets of the game that will move your game to the next level. With over 470 diagrams to scale and instructions to make learning easy and fun. A HOW TO book of pool. Angles that are easy to learn, cut shots made easy, shot selection and 12 Keys for Getting in Stroke. A MUST READ!
Phil Capelle doesn’t mess around. When he sets out to write a book he bores onto the subject with a very focused
objective: to write the definitive book on his chosen subject. He did it with “Play Your Best Pool, “A Mind for Pool”,and“Play Your Best Straight Pool”, and now he’s done it again with “Play Your Best Nine Ball”. If you play 9-balll – or want to play 9-ball – you should have this book.
With an average of one illustration per page, every concept and technique is graphically displayed – and all the balls, pockets and tables are to scale, a big plus. There are fifteen chapters, and each is broken down into thirty, forty or even fifty sub-sections, so you can use the book as a reference and easily find the topic that interests you.
Reference – or read at one sitting? Well, I doubt you could do the latter; there’s a mountain of information between these covers. Fifty-four pages of text, with sixty-seven diagrams, on just safety play, for example. The sheer thoroughness of the book is overwhelming. You’ll probably take it in parts, but at the same time you’ll have the comfort of knowing that anything and everything you want to know about playing 9-ball is right there in your hands.
Nine-ball is the tournament game and, outside of league play, the most popular game in pool, so you might as well play it to the best of your ability. The better you play, the more fun you have.
If you’re already a good 9-ball player you can get better. “Play Your Best Nine Ball” is useful for every player, at any level.
Capelle uses instances from real matches, generic situations that illustrate principles, and gives information about specific shots you’ll likely
encounter. And it’s not just how to play the game (“just” seems like a funny word to use when describing a book this big). There’s also information on racking, how to analyze your own game, analyzing your opponent’s game, winning strategies for A, B and C players, advice on how to beat a better player. Capelle is making a habit of writing “must have” books. This is definitely one more.
John Cash – National Billiard News Review
Phil Capelle’s New Offering on 9-Ball Gives Thorough Study of Top Game
So you want to learn how to play 9-ball? If that is your goal, reading Phil Capelle’s latest book, Play Your Best Nine Ball is THE BEST way to begin!
As with most of Capelle’s instructional offerings, Play Your Best Nine Ball incorporates easy reading with a very thorough understanding of one of today’s top games.
Included in the 480 big pages are 470 illustrations and diagrams with more than 140 of those taken from professionals in play.
Additionally, there are 9 complete run outs by various champions detailed in perhaps Capelle’s best effort to date. Player’s shots are indexed in the back of the book.
Whether you are a beginner or even a professional player, Play Your Best Nine Ball has information of value.
There are 15 chapters devoted to 9-ball with perhaps the best being The Break, Pattern Play, How to Run Out, The ABC’s of Strategy and
Competitive Nine Ball. In his segment on The Break, Capelle features top pro Johnny Archer’s break in a sequence of photos. This series of 8 photographs shows Archer from the inception of his breaking technique to the end of his follow through. Capelle delves into detail how Johnny has developed one of the most powerful breaks among all the pros.
As Phil says, “This book is intended to be your one stop reference guide to playing Nine Ball. It is for players of all levels of skill who have a
sincere desire to play their best Nine Ball. I suggest you develop your own specific course of study based on your game and goals.”
Of particular interest is the chapter on How to Run Out. In this 22-page segment, Capelle highlights various runs by such professional champions as Archer, Efren Reyes, Buddy Hall, Ralf Souquet of Germany, Mike Sigel, Nick Varner, Earl Strickland and Jim Rempe as well as others.
Each of these players has a style of his own, as no doubt you readers do. Mastering some of these techniques will only help you to become more knowledgeable and a better player.
In the chapter on the ABC’s of Strategy, Capelle offers some of his best advice. He covers situations where players of the same ability meet and others where you might be playing someone far superior in knowledge and skill. Phil tells the reader what to expect in these instances and how to prepare your game to meet the challenges.
He notes under the chapter heading a quote from Jim Rempe, known in the professional realm as King James. Rempe succinctly says, “It’s all a game of percentages.”
So play the percentages, read, swallow and digest the pertinent information given by Capelle in Play Your Best Nine Ball. The final results will be “a given.”
Gerald Lilje – On the Wire
Phil Capelle's new book on nine ball is an encyclopedia of information on this fascinating
game. It's huge, detailed, and clear. The diagrams, over 470 of them, are exactly to scale and readily understood. The accompanying explanations make the shots quick and easy to set up.
The book is organized in a way that will be useful to any player who wants to improve his/her nine ball skills. In Chapter 3, "Position Routes," for example, he introduces the ABC's of position play. Each of the diagrams in this chapter is labeled according to the skills
required to accomplish its position route. C routes are those that are basic and doable for the nine ball neophytes. B routes are more advanced; and A routes call for abilities not a lot of us are blessed with. This, of course, makes them challenging and a kick to try.
Many of these A diagrams are taken from pro matches, and Capelle tells us the who, what and where of each one. For example on page 110:
Cory Duel showed exceptional planning and skill in executing this powerhouse four-railer against Fong-Pang Chao at the 1999 World Nine Ball Championships.
The game referred to is, no doubt, one of the 1000 plus pro games Capelle studied in preparation for writing this book. This sort of thoroughness is evident all through the book. We get 37 pages on shotmaking and then a total of 77 pages on position play. The differing number of pages reflects Capelle's view that "to excel at Nine-Ball you've got to be more of a position playing shotmaker than a shotmaking position player." Nothing gets left out. Where else are you going to find nearly 30 pages on kicking? Or over 50 pages on safety play?
If you can already take down the cheese against Cory Duel or Mika Immonen, you might not need to learn what "Play Your Best Nine Ball" can teach you. For the rest of us, though, it's the mother lode for nine-baller
Buy it, 'cause you're not going to be able to borrow it. Get someone to give it you for Christmas. Leave this review lying around somewhere. Or buy it for your best bud. But don't count on him loaning it to you.
Rhonda Jackman – Chalk & Cue
Play Your Best Nine Ball is the most recent book in the Play Your Best series by the prolific Phil Capelle. If you want Capelle’s instruction on the basics of stroke, stance, etc., You’ll have to go back to his earlier book, Play Your Best Pool.
As part of his research for the book, Capelle conducted a study of 500 professional games. This led him to some very detailed statistical conclusions. For example, Out of the 500 games studied, 426 went the distance, and the pros missed only four 9-balls, or less than 1%! He can cite percentages of making or missing a particular shot based on this study. An awareness of these statistics can only help the serious player.
All of Capelle’s books have exhaustive tables of contents. This is a worthy use of space, simplifying your hunt for specific information in this thick book. To help insure the books usefulness, he asks in his introduction that you realistically assess yourself as an A, B, or C player.
It has been said that 9-ball is a shotmaker’s game, so it’s appropriate that Capelle’s first chapter is titled “Shotmaking”. He talks about comfort zones, recognizing shots you tend to miss and analyzing those misses to help you learn. He gives a list of sixteen types of shots that he advises you to master to become a truly effective 9-ball player.
He devotes an entire chapter to the break, recognizing its importance in the game. There is an interesting stop-action photography series showing Johnny Archer’s break. Going back to his 500 game study, he tells us what pocket the pros scratch in most often (when they scratch) off the break. But they only scratch 7.6% of the time.
I find Capelle’s attention to detail one of the strong points of his books.His chapters on position play are comprehensive. Recognizing the differences in skill level, he tells how to develop positional patterns and discusses“recovery shape”. He uses real game examples of games by well-known players to illustrate many of the principles of shot selection, safety play and cluster management.
In the chapter on competitive play he talks about the different styles of players you may encounter in tournament play. He talks about the intimidation factor and stresses that you want to intimidate with your play, nothing else!
The book ends with a set of useful practice drills tailored to the 9-Ball player. There are drills for shotmaking, position play, safety play and kick shots.
Phil Capelle covers so much material in this book I can’t do more than scratch the surface. As someone who is striving to improve my own 9-Ball game, I know I’ll be keeping this book handy.
Inside Pool
Phil Capelle must have the work habits of an Amish farmer, up at the crack of dawn and still working when the sun is going down. It was just January of this year that his definitive work on 14.1 rack, Play Your Best Straight Pool, was published. This 394-page reference work was one of the most complete treatises on a single pocket billiard game that I have ever seen. Now, less than a year later he releases a similarly complete text about the most popular tournament game in America. Nine ball’s popularity is now international in scope. When channel surfing on your digital cable, etc., if you happen upon a match, whether it be between men or women, they are probably playing nine ball.
Phil reviewed about 1000 9-ball games on videotape during his research of the subject matter, but he charted every shot in 500 games played at the professional level in compiling the statistics that he quotes in the various chapters. This blending of game situations with the historic perspective of how a top professional player handled the layout in a pressure packed tournament situation is one of the book’s most interesting qualities. Who better to study than the best nine ball players in the world!
Pat Fleming of Accu-Stats Video Productions, in making his catalog containing thousands of tournament games available for purchase, has provided students of the game with an invaluable learning resource. There is much information to be gleaned from these tapes, and now Phil has done the hard work of a shot by shot analysis for us. For instance, Phil let’s us know that out of 500 break shots, the pros scratched a grand total of 1 time in the 2 pockets at the end of the table the balls are racked on. This is dramatic evidence that the pros don’t let the cue ball roll forward on their break, period. You could have known that, too, if you had analyzed 500 matches or read the book.
How complete is this new work of Phil’s? It’s 480 pages containing 470 illustrations including 24 diagrams showing push out strategy, a key maneuver. There are 67 diagrams on safety play, a critical element in nine-ball, as well as 66 diagrams of pattern play to help you learn to run out more often. That only covers about 150 of the 470 diagrams. It’s complete!
The book covers pretty much every facet of the game that a player, regardless of skill level, needs to know to play nine-ball to the best of their ability. Phil makes it easy to know how to get the most of your practice efforts through the use of his ABC System that helps tailor the instruction based on how you currently play. If you make an honest evaluation of your skills you will be advised concerning not only your practice subjects, but also about game and match strategy to employ when playing players of differing skill levels. This type of advice could prove immediately beneficial, especially to B and C level players.
In a relatively short time Phil Capelle has become the most prolific poolinstructional author that we have here in America. He has published four books in the last six years that totaled 1,680 pages as well as more than 40 magazine articles in that time span. A writer must really enjoy his subject matter to be so dedicated to it. The addition of a volume (an appropriate title might be Play Your Best Eight Ball) detailing the most popular game among the league players in this country would seem to be a logical next project for Phil.
Don “Cheese” Akerlow - On the Break
If you are a nine ball player this new book will build your game a solid foundation. You will find instructions on all facets of the game that will move your game to the next level. With over 470 diagrams to scale and instructions to make learning easy and fun. A HOW TO book of pool. Angles that are easy to learn, cut shots made easy, shot selection and 12 Keys for Getting in Stroke. A MUST READ!
Play Your Best Eight
Tom Shaw –Pool & Billiard Magazine
When a new Phil Capelle book is released it’s time to sit up and take notice. He spends years on each, obsessing
with it 24/7, researching the subject in depth, writing and rewriting, talking and listening, watching and note-taking, until he has every facet of the topic down cold. Then he organizes, re-organizes, and rewrites. He probably takes time to eat and sleep, too, but maybe not.
His latest is compelling Capelle. Play Your Best Eight Ball has eighteen chapters that cover everything you wanted to know about 8-Ball but were afraid to ask. The diagrams – all perfectly to scale – are of bar tables, but easily adaptable to all size tables.
The “to scale” diagrams and detailed Table of Contents are characteristic of Capelle’s books, and so is the thinking behind them. His goal is to make you a better player. With diagrams to scale the reader has a realistic and useful set of visual assistants, and the detailed contents list makes it easy to find the topic you’re looking for.
User-friendly layout, useful information, and thorough coverage are three things you’ll find in Play Your Best Eight Ball – and all of Capelle’s books, for that matter.
Like computer books that assume you know how to use the mouse, install software, and open-move-close-save files, this book assumes that you know how to stand, stroke, and shoot. But you don’t have to be a good player. Capelle sets out suggested courses for Beginner, A, B and C level players, covering all four bases, so whatever your current level of play you can benefit from the book.
He begins at the beginning, tackling the complex cauldron of conflicting conventions found in different league, tournament and tavern rules. He follows with detailed instruction, a bevy of hints and tips, and practical illustrations about all elements of the game. It’s a periodic table of
8-Ball!
The pros even come into the picture when he provides over one hundred examples of runout 8-Ball by players such as Johnny Archer, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Mika Immonen and others. Capelle even provides stats, much to the delight of my data-driven heart. In the Accu-Stats Invitational tournament, for example, the pros broke and ran out 44.1% of the time. I don’t know exactly how that’s useful, but I love it. Actually, it is useful because it gives the rest of us a specific goal to shoot for. We may never get there, but at least we know there’s a there.
The cover says “For League & Tournament Players”, but probably only because it would have taken up too much real estate to write “For League, Tournament, Tavern, Home, Social, and Occasional Players and Sweaters”. In other words, if you ever think you’ll be playing a
game of 8-Ball, you should read this book. Phil Capelle really wants to make you a better 8-Ball player.
Chalk & Cue
The ever-reliable Phil Capelle weighs in with another tome for fall release. This time he tackles the game of 8-Ball and KO’s the opposition. In typically exhaustive fashion he provides a complete guide to winning 8-Ball for all levels of players. Don’t let the size
and detail overwhelm you, it is most useful as a reference book to be dipped into at your leisure and according to your needs and inclination.
In the good old days you would have to spend years on the road and a great deal of money to acquire the knowledge that he sets out here. Nowadays students of the game can watch and analyze hundreds of matches on video (or DVD). Phil has done all the homework for you. He uses shots by the likes of Archer, Reyes and Frank from the tapes from the Accustats 2001 Eight Ball Challenge to illustrate the finer points of 8-Ball strategy.
Eight ball is one of the more challenging pool games in terms of strategy and position play. Capelle delves deep into the realm of winning 8-Ball and even comes up with some delightful new lingo – Cluster-busting and Side pocket Floaters are among my favorites.
He provides the perfect players mantra:“I will only attempt to run out racks when I have a sensible plan for completing the entire rack.”
He doesn’t waste time on the fundamentals (They are well covered in several of his previous offerings) but deals with topics such as which balls to choose after the break, offensive and defensive play and what is a key ball and how to use it. He spend pages on the vexing topic of the rules details what he calls Process of Elimination Planning (PEP) to give you a road map for those EROS (8-Ball runouts).
Don’t leave town without it. Don’t even go to your local tournaments or league night without it. Your game will improve by leaps and bounds no matter what your current level.
John Evans – On the Wire
It is fall again here in the northwest and that means you had better get to the tournaments early if you want to assure participation. Just in time for the annual swell of pool activity comes an offering from Philip B. Capelle! "Play Your Best Eight Ball" is Phil's latest fare for the discerning pool palate.
"Play Your Best Eight Ball" is a hefty 480 pages of in depth analysis. The book is tailored to meet the needs of novices through "A" players. Phil's 35 year journey in the world of pool can only be described as our good fortune! Once again the billiard industries most complete and prolific author has provided us with a masterstroke to add to his "Play Your Best" series. The 535 precise to scale diagrams will assure consistency whether you are a pro or novice. The tutorial for reading the diagrams is straight forward and simple to understand. Phil has included 150 lessons on vital topics in shaded boxes.
The book gives practice tips that allow you to spend your time on the table efficiently. Having spent 40 years on the table, I can remember the exact moments of epiphany at having discovered a new weapon for my arsenal, and puzzling over why it took me so long to attain it. "Play Your Best Eight Ball" offers to cut many years from the futility of trial and error learning. Phil's extensive research lets you take your game to another level quickly because he has cut away the fiction and faulty theory and left fact. Eight ball is often not a
shooting contest. The game requires an expansive understanding of strategy. "Play Your Best Eight Ball" provides the reader with all the tools necessary to go into a hill game with confidence of having the superior strategic edge!
" Play Your Best Eight Ball" has 17 chapters covering every conceivable aspect in the game of eight ball. The book presents to the reader the opportunity to attain a complete understanding of eight ball.At $29.95 , "Play Your Best Eight Ball" is not just a full meal
it is truly an endless feast!
Bob Henning – Inside Pool
Phil Capelle’s new book, Play Your Best Eight Ball, is on the way and should be out in time for the Christmas gift-buying season. Like most of his seven books on pool, this one is a 7” by 10” paperback with approximately 450 pages. All of it is devoted to eight-ball and to the singular goal of helping you “Become an Eight Ball Wizard.”
Seven books is an awesome accomplishment. That’s over 2,500 pages of text and table graphics on pool, or over twelve pounds of paper, depending on how you want to look at it. Almost all are big books and even the smaller one, a treatise on a hill-hill match between Johnny Archer and Efren Reyes, covers a great amount of territory. So what is it about this Phil Capelle? Doesn’t the man ever sleep? Does he
hate trees? Or is he just a guy who loves the game and wants to make as big of a contribution as he can?
Joking aside, this new book is the fourth in his “Play Your Best” series and follows on the coat tails of Play Your Best Pool,Play Your Best
Straight Pool, and Play Your Best Nine Ball. It says several things about the author that are difficult to dispute. He is a very comprehensive writer, a rigorous researcher, and a serious competitor in the market place of literary efforts. Not only does he continue to offer the most in-depth works on the various subjects, but he refuses to allow previous books, whether his own or others, to remain as the high-water marks in their respective areas. Capelle is always looking to raise the bar, and he succeeds in this book, too.
Byrne, in his recent video, Gamebreakers, for instance, took on the subject of complex caroms and brought it to a new height of recognition. Capelle, in Play Your Best Eight Ball, takes it even higher, demonstrating interesting caroms inside eight-ball situations. Likewise, Givens, in his recent book, The Eight Ball Bible, was the first author to extensively discuss the different strategies of bar table and big table eight-ball. Capelle, in this new book, takes the subject matter even further.
From another perspective, it would be a fair question, after seven books, to ask whether there is redundant material in this latest offering.
The answer is a definitive yes, but with an important qualifier. For example, all of the books in the Play Your Best series have sections on
position play. All of them cover the various principles in great detail. Play Your Best Pool has about 87 pages on position play, Play Your
Best Straight Pool has about 67 pages, Play Your Best Nine Ball has about 113 pages, and Play Your Best Eight Ball has 53 pages.
In each of these books, however, Capelle takes the subject matter and focuses it on the specific game. His section on position play in the straight pool book, for instance, focuses mostly on close cue ball movement, but in the nine-ball book it focuses mostly on moving the cue
ball all around the table. In Play Your Best Eight Ball, it focuses on a combination of the two. There are common areas covered, of course, and even some duplicated graphics, but essentially, each book is designed as a free-standing title.
In other words, there are sections in Play Your Best Eight Ball that you will recognize from Capelle’s other books, but they have been shaped and expanded to refer specifically to eight-ball. Some sections of this type are Shotmaking, Clusters, Problem Balls, Offensive Play, Defensive Play, Kick Shots, and Practicing. These sections are valuable but not particularly ground-breaking. There is also a 19-page section on the World Pool-Billiard Association’s rules for playing eight-ball that could be argued as necessary but from a writer’s perspective showed up more like filler, especially given the numerous references in the book to APA, BCA, and VNEA league rules.
It’s the other parts of this book that I found most rewarding. Especially the chapters on Choosing a Group, Runout Eight Ball, Strategy,Ball-In-Hand, and Competition. Any of these five sections are easily worth the $29.95 you would have to shell out to own this book. I also appreciated the section on Comparing Tables, and, even more, I liked that the strategy conversation about bar versus big tables was handled as a major theme and continued in other parts of the book.
In summation, Play Your Best Eight Ball is probably the best book now available on eight-ball. It is big and comprehensive and a great resource for mastering the art of eight-ball. The author has created it with great thought and insight, and if you want to become
an eight-ball wizard, I recommend you capitalize on his efforts.
John Cash –National Billiard News
Phil Capelle has done it again.
The noted author of several “how to” books as well as other significant contributions to the poolplayers’ libraries has now given readers Play Your Best 8-Ball. This work rates as No. 1 in its field.
The 480-page instructional book features 535 diagrams to scale of realistic shots which were provided on tavern sized tables.
With 17 chapters chock full of valuable information, this book is the 4th in Capelle’s Play Your Best series. Others include the original Play Your Best Pool, Play Your Best Straight Pool, and Play Your Best 9-Ball.
This piece also represents Capelle’s seventh instructional book on pool. There are more than 100 examples taken from such professionals as Johnny Archer, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Mika Immonen, Troy Frank, and Roger Griffis.
Of special interest to this reviewer were the chapters concerning Clusters, Problem Balls, Defensive Play, Kick Shots, and Competition.
Capelle has broken down the material to include recommended courses for four levels of play – beginners, A, B, and C. His ABC System
gives the reader and interested pool player a choice of three levels of instruction.
As an example of how detailed this book is, the chapter on Position Play is the longest at 56 pages and contains 82 diagrams!
All illustrations and diagrams intended to assist the reader through various areas of play are precise, easy to follow and definitive.
Shaded areas within the text assist the reader to the most important element of instruction.
As a whole the book is a must for players of all levels of skill.
When a new Phil Capelle book is released it’s time to sit up and take notice. He spends years on each, obsessing
with it 24/7, researching the subject in depth, writing and rewriting, talking and listening, watching and note-taking, until he has every facet of the topic down cold. Then he organizes, re-organizes, and rewrites. He probably takes time to eat and sleep, too, but maybe not.
His latest is compelling Capelle. Play Your Best Eight Ball has eighteen chapters that cover everything you wanted to know about 8-Ball but were afraid to ask. The diagrams – all perfectly to scale – are of bar tables, but easily adaptable to all size tables.
The “to scale” diagrams and detailed Table of Contents are characteristic of Capelle’s books, and so is the thinking behind them. His goal is to make you a better player. With diagrams to scale the reader has a realistic and useful set of visual assistants, and the detailed contents list makes it easy to find the topic you’re looking for.
User-friendly layout, useful information, and thorough coverage are three things you’ll find in Play Your Best Eight Ball – and all of Capelle’s books, for that matter.
Like computer books that assume you know how to use the mouse, install software, and open-move-close-save files, this book assumes that you know how to stand, stroke, and shoot. But you don’t have to be a good player. Capelle sets out suggested courses for Beginner, A, B and C level players, covering all four bases, so whatever your current level of play you can benefit from the book.
He begins at the beginning, tackling the complex cauldron of conflicting conventions found in different league, tournament and tavern rules. He follows with detailed instruction, a bevy of hints and tips, and practical illustrations about all elements of the game. It’s a periodic table of
8-Ball!
The pros even come into the picture when he provides over one hundred examples of runout 8-Ball by players such as Johnny Archer, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Mika Immonen and others. Capelle even provides stats, much to the delight of my data-driven heart. In the Accu-Stats Invitational tournament, for example, the pros broke and ran out 44.1% of the time. I don’t know exactly how that’s useful, but I love it. Actually, it is useful because it gives the rest of us a specific goal to shoot for. We may never get there, but at least we know there’s a there.
The cover says “For League & Tournament Players”, but probably only because it would have taken up too much real estate to write “For League, Tournament, Tavern, Home, Social, and Occasional Players and Sweaters”. In other words, if you ever think you’ll be playing a
game of 8-Ball, you should read this book. Phil Capelle really wants to make you a better 8-Ball player.
Chalk & Cue
The ever-reliable Phil Capelle weighs in with another tome for fall release. This time he tackles the game of 8-Ball and KO’s the opposition. In typically exhaustive fashion he provides a complete guide to winning 8-Ball for all levels of players. Don’t let the size
and detail overwhelm you, it is most useful as a reference book to be dipped into at your leisure and according to your needs and inclination.
In the good old days you would have to spend years on the road and a great deal of money to acquire the knowledge that he sets out here. Nowadays students of the game can watch and analyze hundreds of matches on video (or DVD). Phil has done all the homework for you. He uses shots by the likes of Archer, Reyes and Frank from the tapes from the Accustats 2001 Eight Ball Challenge to illustrate the finer points of 8-Ball strategy.
Eight ball is one of the more challenging pool games in terms of strategy and position play. Capelle delves deep into the realm of winning 8-Ball and even comes up with some delightful new lingo – Cluster-busting and Side pocket Floaters are among my favorites.
He provides the perfect players mantra:“I will only attempt to run out racks when I have a sensible plan for completing the entire rack.”
He doesn’t waste time on the fundamentals (They are well covered in several of his previous offerings) but deals with topics such as which balls to choose after the break, offensive and defensive play and what is a key ball and how to use it. He spend pages on the vexing topic of the rules details what he calls Process of Elimination Planning (PEP) to give you a road map for those EROS (8-Ball runouts).
Don’t leave town without it. Don’t even go to your local tournaments or league night without it. Your game will improve by leaps and bounds no matter what your current level.
John Evans – On the Wire
It is fall again here in the northwest and that means you had better get to the tournaments early if you want to assure participation. Just in time for the annual swell of pool activity comes an offering from Philip B. Capelle! "Play Your Best Eight Ball" is Phil's latest fare for the discerning pool palate.
"Play Your Best Eight Ball" is a hefty 480 pages of in depth analysis. The book is tailored to meet the needs of novices through "A" players. Phil's 35 year journey in the world of pool can only be described as our good fortune! Once again the billiard industries most complete and prolific author has provided us with a masterstroke to add to his "Play Your Best" series. The 535 precise to scale diagrams will assure consistency whether you are a pro or novice. The tutorial for reading the diagrams is straight forward and simple to understand. Phil has included 150 lessons on vital topics in shaded boxes.
The book gives practice tips that allow you to spend your time on the table efficiently. Having spent 40 years on the table, I can remember the exact moments of epiphany at having discovered a new weapon for my arsenal, and puzzling over why it took me so long to attain it. "Play Your Best Eight Ball" offers to cut many years from the futility of trial and error learning. Phil's extensive research lets you take your game to another level quickly because he has cut away the fiction and faulty theory and left fact. Eight ball is often not a
shooting contest. The game requires an expansive understanding of strategy. "Play Your Best Eight Ball" provides the reader with all the tools necessary to go into a hill game with confidence of having the superior strategic edge!
" Play Your Best Eight Ball" has 17 chapters covering every conceivable aspect in the game of eight ball. The book presents to the reader the opportunity to attain a complete understanding of eight ball.At $29.95 , "Play Your Best Eight Ball" is not just a full meal
it is truly an endless feast!
Bob Henning – Inside Pool
Phil Capelle’s new book, Play Your Best Eight Ball, is on the way and should be out in time for the Christmas gift-buying season. Like most of his seven books on pool, this one is a 7” by 10” paperback with approximately 450 pages. All of it is devoted to eight-ball and to the singular goal of helping you “Become an Eight Ball Wizard.”
Seven books is an awesome accomplishment. That’s over 2,500 pages of text and table graphics on pool, or over twelve pounds of paper, depending on how you want to look at it. Almost all are big books and even the smaller one, a treatise on a hill-hill match between Johnny Archer and Efren Reyes, covers a great amount of territory. So what is it about this Phil Capelle? Doesn’t the man ever sleep? Does he
hate trees? Or is he just a guy who loves the game and wants to make as big of a contribution as he can?
Joking aside, this new book is the fourth in his “Play Your Best” series and follows on the coat tails of Play Your Best Pool,Play Your Best
Straight Pool, and Play Your Best Nine Ball. It says several things about the author that are difficult to dispute. He is a very comprehensive writer, a rigorous researcher, and a serious competitor in the market place of literary efforts. Not only does he continue to offer the most in-depth works on the various subjects, but he refuses to allow previous books, whether his own or others, to remain as the high-water marks in their respective areas. Capelle is always looking to raise the bar, and he succeeds in this book, too.
Byrne, in his recent video, Gamebreakers, for instance, took on the subject of complex caroms and brought it to a new height of recognition. Capelle, in Play Your Best Eight Ball, takes it even higher, demonstrating interesting caroms inside eight-ball situations. Likewise, Givens, in his recent book, The Eight Ball Bible, was the first author to extensively discuss the different strategies of bar table and big table eight-ball. Capelle, in this new book, takes the subject matter even further.
From another perspective, it would be a fair question, after seven books, to ask whether there is redundant material in this latest offering.
The answer is a definitive yes, but with an important qualifier. For example, all of the books in the Play Your Best series have sections on
position play. All of them cover the various principles in great detail. Play Your Best Pool has about 87 pages on position play, Play Your
Best Straight Pool has about 67 pages, Play Your Best Nine Ball has about 113 pages, and Play Your Best Eight Ball has 53 pages.
In each of these books, however, Capelle takes the subject matter and focuses it on the specific game. His section on position play in the straight pool book, for instance, focuses mostly on close cue ball movement, but in the nine-ball book it focuses mostly on moving the cue
ball all around the table. In Play Your Best Eight Ball, it focuses on a combination of the two. There are common areas covered, of course, and even some duplicated graphics, but essentially, each book is designed as a free-standing title.
In other words, there are sections in Play Your Best Eight Ball that you will recognize from Capelle’s other books, but they have been shaped and expanded to refer specifically to eight-ball. Some sections of this type are Shotmaking, Clusters, Problem Balls, Offensive Play, Defensive Play, Kick Shots, and Practicing. These sections are valuable but not particularly ground-breaking. There is also a 19-page section on the World Pool-Billiard Association’s rules for playing eight-ball that could be argued as necessary but from a writer’s perspective showed up more like filler, especially given the numerous references in the book to APA, BCA, and VNEA league rules.
It’s the other parts of this book that I found most rewarding. Especially the chapters on Choosing a Group, Runout Eight Ball, Strategy,Ball-In-Hand, and Competition. Any of these five sections are easily worth the $29.95 you would have to shell out to own this book. I also appreciated the section on Comparing Tables, and, even more, I liked that the strategy conversation about bar versus big tables was handled as a major theme and continued in other parts of the book.
In summation, Play Your Best Eight Ball is probably the best book now available on eight-ball. It is big and comprehensive and a great resource for mastering the art of eight-ball. The author has created it with great thought and insight, and if you want to become
an eight-ball wizard, I recommend you capitalize on his efforts.
John Cash –National Billiard News
Phil Capelle has done it again.
The noted author of several “how to” books as well as other significant contributions to the poolplayers’ libraries has now given readers Play Your Best 8-Ball. This work rates as No. 1 in its field.
The 480-page instructional book features 535 diagrams to scale of realistic shots which were provided on tavern sized tables.
With 17 chapters chock full of valuable information, this book is the 4th in Capelle’s Play Your Best series. Others include the original Play Your Best Pool, Play Your Best Straight Pool, and Play Your Best 9-Ball.
This piece also represents Capelle’s seventh instructional book on pool. There are more than 100 examples taken from such professionals as Johnny Archer, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Mika Immonen, Troy Frank, and Roger Griffis.
Of special interest to this reviewer were the chapters concerning Clusters, Problem Balls, Defensive Play, Kick Shots, and Competition.
Capelle has broken down the material to include recommended courses for four levels of play – beginners, A, B, and C. His ABC System
gives the reader and interested pool player a choice of three levels of instruction.
As an example of how detailed this book is, the chapter on Position Play is the longest at 56 pages and contains 82 diagrams!
All illustrations and diagrams intended to assist the reader through various areas of play are precise, easy to follow and definitive.
Shaded areas within the text assist the reader to the most important element of instruction.
As a whole the book is a must for players of all levels of skill.
Capelle's Practicing Pool
Tom Shaw – Pool & Billiard Magazine
Phil Capelle has been producing top quality instruction books for over a decade. The topics vary but the
characteristics remain the same: thorough, easy to use, well designed and organized, and above all practical.
All those things can be said for his latest book, Capelle’s Practicing Pool (320 pages, softcover,
$29.95, 7x10 in., billiardspress.com.) One of the unique things about this book is that it offers practice instruction for players at every level. Another is that there is a great deal of material about the“why” of each set of shots, and another is that you learn more than just the shot, Capelle expands on the information and drops in data that is appropriate (i.e., “A study I conducted of top professionals playing 9-Ball showed that the cue ball hit two or more rails on 28% of their position plays.”)
In typical Capelle fashion he declines to make unsupported claims; when he offers advice he tells you why the advice is valid. When he talks about situations he refers to original research he’s done. This builds confidence in the material, to your benefit.
But for me the strongest element in Capelle instructional books is the thoroughness. You can use them as reference books forever, because it’s all there in one volume.
Lots of info could be a pain in the neck if it wasn’t organized, but organized ease-of-use is, fortunately, another Capelle trait. With Capelle you always get more than you paid for. In this book he includes practice on reading the table, on the mental game, aiming, how to create your own customized practice sessions, and a lot more. The book is packed with tips, information, routines, and insights and has just become one more “must have”for anyone who wants to get better at pool.
Phil Capelle has been producing top quality instruction books for over a decade. The topics vary but the characteristics remain the same: thorough, easy to use, well designed and organized, and above all practical.
John Evans – On the Wire
Hello everybody, it's Spring and players are making the yearly journey to the Mecca of amateur national pool tournaments, Las Vegas. Just in the nick of time, the most prolific authority on pool, Phil Capelle has completed his latest book. It is called Capelle's Practicing Pool. I have been eagerly awaiting a great book on practice to come out, since my personal quest as a serious student of the game began seven years ago. Mr. Capelle's successful string of instructional billiards best sellers includes, Play Your Best Pool, A Mind for Pool, Play Your
Best Nine Ball, and the recently penned Play Your Best Eight Ball. Obviously the phrase, Phil knows pool, is an understatement! When I started reading the table of contents and sub chapters in Capelle's Practicing Pool I quickly understood how well this book complements Phil's stable of superb instructional offerings.
As is the case in all of Capelle's books, every diagram and shot is to exact proportion and specification. Simply put, if you set up a shot in the book as diagrammed, you will be able to execute it as diagrammed!
The phrase take your game to another level is used frequently by instructors and authors who are well intentioned, but the level of their competence to deliver on that promise is often ambiguous. I was really impressed with the organizational ideas Phil gives the student making it easy to keep track of and mark the progress of skills attained. When I saw how Phil layered each chapter as a companion piece for the next, I understood how it gives the beginning student a strong platform to build his game, yet allows the more advanced pool player the power to choose his own game maintenance program based on critical data from intelligently documented practice sessions.
Chapters covering fundamentals, shot making, kicks, breaks all are heavily formatted with a practice mind set. I think most of us have some difficulty setting up an effective practice regimen. Playing pool consistently at a high level is difficult because maintaining the many skills necessary to do so requires, what seems like the skills of a juggler. With the easy to understand organizational tools Phil provides you can chart any practice session and have a working understanding pertaining to which part of your game needs maintenance. No matter what level you bring to the table this book delivers on the promise to truly "take your game to the next level and beyond"
Capelle's Practicing Pool is a hefty 320 pages. It includes more than 200 exercises covering every facet of the game we love. The book has templates for keeping a journal and making diagrams. Right down to the user friendly spiral binding this book screams buy me! Immerse yourself in Capelle's Practicing Pool and you too will find the value to be incalculable!
John Cash – The National Billiard News
Phil Capelle’s latest journey on the trail of pocket billiards is practice made perfect!
In his usual manner, the billiards writer has loaded this 320-page effort entitled Capelle’s Practicing Pool (Take Your Game to the Next Level & Beyond) with more than 200 exercises (and detailed diagrams).
If you TRULY want to take your game to the next level or even to become a professional pool player, then this book is a MUST for your library. If not, don’t buy it and don’t utilize it in your practice sessions.
Capelle is best known for his detailed approach to any discipline of billiards and in this effort he has nearly outdone himself. There are 14 chapters devoted to every facet of the games of 8-ball, 9-ball, one pocket and straight pool practice sessions.
Perhaps the most important is the first chapter Learning to Learn in which Capelle advises the reader, “You are ultimately responsible for learning the game. While you are practicing you need to be able to teach yourself as you go.”
He also cautions, “One of the biggest obstacles to improvement is the desire for an instant and desirable jump in your game.This just doesn’t happen very often.
Phil tells the reader, “Once you get into the process of practicing like a great student, the journey will be the reward.”
Capelle guides the student through the learning process with numerous drills to develop proper skills, physical and mental awareness and stability and uses different techniques to reinforce the procedure.
Among these are his EZ Ball Placement, grid lines, Ghost Balls, tangent lines, angles, ball paths and highlighted balls.
He touches every base in this extremely detailed book, including fundamentals, the use of or when not to use English.
There also is an in-depth discussion regarding draw, follow, force follow, stop shots, masse and jump shots, as well as how to improve and eventually master the art of defense with safety play.
His work takes you through a progression of your game, as if you were a beginner, up to and including tips for professional player’s practice
sessions.
As Capelle says, there is something for everyone in this contribution, whether you are just learning the game to the most seasoned pros who want to review some areas of their game that needs reinforcement.
Introduced into the lengthy practice guide are the use of donuts and a pool t-square that Capelle feels are highly valuable in many sessions of preparedness.
The Learn - Perfect - Maintain Method (LPM) is discussed in the 5 Steps to Mastery section of the Learning to Learn chapter. This is a procedure that is invaluable to building a successful overall game that incorporates the physical, mental and subconscious elements of your
skills.
Over all, Capelle has touched on just about every aspect of the game(s) in this project.
Published by Billiards Press in Huntington Beach, CA, this book is available for $29.95. For further details, see the advertisement on Page 11 of this June edition of The National Billiard News.
Phil Capelle has been producing top quality instruction books for over a decade. The topics vary but the
characteristics remain the same: thorough, easy to use, well designed and organized, and above all practical.
All those things can be said for his latest book, Capelle’s Practicing Pool (320 pages, softcover,
$29.95, 7x10 in., billiardspress.com.) One of the unique things about this book is that it offers practice instruction for players at every level. Another is that there is a great deal of material about the“why” of each set of shots, and another is that you learn more than just the shot, Capelle expands on the information and drops in data that is appropriate (i.e., “A study I conducted of top professionals playing 9-Ball showed that the cue ball hit two or more rails on 28% of their position plays.”)
In typical Capelle fashion he declines to make unsupported claims; when he offers advice he tells you why the advice is valid. When he talks about situations he refers to original research he’s done. This builds confidence in the material, to your benefit.
But for me the strongest element in Capelle instructional books is the thoroughness. You can use them as reference books forever, because it’s all there in one volume.
Lots of info could be a pain in the neck if it wasn’t organized, but organized ease-of-use is, fortunately, another Capelle trait. With Capelle you always get more than you paid for. In this book he includes practice on reading the table, on the mental game, aiming, how to create your own customized practice sessions, and a lot more. The book is packed with tips, information, routines, and insights and has just become one more “must have”for anyone who wants to get better at pool.
Phil Capelle has been producing top quality instruction books for over a decade. The topics vary but the characteristics remain the same: thorough, easy to use, well designed and organized, and above all practical.
John Evans – On the Wire
Hello everybody, it's Spring and players are making the yearly journey to the Mecca of amateur national pool tournaments, Las Vegas. Just in the nick of time, the most prolific authority on pool, Phil Capelle has completed his latest book. It is called Capelle's Practicing Pool. I have been eagerly awaiting a great book on practice to come out, since my personal quest as a serious student of the game began seven years ago. Mr. Capelle's successful string of instructional billiards best sellers includes, Play Your Best Pool, A Mind for Pool, Play Your
Best Nine Ball, and the recently penned Play Your Best Eight Ball. Obviously the phrase, Phil knows pool, is an understatement! When I started reading the table of contents and sub chapters in Capelle's Practicing Pool I quickly understood how well this book complements Phil's stable of superb instructional offerings.
As is the case in all of Capelle's books, every diagram and shot is to exact proportion and specification. Simply put, if you set up a shot in the book as diagrammed, you will be able to execute it as diagrammed!
The phrase take your game to another level is used frequently by instructors and authors who are well intentioned, but the level of their competence to deliver on that promise is often ambiguous. I was really impressed with the organizational ideas Phil gives the student making it easy to keep track of and mark the progress of skills attained. When I saw how Phil layered each chapter as a companion piece for the next, I understood how it gives the beginning student a strong platform to build his game, yet allows the more advanced pool player the power to choose his own game maintenance program based on critical data from intelligently documented practice sessions.
Chapters covering fundamentals, shot making, kicks, breaks all are heavily formatted with a practice mind set. I think most of us have some difficulty setting up an effective practice regimen. Playing pool consistently at a high level is difficult because maintaining the many skills necessary to do so requires, what seems like the skills of a juggler. With the easy to understand organizational tools Phil provides you can chart any practice session and have a working understanding pertaining to which part of your game needs maintenance. No matter what level you bring to the table this book delivers on the promise to truly "take your game to the next level and beyond"
Capelle's Practicing Pool is a hefty 320 pages. It includes more than 200 exercises covering every facet of the game we love. The book has templates for keeping a journal and making diagrams. Right down to the user friendly spiral binding this book screams buy me! Immerse yourself in Capelle's Practicing Pool and you too will find the value to be incalculable!
John Cash – The National Billiard News
Phil Capelle’s latest journey on the trail of pocket billiards is practice made perfect!
In his usual manner, the billiards writer has loaded this 320-page effort entitled Capelle’s Practicing Pool (Take Your Game to the Next Level & Beyond) with more than 200 exercises (and detailed diagrams).
If you TRULY want to take your game to the next level or even to become a professional pool player, then this book is a MUST for your library. If not, don’t buy it and don’t utilize it in your practice sessions.
Capelle is best known for his detailed approach to any discipline of billiards and in this effort he has nearly outdone himself. There are 14 chapters devoted to every facet of the games of 8-ball, 9-ball, one pocket and straight pool practice sessions.
Perhaps the most important is the first chapter Learning to Learn in which Capelle advises the reader, “You are ultimately responsible for learning the game. While you are practicing you need to be able to teach yourself as you go.”
He also cautions, “One of the biggest obstacles to improvement is the desire for an instant and desirable jump in your game.This just doesn’t happen very often.
Phil tells the reader, “Once you get into the process of practicing like a great student, the journey will be the reward.”
Capelle guides the student through the learning process with numerous drills to develop proper skills, physical and mental awareness and stability and uses different techniques to reinforce the procedure.
Among these are his EZ Ball Placement, grid lines, Ghost Balls, tangent lines, angles, ball paths and highlighted balls.
He touches every base in this extremely detailed book, including fundamentals, the use of or when not to use English.
There also is an in-depth discussion regarding draw, follow, force follow, stop shots, masse and jump shots, as well as how to improve and eventually master the art of defense with safety play.
His work takes you through a progression of your game, as if you were a beginner, up to and including tips for professional player’s practice
sessions.
As Capelle says, there is something for everyone in this contribution, whether you are just learning the game to the most seasoned pros who want to review some areas of their game that needs reinforcement.
Introduced into the lengthy practice guide are the use of donuts and a pool t-square that Capelle feels are highly valuable in many sessions of preparedness.
The Learn - Perfect - Maintain Method (LPM) is discussed in the 5 Steps to Mastery section of the Learning to Learn chapter. This is a procedure that is invaluable to building a successful overall game that incorporates the physical, mental and subconscious elements of your
skills.
Over all, Capelle has touched on just about every aspect of the game(s) in this project.
Published by Billiards Press in Huntington Beach, CA, this book is available for $29.95. For further details, see the advertisement on Page 11 of this June edition of The National Billiard News.
A Mind For Pool
Tom Shaw -Pool & Billiard Magazine
Capelle's new book covers all the non-physical elements of playing pool. That does include the mental game, as
most people think of it. That is, the psychology of competitive playing and overcoming nerves, learning to focus, and handling bad breaks. But there's a whole lot more in Capelle's definition. Want to know how to handicap a game, negotiate a game, and how to evaluate spots? It's covered. From his first book we learned that Capelle values completeness and just as Play Your Best Pool was jam packed with great information so, too, is A Mind For Pool. The difference is that the first book concentrated on the physical side and this one gives you a handy reference to everything about the mental side of the game. The end result is that you'll get much more out of
your game - more fun and more success - after reading this book. This is a book for all levels, from beginner to experienced player. Great graphics, too. Put it on your shelf (after reading it, of course) right next to Play Your Best Pool.
George Fels - Billiards Digest
If you admired the thoroughness of Phil Capelle's "Play Your Best Pool", and it is one of the better self-published efforts the game has seen, wait until you get a look at his new "A Mind For Pool". It's close to 400 very well written pages on just about every conceivable
aspect of the mental side of pool - and not a single diagram in sight.
In short, this is a bonafide textbook, and you’d be well-advised to go through it slowly, maybe no more that a section or two in a sitting, taking notes and highlighting portions that ring your chimes. The comparisons between this book and Bob Henning’s “The Pro Book” will be inevitable. Although I don’t think they’re particularly valid. Henning offers you drills and routines for implementing new thinking; Capelle
just gives you the thinking to put to work as you see fit. In a brief biography of other work relevant to advanced pool, Capelle lists the Henning book in the “Training Books” category, which I think is fair.
Actually, the approach he takes is so complete than many of these chapter topics seem worthy of books of their own: Your Game;
Basics of Competition; Winning Techniques; How to Think Like a Player; League Pool; Enjoying Pool; and others. 20 chapters in all.
In fact, I find this book to be quite a writing accomplishment. It's elusive enough to discuss balls-on-table situations clearly with a minimum of words. When it comes to pool's cerebral aspects, however, those thoughts are quite a bit harder to nail down. Yet Capelle goes on correctly interpreting attitudes, good and bad, and perceptions and misperceptions - you can hardly quarrel with a single thing he says.
To help break up the flow of quality prose, he resorts to icons and quotes as teaching changes of pace. He’s certainly articulate and eclectic at the same time – his sources range from Sir Winston to the I Ching – but I found the sheer volume of these quotes (well into the hundreds) in combinations with their more-than-occasional obscurity to be a modest distraction.
“A Mind For Pool” retails in the $20 range, so it’s an exceptional value given the richness of its content. Highly recommended, once again, for intermediates on up; it’s a bit much for beginners to assimilate.
Bob Henning - National Billiard News
There is something in this book for every player, whether beginner or expert, and you don't have to read the whole thing to find the parts that apply to you. The table of contents is highly organized and a cursory examination will easily direct you to the proper pages.
It will be difficult for any pool enthusiast to thumb through this book without coughing up the very reasonable ... required to take it home.
Karen Wilcox – keepandshare.com
This is such a comprehensive book about the role of the mind in pool that much of its advice and lessons could be applied to any difficult endeavor that involves significant behavior change. In other words, people could apply the knowledge imparted in this book to dieting, stopping smoking and so on. The information is so universal and valuable that it could help anyone - not just pool players.
With regard to pool, it would be hard to imagine another resource that is so comprehensive yet so readable and well-organized. I am just a beginner at pool yet this book offered me lots of tips and suggestions so that I learn the fundamentals as well as the many mental aspects of this great sport. I imagine that a seasoned player would get even more out of this book because of its emphasis of staying positive when competing.
Just a great book - well worth the price.
Capelle's new book covers all the non-physical elements of playing pool. That does include the mental game, as
most people think of it. That is, the psychology of competitive playing and overcoming nerves, learning to focus, and handling bad breaks. But there's a whole lot more in Capelle's definition. Want to know how to handicap a game, negotiate a game, and how to evaluate spots? It's covered. From his first book we learned that Capelle values completeness and just as Play Your Best Pool was jam packed with great information so, too, is A Mind For Pool. The difference is that the first book concentrated on the physical side and this one gives you a handy reference to everything about the mental side of the game. The end result is that you'll get much more out of
your game - more fun and more success - after reading this book. This is a book for all levels, from beginner to experienced player. Great graphics, too. Put it on your shelf (after reading it, of course) right next to Play Your Best Pool.
George Fels - Billiards Digest
If you admired the thoroughness of Phil Capelle's "Play Your Best Pool", and it is one of the better self-published efforts the game has seen, wait until you get a look at his new "A Mind For Pool". It's close to 400 very well written pages on just about every conceivable
aspect of the mental side of pool - and not a single diagram in sight.
In short, this is a bonafide textbook, and you’d be well-advised to go through it slowly, maybe no more that a section or two in a sitting, taking notes and highlighting portions that ring your chimes. The comparisons between this book and Bob Henning’s “The Pro Book” will be inevitable. Although I don’t think they’re particularly valid. Henning offers you drills and routines for implementing new thinking; Capelle
just gives you the thinking to put to work as you see fit. In a brief biography of other work relevant to advanced pool, Capelle lists the Henning book in the “Training Books” category, which I think is fair.
Actually, the approach he takes is so complete than many of these chapter topics seem worthy of books of their own: Your Game;
Basics of Competition; Winning Techniques; How to Think Like a Player; League Pool; Enjoying Pool; and others. 20 chapters in all.
In fact, I find this book to be quite a writing accomplishment. It's elusive enough to discuss balls-on-table situations clearly with a minimum of words. When it comes to pool's cerebral aspects, however, those thoughts are quite a bit harder to nail down. Yet Capelle goes on correctly interpreting attitudes, good and bad, and perceptions and misperceptions - you can hardly quarrel with a single thing he says.
To help break up the flow of quality prose, he resorts to icons and quotes as teaching changes of pace. He’s certainly articulate and eclectic at the same time – his sources range from Sir Winston to the I Ching – but I found the sheer volume of these quotes (well into the hundreds) in combinations with their more-than-occasional obscurity to be a modest distraction.
“A Mind For Pool” retails in the $20 range, so it’s an exceptional value given the richness of its content. Highly recommended, once again, for intermediates on up; it’s a bit much for beginners to assimilate.
Bob Henning - National Billiard News
There is something in this book for every player, whether beginner or expert, and you don't have to read the whole thing to find the parts that apply to you. The table of contents is highly organized and a cursory examination will easily direct you to the proper pages.
It will be difficult for any pool enthusiast to thumb through this book without coughing up the very reasonable ... required to take it home.
Karen Wilcox – keepandshare.com
This is such a comprehensive book about the role of the mind in pool that much of its advice and lessons could be applied to any difficult endeavor that involves significant behavior change. In other words, people could apply the knowledge imparted in this book to dieting, stopping smoking and so on. The information is so universal and valuable that it could help anyone - not just pool players.
With regard to pool, it would be hard to imagine another resource that is so comprehensive yet so readable and well-organized. I am just a beginner at pool yet this book offered me lots of tips and suggestions so that I learn the fundamentals as well as the many mental aspects of this great sport. I imagine that a seasoned player would get even more out of this book because of its emphasis of staying positive when competing.
Just a great book - well worth the price.
Capelle on 9-Ball
Tom Shaw –
Pool & Billiard Magazine
The commentators on Accu-Stats tournament tapes do a fantastic job. Reality limits them to on the fly comments, and 9-Ball action moves along so quickly that they rarely have time for lengthy analysis or slow motion instant replays.
That thought struck prolific billiard instructional author Phil Capelle as he was watching an outstanding Accu-Stats tape: Archer vs. Reyes, Sands Regency, 1996. He had the luxuries of time and a rewind button. The result is one of the most unique offerings among instructional materials: a great pro tournament tape and a detailed analysis, plus about a half an hour of key shots repeated at the end of the video, with Capelle’s commentary.
Pat Fleming, of Accu-Stats, added Game and Shot numbers on the screen for easy cross-reference with Capelle’s book. The book-tape combo is called “Capelle on 9-Ball”. Making it even more unique, it’s the first pool instructional that’s also available on DVD. Accu-Stats Archer-Reyes match, plus selected shots and Capelle’s commentary.
It’s amazing how much useful information can be gleaned from watching a pro match. It’s a matter of watching with a pro eye, and Capelle has that. The book high-lites multiple lessons from every inning of every rack, often with full table illustrations.
Capelle also compiled some fascinating stats from the Archer-Reyes hill-hill match, and he turns them into something you can use to improve your game (these notes use the heading “Your Game”). He measured each player’s stroke speed, length of pause (to 1/30th of a second), number of warm up strokes on different kinds of shots, and so much more that we don’t have room to list them. He even noted the use of closed and open bridges, and when the pros use which.
This is a dream combo: Archer, Reyes, and Capelle, with one of the best 9-ball matches of the decade. If you’ve ever wondered exactly how the pros do it, and how to approach their level in your game, this is the combo for you.
Sheri Richardson – Chalk & Cue
I am not a TV watcher but I know the benefits of watching good players so I appreciated the task of reviewing Phil Capelle's latest offering. Unlike his previous instructional tomes, this is an analysis of an actual match. While preparing his other books, he watched over 1,000 professional games. He has chosen one that features two great players - Johnny Archer and Efren Reyes - in the Sands Regency Open 23 in 1993. The book comes with an Accu-Stats Video (or DVD) of the match. Thanks to this company, many pro matches are well recorded. This particular one has Billy Incardona doing a top-notch job as commentator. The match went hill/hill and was a tense battle between the two highest ranked shooters of that time.
Capelle has done all the homework for you. Everyone can benefit from his detailed shot-by-shot analysis. Good players seeking to improve their game will find a multitude of useful information. He looks at everything: shot selection, the particular type of hit, the number of warm up strokes, the time spent on a shot plus much more. How often do these players miss shots? When do they play safe and why? What was the danger? You can refer back to the tape to see the shot and hear the commentary. Capelle notes which shots should be viewed in slow motion and gives you these at the end of the tape. The shots are numbered on the tape for easy reference. The detail is exhaustive.
'The Pros only missed four 9-balls in my 500 Game Study in the 424 games where all nine balls were pocketed...Notice how they shoot the 9-ball firmly and use the rails to control the cue ball"
Part I analyzes each shot. The shots are numbered and you get Capelle's opinions and lessons in with the statistics. Where he disagrees with the choice of shot he explains it and sometimes suggests other options, particularly for novices who cannot hit the ball as accurately.
Part II is a study of how the professionals play. It provides charts, tables and statistics related to specific types of shots and methods of playing. Commencing with an overview of the match, it looks at runouts, fouls, the break, safety play and more. Speed control, bridging and timing are all covered.
Whatever you want to learn, it's covered here. For example: Kick shots are analyzed in a section of Part II:
"The players hit and hooked their opponent on 4 of the 14 kick shots, a 29% average. That percentage warrants giving kick shots the extra effort these shots require (more on this in a later section). The kicker left his opponent a runout opportunity 47% of the time."
You are then given the reference to the kick shots in the match and can put on the tape and watch the actual shots.
Watch the match itself to see some great play and enjoy an exciting battle in contrasting styles. Read the book to understand the subtleties. Then if you have something you wish to improve in your own game - look it up. It's bound to be in there, and to show and tell you how to best approach it. An invaluable aid for those willing to study and to learn from the best.
Mark Whiteside – Inside Pool
Over the last couple of years, I have listened to a friend here in Pittsburgh extolling the tremendous learning tool that he has found in studying Accu-Stats tapes of top professional players competing in 9-ball tournaments. In the beginning, I didn’t understand. When I watch pool, I have always done it for entertainment value. Although I’m sure some knowledge has soaked in, despite the lack of effort on my part, I had no idea how you could learn very much in this manner. Besides, who wants to pay $30 for a tape of a match that, when you watch it once, you know the ending?
After about two years of this friendly encouragement, I realized something. My friend was a seven handicap in our local 9-ball tournaments, with four being the lowest rating and nine being the highest rating that any local player has attained. Another rating system would make a seven an A- player and a nine would be an A+ player. Over the last two years, he has moved from a seven to an eight and then to a nine, yet he still wins a good percentage of the tournaments that he plays in. He credits his detailed studies of match tapes as having given him the knowledge to make tremendous progress, at a point where a lot of players hit a plateau. There are definitely two parts to this game. Yes, you must practice the physical motions, but the other part of the equation is mental, and therefore you must also seek knowledge.
In Capelle’s new book and companion videotape/DVD combination, you have a very detailed, in-depth analysis of a tremendous match between Efren “The Magician” Reyes and Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer from the 1996 Sands Regency Open. The commentary of the announcing team of Bill Incardona and Dale Maddux adds depth and a touch of humor to the intense competition. You receive the Accu-Stats videotape or DVD and Capelle on 9-Ball, a companion 200-page paperback book for either $43.95 (tape) or $49.95 (DVD).
Phil Capelle is a very detail-oriented person. Some of his past instructional books, like Play Your Best 9-Ball and Play Your Best Straight Pool are encyclopedic in scope. He likes to research, apparently, since for his 9-ball book he watched 1,000 pro games and made detailed analyses of 500. For this new project, he watched the match ten times to gather the data that he presents. Of course, he didn’t just watch it straight through ten times. He totally dissected it and laid out its various bits of information into data that you can use to gain valuable knowledge.
As with most instructional material, there are players at a specific level who would benefit most from this material. A beginning player would likely be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the information presented, and gain little from the encounter. An advanced player will find some of the information to be things that they already know, and have incorporated into their game. The range of skill-levels with the most to gain is what I would describe as B- players to A- players, who are accomplished players that can run a rack, or perhaps two. They play a fair amount, but progress in their game is slow, if at all. Most of them work on the physical part of the game by either individual practice or match play. Most of them pay lip service to the mental side of the game, but never work on their knowledge. Players who are either more or less highly skilled will each find new knowledge, but perhaps not as much as a B player would gain, and be able to put into action.
The book Capelle on 9-Ball consists of two major parts. The first is a companion guide to the video that is designed to allow you to match what you are seeing on the video with the analysis that details it. Some of the data that Capelle has charted includes: Speed of stroke on all shots, a difficulty rating for all position plays, a run-out difficulty rating for all layouts, and the time players took to prepare for and shoot key shots. There are sixty-five lessons in shaded boxes, as well as discussion on patterns, position, safeties, kick shots, and the mental game. The author includes diagrams of twenty-six shots that he felt were key shots in run-out attempts. The second part of the book contains Capelle’s detailed study on how these two great pros play the game. He studied some of the physical parts of their games, like number of warm-up strokes, choice of bridge, and stroke speed on a wide variety of shots, kicks, and safeties. Charts and tables abound, as well as over twenty lessons learned from this research.
The video portion also has two parts -- the match itself and a second section where Capelle gives video analysis of a package of twenty-five shots from the match. He uses slow motion, single frame advance, and a telestrator to make his points and teach his lessons.
If, indeed, studying videotape of matches can help you gain the knowledge to move your game to a higher level, then it would benefit each of us trying to get better to start watching tapes, whether from Accu-Stats or another source. If you’re going to undertake this study, then start with this combination and learn how and what to glean from a match tape. The understanding that you will gain from Capelle’s analysis will help you make tremendous progress in your learning curve.
John Evans – On the Wire
Efren Reyes and Johnny Archer, the number 1 and 2 world ranked nine-ball players respectively locked in a see-saw battle to see who survives at the Sands Regency Open in 1996. This is the match upon which Phil Capelle based his latest book, "Capelle on Nine Ball" - Archer vs. Reyes.
The book is accompanied by the Accu-Stats video of this suspenseful and extremely entertaining match. Accu-Stats founder Pat Fleming has been recording matches since 1987. His videos are highly regarded for the production value as well as the expert commentary offered by the voice of Accu-Stats, Bill Incardona and his partner in the booth Dave Maddox.
Capelle has authored five instructional books including "Play Your Best Pool”, "A Mind for Pool " and "Play Your Best Nine Ball “. He also is a Certified B.C.A Instructor and a columnist for Pool and Billiard Magazine. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley in 1970, Capelle has been a student and enthusiast of pool for 33 years.
Capelle’s latest offering gives the student a unique perspective into our favorite sport by coupling analytic expert commentary in the Accu-Stats video with Phil’s scientific analysis as well as a pro's perspective of each shot. I found it most refreshing that the diagrams were to scale, a Capelle trademark! That means when you get on your table and set up the balls as illustrated in the book, you can actually perform the shots just like Efren or Johnny does in the video! If you don’t get the same result set it up again and make the necessary adjustments. Soon you will be making the run out just like the pros. I must admit I 'm still smiling after setting up and executing the run-out beginning with "Efren’s Massive Draw" in game 4.
The Reyes/Archer match is a textbook unto itself offering nearly every conceivable shot and aspect in the realm of pool. Thus it gave Capelle a vehicle to showcase his knowledgeable perspective derived from his many years of statistical analysis. The book is well organized and each shot on the video is numbered so that one can easily reference the desired lesson from the accompanying guide.
This is a 5 star instructional coupling. Isolating each discipline of every shot in the match allows you to focus on all aspects of your game. I am looking forward to spending many visits with "Capelle on Nine Ball ", and to greatly improving my game! How is your game?
John Cash – National Billiard News
“There is not always one best shot for all players, but there is usually one best shot for your game.” The above statement came from a lesson from Capelle on 9 Ball, Phil Capelle’s latest effort in the continuing study of cue sports.
This is one of the best and most thorough discussions involving an actual match.
Capelle has created a first in the industry with his book/video-tape/DVD presentation of a 1996 match between then the two best 9-ball players in the game, Johnny Archer.
The match occurred on the one-loss of the Sands Regency Open 23, June 1996 at the Sands Regency Hotel in Reno, NV. It has become a classic confrontation and was perhaps the best one ever played from the standpoint nearly every element and every situation that possibly could be seen in 9-ball was present. In the hill-hill battle, Archer rallied for an 11-10 victory.
Capelle has outdone himself in combining the video and accompanying book to give viewers a comprehensive study.
Part 1 of the book is a companion guide in the video of this match.
Capelle advised the viewer/reader/student to first watch the match for fun and to enjoy commentators Billy Incardona and David Maddux’s comments.
He mentions there are 65 lessons and 26 key shots of the match are diagrammed.
In the second part of the book following a complete showing of the match and suggestions, there is a detailed study of how the pros play the game from such items as bridge usage, warm up strokes, timing the stroke and speed of stroke.
Capelle, the Sultan of Stats, also has included myriad statistics based on research he has done by viewing more than 1,000 games of professional 9-ball and then compiling an incomparable number of exacting situations.
The book is 200 pages and the video or DVD is approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Watch and enjoy the match as it unfolds from start to finish. There are many highlights shown on everything from the break to kick shots to safeties to run outs.
The viewer should pay close attention to the swings in the match and visualize this happening in a match in which he or she is participating. Throughout the 21 games, the announcers discuss the patterns played by Archer and Reyes and whether either player misplayed a particular shot.
Incardona is a one-pocket champion and his views during the match are of major significance. His opinions are well respected within the professional playing community.
Sit back and study each and every game to see if you would have played the game differently than the pros and why.
Perhaps you are not able to execute the shots Archer and Reyes have exhibited and would have taken a route easier for you to have run out.
All of these topics are discussed in Part 2 by Capelle and also in the video following the presentation of the entire match.
He has taken 25 shots from Archer-Reyes match and dissected each of these for the benefit of the amateur player and has made suggestions for alternate patterns or different shot selection during these sometimes difficult circumstances.
What Capelle has done is provide one of the most comprehensive discussions of the game of 9-ball with an actual visible study provided by two world-class players. What a way to learn!
This writer reviewer had been playing pool for more than 50 years (albeit not of the caliber of these professionals) and during that time has heard on numerous occasions players have learned more by watching the pros play than from any other reading material of videotape. Perhaps this view is very true for many individuals. If so, what better way to learn the game than by watching two of the most respected players as Archer and Reyes from the standpoint of their overall ability.
In this book/video you will see some incredible shotmaking, safety play and run out skills. You can’t beat it for entertainment and knowledge.
The commentators on Accu-Stats tournament tapes do a fantastic job. Reality limits them to on the fly comments, and 9-Ball action moves along so quickly that they rarely have time for lengthy analysis or slow motion instant replays.
That thought struck prolific billiard instructional author Phil Capelle as he was watching an outstanding Accu-Stats tape: Archer vs. Reyes, Sands Regency, 1996. He had the luxuries of time and a rewind button. The result is one of the most unique offerings among instructional materials: a great pro tournament tape and a detailed analysis, plus about a half an hour of key shots repeated at the end of the video, with Capelle’s commentary.
Pat Fleming, of Accu-Stats, added Game and Shot numbers on the screen for easy cross-reference with Capelle’s book. The book-tape combo is called “Capelle on 9-Ball”. Making it even more unique, it’s the first pool instructional that’s also available on DVD. Accu-Stats Archer-Reyes match, plus selected shots and Capelle’s commentary.
It’s amazing how much useful information can be gleaned from watching a pro match. It’s a matter of watching with a pro eye, and Capelle has that. The book high-lites multiple lessons from every inning of every rack, often with full table illustrations.
Capelle also compiled some fascinating stats from the Archer-Reyes hill-hill match, and he turns them into something you can use to improve your game (these notes use the heading “Your Game”). He measured each player’s stroke speed, length of pause (to 1/30th of a second), number of warm up strokes on different kinds of shots, and so much more that we don’t have room to list them. He even noted the use of closed and open bridges, and when the pros use which.
This is a dream combo: Archer, Reyes, and Capelle, with one of the best 9-ball matches of the decade. If you’ve ever wondered exactly how the pros do it, and how to approach their level in your game, this is the combo for you.
Sheri Richardson – Chalk & Cue
I am not a TV watcher but I know the benefits of watching good players so I appreciated the task of reviewing Phil Capelle's latest offering. Unlike his previous instructional tomes, this is an analysis of an actual match. While preparing his other books, he watched over 1,000 professional games. He has chosen one that features two great players - Johnny Archer and Efren Reyes - in the Sands Regency Open 23 in 1993. The book comes with an Accu-Stats Video (or DVD) of the match. Thanks to this company, many pro matches are well recorded. This particular one has Billy Incardona doing a top-notch job as commentator. The match went hill/hill and was a tense battle between the two highest ranked shooters of that time.
Capelle has done all the homework for you. Everyone can benefit from his detailed shot-by-shot analysis. Good players seeking to improve their game will find a multitude of useful information. He looks at everything: shot selection, the particular type of hit, the number of warm up strokes, the time spent on a shot plus much more. How often do these players miss shots? When do they play safe and why? What was the danger? You can refer back to the tape to see the shot and hear the commentary. Capelle notes which shots should be viewed in slow motion and gives you these at the end of the tape. The shots are numbered on the tape for easy reference. The detail is exhaustive.
'The Pros only missed four 9-balls in my 500 Game Study in the 424 games where all nine balls were pocketed...Notice how they shoot the 9-ball firmly and use the rails to control the cue ball"
Part I analyzes each shot. The shots are numbered and you get Capelle's opinions and lessons in with the statistics. Where he disagrees with the choice of shot he explains it and sometimes suggests other options, particularly for novices who cannot hit the ball as accurately.
Part II is a study of how the professionals play. It provides charts, tables and statistics related to specific types of shots and methods of playing. Commencing with an overview of the match, it looks at runouts, fouls, the break, safety play and more. Speed control, bridging and timing are all covered.
Whatever you want to learn, it's covered here. For example: Kick shots are analyzed in a section of Part II:
"The players hit and hooked their opponent on 4 of the 14 kick shots, a 29% average. That percentage warrants giving kick shots the extra effort these shots require (more on this in a later section). The kicker left his opponent a runout opportunity 47% of the time."
You are then given the reference to the kick shots in the match and can put on the tape and watch the actual shots.
Watch the match itself to see some great play and enjoy an exciting battle in contrasting styles. Read the book to understand the subtleties. Then if you have something you wish to improve in your own game - look it up. It's bound to be in there, and to show and tell you how to best approach it. An invaluable aid for those willing to study and to learn from the best.
Mark Whiteside – Inside Pool
Over the last couple of years, I have listened to a friend here in Pittsburgh extolling the tremendous learning tool that he has found in studying Accu-Stats tapes of top professional players competing in 9-ball tournaments. In the beginning, I didn’t understand. When I watch pool, I have always done it for entertainment value. Although I’m sure some knowledge has soaked in, despite the lack of effort on my part, I had no idea how you could learn very much in this manner. Besides, who wants to pay $30 for a tape of a match that, when you watch it once, you know the ending?
After about two years of this friendly encouragement, I realized something. My friend was a seven handicap in our local 9-ball tournaments, with four being the lowest rating and nine being the highest rating that any local player has attained. Another rating system would make a seven an A- player and a nine would be an A+ player. Over the last two years, he has moved from a seven to an eight and then to a nine, yet he still wins a good percentage of the tournaments that he plays in. He credits his detailed studies of match tapes as having given him the knowledge to make tremendous progress, at a point where a lot of players hit a plateau. There are definitely two parts to this game. Yes, you must practice the physical motions, but the other part of the equation is mental, and therefore you must also seek knowledge.
In Capelle’s new book and companion videotape/DVD combination, you have a very detailed, in-depth analysis of a tremendous match between Efren “The Magician” Reyes and Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer from the 1996 Sands Regency Open. The commentary of the announcing team of Bill Incardona and Dale Maddux adds depth and a touch of humor to the intense competition. You receive the Accu-Stats videotape or DVD and Capelle on 9-Ball, a companion 200-page paperback book for either $43.95 (tape) or $49.95 (DVD).
Phil Capelle is a very detail-oriented person. Some of his past instructional books, like Play Your Best 9-Ball and Play Your Best Straight Pool are encyclopedic in scope. He likes to research, apparently, since for his 9-ball book he watched 1,000 pro games and made detailed analyses of 500. For this new project, he watched the match ten times to gather the data that he presents. Of course, he didn’t just watch it straight through ten times. He totally dissected it and laid out its various bits of information into data that you can use to gain valuable knowledge.
As with most instructional material, there are players at a specific level who would benefit most from this material. A beginning player would likely be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the information presented, and gain little from the encounter. An advanced player will find some of the information to be things that they already know, and have incorporated into their game. The range of skill-levels with the most to gain is what I would describe as B- players to A- players, who are accomplished players that can run a rack, or perhaps two. They play a fair amount, but progress in their game is slow, if at all. Most of them work on the physical part of the game by either individual practice or match play. Most of them pay lip service to the mental side of the game, but never work on their knowledge. Players who are either more or less highly skilled will each find new knowledge, but perhaps not as much as a B player would gain, and be able to put into action.
The book Capelle on 9-Ball consists of two major parts. The first is a companion guide to the video that is designed to allow you to match what you are seeing on the video with the analysis that details it. Some of the data that Capelle has charted includes: Speed of stroke on all shots, a difficulty rating for all position plays, a run-out difficulty rating for all layouts, and the time players took to prepare for and shoot key shots. There are sixty-five lessons in shaded boxes, as well as discussion on patterns, position, safeties, kick shots, and the mental game. The author includes diagrams of twenty-six shots that he felt were key shots in run-out attempts. The second part of the book contains Capelle’s detailed study on how these two great pros play the game. He studied some of the physical parts of their games, like number of warm-up strokes, choice of bridge, and stroke speed on a wide variety of shots, kicks, and safeties. Charts and tables abound, as well as over twenty lessons learned from this research.
The video portion also has two parts -- the match itself and a second section where Capelle gives video analysis of a package of twenty-five shots from the match. He uses slow motion, single frame advance, and a telestrator to make his points and teach his lessons.
If, indeed, studying videotape of matches can help you gain the knowledge to move your game to a higher level, then it would benefit each of us trying to get better to start watching tapes, whether from Accu-Stats or another source. If you’re going to undertake this study, then start with this combination and learn how and what to glean from a match tape. The understanding that you will gain from Capelle’s analysis will help you make tremendous progress in your learning curve.
John Evans – On the Wire
Efren Reyes and Johnny Archer, the number 1 and 2 world ranked nine-ball players respectively locked in a see-saw battle to see who survives at the Sands Regency Open in 1996. This is the match upon which Phil Capelle based his latest book, "Capelle on Nine Ball" - Archer vs. Reyes.
The book is accompanied by the Accu-Stats video of this suspenseful and extremely entertaining match. Accu-Stats founder Pat Fleming has been recording matches since 1987. His videos are highly regarded for the production value as well as the expert commentary offered by the voice of Accu-Stats, Bill Incardona and his partner in the booth Dave Maddox.
Capelle has authored five instructional books including "Play Your Best Pool”, "A Mind for Pool " and "Play Your Best Nine Ball “. He also is a Certified B.C.A Instructor and a columnist for Pool and Billiard Magazine. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley in 1970, Capelle has been a student and enthusiast of pool for 33 years.
Capelle’s latest offering gives the student a unique perspective into our favorite sport by coupling analytic expert commentary in the Accu-Stats video with Phil’s scientific analysis as well as a pro's perspective of each shot. I found it most refreshing that the diagrams were to scale, a Capelle trademark! That means when you get on your table and set up the balls as illustrated in the book, you can actually perform the shots just like Efren or Johnny does in the video! If you don’t get the same result set it up again and make the necessary adjustments. Soon you will be making the run out just like the pros. I must admit I 'm still smiling after setting up and executing the run-out beginning with "Efren’s Massive Draw" in game 4.
The Reyes/Archer match is a textbook unto itself offering nearly every conceivable shot and aspect in the realm of pool. Thus it gave Capelle a vehicle to showcase his knowledgeable perspective derived from his many years of statistical analysis. The book is well organized and each shot on the video is numbered so that one can easily reference the desired lesson from the accompanying guide.
This is a 5 star instructional coupling. Isolating each discipline of every shot in the match allows you to focus on all aspects of your game. I am looking forward to spending many visits with "Capelle on Nine Ball ", and to greatly improving my game! How is your game?
John Cash – National Billiard News
“There is not always one best shot for all players, but there is usually one best shot for your game.” The above statement came from a lesson from Capelle on 9 Ball, Phil Capelle’s latest effort in the continuing study of cue sports.
This is one of the best and most thorough discussions involving an actual match.
Capelle has created a first in the industry with his book/video-tape/DVD presentation of a 1996 match between then the two best 9-ball players in the game, Johnny Archer.
The match occurred on the one-loss of the Sands Regency Open 23, June 1996 at the Sands Regency Hotel in Reno, NV. It has become a classic confrontation and was perhaps the best one ever played from the standpoint nearly every element and every situation that possibly could be seen in 9-ball was present. In the hill-hill battle, Archer rallied for an 11-10 victory.
Capelle has outdone himself in combining the video and accompanying book to give viewers a comprehensive study.
Part 1 of the book is a companion guide in the video of this match.
Capelle advised the viewer/reader/student to first watch the match for fun and to enjoy commentators Billy Incardona and David Maddux’s comments.
He mentions there are 65 lessons and 26 key shots of the match are diagrammed.
In the second part of the book following a complete showing of the match and suggestions, there is a detailed study of how the pros play the game from such items as bridge usage, warm up strokes, timing the stroke and speed of stroke.
Capelle, the Sultan of Stats, also has included myriad statistics based on research he has done by viewing more than 1,000 games of professional 9-ball and then compiling an incomparable number of exacting situations.
The book is 200 pages and the video or DVD is approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Watch and enjoy the match as it unfolds from start to finish. There are many highlights shown on everything from the break to kick shots to safeties to run outs.
The viewer should pay close attention to the swings in the match and visualize this happening in a match in which he or she is participating. Throughout the 21 games, the announcers discuss the patterns played by Archer and Reyes and whether either player misplayed a particular shot.
Incardona is a one-pocket champion and his views during the match are of major significance. His opinions are well respected within the professional playing community.
Sit back and study each and every game to see if you would have played the game differently than the pros and why.
Perhaps you are not able to execute the shots Archer and Reyes have exhibited and would have taken a route easier for you to have run out.
All of these topics are discussed in Part 2 by Capelle and also in the video following the presentation of the entire match.
He has taken 25 shots from Archer-Reyes match and dissected each of these for the benefit of the amateur player and has made suggestions for alternate patterns or different shot selection during these sometimes difficult circumstances.
What Capelle has done is provide one of the most comprehensive discussions of the game of 9-ball with an actual visible study provided by two world-class players. What a way to learn!
This writer reviewer had been playing pool for more than 50 years (albeit not of the caliber of these professionals) and during that time has heard on numerous occasions players have learned more by watching the pros play than from any other reading material of videotape. Perhaps this view is very true for many individuals. If so, what better way to learn the game than by watching two of the most respected players as Archer and Reyes from the standpoint of their overall ability.
In this book/video you will see some incredible shotmaking, safety play and run out skills. You can’t beat it for entertainment and knowledge.
Break Shot Patterns
Tom Shaw –Pool & Billiard
Break Shot Patterns: How to Close 14.1 Racks Like a Pro (book with DVD) by Phil Capelle. (272 spiral bound pages, 400 illustrations to perfect scale, and a 2 hour DVD of the pros. $49.95)
A new book by Capelle is always an event. He has a knack for analyzing the game in such a deep, through way that you come away with an understanding that sets you apart from, and above, other players.
In this book he takes the most critical element of the foundational game of Straight Pool – the last balls of a rack – and supplies you with shots, stats from the pros, patterns, practice info, analysis, video examples by pros in actual tournament play (from Accu-Stats), and more.
Hi-runs can only occur if you pocket the last ball in a stack and open up the rack for another shot. Understanding how to do that will not only raise your personal hi-run, but improve your understanding of cue ball position, racks and runs in 8-Ball, 9-Ball, and 10-Ball. Even One Pocket players can benefit.
The book is exceptionally well organized and spiral bound so you can lay it on the table, and the illustrations, perfectly to scale, are great.
Capelle spent months watching every 14.1 match in Accu-Stats huge library (this is work? Sweet!), and picking the best illustrations from Souquet, Hohmann, Sigel, Mizerak, Reyes, Immonen, Ortmann, and dozens of others. Capelle’s analysis is detailed (who else would think of asking, and answering, How Do the Pros Use Time).
If you’re not a Straight Pool player, you still deal with racks, clusters, position play and patterns, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of this big book and DVD. Besides, knowing your hi-run is a great way to measure your progress as a player.
George Fels– Billiards Digest Review
I CERTAINLY hope there's a market for Phil Capelle's excellent new "Break Shot Patterns: How To Close 14.1 Racks Like A Pro," because that would mean that there are players genuinely interested in keeping this great game going. This is Capelle's 9th book (on pool), and clearly one of his best. There are 14 chapters on key balls alone, plus 46 separate opinions and patterns of some of the game's very top players. Would you have known, for example, that there are five factors that determine where the best break-ball position really is?
Capelle correctly emphasizes break shots from the side of the rack - that's where just about every expert player prefers them - and the key shots that lead directly to them. But Part 4 does take on a variety of break balls, and there's even a modest listing of just how much surveying of the table the top players do. This book is also available as a DVD, which features 110 closing patterns from the Accu-Stats library of championship matches with an all-star lineup of players including Sigel, Hohmann, Schmidt, Ortmann and many others.
Steve Lipsky– World Class 14.1 Player
I've had some time to go through this material, and I still need some more. This is difficult stuff but well worth it.
I will say that there are many end-patterns presented here whose inclusion I'm not sure I understand. Some of the positions are so bad that not much can be learned here except how to watch players making great shots to get out. (I am not immune to this - I get myself into truly absurd positions quite often - I'm just not sure how much value there is in analyzing them. There would be value in analyzing the midracks of those positions to see what went wrong.) The pattern that Dennis mentioned above is a good example. I see no reason to try and replicate what Zuglan did here. He is out of line and just making good shots - we might as well be watching 9-ball!
The only other minor criticism I would have is I think there would have been a lot of value if Mr. Capelle had overdubbed his own voice over the original commentators. Though many of the original narrations are entertaining and instructional, this is a serious study which the author has given us. A case could be made that it deserves new commentating specifically tailored for this compilation, perhaps using some simple editing to pause the action and draw some on-screen lines for the viewer to help explain some of the concepts being presented. While I know that Mr. Capelle's thoughts are included in the presented text, I would have enjoyed listening to his analysis as well.
These are minor issues.This is a tremendous work in scope, ambition, and execution. I can't imagine how long it took the author to comb through thousands of end-patterns and pull out a series which were both instructional and had value as part of a group. There is an insight shown here which has traditionally been lacking in books on pocket billiards, and it's yet another reason why Mr. Capelle owns the genre in my opinion.
I have noticed an immediate improvement in my play as a result of this material. I am once again putting a premium on trying to leave perfect end-racks (has been a long time since I've actively done this). I played yesterday and looked for more opportunities to play balls in the middle of the table in the corner pockets instead of the sides, something shown in this excellent compilation. Additionally I'm trying to get more comfortable with leaving balls very close to each other around the rack area, as they offer excellent opportunities to get very close to your break balls. This is another subject constantly presented in the material, and I am studying it in the hopes that it will eventually sink in to this rather stubborn player.
You couldn't ask for better presentation of the material. The DVD is very smooth and easy to navigate. The book is incredibly detailed and has a nice feature of providing alternate patterns. The lessons presented are wonderfully in-depth analyses of sometimes difficult positions.
This is not simply another book to go in your collection; it might truly be, along with Mr. Capelle's other 14.1 treatise, one of the most important compilations you'll ever own. Take your time with it. I dare say it's impossible your game won't significantly improve as a result of it.
Fantastic job, sir.
Jim Gottier - New York City straight pool player
First off let's be clear. I’m old school. I don't believe in trinkets, aiming systems and self anointed pool gurus. I hate drills and have never done them. When I see a book on pool filled with charts and diagrams i want to run screaming into the street. I believe the only way to know a shot is to hit it a thousand times. i believe in always watching the best players in the room and i believe you have to bet your money or it doesn't mean a thing . Before I met Phil Capelle I would see his books on the market and dismiss them. I saw them as part of a lineage of "how to" books that are like that big tub of ice cream that comforts a jilted date, books that make us feel better, that explain that there is a reason why we suck, assure us it's not our fault and gently tuck us in. these books will do anything to keep us from truly looking into why we have chosen such a heartless game. I’ve come to realize "Break Shot Patterns" is not in that genre. Not at all. It has been my great pleasure to come to know Phil and familiarize myself with his work. His book is good. If we let it, it will better us.
Straight pool is confounding. It owns a wistful poetry and is the highest examination of the cue arts. It is a game no one truly masters. "Break Shot Patterns" is a rigorously researched brokerage of ideas from the highest reaches about one of the most important and least understood aspects of the game, the waterloo, the shoal upon which many smartly appointed vessels have foundered; the last four balls of the rack. In those four balls is found the solution to the puzzle and the path to nirvana. The great players know this. They visit the perfect world, bring something back and disappear as music. Capelle has collected and curated these artifacts for us. He allows us access into the minds of champions, badass, brilliant players who, for scant reward, routinely, almost casually, approach philosophy's highest realms.
From AZ Billiards – by cue4fun
Next to Ray Martin's "99 Critical Shots in Pool", this new book by Phil Capelle on how to play the last few balls to fall on the break shot in the game of straight pool is now my favorite self-help book on pool. I say this for several reasons.
(1) Firstly, the spiral-bound format makes practicing with the book very convenient and avoids the cumbersome task of trying to practice with a book that won't stay "open."
(2) The diagrams are easy on the eyes with a very readable font size and the location of each ball in the book diagrams make it simple to duplicate a similar layout on my playing table.
(3) Each subsequent shot diagram clearly shows how the last few balls are played from "ball-to-ball." The written descriptions are described in just the right amount of detail, but the diagrams are so good that I find I can practice by merely examining each diagram layout without even reading the text which is also helpful.
(4) This book really unlocks the secret of how to "read the table" and string racks together by teaching the importance of saving at least one or more "key-balls to the break ball." For example, after awhile of practicing the first 30+ patterns for "side of the rack break balls", one begins to observe the "same-arrangement" of key-balls that keep coming up over and over and over again. Of course, the layout of the "key-balls" are never exactly the same, but they almost always emulate each other and look the same with those 2 balls next to the racking area. Merely understanding the idea of playing the balls of a frame down to these 2 or 3 remaining balls can get you into the next rack.
(5) An unanticipated benefit of this book is that it is revealing numerous shots that I thought were easy,...but aren't. For example, using inside english with just the right amount of speed to make 2 rail patterns to the break ball, long straight-in shots, learning speed control, the finesse of simple short "stop shots" that stop the cue-ball abruptly without movement even a hair to the left or right, etc, etc. Like they say ...."straight pool is a game of inches." Just a hair off can change the angle and kill a pattern.
(6) I like the "alternative patterns." Frequently, these alternative patterns turn out to be a higher playing percentage for me.
(7) The DVD is incredible. Those last 4 or 5 balls are the most important balls in straight pool. These patterns come from over 100+ videos. The DVD alone is an incredible tool.
(8) Finally, the cost of this book plus the DVD can't be beat. I would have easily paid over $100 for the bargain price that this set costs.
(9) And lastly, the results. I ran a high run for myself of 56 balls and had a break shot to get into 60 but dogged an easy break-shot because I knew I was in unchartered waters. But the real difference now is that I "understand" much better what I'm doing. I now have a
road-map to those last 2 or 3 balls that I save for last. I'm playing each frame with a lot more control and less travel. I'm now getting to the next break shot. I don't always make the break shot or get another shot after I open the rack, ...but I'm running the racks with much less movement of the cue ball and now I can see "where I'm going" and which balls I'm trying to fall on to get into the next rack.
I'm having a lot of fun with this book!!
Fran Crimi – Master Instructor - PBIA
I'm working my way through Phil's book and DVD as well, and I think it's the greatest thing! In addition to analyzing the patterns, there's a gold mine in watching the pros play. Phil recognizes that as he points out particular things to watch as you observe that pro playing. It's truly great stuff and you don't even have to be a 14.1 player to appreciate it.
AND …
Check out Phil Capelle's latest book on 14.1. He has page after page of diagrams of the end of racks that players were faced with in competition; and there's an accompanying DVD that shows the players shooting those actual shots. It's really a great idea and a really helpful tool.
I think that if a player wants to learn how to set up for a break shot in 14.1, then there is nothing more valuable than watching the best players in the world do it. Phil even describes what each player does in the book with each diagram. Then you refer to the DVD to see the player shoot the shots. It may seem like nothing special to some, but I think it's brilliant. When you do something really well, it looks easy. Players can actually set up the shots and practice them. I learned some important things I can improve in my own end game by reading the book and watching the DVD.
Jonathan Smith – House Pro at Society Billiards
Out of a sea of instructional books, Phil Capelle’s Break Shot Patterns offers a unique perspective. Many books gloss over the whole of billiards, touching briefly on many aspects of the game, while BSP offers a masters degree in Patterns.
For me, the magic of billiards has always been the blending of Science and Art. Clearly there is math and physics on the pool table. All great players have mastered that science. But it is the creative side that eludes us the most. BSP has given us a unique view into the greatest minds in billiards.
After going through the whole book, I have learned to see options in my own game and I am quite sure you will too.
Break Shot Patterns: How to Close 14.1 Racks Like a Pro (book with DVD) by Phil Capelle. (272 spiral bound pages, 400 illustrations to perfect scale, and a 2 hour DVD of the pros. $49.95)
A new book by Capelle is always an event. He has a knack for analyzing the game in such a deep, through way that you come away with an understanding that sets you apart from, and above, other players.
In this book he takes the most critical element of the foundational game of Straight Pool – the last balls of a rack – and supplies you with shots, stats from the pros, patterns, practice info, analysis, video examples by pros in actual tournament play (from Accu-Stats), and more.
Hi-runs can only occur if you pocket the last ball in a stack and open up the rack for another shot. Understanding how to do that will not only raise your personal hi-run, but improve your understanding of cue ball position, racks and runs in 8-Ball, 9-Ball, and 10-Ball. Even One Pocket players can benefit.
The book is exceptionally well organized and spiral bound so you can lay it on the table, and the illustrations, perfectly to scale, are great.
Capelle spent months watching every 14.1 match in Accu-Stats huge library (this is work? Sweet!), and picking the best illustrations from Souquet, Hohmann, Sigel, Mizerak, Reyes, Immonen, Ortmann, and dozens of others. Capelle’s analysis is detailed (who else would think of asking, and answering, How Do the Pros Use Time).
If you’re not a Straight Pool player, you still deal with racks, clusters, position play and patterns, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of this big book and DVD. Besides, knowing your hi-run is a great way to measure your progress as a player.
George Fels– Billiards Digest Review
I CERTAINLY hope there's a market for Phil Capelle's excellent new "Break Shot Patterns: How To Close 14.1 Racks Like A Pro," because that would mean that there are players genuinely interested in keeping this great game going. This is Capelle's 9th book (on pool), and clearly one of his best. There are 14 chapters on key balls alone, plus 46 separate opinions and patterns of some of the game's very top players. Would you have known, for example, that there are five factors that determine where the best break-ball position really is?
Capelle correctly emphasizes break shots from the side of the rack - that's where just about every expert player prefers them - and the key shots that lead directly to them. But Part 4 does take on a variety of break balls, and there's even a modest listing of just how much surveying of the table the top players do. This book is also available as a DVD, which features 110 closing patterns from the Accu-Stats library of championship matches with an all-star lineup of players including Sigel, Hohmann, Schmidt, Ortmann and many others.
Steve Lipsky– World Class 14.1 Player
I've had some time to go through this material, and I still need some more. This is difficult stuff but well worth it.
I will say that there are many end-patterns presented here whose inclusion I'm not sure I understand. Some of the positions are so bad that not much can be learned here except how to watch players making great shots to get out. (I am not immune to this - I get myself into truly absurd positions quite often - I'm just not sure how much value there is in analyzing them. There would be value in analyzing the midracks of those positions to see what went wrong.) The pattern that Dennis mentioned above is a good example. I see no reason to try and replicate what Zuglan did here. He is out of line and just making good shots - we might as well be watching 9-ball!
The only other minor criticism I would have is I think there would have been a lot of value if Mr. Capelle had overdubbed his own voice over the original commentators. Though many of the original narrations are entertaining and instructional, this is a serious study which the author has given us. A case could be made that it deserves new commentating specifically tailored for this compilation, perhaps using some simple editing to pause the action and draw some on-screen lines for the viewer to help explain some of the concepts being presented. While I know that Mr. Capelle's thoughts are included in the presented text, I would have enjoyed listening to his analysis as well.
These are minor issues.This is a tremendous work in scope, ambition, and execution. I can't imagine how long it took the author to comb through thousands of end-patterns and pull out a series which were both instructional and had value as part of a group. There is an insight shown here which has traditionally been lacking in books on pocket billiards, and it's yet another reason why Mr. Capelle owns the genre in my opinion.
I have noticed an immediate improvement in my play as a result of this material. I am once again putting a premium on trying to leave perfect end-racks (has been a long time since I've actively done this). I played yesterday and looked for more opportunities to play balls in the middle of the table in the corner pockets instead of the sides, something shown in this excellent compilation. Additionally I'm trying to get more comfortable with leaving balls very close to each other around the rack area, as they offer excellent opportunities to get very close to your break balls. This is another subject constantly presented in the material, and I am studying it in the hopes that it will eventually sink in to this rather stubborn player.
You couldn't ask for better presentation of the material. The DVD is very smooth and easy to navigate. The book is incredibly detailed and has a nice feature of providing alternate patterns. The lessons presented are wonderfully in-depth analyses of sometimes difficult positions.
This is not simply another book to go in your collection; it might truly be, along with Mr. Capelle's other 14.1 treatise, one of the most important compilations you'll ever own. Take your time with it. I dare say it's impossible your game won't significantly improve as a result of it.
Fantastic job, sir.
Jim Gottier - New York City straight pool player
First off let's be clear. I’m old school. I don't believe in trinkets, aiming systems and self anointed pool gurus. I hate drills and have never done them. When I see a book on pool filled with charts and diagrams i want to run screaming into the street. I believe the only way to know a shot is to hit it a thousand times. i believe in always watching the best players in the room and i believe you have to bet your money or it doesn't mean a thing . Before I met Phil Capelle I would see his books on the market and dismiss them. I saw them as part of a lineage of "how to" books that are like that big tub of ice cream that comforts a jilted date, books that make us feel better, that explain that there is a reason why we suck, assure us it's not our fault and gently tuck us in. these books will do anything to keep us from truly looking into why we have chosen such a heartless game. I’ve come to realize "Break Shot Patterns" is not in that genre. Not at all. It has been my great pleasure to come to know Phil and familiarize myself with his work. His book is good. If we let it, it will better us.
Straight pool is confounding. It owns a wistful poetry and is the highest examination of the cue arts. It is a game no one truly masters. "Break Shot Patterns" is a rigorously researched brokerage of ideas from the highest reaches about one of the most important and least understood aspects of the game, the waterloo, the shoal upon which many smartly appointed vessels have foundered; the last four balls of the rack. In those four balls is found the solution to the puzzle and the path to nirvana. The great players know this. They visit the perfect world, bring something back and disappear as music. Capelle has collected and curated these artifacts for us. He allows us access into the minds of champions, badass, brilliant players who, for scant reward, routinely, almost casually, approach philosophy's highest realms.
From AZ Billiards – by cue4fun
Next to Ray Martin's "99 Critical Shots in Pool", this new book by Phil Capelle on how to play the last few balls to fall on the break shot in the game of straight pool is now my favorite self-help book on pool. I say this for several reasons.
(1) Firstly, the spiral-bound format makes practicing with the book very convenient and avoids the cumbersome task of trying to practice with a book that won't stay "open."
(2) The diagrams are easy on the eyes with a very readable font size and the location of each ball in the book diagrams make it simple to duplicate a similar layout on my playing table.
(3) Each subsequent shot diagram clearly shows how the last few balls are played from "ball-to-ball." The written descriptions are described in just the right amount of detail, but the diagrams are so good that I find I can practice by merely examining each diagram layout without even reading the text which is also helpful.
(4) This book really unlocks the secret of how to "read the table" and string racks together by teaching the importance of saving at least one or more "key-balls to the break ball." For example, after awhile of practicing the first 30+ patterns for "side of the rack break balls", one begins to observe the "same-arrangement" of key-balls that keep coming up over and over and over again. Of course, the layout of the "key-balls" are never exactly the same, but they almost always emulate each other and look the same with those 2 balls next to the racking area. Merely understanding the idea of playing the balls of a frame down to these 2 or 3 remaining balls can get you into the next rack.
(5) An unanticipated benefit of this book is that it is revealing numerous shots that I thought were easy,...but aren't. For example, using inside english with just the right amount of speed to make 2 rail patterns to the break ball, long straight-in shots, learning speed control, the finesse of simple short "stop shots" that stop the cue-ball abruptly without movement even a hair to the left or right, etc, etc. Like they say ...."straight pool is a game of inches." Just a hair off can change the angle and kill a pattern.
(6) I like the "alternative patterns." Frequently, these alternative patterns turn out to be a higher playing percentage for me.
(7) The DVD is incredible. Those last 4 or 5 balls are the most important balls in straight pool. These patterns come from over 100+ videos. The DVD alone is an incredible tool.
(8) Finally, the cost of this book plus the DVD can't be beat. I would have easily paid over $100 for the bargain price that this set costs.
(9) And lastly, the results. I ran a high run for myself of 56 balls and had a break shot to get into 60 but dogged an easy break-shot because I knew I was in unchartered waters. But the real difference now is that I "understand" much better what I'm doing. I now have a
road-map to those last 2 or 3 balls that I save for last. I'm playing each frame with a lot more control and less travel. I'm now getting to the next break shot. I don't always make the break shot or get another shot after I open the rack, ...but I'm running the racks with much less movement of the cue ball and now I can see "where I'm going" and which balls I'm trying to fall on to get into the next rack.
I'm having a lot of fun with this book!!
Fran Crimi – Master Instructor - PBIA
I'm working my way through Phil's book and DVD as well, and I think it's the greatest thing! In addition to analyzing the patterns, there's a gold mine in watching the pros play. Phil recognizes that as he points out particular things to watch as you observe that pro playing. It's truly great stuff and you don't even have to be a 14.1 player to appreciate it.
AND …
Check out Phil Capelle's latest book on 14.1. He has page after page of diagrams of the end of racks that players were faced with in competition; and there's an accompanying DVD that shows the players shooting those actual shots. It's really a great idea and a really helpful tool.
I think that if a player wants to learn how to set up for a break shot in 14.1, then there is nothing more valuable than watching the best players in the world do it. Phil even describes what each player does in the book with each diagram. Then you refer to the DVD to see the player shoot the shots. It may seem like nothing special to some, but I think it's brilliant. When you do something really well, it looks easy. Players can actually set up the shots and practice them. I learned some important things I can improve in my own end game by reading the book and watching the DVD.
Jonathan Smith – House Pro at Society Billiards
Out of a sea of instructional books, Phil Capelle’s Break Shot Patterns offers a unique perspective. Many books gloss over the whole of billiards, touching briefly on many aspects of the game, while BSP offers a masters degree in Patterns.
For me, the magic of billiards has always been the blending of Science and Art. Clearly there is math and physics on the pool table. All great players have mastered that science. But it is the creative side that eludes us the most. BSP has given us a unique view into the greatest minds in billiards.
After going through the whole book, I have learned to see options in my own game and I am quite sure you will too.
Mike Massey's World of Trick Shots
Tom Shaw– Pool & Billiard
Mike Massey wants to make you Mike Massey. Not make you into a tall, good looking world traveler with a super stroke, but into someone who can entertain their friends (and maybe the public) with an array of tricks shots that will leave them gasping and smiling (though I hope not at the same times; that’s not a pretty sight).
There are almost two hundred shots diagrammed in the book (a quarter of them are Massey’s inventions), and each has an explanation, graphics, and ratings for set-up difficulty, execution difficulty, success probability, cue elevation angle if appropriate, stroke speed, and where you should strike the cue ball. Massey exposes – and explains – every secret of his wildly successful trick shot shows. The only thing left for you to do is practice.
Some of the shots are legal in play, and most will teach you something about the game. Massey also explains throw, transfer of spin, effects of the cloth, the effects of speed, arcing, and other forces that come into play.
But what’s a shot without a line of patter? Massey provides a checklist for creating a good trick shot show, goes into detail on critical elements, talks about the length of the show, and gives examples of funny lines and other conversation with the audience.
The book also provides anecdotes from Mike’s travels, a poolography of his career, lists of shots for shows, lists of shots used in Artistic Pool competitions – and there’s even a section on Massey’s famous “finger pool.”
The thoroughness of the book reveals the hand of Capelle, whose previous books wring every bit of important information out of a subject and give such high value for the dollar.
If you’ve ever hankered to try a trick shot for your own amusement, if you want to become a professional trick shot entertainer – or belong anywhere in between, I couldn’t recommend a book more highly than this one.
Mark Whiteside – Inside Pool
The public has had a fascination with trick shot exhibitions since the early 1800’s when French prisoner Captain Minguad first applied a leather cue tip to a wooden shaft and astounded Europe with “english” and backspin. During the “Roaring Twenties” Ralph Greenleaf earned $2,000 a week giving trick shot displays on vaudeville stages. Huge mirrors over the playing surface allowed spectators to marvel at his cue wizardry. Today trick shots still fascinate players and non-players alike. The current master of the genre is without question Mike “Tennessee Tarzan” Massey.
Mike Massey’s World is a collaboration between Massey, who is full of funny stories and anecdotes of his life in pool and Phil Capelle, whose body of instructional works published in the past decade is unrivaled. They have produced an entertaining book that is fun to read. The book contains over 180 shot diagrams. Accompanying each diagram is easy to read visual aids indicating where to hit the cue ball, how hard to hit it and at what angle your cue needs to be stroked. The table diagrams are very accurate. Precise ball arrangements with all pertinent tangent lines and combination lines are marked to show compensation for contact induced throw. Ball paths to pockets are also marked and are important due to the complexity of some shots.
Each shot contains a description of how it unfolds. Many have funny stories as to their origin or Mike’s choice of the name. Each chapter starts with a caricature by Dave Burton, a top cartoonist. All of the shots in a chapter have something in common. For instance they are all masse shots or prop shots. Capelle broke down the information and rearranged it in numerous lists that reflect certain aspects such as the difficulty of each shot.
One of my favorite chapters is Mike Massey’s “Poolography.” He tells numerous stories of his globe-hopping adventures as a professional trick shot artist and entertainer. Some of the situations that he describes are once in a lifetime experiences. He limited his discussion of his early pool hustling days, preferring to focus on his years as an entertainer.
Massey’s World is much more than a collection of shot diagrams and stale jokes??? (amusing tales). Massey’s goal is to give something back to the sport that he loves. He lays himself bare, exposing his secrets so that a new generation of Mike Massey’s might keep alive the shots he has refined through decades of practice. Massey and Capelle teach prospective artists more shots than they can hope to master, but they don’t just leave them wondering how to give a cohesive, entertaining presentation. They put together three potential trick shot programs. The first two are for beginners and advanced players. A third is worthy of a professional entertainer. They suggest shots, give ideas for entertaining presentations and even give suggestions of punch lines to use when the shot doesn’t work exactly right. Have a heckler giving you a hard time? They tell you how you might handle it tactfully.
If the idea of executing beautiful masse shots, sinking six balls with one shot or astounding friends and acquaintances with your pool skills appeals to you; if you enjoy reading interesting stories about pool around the world; if you want to improve your pool game by improving the quality and quantity of your stroke, then get this book.
Mike Massey wants to make you Mike Massey. Not make you into a tall, good looking world traveler with a super stroke, but into someone who can entertain their friends (and maybe the public) with an array of tricks shots that will leave them gasping and smiling (though I hope not at the same times; that’s not a pretty sight).
There are almost two hundred shots diagrammed in the book (a quarter of them are Massey’s inventions), and each has an explanation, graphics, and ratings for set-up difficulty, execution difficulty, success probability, cue elevation angle if appropriate, stroke speed, and where you should strike the cue ball. Massey exposes – and explains – every secret of his wildly successful trick shot shows. The only thing left for you to do is practice.
Some of the shots are legal in play, and most will teach you something about the game. Massey also explains throw, transfer of spin, effects of the cloth, the effects of speed, arcing, and other forces that come into play.
But what’s a shot without a line of patter? Massey provides a checklist for creating a good trick shot show, goes into detail on critical elements, talks about the length of the show, and gives examples of funny lines and other conversation with the audience.
The book also provides anecdotes from Mike’s travels, a poolography of his career, lists of shots for shows, lists of shots used in Artistic Pool competitions – and there’s even a section on Massey’s famous “finger pool.”
The thoroughness of the book reveals the hand of Capelle, whose previous books wring every bit of important information out of a subject and give such high value for the dollar.
If you’ve ever hankered to try a trick shot for your own amusement, if you want to become a professional trick shot entertainer – or belong anywhere in between, I couldn’t recommend a book more highly than this one.
Mark Whiteside – Inside Pool
The public has had a fascination with trick shot exhibitions since the early 1800’s when French prisoner Captain Minguad first applied a leather cue tip to a wooden shaft and astounded Europe with “english” and backspin. During the “Roaring Twenties” Ralph Greenleaf earned $2,000 a week giving trick shot displays on vaudeville stages. Huge mirrors over the playing surface allowed spectators to marvel at his cue wizardry. Today trick shots still fascinate players and non-players alike. The current master of the genre is without question Mike “Tennessee Tarzan” Massey.
Mike Massey’s World is a collaboration between Massey, who is full of funny stories and anecdotes of his life in pool and Phil Capelle, whose body of instructional works published in the past decade is unrivaled. They have produced an entertaining book that is fun to read. The book contains over 180 shot diagrams. Accompanying each diagram is easy to read visual aids indicating where to hit the cue ball, how hard to hit it and at what angle your cue needs to be stroked. The table diagrams are very accurate. Precise ball arrangements with all pertinent tangent lines and combination lines are marked to show compensation for contact induced throw. Ball paths to pockets are also marked and are important due to the complexity of some shots.
Each shot contains a description of how it unfolds. Many have funny stories as to their origin or Mike’s choice of the name. Each chapter starts with a caricature by Dave Burton, a top cartoonist. All of the shots in a chapter have something in common. For instance they are all masse shots or prop shots. Capelle broke down the information and rearranged it in numerous lists that reflect certain aspects such as the difficulty of each shot.
One of my favorite chapters is Mike Massey’s “Poolography.” He tells numerous stories of his globe-hopping adventures as a professional trick shot artist and entertainer. Some of the situations that he describes are once in a lifetime experiences. He limited his discussion of his early pool hustling days, preferring to focus on his years as an entertainer.
Massey’s World is much more than a collection of shot diagrams and stale jokes??? (amusing tales). Massey’s goal is to give something back to the sport that he loves. He lays himself bare, exposing his secrets so that a new generation of Mike Massey’s might keep alive the shots he has refined through decades of practice. Massey and Capelle teach prospective artists more shots than they can hope to master, but they don’t just leave them wondering how to give a cohesive, entertaining presentation. They put together three potential trick shot programs. The first two are for beginners and advanced players. A third is worthy of a professional entertainer. They suggest shots, give ideas for entertaining presentations and even give suggestions of punch lines to use when the shot doesn’t work exactly right. Have a heckler giving you a hard time? They tell you how you might handle it tactfully.
If the idea of executing beautiful masse shots, sinking six balls with one shot or astounding friends and acquaintances with your pool skills appeals to you; if you enjoy reading interesting stories about pool around the world; if you want to improve your pool game by improving the quality and quantity of your stroke, then get this book.