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Books for Self-Teaching Billiards

12/14/2010 4:30:54 PM

Books for Self-Teaching Billiards

I am 20 years old and I have been playing pool for about 10 years now, but I have never really tried to learn how to play pool properly.

I know most of the rules of the game and am I actually pretty decent at playing pool. But I am looking to step my pool game up to a professional level. I know its going to take some time, but I plan to make this my hobby so I have a lot of time to devote.

I was wondering if anyone knows any billiard books that I could buy that could help teach me the finer points of how to play billiards?

Books for Self-Teaching Billiards

Replies & Comments
  1. billyards2121gibson on 12/14/2010 9:27:03 PM

    Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards is one of the best. Ray Martin's 99 Critical Shots is also another good one.

    I think it is important to learn how to play every game. Snooker and billiards are difficult if you don't have access to good tables for those games. I think learning the principles for each game is essential to becoming a well rounded and versatile pool player.

  2. billyards2121billyards2121 on 12/16/2010 11:47:55 AM

    Thanks for the suggestions on those billiards books.

  3. billyards2121Fenwick on 12/17/2010 4:16:15 PM

    Not a book but a great billiard instruction DVD is How To Play Pool Right with Jerry Briesath.

  4. billyards2121PoolGod on 3/20/2013 7:38:26 AM

    I don't know any books off-hand, but concentrate on controlling the cue ball using english and speed control. This is all the advice you need. Cue ball control is the key to everything. Once you get control of the cue ball, then move on to work on defensive shots.

  5. billyards2121allanpsand on 4/11/2013 11:27:39 AM

    I've written several books that might help various aspects of your game.

    If I had to detail the most critical pool playing skill, I would say that they are:

    1. Developing very precise speed control such as learning how to get the cue ball to stop rolling at a designated distance;
    2. Learning cue ball spin; Being able to put the cue tip exactly where it should contact the cue ball to get repeatable cue ball action after contact with the object and off the rail.

    Set up drills to shoot the object ball and lay the cue ball onto a post-it pad anyplace on the table. Start with every easy and graduate to more and more difficult as you get better.

  6. billyards2121Double N Glenn on 6/11/2013 7:08:22 PM

    Do some research on the "30 degree rule" and the "90 degree rule". These will help you to know where your cue ball is going. You can find a lot of YouTube instruction on these topics. Good luck and play well.

  7. billyards2121Zeke on 6/12/2013 6:55:24 PM

    The last three posts were in response to a thread from 3 years ago.

  8. billyards2121allanpsand on 6/13/2013 6:16:46 AM

    Thanks @Zeke, but also keep in mind that these posts and responses are for posterity's sake.

    New and otherwise innocent pool players will continuously discover the Billiards Forum and dive into these posts and responses. We must provide our words of wisdom to inform current readers, but also consider that we will be guiding these new lovers of the Green Game down the years and decades and centuries to come.

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Books for Self-Teaching Billiards

  • Title: Books for Self-Teaching Billiards
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  • Published: 12/14/2010 4:30:54 PM