Pool and Billiards For Dummies

387 Pages·2010·9.94 MB·English

by  Nicholas Leider

spine=.76”
Sports & Recreation/Pool and Billiards
Making Everything Easier!™
Practical, step-by-step tips
for players of all levels
Open the book and find:
P B i l l i a r d s
From snooker to carom to good, old-fashioned 8- or 9-ball, (cid:127) T he differences between pool and o P o o l &
Pool & Billiards For Dummies reveals the tips, tricks, and rules billiards
o
of play, covering the variety of the ever-popular games that
(cid:127) Game-winning strategies no
make up pool and billiards. This hands-on guide discusses matter what version of the game l
everything from the rules and strategies of the games to is played
&
how to set up your very own poolroom.
(cid:127) Helpful diagrams and photos

(cid:127) Gearing up — find, buy, and maintain the cue that’s best for B
(cid:127) Drills for all skills
you and accessorize your game with chalk, racks, lights, and
triangles (cid:127) Games to measure your progress i
l
(cid:127) Get schooled on the fundamentals of pool — find out how to (cid:127) The etiquette of pool l
build a solid stance; get a feel for aiming; and create a depend- i
a
able, consistent stroke (cid:127) Coverage of the Ghost Ball System
(cid:127) Control the cue ball — discover how to control the movement of (cid:127) T he secrets of creating a powerful r
the cue ball to make stop shots and incorporate topspin, back- break shot d
spin, and sidespin
(cid:127) T ips on finding the right cue for s
(cid:127) Take your best shot — follow instructions on tackling common you
shots, eyeing combinations, and playing offensively and
defensively
(cid:127) Oh, the games you’ll play — get the rules and strategies for play- Learn to:
ing 8-ball, 9-ball, multiplayer games, and professionals’ games
(cid:127) Play by the rules and develop game-
Go to Dummies.com
® winning strategies for the most popular
for videos, step-by-step photos, games
how-to articles, or to shop!
(cid:127) Hold the stick correctly and hit the cue
ball properly
(cid:127) P lay like a champion regardless of your
experience
$19.99 US / $23.99 CN / £14.99 UK
(cid:127) P erform trick shots to amaze your
Nicholas Leider is Managing Editor of Billiards Digest magazine, for which ISBN 978-0-470-56553-7 friends
he continues to write extensively on billiards play and game strategy.
Nicholas Leider
Leider Managing Editor, Billiards Digest
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Get More and Do More at Dummies.com
®
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Cheat Sheets include
(cid:127) Checklists
(cid:127) Charts
(cid:127) Common Instructions
(cid:127) And Other Good Stuff!
To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to
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Pool & Billiards
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Nicholas Leider
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Pool & Billiards For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010920660
ISBN: 978-0-470-56553-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Nicholas Leider has been playing pool since he bought his father a pool table
(with his mom’s money) for Father’s Day when he was 15 years old. But only
since joining Billiards Digest as an editor in 2007 has he realized how much
there is to learn about pool. With 7,000-plus hours spent reading, talking, and
writing about the sport, Nicholas is prepared to answer the two Trivial Pursuit
questions about pool. You can contact him at [email protected].
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my parents. To my dad, who provided me with
fi rst-hand proof that hard work pays off (even if I’m just making boxes). And
to my mom, who has no idea what her strength and determination has meant
to our entire family. (Well, I hope she has some idea now.)
Author’s Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank those people who learned that I’m only on deadline when
it’s the third deadline I’ve been given — acquisitions editor Michael Lewis;
project editor Kelly Ewing; art director Alicia South; photographer Brien
Richmond; and last but not least, technical editor, “Dr. Dave” Alciatore.
Thanks also to John Novi, Jr. for allowing us into his home for the photo
shoot. And fi nally, many thanks go to my agent, Marilyn Allen, who has been
nothing but supportive.
And a special thanks to those who have taught me so much about this game,
especially Larry Schwartz, George Fels, Mike Panozzo, and the rest of the
crew at Billiards Digest.
Also, I’d like to thank my brother and sister for the constant support (and
comic relief), my special ladyfriend, Jenny, for putting up with plenty of
nights where I was a little less than sunny, and my friends for allowing me to
drop out of society for a few months.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com.
For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974,
outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Composition Services
Development
Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond
Project Editor: Kelly Ewing
Layout and Graphics: Ashley Chamberlain,
Acquisitions Editor: Michael Lewis Carl Byers, Ronald G. Terry,
Christine Williams
Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney
Proofreaders: Laura L. Bowman,
Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen
John Greenough
General Reviewer: Dave Alciatore
Indexer: Glassman Indexing Services
Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich
Editorial Supervisor and Reprint Editor:
Carmen Krikorian
Editorial Assistant: Jennette ElNaggar
Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South
Photographer: Brien Richmond
Cover Photos: © iStock
Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Part I: Fundamentals of Pool ........................................ 7
Chapter 1: Arriving at the Pool Party ..............................................................................9
Chapter 2: Getting Down: Building a Solid Stance .......................................................17
Chapter 3: Handling the Cue...........................................................................................27
Chapter 4: On Target: The Science and Feel of Aiming ...............................................45
Chapter 5: Hit It: Creating a Solid Stroke ......................................................................57
Chapter 6: Playing Nice: The Etiquette of the Game ...................................................69
Part II: Controlling the Cue Ball ................................. 77
Chapter 7: Getting Control and Stopping the Cue Ball ...............................................79
Chapter 8: Aim High: Incorporating Follow ..................................................................93
Chapter 9: Using Draw: Putting Backspin on the Cue Ball .......................................105
Chapter 10: The English Effect: Using Sidespin on the Cue Ball ..............................117
Part III: Taking Your Shots ....................................... 133
Chapter 11: Opening Shots: The Rack and the Break................................................135
Chapter 12: Thinking Ahead: Position and Pattern Play ...........................................155
Chapter 13: Shot-making: Tackling the Most Frequent Situations ..........................169
Chapter 14: Eying Combinations: Making Shots with Multiple Balls.......................183
Chapter 15: Billiards and Caroms: Finding New Ways to Pocket Balls ...................199
Chapter 16: Banks and Kicks: Making the Most of the Rails ....................................217
Chapter 17: Thinking Defensively: Playing Safe .........................................................235
Part IV: The Games You’ll Play ................................. 245
Chapter 18: The Magic of 8-Ball ...................................................................................247
Chapter 19: 9-Ball: The Hustler’s Game.......................................................................267
Chapter 20: Pool’s Many Other Games .......................................................................283
Part V: Gearing Up .................................................. 301
Chapter 21: Equipment Check: Looking for Quality Tools .......................................303
Chapter 22: Pool Is Mental: Winning the Head Games ..............................................315
Chapter 23: Drilling It Home: Practice Techniques ...................................................325
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Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 337
Chapter 24: Mastering Ten Trick Shots ......................................................................339
Chapter 25: Overcoming Ten or So Common Problems ...........................................349
Index ...................................................................... 355
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Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................. 1
About This Book ..............................................................................................1
Conventions Used in This Book .....................................................................2
What You’re Not to Read ................................................................................2
Making Assumptions .......................................................................................3
How This Book Is Organized ..........................................................................3
Part I: Fundamentals of Pool ................................................................3
Part II: Controlling the Cue Ball ............................................................3
Part III: Taking Your Shots ....................................................................4
Part IV: The Games You’ll Play .............................................................4
Part V: Gearing Up .................................................................................4
Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................................................4
Icons Used in This Book .................................................................................5
Where to Go from Here ...................................................................................5
Part I: Fundamentals of Pool ......................................... 7
Chapter 1: Arriving at the Pool Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Introducing Games You Can Play ..................................................................9
Getting in Position .........................................................................................10
Aiming for Success ........................................................................................11
Stroking the Cue ............................................................................................11
Controlling the Cue Ball ................................................................................12
Seeing Shots ...................................................................................................13
Playing for Your Next Shot ...........................................................................14
Playing Defense ..............................................................................................14
Gearing Up ......................................................................................................15
Playing Nicely .................................................................................................16
Chapter 2: Getting Down: Building a Solid Stance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Keeping Your Preshot Routine Consistent .................................................17
Approaching and stepping into the shot ..........................................18
Lowering into your stance ..................................................................20
Keeping your eyes in line ....................................................................22
Eying a Shot ....................................................................................................24
Checking and rechecking your line ...................................................24
Final focus? The object ball ................................................................26
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Pool & Billiards For Dummies
Chapter 3: Handling the Cue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Holding Back: The Grip Hand .......................................................................27
Forming a ring with two fi ngers and a thumb ..................................28
(Still) no clenching ...............................................................................30
Building Bridges .............................................................................................31
Spread or palm down?.........................................................................32
Closing the bridge ................................................................................35
Bridge adjustments for special cases ................................................38
Grasping mechanical bridges .............................................................41
Chapter 4: On Target: The Science and Feel of Aiming. . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Staying Centered: The Line of Centers .......................................................45
Ready, Aim, Shoot: The Contact and Aiming Points .................................47
Did You See That? The Ghost Ball System .................................................49
With a Little Geometry: Aiming with Parallel Lines ..................................51
From Thin to Full: Aiming with the Fractional Ball System ......................53
Chapter 5: Hit It: Creating a Solid Stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Practice Time: Warming Up .........................................................................58
Getting Comfortable: Rhythm and Routine ................................................59
Finding your rhythm ............................................................................59
Making it routine ..................................................................................60
Starting the Stroke with the Backswing ......................................................60
Staying still ...........................................................................................61
Keeping the cue level ..........................................................................62
Making Contact: Swinging through the Ball ...............................................62
Accelerating into the ball ....................................................................63
Keeping control ....................................................................................63
Hitting the cue ball ..............................................................................64
Grand Finale: Following Through ................................................................65
Holding the elbow in place .................................................................66
Staying down ........................................................................................68
Chapter 6: Playing Nice: The Etiquette of the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Competing Graciously ...................................................................................70
Set the record straight ........................................................................70
Ask when you don’t know ...................................................................70
Get extra eyes for close calls ..............................................................71
Other little things . . . ...........................................................................72
Sharking ..........................................................................................................73
Respecting the Tools .....................................................................................74
Part II: Controlling the Cue Ball .................................. 77
Chapter 7: Getting Control and Stopping the Cue Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Going Out from Center ..................................................................................80
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