Customer Reviews

The Basics of Billiards

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This DVD talks about the names of the pool table and rules for 8-ball and 9-ball. Its is very basic, with nothing about how to make a hand grip, stroke, english, bank shoots, and not even some pointers on aiming. Seems like this could be presented in 15 min followed by 45 min of SOMETHING, but there is no meat in there.

Well produced. Well shot. Well "acted". Very scant on teaching. I had to rewind to make sure I did not somewhat skip the explanation on how or where to aim. No more than 1 sentence is given to the subject. Only useful if you want to learn -in a hurried manner- the name of the elements, and (some of) the rules of 8 and 9 ball. A good DVD pool primer is still missing.

I agree with everything in the "Too Kind" review. The contents of this DVD could easily fit into a couple of chapters of a basic billiards book. If you are just starting out, and I mean JUST starting out, this DVD has about $5 worth of good information.

This video will teach you things like a pool table has 6 pockets / holes, the white ball is called the cue ball and you use this to hit the other balls, and the basic rules of 8 and 9 ball (which you can find on the internet for free). If you read this review, I just saved you $20.

This video is exactly what I was looking for. I have never played pool before and I was looking to learn the basics of the game, not wanting to do so at my local pool hall and embarrass myself in the process. This video is exactly what it states, a great introduction to the basics of the sport, teaching basic techniques, like how to hold the cue properly, how to break, how to strike a ball, how to control where the ball you hit goes, and other simple but important things that are often overlooked in other pool tutorials, like tools used in the game, what their proper names are, what they do, and why. The DVD also teaches you step by step instructions of how to play both 8 and 9 ball, not only does it go through each rule and practice of play, but also shows you through the use of watching two average pool players in a "reality" game, how and why they execute their next move. I found this section most helpful and unique, because it incorporates everything it just taught you into a real game you get to watch that is slowed down. The players in the video are also not experts, which is great because most how to videos are taught by someone of a superior skill level, here you learn along with the players on camera. This is like a "for dummies" video, and I highly recommend it for novices. I don't get the other review I read here about it being "too basic" the video is called "the basics" so I'm not sure what that person was expecting.

This was a total waste of money . It was like watching soft porn !!!

I knew NOTHING about playing pool before picking up this dvd. I always love the sport of billiards, watching it on ESPN on those lazy Sunday morning/afternoons. So when I thought it would just be easy to pick up a cue and start playing, I quickly found out that wasn't the case. I couldn't hit the ball to save my life. I couldn't make in a pocket shot. I could barely hit a ball straight without making it angle away. I felt like maybe I would just stick to Yahoo Pool and leave the real thing to everyone else, but then I came along this DVD at my local sports shop and decided to pick it up and see if it could help. WOW! It gives you the right knowledge to pick this sport up in no time, it doesn't make you feel dumb or talk to you as if you are a child, but just plainly explains the ins and outs of billards in the most simples way. If you ever wanted to play billards like a pro, pick this up IMMEDIATELY!

No one can start to learn to play billiards to looking this video...
Waste of money.

This dvd was great, exactly what I was looking for. I had purchased a few other how to play pool dvd's and was disappointed because they all teach you how to play pool better. Not this one, this DVD teaches you what it states, the basics. I had never played pool before in my life, and wanted to learn just the basics of the sport as I wanted to be able to go to my local pool hall, socialize, play, meet new people but most importantly, not make a fool out of myself. I wanted a quick fix education on what things are called, what they are used for, the rules of the game (I had no idea there were even several different games with separate rules before this dvd) and this video does exactly that, helps out someone who wants to pick this up as a new activity. I am honestly surprised at some of the other reviews here but I highly suspect they are from people who thought they were buying one of those other how to DVD's that makes a good pool player better. All I have to say is read the box! It says exactly what you get and it delivers! It's exactly geared towards what someone like me needed I can say that, so if you want to learn a quick all around look at the sport of pool and you want to do so in an entertaining way I might add (some how to dvds are so boring, this one is shot like an action movie!) then pick this video up. If you already know how to play pool well and don't need an education on the basics, and if you cannot take the time to read whats on the box, don't buy this and come back and give it a bad review because it almost made someone like me, who ended up loving it, pass it by...thank god i didn't.