Play Your Best Pool [Paperback]

Philip B. Capelle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995

Phil Capelle's Play Your Best Pool is by far the most comprehensive book ever published on playing pool. The book's 442 pages reveal hundreds of secrets and strategies that can help improve your game regardless of whether you are new to the game or are on the verge of going pro.

A complete course on the fundamentals includes over 40 photos that demonstrate the correct stance, bridge, grip and stroke. A series of checklists shows you how to practice and evaluate your game. The next two chapters cover everything you need to know about aiming and shotmaking. Ninety diagrams demonstrate gamewinning shots including banks, cuts, combinations, billiards and caroms.

The pros make pool look so easy because they've mastered the art of position play. Play Your Best Pool shows you how to use english and then provides you with over 130 diagrams on all facets of position play so you can also learn expert cue ball control. Phil Capelle's 21 Principles of Position Play alone are worth far more than the price of the book. Speed control, natural position, how to plan for three balls at a time and down the line position are just a few of the principles covered in this section.

Your success at 8-ball and 9-ball, America's two most popular pool games, largely depends on how much you know about the strategy of each game. In two big chapters you'll learn all about offensive and defensive strategies that can help you gain control of the table and keep your opponent in his chair. You'll find solid advice on kick shots, safeties, pattern play, break shots and much more. These two chapters alone contain over 170 illustrations.

Developing a topflight pool game requires that you spend many hours at the practice table. Play Your Best Pool provides you with over 20 diagrams of practice drills and many other useful suggestions for making your practice sessions as fun and productive as possible.

To round out your complete course in pool you'll find chapters on the mental game, competition and how to improve that will tell you how to think like a winner and compete successfully in tournaments, leagues and money games.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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. Highly recommended". -- George Fels - Billiards Digest Feb 1996

"If you can only buy one pool instruction book, get this one! This book is for beginner, intermediate and advanced players". -- The American Cueist 1999

"PLAY YOUR BEST POOL, by Phil Capelle is the most thorough book on playing pool ever published. This huge tome 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". -- Tom Shaw - Pool & Billiard Magazine Nov 1995

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. -- Ken Cormier - Billiard Beat Feb. 1999

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. -- Darwin's Billiard Emporium

Play Your Best Pool Tops All Previous 'How To' Books -- The National Billiard News 1996

From the Back Cover

"Play Your Best Pool by Phil Capelle is without doubt one of the best billiard books on the market. Is it a must for all billiard enthusiasts at any level of play." - Allison Fisher, Three-Time World 9-ball Champion

"Phil Capelle's knowledge of 8-Ball and 9-Ball strategy is particularly impressive." - Buddy Hall, Two-Time World 9-ball Champion

"Play Your Best Pool definitely has my vote. Never have I seen a more complete detailed and easy to read book on pool. I've looked for advice on my weak spots and found help." - Robin Dodson, Two-Time World Champion

"You can really profit from Phil's research. He has done his homework and come up with all A's." - Lou "Machine Gun" Butera, Member of the BCA Hall of Fame

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Billiards Pr (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964920409
• ISBN-13: 978-0964920408
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #793,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I became a golfer one summer day in 1960 when I was 12, and have been a big fan of the game ever since. I first remember seeing Jack Nicklaus play in person in 1963 at the Palm Springs Classic. I've watched the final round of all but three majors since 1960, and I own nearly every issue of Golf Digest and Golf Magazine dating back to mid 1962

I graduated from UC Berkeley in 1970 with a major in business and an unofficial minor in pocket billiards. I enjoyed a 15 year long career in finance during which I was the editor of a stock market newsletter, a stockbroker, a financial analyst, and a columnist for the Orange County Business Journal. My first book, Investing in Growth, was published in 1992. In 1995 I left the financial services industry and founded Billiards Press. I've since written eight instructional books on pool and a column for Pool & Billiard Magazine since May, 1996.

In 2001 Golf Digest conducted an essay contest on who is the greatest golfer, Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods. My entry planted the seeds for a number of projects on golf, and for my blog, capelleongolf.com. My first golf book, Tiger vs. Jack, has just been published. I look forward to writing about my two passions, golf and pool, in the years ahead.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All your past books in one..., July 5, 2002

By 

Rick Jennings (Lebanon, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play Your Best Pool (Paperback)

The only bad thing about this book is that my league handicap went up by two balls before I even finished reading it! I own over 20 books and 30 videos; it's like Cappelle has read them all and condensed the information into one easy to comprehend and understandable book. IT'S GREAT! Maybe not for a beginner, but I can't imagine a better book on the subject. He covers all the bases: basics, shots, stragety, position, banks, kicks, theory, mental, drills, practical shots and practice tips. There are many good books; but this is perhaps the best and most well rounded overall one book I've been fortunate to read. I have only four comments: 1. It really improved my game physically and mentally 2. If I could keep only one book, about pool, this would be it! 3. I wish I had written it. 4. THANKS, Phil Cappelle

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to get better, BUY THIS BOOK., June 17, 2002

By 

dropin'em - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play Your Best Pool (Paperback)

(NOTE: See my guide "So you'd like to get really good at pool" for more book recommendations http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/RXJ330779CJMS/ref=cm_sylt_byauthor_title_full_1)

I have been playing pool seriously for a long time (nearly ten years). I have read tons of books and watched many hours of videos. Play your best pool is the most comprehensive single instructional resource I have encountered. I bought it early in my career and it has helped my game tremdously ever since. This book is a classic along with Robert Byrnes Standard Book of Pool and Billiards. If you were to only buy one book I recommend Play Your Best Pool although Byrnes book is a masterpiece as well.

The lessons and tips are laid out in an easy to understand way and there are loads of diagrams to help you along the way. Everything is covered in this book. After reading you will have in depth knowledge of 1: Fundamentals (stance, alignment, grip proper bridging) 2: Stroking- 1 and 2 are the most important things in the game. Master them and everything else will follow.3: Proper aiming (what kind of cue ball/object ball contact causes balls to fall, a sample aiming method) 4: English (how to apply english, different kinds and mixtures of spin, the affects of enlish on your aim, cue ball and object ball) 5: Position play and pattern play (recurrent patterns, how to plan your racks and how to use position zones and position strategies maximize your percentages) 6: Safety play (various safeties as well as general safety theory and strategies) the method to measure safety zones is both extremely simple and highly useful. 7: The break shot (where to aim at the rack, how to generate power and where to position the cue ball) 8: Eight and nine ball specific strategies 9: Effective practice routines and drills 10: Competitive play

This book is essential for any pool player and would make an excellent gift for an aspiring player. The earlier in your career you are exposed to the knowledge contained here the better. It is ten times easier to learn good habits then to break bad ones. I belive a very high level of play can be achieved by practicing the skills and applying the knowledge contained in this book. If you are a casual/recreational player or a fairly serious player who only wants to gain alot of skill (rather than making the huge sacrifices of time and money it takes to truly master this game), then this is the only book you will ever need. The material is presented in a manner that is fun to read and accessible to most 8th graders and up. The game of pool will no longer intimidate but rather inspire. Take this book as your companion and have fun along your journey. In this game you never know what will happen next!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is THE book to have on pool!, June 30, 2000

By 

Mike Murad - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play Your Best Pool (Paperback)

This book is THE book to have if you really do want to play your best pool! It functions on many different levels. I first read it straight through, and picked up a ton of information. Like I realized that I was hold in the cue wrong! Can you believe it! I had my hand inside the line and could not swing my arm in a true pendulum motion. Mind you I have been playing for many years and have been known to run a rack or two of nine ball. I learned a bunch on actual principle of getting "shape". Stuff I thought I knew, or vaguely knew or had a concept of. But Mr. Capelle breaks it down to its most simple and clear forms. Now I know exactly how I want to come into a shape zone with the highest probability of success. Just those two pieces of information have changed the way I look at and play the game. The other really cool thing about the book is the massive, detailed table of contents with complete chapter breakdowns. This thing is a great reference tool. Say you want to know about English? Boom, chapter 4. You want to know about specific types of English, say Inside English? Boom chapter 4, page 91. Basic pattern play of eight ball, Chapter 6 page 206. Kick shots in 9ball, Chapter 7 page 317. Anything you need to know you can find in seconds. There are like 500 individual bits of information laid out just in the chapter index alone! If there was a PhD in billiards, this would be the textbook for the class. Don't believe me; just look who endorses the book, four world champions! Buy it, you'll get better.