Billiards As It Should Be Played

Rating:
Summary: A comprehensive discussion of 3 cushion and carom billiards
Review: Of the dozens of books and videos I have read and viewed, there is no better discussion on the mathematics and subsequent use of the diamonds. Very few authors even touch on this subject. Mr. Hoppe also explains in detail the use of caroms, english and how to determine the path of cue and object balls after they make contact with each other. All guess work is removed because Mr. Hoppe uses scientific principles in his discussion of this grand old game.

On another note, I found this book in a small bookstore in a small town fifteen or more years ago. I lost this book ten years ago and have not been able to find it anywhere. I now know that it is out of print.

Rating:
Summary: A classic by one of the greatest billiard players ever.
Review: Willie Hoppe provides you with everything needed by dedicated person to become competitive in 3-cushion billiards play. He begins his book with the proper selection of a cue stick for playing billiards, then for thirty pages of text, detailed diagrams, and clear photographs, takes you through the fundamentals (stance, balance point of the cue, bridge, cueing the ball, stroke, english, and speed). The next twenty pages introduce you to the carom (natural, follow, and draw) and the use of the rails in cushion caroms and straight rail billiards.The second half of the book is dedicated to the game of 3-cushion billiards. In it Mr. Hoppe outlines the key shots of the game, misunderstood shots, and finally the science of the game. He discusses why english curves the path of the ball, the effect of the nap of the cloth on the table, the effective size of the target, long and short rolls, and the various diamond systems. His explanation of these systems alone is worth the price of the book. It is complete, detailed, and, most important, clear. In all, this book is exceptionally dense with information. Even after twenty years of use, each time I come back to this book, I gain a greater understanding of the game. It combines clarity of description with 95 well though out diagrams and thirty-seven black and white photographs. All in all, it is one of the best explanations of the royal game to ever have been published. Players of all levels of experience and skill will find something of value, and most will find enough to keep them learning and improving their game for many years. If you have the dedication of purpose to work your way through his approach to learning billiards, you too can become a Player (with a capital "P") using this book alone. As Willie Hoppe says in his forward to this book "You or anyone else who reads these instructions can become a good billiard player beyond the shadow of a doubt -- if you follow them." I agree, and I think you will too.