For the instructional benefit and viewing pleasure of all of Quail Creek’s resident pool players whether Billiards Club members or not, I’ve gathered a huge collection of more than 200 viewing hours of exceptional men and women professional players. Whether beginners, intermediate, or advanced, these DVDs are guaranteed to radically improve your playing as well as your appreciation of our truly weatherproof sport – one that can be enjoyed during both day and evening hours year-round.

The first two mentioned on this list of 10 newly-acquired DVDs are strictly for the fascination and amusement they provide, (the two volumes of “Pool’s Greatest Shots and Bloopers”). These show 100s of remarkable moments of match-winning creative shots, and many zany happenings at the pool table, culled from years of on-site recording of major professional events by a billiards products company.

For any resident’s immediate *free* 72-hour loan of any of the 10 new DVDs listed, call Dick Sussman ~ QC Billiards Club 2006 founder ~ 393-8600.

  1. “Pool’s Greatest Shots and Bloopers” Vol 1 – 90 minutes
  1.  “Pool’s Greatest Shots and Bloopers” Vol 2 – 60 minutes
  1. The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards

1 hour and 12 minutes of illustrations, examples, tips, and demonstrations. Over 100 video demonstrations and super-slow-motion video clips.

The DVD contains narrated video demonstrations of various pool and billiards techniques and principles including super-slow-motion video clips filmed with a special high-frame-rate video camera.

This DVD helps you learn everything from the fundamentals (stance, stroke, aiming methods, etc.) to advanced techniques (use of english, strategy, carom shots, jump and masse shots, etc.) It’s appropriate for all levels of player from beginner to pro. DVD by David G. Alciatore, PhD (“Dr. Dave”).

  1. Both of the below hours are combined on a single DVD, perfect for all levels of skill

“How to Play Pool Right” One-hour instructional video for beginning and intermediate pool players. Jerry Breisath, BCA Master Instructor, teaches the fundamentals of stance, grip, bridge, and stroke. Then, advanced techniques of English, position play and patterns.

“Power Pool Workout” Robert Bryne demonstrates practice drills and training secrets for intermediate and advanced players. Game improvement techniques to perfect your stroke, shot making, position play, bank shots, cut shots, and speed control. Fifty minutes. (Free diagrams for all 30 practice drills will be emailed to any requester – call 393-8600.)

  1. Professional women pool players “CAROLINA CLASSIC” (3 matches – 3 hours, all on one DVD)

Nine-ball tournament play with two semi-final matches and the final.

Features play by Allison Fisher, Ga Young Kim (Korea), Vivian Villareal, Xiaoting Pan (China). Excellent shotmaking, safeties, position play, and strategy.

  1. “The Hustler” – 1961 movie – 2 hours, 15 minutes.

“Fast” Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary “Minnesota Fats” (Jackie Gleason) to a high-stakes Straight Pool match, but he loses in a heartbreaking 40-hour marathon. During the marathon, Felson hits both highs and lows: part way through the match he’s up $18,000 but doesn’t know when to quit. He drinks too much and loses everything, including his confidence in his game.
Now broke and without his long-time manager, Felson faces an uphill battle to regain his confidence and his game. It isn’t until he hits rock bottom that he agrees to join up with ruthless and cutthroat manager Bert Gordon. Gordon agrees to take him on the road to learn the ropes.
Slowly, he regroups and with the help of his girlfriend, Sarah Packard, builds up his self-esteem. Ignoring Sarah’s advice however, his driving ambition once again takes over leading to tragedy in his personal life and a re-match with Minnesota Fats. Felson soon realizes that making it to the top could cost him his soul, and perhaps the woman who loves him just for himself.

Willie Mosconi briefly appears twice as the stakes holder, and was the technical adviser for the film. Jackie Gleason routinely ran 3 or 4 racks of Straight Pool in his leisure hours and was the best pool playing actor ever. Though not in this film, Fred Astaire, Paul Sorvino, and Jerry Orbach were also excellent players, not quite at the level of Gleason.

  1. STRAIGHT POOL – “THE MAINE EVENT” – professional tournament

Fans of Straight Pool master, Jim “King James” Rempe, and Efren Reyes (voted the best all-around player in modern pool history) are in for a treat with this DVD I derived from my collection of best VHS pool tournament videos.

Grady Matthews produced, and also played in, this Portland, Maine 1995 double-elimination event, and this top-level 2-hour match is one of the most absorbing, informative, and suspenseful (as to the outcome) of that event.

Grady (4-times world One-Pocket champion) and Danny Diliberto (another tournament entry) are by far, the two most experienced-based and quick-thinking 14.1 commentators ever to be recorded. I’ve known Danny for 43 years and Grady for 19 years. After my drive over to Maine from my then-Vermont home to spectate for 7 days, Grady arranged a terrific “ringside” seat for me for every major matchup that was to be videotaped. (That’s me in the bright, schoolbus-yellow shirt above the letter “S” on the blue Brunswick promotional banner. I always wore that easy-to-spot shirt to any videotaped matches for fond memories when re-viewing the taped or televised events.)

Although tuxedo-less, this is top-level professional Straight Pool tournament action. As you’ll hear, it’s Filipino player, Efren’s first-ever attempt at Straight Pool tournament play, and you’ll be astonished at how quickly he takes to the game’s strategies, and by his peerless cue ball control, sheer improvisation, and creative rack solutions — making moves never seen before in pro 14.1 play. And you’ll never see a better rhythm and smooth pace than he shows within his long run — very remarkable, being so new to 14.1.

You’ll start thinking that Rempe has no chance — then you’ll be enjoyably surprised to see the match isn’t *near* being over.

This match is so good, and the commentary is so instructive and enlightening in Grady and Danny’s discussions about patterns, strategy, and cue ball control, that I’ve made available 2 copies of it so several borrowers can benefit at the same time. — Dick Sussman ~ 393-8600

  1. Both instructional videos below are combined on a single DVD. These 2 Rempe videos are among the most informative Straight Pool ones you’ll ever view:

How to Run a Rack in Straight Pool
Jim Rempe is without a doubt one of the greatest straight pool players ever to play the game, with numerous exhibition runs over 300. Here he demonstrates the correct way to play a variety of break shots and the best way to run a rack. As he shoots he points out the problems and how to avoid them. He explains the importance of key balls and acknowledges situations that arise time after time. (60 min.)

How to Run a Hundred Balls
Here Jim demonstrates how to pocket ball after ball till you get to a hundred. Then he and Pat Fleming review the run “in the booth” as Jim describes his decisions, his patterns, and the apparent problems and how to avoid them. Jim also shares his secrets on position play and how to break up clusters. (45 min.)

  1. Both instructional videos below are combined on a single DVD:

THE FINER POINTS OF BANKING AND SAFETY PLAY
Grady Matthews, 4-time World One-Pocket champion expertly explains his banking methods that give you an edge in any of the four popular pool disciplines. He also provides unique 9-ball safeties that you will see nowhere else and most of them apply equally in 8-ball. 56 minutes.

STROKING AND ADVANCED CUEING TECHNIQUES
A long lesson with “The Preacher” Don Feeney, a top Midwest longtime pool champion (and renowned tournament referee) who has an unparalleled knowledge of the physics behind the cue ball’s behavior with ways to predict and duplicate it on your own.

As with Grady above, you’ll acquire knowledge and insights that you won’t hear about elsewhere, and very well could not learn even through years of trial and error. 55 minutes.

  1. Both instructional videos below are combined on a single DVD:

THE CREATIVE EDGE
This video is designed for the player who already knows the basics of pool, yet wants to gain “The Creative edge.” Pat Fleming, the owner of Accu-Stats, a superb amateur player who runs 100s in 14.1 and “6 packs” of 9-ball routinely, shares his creative strategies, decisions, and techniques in regard to 9-ball position play and safeties. Also unique ways of playing various shots in that game as well as in Straight Pool. 30 minutes

GEORGE FELS TIPS ON READING THE TABLE IN 14.1
George is *the* best writer of billiards articles as well as authoring billiards books. He’s been writing for Billiards Digest magazine for 25 years. He wrote the article that the QC Billiards Club makes available to any requester called “101 Ways to Improve Your Game.” Like Pat above, George is a superb non-pro Straight Pool player who also routinely runs 6 or 7 racks in that game. This DVD will improve anyone’s reading of Straight Pool table layouts using George’s keys to that process. 40 minutes