Review of “101 Big Pool Shots” by Gerry “The Ghost” Watson
I can’t honestly recommend this book. The main section, over 60% of the book, lays out the 101 big shots of the title. Here’s how Gerry defines a Big Shot:
A “Big Shot” is one that you have to give considerable thought before executing. It requires precise visualization, and exact stroke anticipation. When the big shot is made, will the table be as you want it to be? It demands that you stroke with the exact aim, touch and force. This is very similar to how an artist treats a canvas. Each dab of colour must be visualized first and in harmony with the idea of the finished painting. And when it works out just as you visualized, you walk away saying to yourself, “that was a Big Shot”.
Clear as mud? Yeah, for me too. Most of the 101 are shots where the cue ball is struck with a good deal of force and or quite a lot of english to move the ball over a long or particularly unusual path. Though Gerry focuses very heavily on unusual and difficult shots that will be only a very small part of your game, there are a number of shots here that are well worth knowing.
I can’t honestly recommend this book.
Every shot has its own diagram, a strong plus, and every diagram also includes an inset of a cue ball showing the exact contact point, another strong plus. But these diagrams leave much to be desired. First, the graphics use greatly oversized balls which make the diagrams look all wrong and keep you from getting a good feel for the shot. Second, the cue ball paths are not drawn correctly, with many diagrams showing the cue ball leaving the collision with the object ball at the wrong angle.
Next is the Practice Routines section. Though all have been seen before, the drills are all good and worthy of your practice time. The problem I have with them is that they have nothing to do with the 101 shots. Most of these drills work your fine position skills, and your soft touch, something not much used in the previous 110 pages. Others work your skill at shooting over a ball, caroming off a ball, kicking and a couple set shots that are useful. There is one drill using strong draw to get you in stroke, but that’s the only one that feels at all like any of the Big Shots. Gerry also includes in this section 4 pages of banking diagrams that are all but useless because they’re unexplained. If the concepts are new to you, then you need a lot more info, if they’re old hat then you don’t need them at all.
The last three sections of the book are Rules, Road Stories, and Legendary Players. The rules section was ok but not noteworthy. The stories were very short, and not particularly interesting or well written. Lastly, the bios and photos in the Legendary Players section were amusing, but the selection of players seemed quite arbitrary, and the information was spotty.
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5 Responses to “Review of “101 Big Pool Shots” by Gerry “The Ghost” Watson”
Mark Zak
- February 19th, 2009
I completely disagree with your review of the 101 Big Pool shots. No book (and I have a good collection including Ray Martin’s 99 Critical shots) will be able to bridge the crossing of a regular player who uses no Engligh to one who needs to learn that critical skill set to get to the next level. Only personal costly lessons can show what 101 shows or possibly a friend who will share some of those secrets but not all. The illustrations may not win a graphical award, but its the idea and understanding, shall I say the “Blue Print” of the objective that is clear. Gerry’s definition is quite clear to me. Being a great pool player requires stroke and execution with concentration and follow through to execute these shots. Most players focus too much about making the shot when they also need to also consider the “hit” as well as “visualizing” where the cue ball must go to get that perfect position. Stroke, stroke and more stroke is always emphasized in each problem. Any author could have simply not emphasized that. You are obviously not an eccentric because you do not understand what Gerry was trying to convey. After playing for many years, it was only with this book that I started to bridge many mysteries of ball positioning and three rail position shots. I never after studying a book drove to the pool hall day after day studying these blue prints as if it was an addiction. The only positive that I would get from your review is that possibly people wont buy the book and stay at their normal playing plateau.
Sincerely,
Mark Zak
John Biddle
- February 20th, 2009
Welcome to Pool Student’s Blog. It’s great to have knowledgeable players here with such passion for the game.
What I don’t like most about this book, which is clearly aimed at higher level players, is that the shot diagrams aren’t even correct. For example, the diagram of shot #3 shows the cue ball being struck with low right, but the cue ball path clearly indicates that follow had to be used since the cue ball goes past the 90 degree line.
Another example is shot #5, where he shows the cue ball leaving the collision with the 1 ball in a straight line for almost 2 feet before the draw curves the cue ball’s path. The problem is that this first 18 inches or more should be drawn along the tangent line, but if it was his shot wouldn’t make any sense. This is two significant errors in the 1st 5 shots.
I can agree with what I think is your position that there is a place, even a need, for advanced pool books which can take a player to the next level, perhaps a very high level. I’d also agree that such books wouldn’t be useful or appropriate for most players. My issue is that this isn’t that book, it’s too full of mistakes.
Mark Zak
- February 20th, 2009
John,
I have studied various shots myself in this book and will pay closer attention to shots #3 and #5 and try to see what your saying next time I am at the pool hall. Obviously, I have practiced various shots in the book. There are some like shot #2 to which I think I would save for last and only after I cashed a tournament check before even trying and am wondering why Gerry would put this shot so early in the book? That would be one of my tid bits for my review. Matter of fact, when I first bought the book, I was daunted by trying to attempt such shots as shot #3. However, I was quick to “visualize” exactly what Gerry was trying to show or in solving the problem, the blue print per say. I find no book in my arsenal that has helped me move faster up in level of play. I am very curious to know what book or books you recommend for the intermediate pool player that matches blue print diagrams with target points on cue for english? Here’s something that I think you should have quoted in your review because it is so true. Gerry writes, “I have kept the text to a minimum, because visualization is the key. As you practice these shots you will fine-tune your stroke, aim and the force needed in each situation. I hope this book is helpful to you.” –Without doubt, any great player knows that stroke and follow through are the most critical components in execution after setting target on the object ball. I am at first hand, experiencing what Gerry has written regarding fine tuning the stroke to get shape and form for draw and position based on his 101 shots. So much that friends at my pool league are watching me very closely and paying lot more attention as if I found that magic genie bottle so often looked for at the beach. I will lastly add that I wish I had the same effect for all books in life being able to bridge the secrets for problem solving and then seeing “the light”.
Best Regards,
Mark Zak
John Biddle
- February 21st, 2009
Mark,
Two things: another issue I have with Gerry’s book and a few comments about another book you might want to check out.
As you point out, many if not all of the shots in the book are “stroke shots” where you really have to stroke the ball well. On these shots, when you put draw or follow on the ball you’ll get a noticeable curve in the path of the ball, if it has to travel very far before t hits the first rail. In some of the shots in Gerry’s book this curve is shown in the drawing, but in many it is not. The graphics on the ones that do not are not realistic and misrepresent where the cue ball will go. That and the previously mentioned problems keep this book from being one I could recommend.
A book I can recommend is Play Your Best 9 Ball, by Phil Capelle. Chapter 3, particularly, would seem to be right up your alley. there are 61 pages of routes divided up into categories for A, B & C players. Thirty-two of these routes are for A players. That’s just one section in this excellent book on 9 ball which I would highly recommend.
Mark Zak
- February 23rd, 2009
John,
Thanks for your recommendation. I will check the book out. I am a pool junkie and the more information I get in my arsenal the better. After my due diligence of practice play at the pool hall lasting about 5 hours, I paid special attention to shots #3 and #5. I was able to make Shot #5 work based on the diagram. However, I was not able to make shot #3 work based on the diagram. I will always stand to be corrected because the root cause of the problem may fall with my execution but I sure gave that shot many different recipes of angles and 4 oclock inside english to match the diagram to no avail. Regardless if the error falls with me or the preparation of the diagram or blue print, I tried the shot eventually getting great shape on the 8 ball but not with the intended path. This is one shot I would love to see the author do in person. Thanks for your feed back and may the balls roll in your favor!
Best Regards,
Mark Zak
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