I saw this press release from Phil Capelle and I thought it is a good reminder to always be learning.  No matter how good you think you are, you still can learn more.

Phil Capelle has written some really good billiards books.  As he mentions, he also writes for Pool & Billiards Magazine.

Do you like Phil Capelle's books?  What is your favorite billiards book?  Comment below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2010
15 Year Anniversary for Play Your Best Pool
It is hard to imagine that it’s been 15 years since the first copies of Play Your Best Pool rolled off the press.

Along the way I have met so many wonderful people in the pool industry and I have received so much positive feedback from you, the players about how the books have helped you to improve your game - all of which had made the journey extremely rewarding.

My goal has always been to provide you with the best, most complete, accurate, and relevant instruction on the subject matter covered in each book. To meet this goal I’ve spent countless hours thinking about pool, testing theories and shots on the table, watching great players live and on DVDs from Accu-Stats, brainstorming, and writing books.

My second book, A Mind For Pool, was published in mid 1999, kicking off an eight year period in which I wrote a book a year (including a second edition of Play Your Best Pool). After Capelle’s Practicing Pool was published in 2006, I took a break from writing about pool to author a soon to be published book about Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

During the break, however, I continued to write my monthly column for Pool & Billiard Magazine and to conduct research on several pool projects. Though I don’t have a definite date for books and DVDs on the following subjects, I expect at least one of these projects will be published by the middle of 2011: aiming, straight pool, beginner’s fundamentals, and a novel/screenplay.
To help celebrate my 15th Anniversary, I am offering a number of combo specials and free shipping on all orders in the U.S. Details are at http://www.billiardspress.com .
I want to thank those who have worked with me on my projects, my dealers, wholesalers, and each and every one of the more than 100,000 of you who have purchased, and hopefully improved your games as a result of reading my books. You have made it possible for me to continue my journey in pool. In return, I look forward to continuing to work on your behalf in the years ahead.

Phil Capelle
Billiards Press
http://www.billiardspress.com
capellepublishing@gmail.com

Cheers,
Skippy

P.S.  Check out great deals on Phil Capelle's books to the right on this page.

The Original Post is Located Here: 15 Years: Play Your Best Pool

Do you need your pool cue tip replaced? If so, you can go to a local cue repair shop or you can try installing it on your own.

If you'd like to try to DIY it, then this video would be a good guide.  I'm not sure who posted this video, but it is very similar to how I used to install my tips when I was in college.  This is a good way to do it if you don't have access to a professional or don't want to spend the money.

I would recommend that you use a professional if you can. If you do try this, be careful!  It is easy to carve some material off of your ferrule when trimming the edge of the new tip.

The most difficult part of the install, IMHO, is prepping the end of the ferrule after removing the old tip.  It is crucial that you sand the end of the ferrule square and flat, while removing all of the old tip and glue.

In this video, it looks like he is using some type of two-part epoxy/glue.  I always used Super Glue in the past.  I think a lot of people still use that, but I think the best glue on the market today is Gorilla glue.  Tiger products has a special glue for tips that I haven't tried.

In the video, this guy is installing a Moori tip .  This is a great tip.  I highly recommend them.  One thing to note about layered tips.  A lot of people like to apply liquids or a sharpie to the edge of the tip to give it a "burnished" look or to keep it from mushrooming.  I would not recommend doing that.  Talisman makes a layered tip (another high-quality tip, BTW) much like Morri.  They warn that some liquids have chemicals that can interact with the glue in the tip layers, causing delamination.  They also recommend shaping with a tool like this... The Cue Cube

Talisman also warns not to use a tip-shaping tool with razor-cutters, because it could damage the layers. That is why they recommend using a tool like the cue cube shown above. Something that "grinds" the tip into shape, instead of cutting it. Talisman also advises not to make the new tip too high. It should not be higher than the tip's diameter. In other words, shape it down a little so it doesn't stand super-high, because the bottom layers could fail and the tip fall off at the base.  Also, don't use the needle-type tip-tappers, because they can cause layered tips to fray.

We have mentioned Moori and Talisman tips , but I should mention some other tips that are of very good quality and very popular. They include Tiger Sniper cue tips , Water Buffalo cue tips , Kamui II cue tips , Diamondback cue tips and Le Pro cue tips just to name a few. Anyhow, here is the video.  This guy does a nice job with his cue tip install.

Good luck with your tip replacements. Let me know if you try this and how it turns out.

Cheers,
Skippy

The Original Post is Located Here: Cue Tip Replacement DIY Video

In the video below, professional player and pool playing legend, Johnny Archer, reveals what he keeps inside his pool case.

Johnny Archer, aka "The Scorpion", is one of the most successful professional players of the last couple of decades. He is about the same age as me, so I have enjoyed watching him play many matches over the years. He has won just about every major title and has amassed a long list of victories over the last 20+ years of competitive pool. He is a great player and an invaluable asset to the sport of pool IMO, so when he reveals what's in his cue case, I want to sit-up and pay attention.

So just what does he carry....

Obviously, Johnny has some Scorpion Cues in his case, after-all, he helped design them.  You should watch the video to get some more insight into Johnny's opinion about these cues. He carries 3 cues in his bag along with several extra shafts. Let's break-down his cue selection. I'll give you some more details about these cues, just in case you are interested in finding one.
First is his main playing cue. He is playing with the JA-03 model of Scorpion cue. Johnny mentions that he likes to play with a Triangle brand tip on his cue. Here are some links to this exact model of cue and the specs for it.



Scorpion JA03 - Johnny Archer Signature Pool Cue Stick

The specs...

Similar to the Cuetec shafts, the Scorpion cue shafts are coated with fiberglass to protect the cue. Johnny seems to play well with those shafts, so I guess that speaks for itself.
His second cue was a Scorpion Break cue. Here are some links to this cue if your interested along with the specs for this cue.



Scorpion Break Pool Cue Stick

Here are the specs for this cue...
Tip: 13mm Proprietary Extra Hard Leather Tip
Ferrule: Stainless Steel breaker ferrule
Shaft: Black 29" Hard rock maple with fiberglass power bonded to it. 12 - 14" pro taper
Collar: Black Composite
Joint: Black Composite
Pin: 3/8 x 14 stainless steel
Forearm: Solid black forearm
Rings: Exclusive Power Rings
Wrap: Exclusive Power Rings
Sleeve: Black
Plate: None
Bumper: Black rubber
He also had a Scorpion jump cue in his case, which he seemed to like. He mentioned that he worked with the manufacturer to develop the jump cues. Johnny is a great jumper, so I would give them a try. Here is the information on that cue...



Scorpion Jump Pool Cue Stick

The specs for the Scorpion jump cue...
Tip: Proprietary super-hard leather jump tip
Ferrule: Brass
Shaft: 13-14" pro taper
Collar: Stainless Steel
Pin: 3/8 x 14 stainless steel
Forearm: Solid black forearm with blue and gold scorpion logo
Wrap: Black Veltec
Sleeve: Black
Bumper: Black rubber

Other than the insight into his cues, he doesn't reveal to many secret weapons on his bag of tricks. If you ever seen him play, you know that he uses a lot of powder, so he had that. Oddly enough, he had a ton of chalk in his case...apparently, he likes to swipe the chalk cubes off of tables, so watch your chalk around him
I wish he would have mentioned who made his cue case. If you know, comment below, I'm sure others would be interested.
It looks like he's a bit of a minimalist, like myself, when it comes to his supplies in his case (unless he's holding-out on us). I never carry too many gadgets in my case, either.
Anyhow...here is the video...Thanks to InsidePool for making this interview available.

BTW, if you like Johnny's cues...you can get 20% Off Scorpion Pool Cues


Cheers,
Skippy

The Original Post is Located Here: Cues the Pros Use: Johnny Archer

If you own a jump cue and have used one for some time, you probably have developed some basic jumping skills.  This video does a good job of explaining some basic techniques for jump shots.  If you've never seen a jump cue in action, you might be surprised at how little clearance you need to jump a ball.  With the right equipment, like the Predator Air jump cue shown here, you can jump the cue ball over a ball that is only 1" away.  All other things being equal, you could be at a great disadvantage if you don't have one of these cues and the skills to use it, when your opponent does.  

There are several good jump cues on the market.  They share some basic design features...they have minimal mass (they're light) and the tips are very hard, many times made from a hard phenolic type material.  I would advise anyone playing competitively to invest in a good jump cue and practice using it.

CAUTION:  Warning, the use of a weapon like this can spoil you.  Don't let it be a crutch that keeps you from mastering other skills such as kicking, diamond systems, etc.  Also, with tools like this so readily available, you'll have to get much better at playing safe

Check out the deals to the right on jump cues...don't get stuck behind the eight ball.

Other than the Predator Air, I like the Lucasi jump cue.  What kind of jump cue do you own?  Comment and let everyone know what you think of these jump cues.  Let us know what you think is the best jump cue.  Thanks!!

Cheers,
Skippy

The Original Post is Located Here: Learn how to Master the Jump Shot