Jim Loy's Billiards Page

From 1994 to 1998, I produced a self-syndicated column called Broken English that appeared in a few regional pool magazines (and one national). While I've only been a fair-to-middlin' pool player over the years, I still loved writing about the game, its history, and its strategy.

Today's FamilyFirst site celebrates the game of pool, and gives you lots of trick shots to try yourself. It also provides you with tips, has a few good yarns, and has a great listing of other billiards links.

The site belongs to world-renowned trick shot artist Jim Loy. The man knows his billiards.

A section particularly loaded with great info for the player is The Physics of Billiards. If you don't understand the physics behind making the balls drop in the holes, you probably aren't going to make many shots, or have good shape for the next shot. Jim teaches you the difference between draw and follow. He also shows you what's behind side english. If you can master side english, challengers will have a very difficult time wresting your table away from you!

He also writes about a sport that is disappearing fast: three-cushion billiards. Once far more popular than what we now call traditional pool, three-cushion is played on a pocketless table. It requires exceptional skill and, more importantly, patience. Perhaps that's why it has grown obscure.

Don't miss the fiction here, either. You'll love the story about the blind eight-ball ace and his trained monkey.

So enjoy today's FamilyFirst site. And make sure you don't store your cue leaning against the wall. You don't want to warp that bad boy.

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