| Card Number Four If you can master this stroke you are really in business. You must use a cue tip above center, one quarter left, soft Force Follow Stroke, The cue ball needs to rush to the long rail, then spin down for the second ball. |
| Card Number Six In The Lesson book I call this shot the “Sneaky Strange”. We are not really employing a Punch Stroke completely. We are driving through the cue ball, holding the cue tip on the cue ball a little longer and allowing the cue ball to creep out for a nice easy shot on our second ball. |
| Card Number Three If you need to shoot this shot use a high left and try to hit the bottom rail just before the object ball. This eliminates the scratch risk. Roll the ball. Make sure you use a smooth stroke and don't think about scratch. |
| Card Number Five If you make that one properly, you are in line to rack up some points. Go across the table and come off that second rail. Use a follow stroke with high right. If you end up with a tough shot be happy as you now have the chance to perform under pressure. |
| Card Number Eight. This is a sneaky one. The key is the first ball but that shot is not so easy. I deliver a strong quick Snap Draw on my stroke to make that first shot. I use one cue tip low right. If I am nervous about the draw I will let the cue ball float to the bottom rail and back up for a shot on the next ball. |
| Card Number Seven Once again the first shot is the key. Rather than take a chance with draw on our first shot, I simply stop the cue ball right there and accept a cut shot on my second ball. I don’t fool around. The lesson is to not play position when you already have position. |
| Card Number Nine. Most of the shots are the ones you see in games of eight ball and nine ball. They are cinch shots. I want you to be comfortable with just making the ball. On this one, use a little above center english and just roll the ball in the corner pocket. Use a follow stroke on all money balls. |
| Card Number Eleven This shot should be part of your practice routine as we need to develop the sense of feel on all draw shots. See if you can do this card three times. You will be amazed at how much pressure you feel on the third attempt and how pressure takes away your instincts. |
| Card Number Thirteen Now I am teaching you about how subtle these shots can be when you miss position on the first ball. This card has some great lessons built in. Go to the rail and come back out for the second ball. Make sure you make the first ball or position is a mute point. |
| Card Number Fifteen The stroke has everything to do with this shot. Most player will miss the shot as they attempt to stun the cue ball up table for the second ball. I want you to make up your mind you will not miss this shot! Let your final focus be to pocket the ball and take your chances with shape. |
| Card number Ten Use your best Follow Stroke. Focus on going past the side pocket for easy position on your second ball. As in all shots, make sure you visualize it to its finish. I don't look at the position for the second shot. I look at where I want the cue ball to end up. Feel the speed. |
| Card Number Twelve How hard is it for us to scratch? Seems like an easy thing to do. On this one, if you are playing Performance Pool with a friend, you will go for this shot two times and rack up some points. If you are not slightly above center you may stun the cue ball and not complete the assignment. |
| Card Number Fourteen The lesson here is very important. At first you may have some trouble with this card. It looks like you can't hold up the cue ball to stay on the other end of the table. You can do this. It is all in the stroke. I focus on the sound and have not trouble. It is a great lesson. |
| Card Number Sixteen Use high left on this shot and make sure you deliver a nice force follow stroke that has some "stun" built in. You need to bounce away from the long rail and then spin for position on the second ball. You will shot a lot of rail shots in Performance Pool. |
| Card Number Eighteen One of the most important skills you will need in this game is the ability to be committed to the stroke you are using. This shot will do that for you as you will not succeed if you are not totally committed. Snap it off with a great draw stroke. Follow through on this one. |
| Card Number Twenty This is one of my practice shots. Use a nice snap back draw stroke with total commitment. All shots need to be delivered without any fear and this one will teach you how to let your stroke work for you. Trust your stroke. That is the only way to put this ball into the corner pocket. |
| Card Number Twenty Two This is another of the "must makers" we play without playing position for another ball. We focus on the spot and trust our stroke. I like to use a little above center hit here. I pay attention to the edge of the object ball, pretending there is no rail. Never hit the rail first. |
| Card Number Twenty Four Don't be fooled by this one. It looks easy but we can mess it up. You will use a slight out side below center hit on the cue ball and deliver some snip elements to your stroke. This is to kill the cue ball. If you don't have the "kill" in your stroke you will go to far. |
| Card Number Seventeen One of the most important skills you will need in this game is the ability to be committed to the stroke you are using. This shot will do that for you as you will not succeed if you are not totally committed. Snap it off with a great draw stroke. Follow through on this one. |
| Card Number Nineteen Sometimes we need to bank a ball so our position on the next shot is secure. It would make me very happy to know you are willing to try this one twice. I must confess, if I make it the first time, I don't try it again. Use a little outside english and good table speed. |
| Card Number Twenty One If you want to test the quality of your cue this is the shot to shoot. If you have any concerns this shot will reveal it to you. Make sure you use a little outside english so you won't push the ball. Believe you will make it. Do not approach a shot like this with fear. Let your stroke work. |
| Card Number Twenty Three If you fail on this card you should attempt to choke yourself into a coma. You have a big pocket here. The lesson here is to think about your thought just before you strike the cue ball. "A single thought will divert the arrow from it's course" Focus on success with this shot. |
| Card Number Twenty Five This is an excellent shot to master the third stage of Pocket Billiards, Cue Ball Speed. These cards are designed to help you get through the four stages of pool. Send the cue ball to the bottom rail and feel the spin to get the proper track line back for the second ball. |
| Card Number Twenty Seven You will need to play safeties if you hope to win tourna- ments. In the old days we went for banks only to end up with another bank but today we play a safe. Master cue ball speed and put the object ball behind the nine ball and the cue ball up table on the bottom rail. |
| Card Number Twenty Nine In the old days before TM (The Monk) I would thin cut this into the corner pocket. To often I left it hanging. When I made the ball I sometimes scratched as a wild ride with the cue ball spells trouble. Other times I ended up with a bank shot on the nine. Play safe with this one. |
| Card Number Thirty One You must practice the double bank back to the bottom rail. It is not automatic. Work on this shot until you master it. It is not high percentage to win games with bank shots. There are times when we need to do that but not in this instance we must double bank it safe. |
| Card Number Twenty Six You must have a clear understanding where the track line of the cue ball is going. You are the one who controls this with your stroke. You will learn that there is a certain sound that happens when you are able to go across the table and come back to hit those two balls. |
| Card Number Twenty Eight I have used this safety many times to win games. Hit the object ball thin and bring the cue ball back across the table. The object balls slides up table and comes to a stop just before the side pocket, making it hard to bank or cut up table. This is a straight pool safety. |
| Card Number Thirty This safety was the first one I learned and when I came upon it I missed it. The reason was I had not taken the time to practice safeties. Use your best punch stroke and stop the cue ball in its tracks behind that object ball, sending the other object ball three rails to the corner. Great safe. |
| Card Number Thirty Two If you attend one of my workshops you will master this shot because it teaches the stroke and cue ball speed. You will not succeed with card number thirty two if you have any stance defects. Use your punch stroke, crisp and you will float back to the other side for an easy shot. |
| Rules of the game are below. |
| Card Number Thirty Three You can see that as we go through the 20 point cards you will be required to use stroke and cue ball speed. Both of these skills will be tested in this shot. Use inside english and spin down for a shot on the next ball. Your shape has to be good or its two rails for the last shot. |
| Card Number Thirty Five I call this card "Be Free". If you are up tight about the thought of scratching or simply miss hitting the object ball you will not succeed. You need to be free. I tell my opponent that one of us are going to win on this shot. Me if I don't scratch and him if I do. I will make the shot. |
| Card Number Thirty Seven The Four Ball Exercise should become one of your staples as you go about your training to acquire the skills that will help you win matches. Each stroke calls for a crisp committed punch stroke with some concern for deflection. Use a little outside english to throw the ball in. |
| Card Number Thirty Nine This shot will teach you how to add percentages of another stroke into your primary stroke. You will be using a force follow to go to the long rail and then down for position. You will need to add a slight bit of punch in the stroke to bounce to the long rail and down for shape. |
| Card Number Thirty Four Do not allow the cue ball to touch the opposite rail. This is a classic snip draw shot. In the snip draw we "kill the cue ball and throw the object ball". Use low right, snip through the cue ball and watch it die before it hits the rail. The low right throws the object ball to the left. |
| Card Number Thirty six This is one of the hardest shots in Performance Pool. It is all in the sound. A real nice crisp snap on the cue ball with give you two rails and a shot on the next ball. It will never be an easy shot but a shot none the less. I want you to master the tough shots for a championship. |
| Card Number Thirty Eight There are two ways to shoot this shot. If you have a real good cue you can snap it back across the table for position or if your cue is average you can use a follow stroke and go forward. I go forward with my Schular and snap it back and fourth with my Lascarma. |
| Card Number Forty My favorite pattern. A little hint for you. On all of my patters, both here and in The Lesson the first ball is the most important. If you blow it on the first ball your pattern will break down. Here you need to get healthy shape on the second ball to complete the run out. |
| Card Number Forty One This card really teaches you about cue ball speed. When you came across your target zone you really need to be in touch with your instincts. Here, if you go to far or come up to short you will have a difficult time finishing your run. Use a punch stroke on the first shot. |
| Card Number Forty Three Now it is time for a gut shot. At first I dreaded a shot like this and now I simply put it in the pocket using my "be free" mentality. One of us is going to win on this shot. I will make it. If I don't scratch I win if I scratch you win. Use a slight punch stroke just above center. |
| Card Number Forty Five I think this pattern is the toughest of all the cards. I really follow through on the first shot with low outside english. It is not pure draw. There are some explosion elements to this shot. Almost always you get a new look at the second shot when you perform this card. |
| Card Number Forty Seven High right with a nice crisp stroke so you hit the long rail, then the bottom rail and then float into position for the second ball. Don't try to go up and down. Once you get a feel for the stroke you are able to get into the zone almost every time. This is a very important shot. |
| Card Number Forty Two We all need to learn to go "up and down". This is a shot that has killed many pool players. The secret is in the sound and feel of your stroke. Once you get that, you can sense how hard to hit the shot. If you use the wrong stroke you will not be able to use your instincts. |
| Card Number Forty Four As you will see in the clip this is a snap back draw stroke. I use to call this the "explosion" shot I need to explode on the cue ball to get the three rail shape it calls for. If your draw stroke is pure you will kill the cue ball. Make sure you have a little punch in your explosion. |
| Card Number Forty Six You have a choice here to go forward two rails for shape or snap across the table. What ever stroke you favor will be the one you use. On good days I snap back and forth as I have more control of that stroke. When I am not hitting the shots well, I go forward and take my chances. |
| Card Number Forty Eight Here you control the track line with a punch stroke. You must use outside (running) english to go three rails and break up those two balls. You can do this consistently when you have the stroke. I use this shot in exhibitions so I can demonstrate the value of the 4 Strokes of Pool. |
| Two other players and myself got together and tried our hand at the fifty two card shots here in Performance Pool. Mike Houpert 1025 David Rowell 860 The Monk 605 If you decide to go through the fifty two cards you should inform me and then be honest and post your score. |
| SCORE SHEET CARD 1 CARD 2 CARD 3 CARD 4 CARD 5 CARD 6 CARD 7 CARD 8 CARD 9 CARD 10 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 CARD 11 CARD 12 CARD 13 CARD 14 CARD 15 CARD 16 CARD 17 CARD 18 CARD 19 CARD 20 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 CARD 21 CARD 22 CARD 23 CARD 24 CARD 25 CARD 26 CARD 27 CARD 28 CARD 29 CARD 30 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 CARD 31 CARD 32 CARD 33 CARD 34 CARD 35 CARD 36 CARD 37 CARD 38 CARD 39 CARD 40 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 CARD 41 CARD 42 CARD 43 CARD 44 CARD 45 CARD 46 CARD 47 CARD 48 CARD 49 CARD 50 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #1 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 TRY #2 Give this a try and see what kind of an over all score you can posts. On all five point cards you have the option of going for it three times. You must succeed on the first two tries in order to qualify for a third attempt. Successful effort gets you 30 pts. On all cards you are welcome to a second attempt. If you failed the first time you still have the second attempt as your option. If you fail the first attempt you record 0 in your box. If you fail the second time record - the card value. If you make the first attempt record that score. If you fail in the second attempt you will lose the card value, thus end up with 0 points for that attempt. |
| I played a match the other day with a player who was almost a ball better than me. We played a race to seven. I won four games during the set where I faced several Performance Pool shots. I ended up winning the set seven to two. I was so glad I was willing to play the fifty two cards several times. When the shots came up I was ready. When you have a deck of cards you can compete with friends. In fact, you can compete with me on line. This game is exciting because you never know what kind of hand you are going to get. Deal out seven cards and the pass two to your opponent while he/she passes two to you. Then you try to get the most out of the hand that was dealt to you. Performance Pool is great fun and it teaches you about this game. You always get to perform when you play this game. No one can shut you out. |
| Welcome to the wonderful world of bringing your game to a new level. This series of shots will do as much for you as $2000 worth of lessons. Look at the shot, read how to perform it and click on the link to so you can watch it performed by The Monk. |
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| I am sure you are going to use this page to work on your game. I always say, "Take action, measure your progress and make an adjustment". I am serious about your game. These shots and strokes have taken almost a year to design. The filming of the DVD took months to complete. I believe this series will expose you to the skills you need to bring your game to its highest level. I am happy to share this with you at this time. I want you to experience the pure joy of having a great stroke and knowing what to do when the game is on the line. Be ready for some hard work. You can use The Lesson to master the strokes that will enable you to put up a good score in this game. I offer you a Download of The Lesson for just $20.00. I know you need this classic training manual. The Download version allows you to print out the lesson you are working on for that day. You can purchase the printed version, wire bound so you can lay it flat by going to this link. TheMonkHomePage |
| Rules of the game: All five point cards can be shot three times. Success gives you thirty points. You must make the shot twice in order to qualify for the third try bonus. ALL CARDS CAN BE SHOT TWICE TO DOUBLE THE SCORE. If you fail on the first attempt you get 0 for your score. If you fail on any second attempt you get minus the card value deducted from you score. 10, 15, 20, 25 pt cards can be shot twice. On all safety cards your opponent can attempt to make the ball you played a safety on. If he/she is able to pocket that ball you lose 15 points from your score. You have the option to DECLARE. When you receive your seven cards and think you can shoot each shot twice, you DECLARE and receive an extra one hundred points to your hand. When the seven cards are dealt to you you then can pass two cards back to your opponent. HE/she will pass you two cards. Turn a card over from the deck and that is your opening shot. If you request a score sheet I will send one via email. Write to monkbilliardacademy@yahoo.com |
| Use this program to bring your game to its highest level. Playing pool with command of the strokes is great joy and also enables us to claim the victory we so richly deserve. You can also go to the Monk Learning Center and see clips from The Lesson and read instructional articles that will help you build knowledge which is so important. The Monk Learning Center |
| Feel free to challenge the boys who posted their total score. I am one of them. I am going to be in Florida this winter and I will work until I can post a score of one thousand or more. I am also taking private students this winter. Here is my special training program. Training with The Monk |
| Email me for a FREE copy of this book as a Download. |
| Get The Lesson as a download for just $20.00 |
