<< I don't have my list of bookmarks on me, as my computer's still not hooked up to the net (anybody have a spare 150 foot CAT5 cable?), but try billiards.com and some links. Other than that, best thing to do is just practice.....in pool, of all things, definetely, just practice. Try to find some footage of professionals play, see what they do that you don't, what you do that they don't, and work on that. Try simpler games, like 7-ball, that give you more table to work with, and you'll finish a round faster than 8 or 9 ball, and you'll feel better having finished the table.
The resident pro around UM told me that when practicing, try putting 3 balls anywhere on the table. With ball in hand, you should be able to run them. If not, go down to 2. Then, do this until you can do it FIVE times in a row (that's 15 balls, my friend), and then move up to 4. And then practice wall shots, take 2 balls, put one on a wall, and another on the opposite wall (width-wise, not length), and try running those two, five times in a row, then move to three.
If you play 9-ball, try finding a partner and practice safety-ing/snookering each other.
If you're really ballsy, practice playing on a snooker, that'll get your frustrated like no other. 🙂
Hope some of this helps, good luck with your game. >>
Fastest way to learn is to play. No amount of reading will teach what an afternoon at the pool hall will. Ball control is the biggest thing. Watch the good people play, or turn on some ESPN2. Gotta learn how to think like them, how to set up shots so you get a clean look on the next ball. Play 9 instead of 8, it'll improve your shot-making ability big-time.
Pool is a psychological game more than anything else. That's my advice.
