7 New Billiards Books Shaping the Game in 2025

Jeanette Lee's memoir dives deep into the life behind her iconic nickname, 'The Black Widow,' revealing how her early fascination with billiards in a New York City pool hall evolved into a storied international career. You’ll gain insight not just into her precise techniques and competitive mindset but also her resilience managing scoliosis and a public battle with cancer, which shaped her approach to the sport and life. The book’s candid chapters on her Korean-American upbringing and rise as a rare female star in billiards offer a nuanced understanding of the challenges and triumphs in this niche arena. If you're drawn to sports memoirs that blend personal struggle with professional mastery, this book offers a compelling look at the human story within billiards.

What happens when a deep dive into beginner billiards systems meets a clear, methodical guide? SYSTEM MASTER offers the final installment in a three-part series, focusing on 62 carefully selected three cushion billiard systems tailored for novice players. This book breaks down common in-game positions with practical explanations, making it easier for you to understand and implement systems that often trip up newcomers. If you’ve tried systems before but felt gaps in your knowledge, this book aims to fill those with straightforward, approachable insights. It’s especially suited for those who want to strengthen foundational skills and gain confidence in their shot-making strategies.

This tailored billiards book delves into the latest advancements shaping the sport in 2025, focusing on innovative techniques, emerging strategies, and recent discoveries that influence play. It explores cutting-edge developments curated to match your background and skill level, offering an engaging learning experience that aligns with your personal goals. The content reveals how new insights are transforming billiards, with a focus on areas you find most compelling, ensuring your growth is both relevant and exciting. Through a personalized approach, this book examines the evolving landscape of billiards, helping you stay ahead in your game by understanding novel concepts and practical applications tailored specifically to your interests.

Unlike most billiards books that simply outline techniques, Archie Bolton’s guide takes a fresh approach by focusing on how to practice drills effectively to improve your pool skills. Drawing from studies on coaching, motor skills, and elite player training regimes, Bolton offers you a methodical way to set personal goals, track your progress, and tailor practice routines to your needs. Chapters detail how to make practice both efficient and enjoyable, moving beyond repetitive shots to meaningful skill development. This book suits players aiming to elevate their game deliberately and coaches wanting to enhance teaching strategies, but it’s less suited for absolute beginners or casual players uninterested in serious improvement.

When Allan Sand noticed many intermediate players plateauing in their billiards skills, he crafted this book to offer a clear, objective way to assess and improve competitive abilities. You’ll find a structured testing system that goes beyond guesswork, breaking down your performance through progressively challenging shots and multiple attempts to factor out luck. The book also includes a scoring log, referee guidelines, and a method to create personalized training based on your results, making it particularly useful if you want to track your progress over time or compete fairly with others. This approach suits players serious about understanding their true skill level and developing targeted improvement strategies.

The methods Jimmy Caras and Willie Mosconi developed while dominating pocket billiards shaped this dual classic collection that revisits foundational and expert-level play. You gain a rare combination here: Caras' intricate trick shot techniques alongside Mosconi's clear, foundational guidance for advancing your skills. The book is especially useful if you want to deepen your understanding of shot mechanics, cue control, and strategic play nuances from two champions who influenced modern pool. Chapters alternate between show-stopping shots and fundamental skills, making it ideal whether you’re refining your game or exploring creative shot-making.

This tailored book explores the evolving world of billiards with a keen eye on the innovations shaping the sport in 2025 and beyond. It examines emerging tactics, recent discoveries, and future-ready techniques carefully matched to your background and interests. By focusing on your specific goals, it reveals how new trends can sharpen your competitive edge and deepen your understanding of the game’s latest developments. Combining personalized insights with a forward-looking perspective, this book offers a unique journey through billiards strategies that prepare you for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities.

Mr. Raymond H. Scudder's decades of experience in pool shaped this focused guide on mastering the mental side of the game. You’ll learn how to handle performance anxiety, sharpen your focus, and build confidence through chapters on visualization, motivation, and mental toughness. The book digs into practical concepts like maintaining consistency and managing slumps, which are often overlooked but crucial for serious players. If you want to elevate your pool skills beyond technique and embrace the psychological edge, this book offers a clear path, though it’s best suited for players ready to invest in their mental game rather than beginners seeking physical fundamentals.

What happens when a passionate billiards player designs a tool for focused skill development? Millie Boland's "Billiard Notebook" offers a practical way to log detailed game data with diagrams for ball layouts and space for reflective notes. You gain a structured method to track scores, analyze shots, and refine strategies over time. This book suits anyone from casual players wanting to understand their game better to professionals seeking a systematic progress record. If you're serious about elevating your billiards or snooker performance through consistent self-review, this notebook can become an essential part of your training routine.