Playing Ability Test
The Playing Ability Test (short: PAT) is a training and evaluation system for pool players developed by Ralph Eckert , Jorgen Sandman and Andreas Huber .
The PAT covers all important areas of billiards and serves as a training base for many billiard clubs. When you've trained enough, you can take an exam in front of an official PAT examiner. Results ranging from “failed” to “PAT 1” (hobby player) to “PAT 3” (world star) are possible.
Jorgen Sandman wrote PAT Start about this, which is aimed at beginners from performance. PAT Start is an official part of the trainer assistant training within the German Billiard Union . PAT 1 is integrated into the Trainer C training. The result achieved is also posted on the Internet, where you can then compare yourself with other billiards players from all over the world.
The PAT is comparable to the belt exams in martial arts , as you get a specially colored emblem for a PAT passed and you can wear it on your clothing.
Publications
There is a DVD series and 4 accompanying workbooks in German for PAT levels 1–3.
- PAT Start - Print ISBN 978-3-9810400-9-8 , Ebook ISBN 978-3-941484-28-3 (PDF),
- PAT 1 - Print ISBN 978-3-9810400-0-5 , Ebook ISBN 978-3-941484-61-0 (PDF),
- PAT 2 - Print ISBN 978-3-9810400-1-2 , Ebook ISBN 978-3-941484-62-7 (PDF), 978-3-946128-02-1 (epub)
- PAT 3 - Print ISBN 978-3-9810400-2-9 , Ebook ISBN 978-3-941484-63-4 (PDF),
All titles are also available in English. PAT Start is also available in Russian ISBN 978-3-941484-15-3 and Spanish.
The books are published by Litho-Verlag eK Wolfhagen. The DVD was produced by Cueball Vision GmbH (managing directors Walter Wurm and Dieter Sauer), Munich and has been distributed by Litho-Verlag since the company was dissolved.
In the DVDs, the individual exercises are discussed by Andreas Huber and Ralph Eckert and played by Thorsten Hohmann to illustrate . These DVDs were recorded in the BAD (Billard Akademie Dachau). Michael Billinger directed the film. Walter Wurm is the producer.