THE MATCH UP by Jim "The Hat" Bradshaw

[First_Place]

Gentlemen:

Anyone ever read this book? Worth buying? Any new concepts that Brohammer, Hambleton/Schmidt and Pizzolla haven't already covered?

Here's the hype regarding the book from American Turf Monthly Handicapper's Bookshelf catalog:

"In the beginning, there was The Race is Pace by Huey Mahl. Then came Modern Pace Handicapping . Now, legendary handicapper, Jim "The Hat" Bradshaw, has taken pace handicapping to a higher level with The Match Up . Targeted primarily at advanced handicappers, The Match Up is one on the best examinations of pace handicapping ever published. Etc., etc."

Well, is it?? Please let me know.

Thanks.

FP

[headhawg]

First_place,

I've read it a couple of times and didn't get anything out of it. That said, I am more of an eclectic handicapper rather than a strict pace/speed guy.

If I recall, there was something in the book about Mr Bradshaw not being able to explain how he arrived at some of his picks, more or less like intuition. I do that sometimes as well (somebody started a thread about this topic a few months ago) but how does that help me as a reader of his material?

Eventually I will put my copy on Ebay (and I usually keep my handicapping books.)

HH

[First_Place]

"I am more of an eclectic handicapper rather than a strict pace/speed guy."

Me too. In fact, "Eclectic" is my middle name. :-)

Thanks for the response.

Anyone else?

FP

[GameTheory]

The worst written and edited book of any kind I have ever seen. The ideas may or may be good, but it is near impossible to tell what the ideas are. Here's a thread on the subject:

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4540

[Zaf]

I didn't get much out of it. I thought the premise was good but he did not explain his methodology very well.

ZAFONIC

[First_Place]

Hmmm....I'm very surprised. At the very least he should have had another handicapping author read it, like Dick Schmidt or Jim Quinn, for instance, before sending it off to the printers. Now, I'm really surprised at ATM for including the book in their handicapping catalog.

Can't make sense of the book, hmmm? Well, I guess "The Hat" falls into the category of "those who can, do" and not into "those who can't, teach." From what I've read about the man, he was/is an exceptional handicapper. Too bad.

Thanks for the link. Will check it out now.

FP

[kitts]

GameTheory said it all. A poorly written book indeed. Bradshaw probably cried all the way to the bank.

[Tom]

You know, I try to re-read it every so often, then end up buying more beer.
At least I am not the only one who can't figure it out!

[TRM]

Don't waste your time or money First Place, I bought the book thinking it would be a step up or at least something new about pace handicapping. Nope........

[delayjf]

I bought the book, read about two chapters and then returned the book for a store credit the same day.

[First_Place]

Thanks gentlemen. You saved me $30.00 plus shipping & handling.

Best regards,

FP

[thelyingthief]

probably the worst book ever written. among its many failings, not least is the mug of the writer plastered in a stetson on the cover, grinning at the 30.00 price tag.

the best work on this concept is "The MatchUp", a Sartin manual produced in the late 80's or early 90's...it contains contributions by Bradshaw, the PIRCO guys, and Sartin. i have seen it offered on eBay every now and again.

most of the stuff authored by those guys lacks any literary or structured presentation, but at least the latter work is better than the first by a couple of country miles.

[Buckeye]

No way it could be the worst book.
I could write a worse one.

[andicap]

Originally posted by thelyingthief
probably the worst book ever written. among its many failings, not least is the mug of the writer plastered in a stetson on the cover, grinning at the 30.00 price tag.

the best work on this concept is "The MatchUp", a Sartin manual produced in the late 80's or early 90's...it contains contributions by Bradshaw, the PIRCO guys, and Sartin. i have seen it offered on eBay every now and again.

most of the stuff authored by those guys lacks any literary or structured presentation, but at least the latter work is better than the first by a couple of country miles.


Someone sent me a copy of that and parts of it made my head spin. Of course this was six years ago I know a bit more now, but the charts were inscrutable (for the adjustments), and I've always found Sartin's writing to obscure more than illustrate.
His stuff at the back end of Pace Makes the Race was not always very clear.

For example I still can't figure out his reasoning in the energy section (in PMTR not the Match Up manual) for why Secretariat was vulnerable at 1 1/8m as Sartin wrote. (Sec. was 2-4 at the distance.) In one of the races Secretariat lost at 9f (the Wood) he had a toothache and finished third. That has little to do with energy.
In the Match-up, Pizzolla gives his outline for the fulcrum, a great tool that can be adopted for any set of numbers. good chapter

The manual needed a good editor -- as did Bradshaw's book. Quinn too needs an editor. His writing is stolid and often obtuse since he writes in the passive tense a lot rather than the active tense. He also tends toward very weak verbs that do not communicate as well as more precise, punchier ones would.
Quinn's writing just flat out wears you down and fails to elucidate his points as well as they should.

[Dick Schmidt]

Thelyingthief,

"most of the stuff authored by those guys lacks any literary or structured presentation, but at least the latter work is better than the first by a couple of country miles."


Yup. See what a difference a good editor makes!

Most of Jim's writing falls on the unintelligible side of the line. I spent hours converting it to English. He does have some interesting ideas, but has great difficulty presenting them. I've played with him for hundreds of hours, and seen him make some remarkable calls. I've also seen him lose 16 in a row and go home broke more than once. If you read this book, you'll have to do a LOT of digging to find anything you can use.

Dick


Remember, my opinion is as irrelevant as yours.....

[First_Place]

"Quinn's writing just flat out wears you down and fails to elucidate his points as well as they should."

How true. I've personally had to re-read many of his words (more than once!) just to grasp what he is trying to say. Outside of that, Jim's okay in my book.

FP

[BeatTheChalk]

NO better gent on the planet. Sadly it is tough for him to
convey his knowledge. I have been using Aodds for a long time
and find it to be excellent. I know there are new programs out
there tht may be better....but I am too old and too tired to start
from scratch LOL ...

[turfbar]

I happen to be reading the "Hats" Match-up and am I wrong or what but
M.Pizzolla's Master Handicapper seems to be the same as J.Bradshaw describes.
I know they worked together and wondering what you chaps think?

Turfbar

[shanta]

NO better gent on the planet. Sadly it is tough for him to
convey his knowledge. I have been using Aodds for a long time
and find it to be excellent. I know there are new programs out
there tht may be better....but I am too old and too tired to start
from scratch LOL ...


I have been learning the matchup from Jim for the last 2 months. He is extremely giving of both his time and knowledge to me and for that I am blessed.

I can tell you that a LOT of what he teaches is based on INTUITION. He "sees" stuff in his head and is teaching me to

1) work races from start-finish in my MIND without writing anything down. It is really HARD to do especially for someone who has beeen computer dependant for almost 10 years. His feeling is when I keep doing the same process over and over in my head things such as
a) t-t adjustments

b) different 1c "looks" at the same track but different distances ( Churchill 6f -6.5f for example)

c) recognizing tandems and when losers can turn the tables on the winner

will stick in my mind and help me when future races come up. Very SLOWLY a couple of things sure enough have begun to "stick".

Anyway just wanted to say that in my opinion the matchup how HE applies it is INTUITION based and probably why some things are real hard to convey with the written word.


Having said that Jim has just finished a new matchup book. This time he had some help and feedback and has taken extra care and pages to REALLY try to convey his ideas in an understandable way. Also a LOT of focus is being paid on the last couple of steps to matching where the final decisions on

1) how the race will be WON - Early or Late
2) Matching final 2-3 contenders to get to ONE horse

Most importantly he is in great health and his mind is unreal man. I have seen him work some races beforehand and it is truly the most HUMBLING thing to watch.

Richie

[The Judge]

The question was presented with an eye not to buy the book unless it was good or very good. I say its a good to very good book. I can't disagree that it is poorly written and hard to understand. That makes it not the first book I'd buy not ,not a book I would never purchase.

For me I'm a pace handicapper I have to know what "Jim The Hat Bradshaw " has to say. If you are into pace some things you have too read. If you like reading handicapping books and you've read the standards them go and read "The Match-Up".

I have the Match-Up Manuel and some old Sartin siminar tapes with "The Hat" on them. He is an ex-track coach and relates the match-up nicely with human athletes. He tells about balancing the 3rd fraction, how to make track to track adjustments, turning a sprint line into a route line,plot graphs,projecting pace and "the rowdy bunch".

Remember everyone that has replied read it (or at least 2 chapters)!

[highnote]

This might sound crazy, but I found Jim "The Hat" Bradshaw's book "The Matchup" to be one of the most valuable books I've ever read.

In order to really get something from it Matchup" I think you need to read Huey Mahl's "The Race is Pace" first. Then read Sartin, et. al, "Pace Makes the Race". Then read Brohammer's "Modern Pace Handicapping".

Once you've digested and understand those books, then read Bradshaw's "The Matchup". He takes everything about those books and simplifies it. I have made more money using the knowledge gained from his book than all the rest combined. Of course, I read all the other books, so they must have contributed, too.

If you don't read the others, then it's going to be hard to appreciate "The Matchup".

I agree, he needs an editor more than a wino needs a bottle of Thunderbird.

I use what I learned from "The Matchup" every single time I handicap. You don't need a fancy computer program. All you need to figure out is if a given horse can handle the likely pace fractions and "The Matchup" will teach you.

This is worth twice the price. I've always said that if I get one good idea from a book then it's worth $50.

"The Matchup" -- priceless.

[socantra]

I use what I learned from "The Matchup" every single time I handicap. You don't need a fancy computer program. All you need to figure out is if a given horse can handle the likely pace fractions and "The Matchup" will teach you.

This is worth twice the price. I've always said that if I get one good idea from a book then it's worth $50.

"The Matchup" -- priceless.


Agreed. One of my most prized books. I do not find it difficult to read at all, but then, I don't generally read handicapping books for their literary value.

You do have to be ready for it, but when you are, the process is simple to understand, if not to master. You have to be able to judge good races, form cycles and running styles, and not get hung up in beaten lengths at each call.

I reccommend enlarging the tiny past performances and following them with the text.

socantra

[highnote]

. I do not find it difficult to read at all, but then, I don't generally read handicapping books for their literary value.


Exactly!

If you want literary value and a well edited handicapping book then by far the best is Cary Fotias' "Blinkers Off".

[Houndog]

Prior to this we had a post about Modern Pace Handicapping needing an editorial workover. It seems with the Match-Up we will be getting that in the future. I know both of these works are for people seriously interested in learning pace handicapping.

They are not easy reads and demand a commitment from the reader. Some books on handicapping are better written, and even entertaining. FPS, Energy Expenditure, and other topics covered by these books will never read like a Tom Clancy novel but that is just the way it is.