I went to work with Demetrius Jelatis in September of last year. I would have written this sooner, but I am in the middle of some career changes and when I am not working on that, I chase my toddler. The combination of the two, keeps me pretty busy. Also, I wanted to sit with the experience for a while before I wrote something.
I am 43, and I am primarily a one pocket player. I have a relatively advanced skill set. My estimate is that I am around a 650 Fargorate. Even though, I play one pocket primarily, I enjoy Demetrius’ perspective on pool. Additionally, at the higher skill levels, improvement becomes harder to achieve (given my time limitations), and if I could learn even a few things from Demetrius, my game would have to pick up a little bit. I have always admired players that were skilled in multiple disciplines (Efren and Shannon Daulton), and since I have fallen into a one pocket specialization, I thought I should really try and build some new competencies. Things got off to a really good start with my flight.
I had to check a bag, because I was bringing my pool cue. I bought a giant duffle bag that would hold my cue and clothes and started looking for flights. Since I was taking a vacation, I refused to do the Southwest Cattle Call, as their prices were not so far below their competitors that it made sense. However, the other airlines make you pay to check a bag. In general, the tickets for me at that time were $350 - $375 plus $75 to check a bag. On a whim, I thought what if I fly first class? Those seats were $420, plus a free checked bag, and free booze. Sold. Kollegedave flew first class for the first time. It was the only flight I have ever been on, where I would have been o.k. if it took longer. Moral of the story, sometimes it makes sense to fly first class.
The three days with Demetrius were busy and intense. Demetrius loves pool. His passion for the game comes through in his teaching. A note to one pocket players that think Nine-ball is for dummies, because “it tells you what ball to shoot”. Nine-ball does not tell you what cue ball path to take or what angle to play for. Listening to Demetrius talk about how to run a nine-ball rack out from a professional perspective made it clear to me that nine-ball is more cerebral than many believe, at least when played at the professional level.
Demetrius is a smart dude. In my opinion, other pros and advanced players probably use the concepts Demetrius teaches, but it is hard for me to imagine those players expressing their ideas as skillfully as Demetrius. For example, many of you have heard Jeremy Jones say on Accu-Stats, “Here is where you have to trust your talent”, or something to that effect. I believe in those situations, at least many times, Jeremy Jones is talking about something Demetrius teaches. In the end, Demetrius gives you some new and valuable concepts, a list of shots to practice, and an evaluation of what you need to work on. If someone were a young player working to polish their 9-ball game, Demetrius' list of shots is a must have. I learned a few things--some were hard truths, and I count myself as a better player for having attended. Also, I flew home first class, so that was cool.
At the Derby this year, Demetrius sought me out. He asked me for feedback on the camp; he asked about my life, and he shared some of what he aspires to accomplish in the future. We caught up on life and pool.
A few months after the Derby, I was struggling with something in my pre-shot routine. If you know anything about Demetrius, you know that he loathes over analyzing fundamentals. I sent him a text describing my problem and asking a few questions. I also asked if he knew how other pros approached this issue. I sent this text to Demetrius on a Saturday, and I am not sure what I expected in return. A very short time later, Demetrius sent me back a very lengthy and very thoughtful text explaining how he handles this issue and how he believes other players handle the issue. The camp had long been over, and Demetrius is still helping me.
There is a lot to gain from the MN Pool Bootcamp. However, it is hard to put a price on the ability to text a 730 player for advice and receiving a super smart response in less than an hour.
We live in a time where people are sharing their lives in edited bites on Facebook and Instagram and rarely sharing real things about themselves in an actual in-person interactions. Demetrius is an accomplished pool player, and he shares his life, knowledge, sensibility, and home, honestly and not edited. For me, he is a breath of fresh air. If you have been thinking about attending the MN Pool Bootcamp, do it.
kollegedave
I am 43, and I am primarily a one pocket player. I have a relatively advanced skill set. My estimate is that I am around a 650 Fargorate. Even though, I play one pocket primarily, I enjoy Demetrius’ perspective on pool. Additionally, at the higher skill levels, improvement becomes harder to achieve (given my time limitations), and if I could learn even a few things from Demetrius, my game would have to pick up a little bit. I have always admired players that were skilled in multiple disciplines (Efren and Shannon Daulton), and since I have fallen into a one pocket specialization, I thought I should really try and build some new competencies. Things got off to a really good start with my flight.
I had to check a bag, because I was bringing my pool cue. I bought a giant duffle bag that would hold my cue and clothes and started looking for flights. Since I was taking a vacation, I refused to do the Southwest Cattle Call, as their prices were not so far below their competitors that it made sense. However, the other airlines make you pay to check a bag. In general, the tickets for me at that time were $350 - $375 plus $75 to check a bag. On a whim, I thought what if I fly first class? Those seats were $420, plus a free checked bag, and free booze. Sold. Kollegedave flew first class for the first time. It was the only flight I have ever been on, where I would have been o.k. if it took longer. Moral of the story, sometimes it makes sense to fly first class.
The three days with Demetrius were busy and intense. Demetrius loves pool. His passion for the game comes through in his teaching. A note to one pocket players that think Nine-ball is for dummies, because “it tells you what ball to shoot”. Nine-ball does not tell you what cue ball path to take or what angle to play for. Listening to Demetrius talk about how to run a nine-ball rack out from a professional perspective made it clear to me that nine-ball is more cerebral than many believe, at least when played at the professional level.
Demetrius is a smart dude. In my opinion, other pros and advanced players probably use the concepts Demetrius teaches, but it is hard for me to imagine those players expressing their ideas as skillfully as Demetrius. For example, many of you have heard Jeremy Jones say on Accu-Stats, “Here is where you have to trust your talent”, or something to that effect. I believe in those situations, at least many times, Jeremy Jones is talking about something Demetrius teaches. In the end, Demetrius gives you some new and valuable concepts, a list of shots to practice, and an evaluation of what you need to work on. If someone were a young player working to polish their 9-ball game, Demetrius' list of shots is a must have. I learned a few things--some were hard truths, and I count myself as a better player for having attended. Also, I flew home first class, so that was cool.
At the Derby this year, Demetrius sought me out. He asked me for feedback on the camp; he asked about my life, and he shared some of what he aspires to accomplish in the future. We caught up on life and pool.
A few months after the Derby, I was struggling with something in my pre-shot routine. If you know anything about Demetrius, you know that he loathes over analyzing fundamentals. I sent him a text describing my problem and asking a few questions. I also asked if he knew how other pros approached this issue. I sent this text to Demetrius on a Saturday, and I am not sure what I expected in return. A very short time later, Demetrius sent me back a very lengthy and very thoughtful text explaining how he handles this issue and how he believes other players handle the issue. The camp had long been over, and Demetrius is still helping me.
There is a lot to gain from the MN Pool Bootcamp. However, it is hard to put a price on the ability to text a 730 player for advice and receiving a super smart response in less than an hour.
We live in a time where people are sharing their lives in edited bites on Facebook and Instagram and rarely sharing real things about themselves in an actual in-person interactions. Demetrius is an accomplished pool player, and he shares his life, knowledge, sensibility, and home, honestly and not edited. For me, he is a breath of fresh air. If you have been thinking about attending the MN Pool Bootcamp, do it.
kollegedave
