Totally BS and a display of your passive/aggressive tendencies. You couldn't care less about Stan. You despise him...........remember the PM (PMs.....another one of your "tools") you sent me talking about him?
Just an attempt to soften or halt my recent posting because you know Stan and I are close friends.
I also became a bit intrigued with CJ Wiley talking about his TOI technique or method.
No need to comment on CJ..........we all know that story.
But I was wondering what "insights" are you talking about when it comes to Fran. You've never met her, right?........so no personal lessons. You've never bought anything from her (you've never bought any recent DVD from anyone, right?.....including TOI, right?).
All you have is what she's said on this forum of which the majority is sound advice for all. But all the good stuff I've read is essentially the same thing all the other good instructors are saying.
Can you give us some examples with links of what you consider to be unique insights from Fran. Is one of them her definition of a swipe stroke?
Go with an instructor that was a former "player", I.E. FranCrimi, CJ, & Ray Martin currently holding court in the Carolinas. Bottom line, they've been there & done it, what better place to learn.
The "others", certified, yada, yada. I'm sure there are some good ones, especially for beginners but you know the old adage, Those that can play, do, those that can't, teach. Just my opinion.
I took lessons from Fran when I started. She tweaked my fundamentals. She could have milked me for more lessons but she told me what I needed was table time, competition and periodic check up lessons to make sure I did not develop a bad habit.
A unique insight ? How about the below post she made about how best to improve ? I think this is GOLD.
"it all comes down to a strong work ethic. But the way you improve depends on your personality and what you respond to. You have to find the winning formula for yourself. For example, some players are great observers, and when they see a player do something that interests them, they take it to the practice table and work on it over and over until they figure it out.
Some players learn best when they are under pressure. They will continually jump into competition and will learn how to improve by getting beat up by their opponents. That's extreme learning under fire, but it does have it's merits.
Other players need a structured format to follow or they get confused and frustrated. They may buy a book and start at chapter 1.
Other players like to simply fly by the seat of their pants. They will just play and play and play and let their sub-conscious work it out.
One thing is for sure: You need to put in lots of table time. There's no shortcut there.
What do you like about the learning process? What interests you? What feels more like fun than work? Those questions will help you figure out your personal formula for success"
I think the "link" that would be seen between the 2 is they are both former pro players, no more, no less. That they are "players" who have been tested & proven in elite competitive fields of pro players. While you might think CJ is an embarrassment or whatever negative connotation you seem to have of him it cannot be denied where he's been & what he's done in the game in both tournament play & IMO more importantly, road work for the $. I find it amusing that people he can spot an insufferable amount of weight to want to portray him as a Charlatan.
Brumback for sure.
Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant and Jeremy Jones have had good results with students
I would go with Tor Lowry who does the Zero X.
I have DVDs from many of those listed and Tor is the only one that doesn't have some gimick or short cut.
Just doing the first simple drill that he recommends of shooting thousands of balls into a pocket has really helped me. He has no short cuts, just practice and repetition.
There are those like Ms Crimi that were Master Instructors of the former BCA program before the formation of the Association of the PBI. Even what the PBIA calls 'certified' is actually just a 'recognized' designation as they are 'certified' as recognized. Then there is the actual certified, advance, etc.
If that is the case then why are there different designation levels of PBIA instructors?
There is another here on AZB from whom I have seen very good insights, but does not really promote himself as an instructor even though he is & he goes by SmoothStroke here on AZB.
I would choose Ray Martin, posts here under username ghostball.
Of the choices you limited the voting to, I'd choose C. J. Wiley hands down.
I'm an awesome teacher, and I use shortcuts. What I mean is you would not need a lesson from me, and then six months of drills, and then, maybe, improvement. My students play better, even after one lesson intensive. I like Tor's stuff, too. He is a good communicator.
I would personally use Mr. Shuffet. .
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Just want to mention, I would not use an instructor who promotes one ideology for mechanics, aiming or anything else. I have come to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of many different styles of play - there is definitely no one way to do it. It all comes down to shotmaking, cue ball control, and knowledge - no matter how uniquely or individually a player might achieve these.
Proof? How many instructors would have put up with Efren's erratic stroke, Bustamante's pre shot routine, or Keith McCready's sidearm? Change any of this and you lose a champion!
In a way I view pool like one might view martial arts styles - there's more than one way to kick someone's ass. For example, many instructors would want to shorten Shane's stroke, or lengthen Allen Hopkin's. Ever notice Nick Van Den Berg's massive elbow drop? None of these things seem to hurt these players.
Whatever is effective for that player and gets the job done, is right. I agree that instruction is a fast track to improvement, but rigidity in instruction is certainly not. There is no "secret" as some instructors claim to own. We've fallen behind because there is no real pro circuit here.
Which instructor you need is determined by the level of your play. If you are a beginner, or novice, then any "qualified" instructor can teach you the fundamentals of the game.
If you have reached an A-level, or higher, then you don't need the "cookie board cutter" type of instructor, you need a "pro"' IMHO, to teach you strategies and stuff that the average instructor can't, because they have "never been there, done that".
When it comes to playing at the highest levels for the cash, it would be hard to "beat" somebody with C. J.'s knowledge and experience as an instructor.