Dr. Dave is the only person in these threads on CTE who can, and does, actually back up anything he says. He has invested hundreds of hours in research, testing and proving billiards physics, and then documented every bit of it through his book, dvd's, articles, and website. He has also invested a considerable amount of time researching CTE in an effort to make it something that is understandable and useful to the rest of us; but before he can do that, he first must make sure it really exists. So far, he hasn't received any help on that from CTE's proponents. Could that be because they really don't have anything of substance to offer?
I, too, would like to learn the truth about CTE, but I simply don't have the time to study it that thoroughly right now so I'm hoping Dr. Dave will uncover the answers for me here. Please keep up the good work, Dave.
Roger
With all due respect Roger, and with all due respect to Dr. Dave whom I also respect very much for his work, if he does not have the COMPLETE information on something that works for so many then why not invest the time to go to the source?
All these years Dr. Dave could have gone to see Hal Houle. He could have gone to the source and documented his trip. Hal let Scott Lee videotape the session so there is no reason to think that he wouldn't let Dr. Dave do it.
Frankly I see no point in putting up information about CTE, or any other method of aiming when it is incomplete.
Hal Houle, for reasons of his own has asked those of us who received lessons from him not to publish the details of his systems. Despite that it is EXTREMELY hard to proclaim that you have a great new way to aim but you aren't allowed to describe or diagram it. So despite what Hal has asked some of the system's specifics have made it on the web.
Ok that sucks because incomplete information only makes the situation worse.
But IF Dr. Dave KNOWS that the information is incomplete then don't put it out there. My page would say - "CTE - information incomplete at this time" and that's it.
Then I would hop on a plane and go see the person responsible for bringing CTE to the world. THEN at least Dr. Dave could say that he had really gathered all the possible information on the subject and he could take that firsthand knowledge back to the lab and work on it.
Then he and Dave Segal could have a discussion that is not acrimonious.
I find that comparing CTE and like systems to snake oil as Dr.Dave does to be hitting below the belt. The comments are acidic and not needed.
Both Dr. Dave and Dave Segal are searching for the answers in pool. Dr. Dave finds it with his high speed film and working with Tom Ross and others and Dave Segal finds it in studying under Hal Houle and analyzing what the pros do and even going so far as to ask them.
Other top instructors have chimed in that they teach variations of CTE or CTE-based systems.
Are all of these people deluded and stupid? I mean I could agree that I am deluded and stupid because I am not a certified instructor on any level. I am a B-player on my good days and a low A on my best days and a C-player on most other days. So I can safely say that I know enough of Hal's systems to convince me that they work and am too lazy to invest enough time to find out why.
But when you have people like Randy Goetlicher, Tom Simpson, Stan Shuffet, and Scott Lee saying that it works then maybe it's time to listen and go figure out WHY they say it works. All of these people are pool instruction gurus of the highest order.
Dave Segal isn't. He isn't a certified BCA instructor. He hasn't written a book or made any DVDs. He hasn't won anything. He is just a guy who is totally fascinated by a system that works and tries to explain it to the rest of us as best he can without violating Hal's request.
If I were on the path to becoming the preeminent billiard instructional scholar which I believe Dr. Dave is becoming then I would certainly go to the ends of the Earth seeking out every source of such systems. Especially when such systems generate such fanatical devotees.
And this isn't just belief in homeopathic remedies - it's people who make things happen on the pool table - real tangible shots, the holy grail of pool, making balls go in the hole.
That's my take on it. I wish that Dave and Dave would agree to meet at Hal's house (probably not possible now that Hal has sold his table) or would have agreed years before to do this.
Sadly Hal will probably pass away without Dr. Dave ever having met him and at least getting his information from the source.
However, Dr. Dave can do the next best thing and go see Dave Segal. Wouldn't that be worth it instead of 10 million more words denouncing each other?
