Pool School (I'm assuming you're talking about Randy G's) and a follow-up private lesson with Scott Lee changed my game for the better and forever. It was money well spent, glad I did it when I had the money to spend. YMMV.
Opinions on Pool School
- Thread starter travis13
- Start date
pool school
I attended the georgia billiard accademy last mounth I thought my stroke was ok so I trhought ever thing would be a snap after chris video my stroke I saw what a mess it was that was the first thing he change and after that first day I too thought that I had wasted my money but by the niddle of the next day things started to come around I think it took that longe because of my age and inabality and maybe a little hard headness but left there on day three a lot better player than I was on day one my friends were realy amazed at my raisaed of level of play I sugest to any one to go to a ceterified instructor it will be worth your time and money thanks chris for your help
I attended the georgia billiard accademy last mounth I thought my stroke was ok so I trhought ever thing would be a snap after chris video my stroke I saw what a mess it was that was the first thing he change and after that first day I too thought that I had wasted my money but by the niddle of the next day things started to come around I think it took that longe because of my age and inabality and maybe a little hard headness but left there on day three a lot better player than I was on day one my friends were realy amazed at my raisaed of level of play I sugest to any one to go to a ceterified instructor it will be worth your time and money thanks chris for your help
Lexicologist71...That is a sad commentary indeed, and if things happened just the way you described them (and I have no reason to doubt you), that school was a waste of time and money. There is only one stroke in pool. You learn to use it many different ways...but there is still only one stroke. The mark of a good instructor is patience, knowledge, and GREAT communication skills (which require the instructor to gear his/her instruction to the individual student). SPF schools are well known for all these positive traits.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
'Brian...If the OP's friend is indeed attending pool school with Denny, he/she is in for a great learning opportunity!
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
First and foremost, make sure you are setting up a lesson with a qualified instructor. Denny S. of Ohio Pool School definitely is.
As someone pointed out, getting quality lessons early on will provide a solid foundation for your game. Some of the things that will be taught are the kinds of things that could take someone years or even decades to figure out on their own.
I have been around pool for over 40 years. I saw Denny recently at SBE and in a matter of fifteen minutes of watching me play he made some excellent observations and suggestions for me. If he can teach an old dog like me a couple of new tricks, imagine what he can do with a pup in three days. :thumbup:
And that frozen cue/object ball magic bankshot he taught me was stupendous.
To the op; your friend has made an excellent decision to go to Ohio Pool School.
Please update us on when he's completed the course.
Best,
Brian kc
IMO Pool School is where newer players should begin, if they are serious.
I like Stan and the SPF team
I like Stan and the SPF team
My answer was in response to a question about 3 days of concentrated instruction vs a once a week snack.
I used to teach skiing, so my answer is backed by experience.
It's like asking: Should I buy one tool a week and let it gather dust, or buy the complete set and learn how to use them all competently through hard work and no distractions?
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I think that's a good decision.
Time will tell. I think it's a good decision also. It's not all about the School, it's what you do with it later.
randyg
Good point. If a half a dozen students come together and go through pool school together, and 5 of them find their game has improved 6 months later, and 1 is still at the same level, you gotta think the difference isn't in what they were presented at the school, but what they did with it after they got home.
Pool school gives students the tools, but the students need to use the tools the way they are intended to be used.
Steve
Pool school gives students the tools, but the students need to use the tools the way they are intended to be used.
Steve
Great point, Randy. I always tell people that it's like building a house. I'll supply some of the knowledge, tools, and materials, but YOU have to willing to pick up the hammer and pound the nails into the wood. Also, if you don't have a firm foundation for your house (strong fundamentals) ... your game will crumble PRIOR to every storm, regardless of how indestructible your roof is.
:wink:
While I am a fervent proponent of pool instruction; I am struck by the superficiality of the discussion so far.
Pool instruction is unquestionably of value; and good instruction can dramatically shorten and "ease" the process of becoming proficient (though it will NOT be short and will NOT be easy).
BUT, I hear little discussion from student or instructor about the more important issue of HOW MUCH instruction. While a couple of days at pool school will be great, I do not believe that any player will become a pro with just a single school. I do believe that regular lessons (probably every 2 months or so for 2 or 3 years - with DEDICATED AND FOCUSED practice in between) would be the minimum to get the true benefit of what a good instructor has to offer.
If you really want to become a good player; think hard about a series of lessons over a couple of years.
I would be interested to hear what the instructors have to say about this issue. Too many players on this forum are taking a lesson here or a lesson there and then pontificating on the value of pool instruction. If pool is to flourish, then systematic, longer term instruction will be necessary to increase the meager pool of highly proficient players. JMO.
Pool played well is more fun than pool played poorly. Just a fact Jack.
Pool instruction is unquestionably of value; and good instruction can dramatically shorten and "ease" the process of becoming proficient (though it will NOT be short and will NOT be easy).
BUT, I hear little discussion from student or instructor about the more important issue of HOW MUCH instruction. While a couple of days at pool school will be great, I do not believe that any player will become a pro with just a single school. I do believe that regular lessons (probably every 2 months or so for 2 or 3 years - with DEDICATED AND FOCUSED practice in between) would be the minimum to get the true benefit of what a good instructor has to offer.
If you really want to become a good player; think hard about a series of lessons over a couple of years.
I would be interested to hear what the instructors have to say about this issue. Too many players on this forum are taking a lesson here or a lesson there and then pontificating on the value of pool instruction. If pool is to flourish, then systematic, longer term instruction will be necessary to increase the meager pool of highly proficient players. JMO.
Pool played well is more fun than pool played poorly. Just a fact Jack.
Pool School
I think for a lot of folks a Pool School is a fine thing. They have probably run out of ideas to help their own game and want to try something new. I to think its a bit pricey but sometimes you cant find personal instructors in your area that actually play well enough to be able to spot flaws in your fundamentals. Quite honestly unless you are paying for your instruction sometimes its just hard for people to listen and if youre paying someone with experience well that can add up to a lot of listening and it will help your game.
336Robin :thumbup:
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com
http://274928807619529663.weebly.com/ booksite
I think for a lot of folks a Pool School is a fine thing. They have probably run out of ideas to help their own game and want to try something new. I to think its a bit pricey but sometimes you cant find personal instructors in your area that actually play well enough to be able to spot flaws in your fundamentals. Quite honestly unless you are paying for your instruction sometimes its just hard for people to listen and if youre paying someone with experience well that can add up to a lot of listening and it will help your game.
336Robin :thumbup:
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com
http://274928807619529663.weebly.com/ booksite
WillieB...You make a valid point, but you also have to consider the goals of the individuals involved. I have had students take my class in a weekend, I've had them take it over a period of a few weeks, and I've had them take it in 1 to 2 hour segments over several months. Both ways can be effective, but the weekend imersion seems to be the choice of most students. Some of that may be due to the ease of scheduling.
The difference in success really depends on the individual. Some people are motivated enough to take a weekend worth of school and work with it on their own. Others find that having a coach help them work through it works better.
But, the individual goals makes a difference as well. I ask all my students what they hope to accomplish from instruction. The answers range from becoming more consistent, raising their skill level in a league, or just wanting to learn the right way to play. It is extremely rare that someone will answer that they want to become a professional pool player. Those few who do, know they will benefit from continuous ongoing instruction.
More often than not, the better players will take the weekend class, and then call me back in a few months to schedule some follow-up lessons.
Personally, I try to participate in schools at least every two years. I have worked with several different instructors, including 4 different Master instructors. My initial class...a 3 day class with RandyG provided the greatest percentage of my personal game improvement, but every following class has given me something new to add.
So I guess the point of all this is that I always want to learn more. I didn't learn everything in one class, but it sure got me going in the right direction. When we stop learning, we might as well stop playing.
Steve
The difference in success really depends on the individual. Some people are motivated enough to take a weekend worth of school and work with it on their own. Others find that having a coach help them work through it works better.
But, the individual goals makes a difference as well. I ask all my students what they hope to accomplish from instruction. The answers range from becoming more consistent, raising their skill level in a league, or just wanting to learn the right way to play. It is extremely rare that someone will answer that they want to become a professional pool player. Those few who do, know they will benefit from continuous ongoing instruction.
More often than not, the better players will take the weekend class, and then call me back in a few months to schedule some follow-up lessons.
Personally, I try to participate in schools at least every two years. I have worked with several different instructors, including 4 different Master instructors. My initial class...a 3 day class with RandyG provided the greatest percentage of my personal game improvement, but every following class has given me something new to add.
So I guess the point of all this is that I always want to learn more. I didn't learn everything in one class, but it sure got me going in the right direction. When we stop learning, we might as well stop playing.
Steve
I think many folks believe getting a lesson is like, I don't know, maybe being knighted or something. IOW, you get the lesson and instantaneously you are a better player. Maybe, at a very low level, this is somewhat true, but the lesson is really more like a local giving a traveler directions to get closer to where they want to go. The lesson does not magically transport you to your final destination. The road must still be traveled, moving one foot in front of the other, sometimes uphill, sometimes through bad weather. But, if you faithfully followed the directions, you do get closer to where you want to go.
I think there is an issue with three days of intense instruction. Namely that it is almost impossible for the student to absorb, digest and usefully put into practice all that info. OTOH, maybe as a beginning player it's good to get an overview and three days is a good thing. I do think one key element is that if you choose to do the pool school thing you do it at a time in your schedule when you can immediately thereafter spend several hours a day, for several days, practicing and implementing what you've learned before it slips away. Just looking back on my personal experience and how I might have liked to learned, I think a session with a coach/instructor once a week for three weeks, with regular practice in between, would be the way I'd go. Then follow up sessions every six months where you check your progress and then build upon what you've accomplished.
Lou Figueroa
Thanks Lou and Steve for the input.
I think that pool is an intricate enough game, that even if the player does not want to play at a pro level they would do well to have ongoing instruction at least during the initial phase of learning.
A beginning golfer will be lucky to achieve even intermediate status with 2 years of lessons and practice...I'm thinking pool is similar.
I know far too many players who had great initial enthusiasm for pool; but lost it when they couldn't beat Efren after 6 months of diligent banging on their home table. At least some of them could have become decent players with some guidance.
Until pool gets in the high schools (where it belongs...as a practical application of physics and geometry), and develops a culture of players who realize the benefits of structured instruction; pool will never reach widespread popularity.
Playing well is more fun than playing poorly...I think I said that...
I think that pool is an intricate enough game, that even if the player does not want to play at a pro level they would do well to have ongoing instruction at least during the initial phase of learning.
A beginning golfer will be lucky to achieve even intermediate status with 2 years of lessons and practice...I'm thinking pool is similar.
I know far too many players who had great initial enthusiasm for pool; but lost it when they couldn't beat Efren after 6 months of diligent banging on their home table. At least some of them could have become decent players with some guidance.
Until pool gets in the high schools (where it belongs...as a practical application of physics and geometry), and develops a culture of players who realize the benefits of structured instruction; pool will never reach widespread popularity.
Playing well is more fun than playing poorly...I think I said that...
Take the lessons, practice is only useful if you have an understanding of the fundamentals. I read lots of books, but it wasn't until I took lessons that some of the concepts became "real". I don't know the price, but the value of a good instructor is hard to put a price on. I went the 2-3 hours every couple of months route. I get some practice, see what is working, what isn't, then get to go over with someone who knows how to help me improve. If there was a three day class close by, I might go for it. I am unlearning a lot of information that turned out to be well meaning but either out and out wrong or stopped before it got to the point where I would have actually benefitted from it. Good luck, John