What Qualified someone as Qualified Instructor??? In my book it Bologna! If you can teach a youth or anyone .. That Great, because its helping to grow the sport of billiard. But the the question is?? I Taught my kids a survived lesson!
What Qualified someone as Qualifiied Instructor???
- Thread starter billiardshot
- Start date
Students continue to show up. In the military there are different metrics.
When I was 12 years old I walked out in to my back yard and was struck by lightning. If I would have been struck on top of my head it would have killed me. However I was struck at the base of my brain stem. The energy was spread evenly throughout my body and unlocked hidden billiards knowledge that was written in to my dna. After that I have been teaching set pause finish and fractional aiming systems to anyone who will listen. When i go to comic book conventions my lessons on diamond systems get a little awkward but I remain steadfast.
Cool story, bro.
Qualified .... knows exactly what they are doing and knows how to transfer/teach the info?
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
It's kind of a Machiavellian prospect.
1. Make a club/in crowd.
2. Charge money for people to be qualified.
3. Keep outsiders out and imply they are sub par not being "qualified" in an organization.
4. (optional) Be cult like and encourage groupies/disciples of APA 2-5 level to spread tales of your greatness.
It's really that simple. Politics at it's finest.
Now there are good Qualified Instructors, but there are also shit ones that think it's in an APA 2/3's best interest to learn 4 rail kicking routes when they can't even stroke straight.
This is my dilemma when it comes to instructors. I just don't jive with the couple "instructors" we have locally. They are okay but their personality leaves a lot to be desired. Just no chemistry. They try to teach obscure things and systems that I've already brushed into in the past. They don't want to actually shore up the weakest areas of my game first. I'd rather be 5% more accurate on normal shots than to learn a 4 rail escape route that I'll see once every blue moon. It's as if the local instructors purposely teach you in a way to keep them stronger than you. Keep the fish on the hook so to speak.
I'm pretty trash at this game, but another red flag is that if I can beat the instructor in a tournament or for money, it's very hard to take them seriously, especially if there's just no chemistry.
100% Agree! I'm still Racking for 10 cent a rack!
If you possess the following, you are "qualified" in my book:
- Do you possess insight and knowledge the student does not?
- Can you explain and demonstrate the principles and physics that govern the lesson area?
- Can you meet the student where they are in their journey and impart some of that knowledge in a compassionate and meaningful way?
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
I guess I'd like an instructor who actually coaches me on improving my game. Most just show you a system. I'm not impressed with "arcane" knowledge because I've likely read the same books as they have. Our local bona fide instructor teaches wagon wheel drills. That's a great topic for sure, and most students are just amazed and learn "tips of english" and how they equate to hitting diamonds, etc. Problem is, I've studied that for decades thanks to an old book by Ted G. Brown. They want me to re-discover what a tip of english is when I'm already doing that by rote feel at this point.
And it's very difficult to not come off as a know it all when you legitimately know what they are teaching you already. I try to keep the "beginner mindset" and humble myself and listen to see if there's anything to learn. But how many times can one be taught the same drill or system before it becomes a waste of time?
Please look at my game and help figure out why I suck, it's not because of lack of knowledge. I've pretty much resigned myself to HAMB because there aren't any instructors in this part of the world who want to do anything but teach you a system of some type. Like, lets have a weekly lesson for 3 months and we'll cover wagon wheel, next up we'll learn the secrets of the corner 5 system! Please bud, help me with my mental game and concentration, that's where most of my misses come from. A little fundamental polishing couldn't hurt too. But no... let's learn how to hit a kick shot again when you already can't get BIH from me because of my kicking skills.
It's frustrating. I know I suck but I've yet to meet an instructor who can figure it out. I guess I shouldn't be too harsh because I'm not so great either or I would have figured it out myself at this point!
And it's very difficult to not come off as a know it all when you legitimately know what they are teaching you already. I try to keep the "beginner mindset" and humble myself and listen to see if there's anything to learn. But how many times can one be taught the same drill or system before it becomes a waste of time?
Please look at my game and help figure out why I suck, it's not because of lack of knowledge. I've pretty much resigned myself to HAMB because there aren't any instructors in this part of the world who want to do anything but teach you a system of some type. Like, lets have a weekly lesson for 3 months and we'll cover wagon wheel, next up we'll learn the secrets of the corner 5 system! Please bud, help me with my mental game and concentration, that's where most of my misses come from. A little fundamental polishing couldn't hurt too. But no... let's learn how to hit a kick shot again when you already can't get BIH from me because of my kicking skills.
It's frustrating. I know I suck but I've yet to meet an instructor who can figure it out. I guess I shouldn't be too harsh because I'm not so great either or I would have figured it out myself at this point!
Twocylndr
Well-known member
Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach.
That is an absolutely fair criticism. Teaching pool is multi-faceted: I personally break it down into instruction and coaching. Instructing is developing the physical side of the game: stance, bridge, and stroke fundamentals, physics, eye patterns, pre-shot routine, aiming, etc. Coaching is showing someone how to apply those skills to game play situations - it's hard to coach someone very far if they lack the fundamentals. There's actually a third aspect, the mental game, but I haven't yet codified my thoughts on that topic and I don't pretend to understand it well enough to teach it.I guess I'd like an instructor who actually coaches me on improving my game. Most just show you a system. I'm not impressed with "arcane" knowledge because I've likely read the same books as they have. Our local bona fide instructor teaches wagon wheel drills. That's a great topic for sure, and most students are just amazed and learn "tips of english" and how they equate to hitting diamonds, etc. Problem is, I've studied that for decades thanks to an old book by Ted G. Brown. They want me to re-discover what a tip of english is when I'm already doing that by rote feel at this point.
And it's very difficult to not come off as a know it all when you legitimately know what they are teaching you already. I try to keep the "beginner mindset" and humble myself and listen to see if there's anything to learn. But how many times can one be taught the same drill or system before it becomes a waste of time?
Please look at my game and help figure out why I suck, it's not because of lack of knowledge. I've pretty much resigned myself to HAMB because there aren't any instructors in this part of the world who want to do anything but teach you a system of some type. Like, lets have a weekly lesson for 3 months and we'll cover wagon wheel, next up we'll learn the secrets of the corner 5 system! Please bud, help me with my mental game and concentration, that's where most of my misses come from. A little fundamental polishing couldn't hurt too. But no... let's learn how to hit a kick shot again when you already can't get BIH from me because of my kicking skills.
It's frustrating. I know I suck but I've yet to meet an instructor who can figure it out. I guess I shouldn't be too harsh because I'm not so great either or I would have figured it out myself at this point!
Systems absolutely have their place in helping develop skills, but to paraphrase Spock "Logic is only the beginning of wisdom." In other words, they are not the end unto themselves, but rather a starting point. It is unfortunate when instructors get hyper-focused on their particular methodology, it's not an easy trap to escape. Just remember that in the teacher-student relationship, the teacher's only role is to impart information - it is up to the student to decide what to use and incorporate into their own game.
It sounds to me like what you really want is a coach, not an instructor. If you encounter someone you are interested in learning from, be clear in setting those expectations and you might get lucky.
What is a Player Fundamentals The Fundamental that work for Them or the one, someone stated in a video,book,or so call instructors?
Stance alone , have change over the years!
Most players nowaday have a low stance, with their chin basically on their cue
All the old time players stood upright: Mosconi, Crane, Lassiter, they all had like 18 inches between chin and cue. Buddy Hall and Mike Sigel were relatively upright too. I think a lot of snooker fundamentals are working their way into pool: lower stance, fewer closed bridges, more "open" stances. I have to figure that's an improvement.
Keith McCready has an upright stance and kind of a side-arm stroke he developed from learning to play as a kid barely being able to reach the table.
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i used to play with deickamom. does that qualify?
Was That Sober or Drunk.. Or when he was eating his Cookies???
Curly glad you still checking out,AZB
i believe it was all of the above. but he never drank when we were doing a show.
It sounds like you want to have an argument, but you won't get one from me. Every person's body is different and as a result so is everyone's ideal stroke.
What's not different are the physical facts that you must stroke on the intended line, strike the intended spot on the cue ball, and with the proper speed. Your fundamentals are the things that 1) work within your physical constraints to 2) make that happen repeatedly and reliably 3) without breaking down under pressure.
While everyone is different, there are a few consistent concepts that make achieving these goals far easier. A solid athletic stance is one example. Does it matter if you stand up like the old players or scrape your chin with the cue? Nope. What matters is 1) are you well-balanced and not swaying side to side, 2) are you comfortable, 3) can you get into that stance time after time after time, 4) can you see the cue ball and the line of the shot, and 5) can you stroke the cue stick freely? The criteria are the fundamentals, not the appearance - the key therefore is to find a stance within your physical ability that meets these criteria.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
Truth. So many players get caught up in exact angles of this or that and getting the look just right, but if the particular setup they are trying to replicate doesn't fit them they end up with the form but not the function. A particular form can be confused as THE fundamentals, but really any form that fulfills the proper function and gets the stroke to meet the criteria you've outlined (plus a cpl more related to repeatability and precision maybe) are the real fundamentals for that person.
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Not an Argument. Just a point of view!
Qualified or Certified? There are several instructor certificate paths that would make a qualified certified bonafide honest to goodness instructor.