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You know, I agree with that. But I think the phenomenon you describe is mostly happening in Europe and Asia, and it mostly involves beginning players, and encouragements toward constructive practice, etc. Put a bunch of young kids in a structured environment that appreciates pool and you're...

I wonder if you really meant to say that. Yes, I agree: most of the value IS in the mind of the purchaser--i.e., there's actually minimal OBJECTIVE value. Most of the "value" is subjective, e.g., the student claims to be "satisfied."

The number of pros is a function of the amount of money that's in the game, the number of pool halls available in towns, and people's general impression of pool. If a pro could win 20 million bucks by winning a tournament, and every mamma wanted her sons and daughters to be great pool players...

My point is that I don't like it when people see great players and say (or think) "well, he has natural talent. That's why he's so good." One of the things I have always LOVED about pool is that, generally, the abilities it requires seem to be in the possession of MOST, or at least MANY people...

Yeah. I learned in a pool hall. Whaddya think, somebody folded their arms around me and showed me how to stroke :D I didn't say instruction has to be bad. I'm trying to say that people are becoming "instruction crazy" and think it can easily solve all their problems. And I'm saying that just...

And did he "get better?" And was his improvement actually due to the instruction? If you (or Stevie himself) think you know the answers to those questions it's only because you confuse fact with opinion, and are inexperienced in discerning between the two. That's the point I've been trying to...

That's exactly correct. So one thing we CAN KNOW then (amongst a subject where it's difficult to really know ANYTHING with certainty), is that it's possible to learn to play very well without receiving instruction. I think it's VERY IMPORTANT for people to at least THINK ABOUT that fact for...

I guess you didn't read my post where I referred to "technical learning" as benefiting from teachers. It would be more interesting to discuss these things if you actually bothered to read and understand what I posted in response to your posts (which I did read).

I was under the impression that Stevie Moore was already a pro when he met Stan. Am I wrong? As for Allison Fisher (or other women), I agree: women like to seek out instruction--and it's often to their benefit. I also think the rise of Asian players is due to early instruction. Instructions to...

I don't completely disagree with that. Afterall, there are probably lots of people who would pay the fee just to have someone pay attention to them for a few hours! So, for them, it's surely worth it. My overall problem is with some general, widespread cultural ideas that seem to be on the...

Golf, as we all know, is a completely different level. But sure, I'm not saying that NOBODY ever paid ANYBODY for pool lessons thirty years ago. But it was not common. It was not a "standard part" of pool. Thirty years ago if you wanted to play the violin you took violin lessons; if you wanted...

Just my observations. They may be a little old, though. None of the strong players I've ever known has had lessons. As I talked about in an earlier post, the phenomenon of "lessons for everything" is a relatively new one. Thirty or more years ago "pool lessons" were virtually unknown as a...

Thanks for the answer. I agree with a lot of it, especially: "We don't anoint ourselves Instructors, we earn the right to teach. We work through the process to get it right." I would add, though, that while it should be possible for an instructor to "earn the right to teach," it wouldn't be...

I'd like to remind you that name-calling is against the forum rules. Why not try to contribute something more useful than name-calling? If you don't like my ideas, try refuting them.

OK, I'm just assuming here. RandyG posts his picture, and he hardly looks like he's in his twenties. I'm assuming he's been playing for a long time, and that even as a young player he played pretty well (or else why make a lifelong career from pool). Was "pool school" a big thing thirty years...

I've gotten numerous responses in this vein. So I'll respond (only briefly, because it's not worth much time to address this issue). NO. There are no requirements of ability for instructors. And the points I've tried to raise in this thread DOES NOT DEPEND ON THAT POSITION. The important...

As always, such statements are general (and my original quote used the phrase "almost invariably"). Instead of trying to provide a full answer to your question (well, OK, I know NOTHING about your personal aspirations), let me ask a question: What proportion of your personal playing ability is...

The part I put in bold, in your quote above, shows that you haven't really read and understood what I've posted. I'll repeat it for you: Our "culture" has developed in a manner such that there are "instructors" for everything....all without any good evidence whatsoever whether that's actually an...

No. Nothing means "they can't" help you. The question is what means they CAN help you? That question is not as easy to accurately answer as you seem to believe.

I agree. My question relates to whether there ARE good instructors, and how to tell whether one is good. I'm not aware of any objective method of determining those things. But also, I would disagree that going even to a "good" instructor (whatever that might be, or without considering if you...