You can't get feedback from a book or video
Please excuse my Bogart, but I need to say more.
Pool players share a deep and passionate love for a game. The pool bug bit me as a young child when my cousin got a pool table for Christmas. Funny thing was, us kids couldn't get near it until the grownups got through playing. But, you know what, we kids waited and watched, fascinated, because our dads and uncles were cutting up and have much more fun than usual, transported, I suspect, to the faraway tables of youth.
Next, pool halls are places of instruction. Most of what I know about pool was told to me by an older or better player. A lot of my knowledge resulted from someone watching what I was doing wrong and then taking the time to explain my error to me. A lot of younger players apparently learn the finer points from cds and youtube. In some ways it is a great thing to have such a vast amount of information easily available, but I cannot help feeling something is being lost.
Great books and video's out there but the books and video, even the forums, will never tell you that you are jerking your arm or making other mistakes. That houseman will make a gentle comment to somebody struggling to see if they are open to suggestions. If they want help they will get it, if they don't they will only get enough to keep them from abusing the equipment.
The "houseman" in my memory was a retired roughneck from the oilfield that owned a pool hall. I spent many hours in there every week and being young with a fondness for beer I spent a lot of money. Also, since I brought friends the young crowd tended to center on me. Others came with me, I came alone or with friends, I didn't care. Gradually he started helping me a little. Since the only people I had seen him help were out and out bangers and he just helped to keep his equipment from being destroyed I resented the insult when he helped me.
He never helped "me" again! However, once or twice a session he would come over and "show the person I was playing" something, often something they had no hope of executing. When I would do it later in that session or one soon following I would look over to the counter and catch his grin.
Good house men and ladies, people who care, will still make or break businesses. Those just putting in hours at a job will break a business. A sense of community is what brings people to one place instead of many other choices. As my old post early in this thread mentioned, I drove past many places to get to "the" place, Buffalo's. I can't remember ever going in there without him stopping to say hello. He always asks how it is going, I always say something to indicate it is going badly. We both know what is coming, I have never admitted to having a great night in my life! He will always scoff, indicating he knows I am playing well whether I am or not. It is a well ironed dance we play.
I have moved a long ways from Buff's now. I miss it and always drop in when I go to the doctor in town. Between covid and having a rough day I skipped Buff's my last trip through town. Hopefully all this will be over and I'll catch him next trip. I'll get the same greeting as always, just like I had been in there the day before instead of six months ago.
There is a place down the road thirty miles or so showing promise. If it survives covid I'll pay it a few more visits. Seems like good people, thirteen Diamonds but twelve are seven footers. I go in early, so far I have always got the nine. Seven foot Diamonds aren't exactly bad but I favor pocket apiece.
Hu