do I need professional lessons

judochoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
hi, new to the forum. been playing daily for at least 2 hours a day for 4 months on a new diamond 7 foot table at my house. I can use left and right spin, can follow and draw well, am starting to really move the cue ball where I want it to go. have watched all of the videos on you tube, picking some of the drills and doing them over and over again.

I now know where I want the cue ball to go after a shot, but when I miss my spot, its either too much speed, or too much spin. I still of coarse have a lot of work to do. in my mind I want just too hit a shot 50 times, to have it my memory, with the right spin and speed. so I want to keep grinding away al least until the first of the year before I join a league.

my question is: do I need a pros help??? I hired a young kid in the first month, and he got me off on a good start, but then he left the state. I have a quote from a local instructor for about 70 a hour.

do I need instruction, or can I just keep practicing daily and my shots and cue ball control will get better on my own?? thanks for any input. judo
 

chadtrent

Registered
My best advice? Go to your local pool room and play any and everyone that you can. Play in some tournaments. Watch people play,

I've never had "professional" instruction, but I can see where that could have some value. To me I learn the best by playing people better than me.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
My best advice? Go to your local pool room and play any and everyone that you can. Play in some tournaments. Watch people play,

I've never had "professional" instruction, but I can see where that could have some value. To me I learn the best by playing people better than me.

I'll go along with this, as well as just watching and observing how good players go about things. I'd say your best path to improvement will involve about 50% practice and 50% observation and actual play.
 

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
I was told Efren Reyes, in his later years thought it was necessary to take coaching lessons.

Its a personal choice and depends on the instructor or coach. Not all instructors are equally effective. You may connect better with some and not others. There are different schools of certified instructors out there. SPF comes to mind.

When I take a lesson, I ask myself will it save me time in realization? When you take a lesson be aware that you may not absorb everything in. Feel free to take notes and ask if you can video tape for later review.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Playing and watching better players is a good thing to do, but I think getting a good instructor to check/correct your fundamentals (preshot routine, stance, stroke, etc.) - especially at the beginning of your development, before you've ingrained all the usual bad habits - is even more important. Watching others can show you the results you want, but it doesn't necessarily tell you what to do (especially what you're doing wrong) to get those results.

pj
chgo
 

judochoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I did play in two local tournaments. both on 9 foot tables. I did not play well because of the length of the tables, and I was nervous as hell. so I know I will have to get out and start playing other people soon. so yes I am going to start to get out and play more with other people.

I know that nerves are a whole chapter I have not even started yet:frown::frown:
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
hi, new to the forum. been playing daily for at least 2 hours a day for 4 months on a new diamond 7 foot table at my house. I can use left and right spin, can follow and draw well, am starting to really move the cue ball where I want it to go. have watched all of the videos on you tube, picking some of the drills and doing them over and over again.

I now know where I want the cue ball to go after a shot, but when I miss my spot, its either too much speed, or too much spin. I still of coarse have a lot of work to do. in my mind I want just too hit a shot 50 times, to have it my memory, with the right spin and speed. so I want to keep grinding away al least until the first of the year before I join a league.

my question is: do I need a pros help??? I hired a young kid in the first month, and he got me off on a good start, but then he left the state. I have a quote from a local instructor for about 70 a hour.

do I need instruction, or can I just keep practicing daily and my shots and cue ball control will get better on my own?? thanks for any input. judo
You haven't mastered the game in 4 months? Most players don't even start experimenting with side spin that soon, so don't be so impatient and set your expectations so high. It's takes years to learn how to play this game, and the biggest transition you'll ever have to make in your progression as a player is trying to maintain your shotmaking accuracy when you start experimenting with side spin for cue ball positioning. A qualified instructor would help, but playing your 2 hours a day in a poolroom with players of various skill levels would be far more valuable than playing by yourself on your home table.
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
do I need instruction, or can I just keep practicing daily and my shots and cue ball control will get better on my own?? thanks for any input. judo
I got to a point where I realized I need professional instruction. I cannot improve on my own. There are some really good competent instructors. Be selective..do your research. Scott Lee is one of our favorites. He is as good as they get. Take his course...you will not regret it. I believe he still travels...maybe he'll come to you. Now is a good time to learn proper habits and drills.

As for nerves....as you play better pool the nerves calm down. Confidence kicks in. Welcome to AZB.
 
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hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
hi, new to the forum. been playing daily for at least 2 hours a day for 4 months on a new diamond 7 foot table at my house. I can use left and right spin, can follow and draw well, am starting to really move the cue ball where I want it to go. have watched all of the videos on you tube, picking some of the drills and doing them over and over again.

I now know where I want the cue ball to go after a shot, but when I miss my spot, its either too much speed, or too much spin. I still of coarse have a lot of work to do. in my mind I want just too hit a shot 50 times, to have it my memory, with the right spin and speed. so I want to keep grinding away al least until the first of the year before I join a league.

my question is: do I need a pros help??? I hired a young kid in the first month, and he got me off on a good start, but then he left the state. I have a quote from a local instructor for about 70 a hour.

do I need instruction, or can I just keep practicing daily and my shots and cue ball control will get better on my own?? thanks for any input. judo

The best use of an instructor or having someone better than you help you is to see what you may be doing wrong that you learned on your own. You can pick up some shots from a lot of places, like watching videos, but with only you there to try them you will not know if your stance and stroke are good when you shoot.

4 months is no time to learn to play pool, at 4 years of play most pool players would not be at the "good" stage yet. I would not worry about having issues with shots, but work on making sure you are shooting the ball properly even on simple shots.

You may want to list your area, there are quite a few instructors on the forums and others that you may not even know that play in the same pool halls as you.
 

judochoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
im in Southern California, near Disney land. the reason I say I have only been playing for 4 months and already can use side spin is because im retired, with nothing but time. and the pool bug has bit me pretty hard. its a good thing, as im off the internet and away from the tv. but playing alone has its draw backs. so I have been able to really put my mind and soul into the game and have really improved in this short time.

im just using trial and error on side spin. but after time i have figured out somewhat:wink:
 

CGM

It'd be a lot cooler if you did.
Silver Member
Hire an instructor to evaluate your stroke and help you set up a pre shot routine. Just know that there is no magic aiming system or potion that will make you good. Play, play, play and then go play people that are way better than you. Its amazing what you can learn by sitting in a chair and watching a good player crush you. Good luck and remember it takes time. 5 years from now you might be respectable.
 

easy-e

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I’ll second what has already been mentioned, do your homework when selecting an instructor. I really enjoyed my lesson with Scott Lee this year. On the other hand, I know an instructor that isn’t qualified to teach someone how to put a cue together. Someone may be qualified on paper, but get to know them and watch them play before enlisting their help on your own game.
 
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bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
hi, new to the forum. been playing daily for at least 2 hours a day for 4 months on a new diamond 7 foot table at my house. I can use left and right spin, can follow and draw well, am starting to really move the cue ball where I want it to go. have watched all of the videos on you tube, picking some of the drills and doing them over and over again.

I now know where I want the cue ball to go after a shot, but when I miss my spot, its either too much speed, or too much spin. I still of coarse have a lot of work to do. in my mind I want just too hit a shot 50 times, to have it my memory, with the right spin and speed. so I want to keep grinding away al least until the first of the year before I join a league.

my question is: do I need a pros help??? I hired a young kid in the first month, and he got me off on a good start, but then he left the state. I have a quote from a local instructor for about 70 a hour.

do I need instruction, or can I just keep practicing daily and my shots and cue ball control will get better on my own?? thanks for any input. judo

i have not read any replies to your post
you do not know what you dont know
you DO NOT WANT TO GET BAD HABITS INTO MUSCLE MEMORY
get an instructor and send me 5% of your winnings...:thumbup:
 
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Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
im in Southern California, near Disney land. the reason I say I have only been playing for 4 months and already can use side spin is because im retired, with nothing but time. and the pool bug has bit me pretty hard. its a good thing, as im off the internet and away from the tv. but playing alone has its draw backs. so I have been able to really put my mind and soul into the game and have really improved in this short time.

im just using trial and error on side spin. but after time i have figured out somewhat:wink:

How far are you from Carlsbad or Temecula?
 

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
There is a whole wolf pack here, ready to take your money at the fastest possible rate. Don't you worry, you can get as much instruction as any person can possibly absorb.

I think the easiest and best thing to do is to post a video of you playing. Then you can get some feedback on what you need to work on.

Personally I have taken lessons several times. All those times I had at least an idea on what I wanted to work on. On one occation the instructor did spot something else that was going on. But anyway, the thing to do, is to take one lesson, work on a couple of things for a while, get back and take 1 more lesson. Taking tons of lessons in a short time probably will overload you and give you less value for money, IMO.
 
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DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Set up a video camera and watch/critique recordings of your playing form. Many great players with incredible natural talent/abilities developed a successful form/style when very young that defies all logic. They were great ‘IN SPITE’ of their mechanical handicap. Since you are starting from scratch, you could avoid that, since proper form instruction is readily available from books, videos, etc.
When you see yourself in a routinely stable stance, repeatedly stroking from a perfect/perpendicular pendulum, with a relaxed/balanced grip, with your eyes shifting to the object ball just as you pull the trigger, and your head staying down until the ball is pocketed, you can then move on to more complex issues.
 
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