Advice Needed!!

EnragedCueBall

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:) Hello this is like my second post , you guys are the best seriously, in my first post i explained that im a " ok " player meaning i can manage cue ball control and make some shots, and i asked why i cant run a table, you guys were absolutely the best in giving me ideas, it turned out to be that i can run out of 10 racks probably two now. ANYWAYS my question now is im considering taking a few pool lessons from a guy named Bob Neil, i came across him through Richard Hsu's website, since i have a custom cue made by Richard i called them up and gave my info, so im just waiting for Bob Neil to call me and schedule some classes, i wanted to get some advice meanwhile. Thank you so Much.
 
When you get your lesson(s) first thing he'll start doing is pointing out your bad habits. Head not low enough , cue not level during your shot ect. One of the hardest things is correcting bad habits. I walked in the pool room the other day during a guys lesson and first thing I saw was he was riding his thumb on top of the butt of his cue. I told the instructor and he said yea I've told him 10 times before you walked in (Get your thumb off the top of the cue) What ever his name was ..... If Your going to spend money on lessons Listen to your instructor........And get your moneys worth ... Bill
 
supergreenman said:
I think it's also important to make up a list of things you want to achieve from your lessons.
...and after the lesson(s), take notes of what you learned so it doesn't go through one ear and out the other! :)
 
Heh, UNlearning bad habits is one of the toughest things to do.

I'm still trying to NOT do things I was doing last year when I took some lessons from this one guy and he showed me what I was doing wrong and how to correct them. I *do* do the correct things much more often than not now, but as I start to run balls, I have a tendancy to revert back to old habits. Meh :(

To the OP - if you have a camcorder, or can borrow one from a friend - take it with you and tape your lessons for later review. You'll be amazed what you'll see yourself doing from the outside. Maybe your instructor guy offers this as part of the coaching? Does he have his own camera? If he doesn't, see if he will do the filming (i.e. instead of setting the camera up on a tripod or on a table in a fixed spot).
 
Thank You

Im soo exited, i have soo much respect for this game. I take my cue to work and after work i go straight to Masters Billiards in Queens Blv. Actually im going there right now. I cant wait to take classes, hey btw thanks for the advices guys.. Maybe when i get semi-pro i can play with you guys.
 
when you get to semi pro you will be most of "these" guys..ha ha ha ha ha

but on a real note..i take lessons from Bernie Kirby a really great player here in Richmond Va. and the one thing he asked of me was to not to stop learning....he had other young guys who wanted to play as good as he did they would eventually get better under him and then when he went to instruct them they would tell him...things like "i dont like doing it that way" or "why do i have to shoot it that way" ,,, he would stop teaching them at that moment...remember this saying ... a smart man knows that he has more to learn...only an idiot thinks he knows everything.
 
I took a lesson from a really good player here in the northwest and thought the knowledge that I learned from the lesson was great and I learned a lot but so far I have taken a huge step back into my game. Which he explained to me but I found that it gets really frustrating to see my game fall so far after taking. All this is because of breaking bad habits, so be prepared for the roller coaster and remember you will prolly get worse befor you get better
 
Great Posts guys. Here is some good info on The Edge that Tom Simpson wrote.

Tom Simpson posted a article in the Inside Pool Mag. and old issue that i was reading up on again as it has the article on Niels. I 'am going to quote it for i think its some good reading.

There is no escaping doing the work, The edge is available in several dimensions, superior fundamentals, clearer, better knowledge, more effective practice, and engaged exposed to higher level play.

Read and watch good material
Be very picky about what you choose to believe from materials you read and videos you watch. Great players are not necessarily great teachers. In fact, many great players have beliefs about what they're doing that are wrong, from a physics perspective. They can get whatever results they want on the table, but their belief about how they are doing it may not be true. Place your faith in the science types for why things work the way they do and in the great players for how to play smart and how to win. But be skeptical.

Practice the right things in the right way
Set aside small amounts of time to work on the worst parts of your game, and do it iwth all the focus you can bring to bear. Start with an easy version of what you're working on and gradually make it more challenging as you improve. Don't practice failure.

Make good use of training aids
Seeing yourself on video is usually a vvery surprising experience. Most players immediately see things that could be improved. Try working with a practice cue ball, and try to believe what it shows you. Work through drills that look promising.

Find a good instructor
There is no substitute for hands on help and guidance. Ask around, instructors with advanced certifications usually have alot of teaching experience, and they would not have gotten all that experience if they weren't helping players get better. Good instructors have curriculums that take you through a planned series of learning and practicing in an organized way. If someone just wants to watch you hit some balls and then show you how they would have done it, you're probably in the wrong place. Ask some questions and see whether their answers make sense to you. If you find a good instructor, it will be the best money you'll ever spend on your game. Spending $600 on yet another new cue is not going to raise your game. Spending $600 on serious, proven instruction will make more difference then you can imagine. For the rest of your pool life.


Engage your brain
Actively try to predict and understand what happens at the table. Watch the best players you can find. Think about why they make the choices they make an dhow and why their shot to shot results are what they are.

There is way more to this game than people think. You don't know what you don't know, and theres alot of it. We need every edge we can get. Make your learning time and your practice time cound. The gains will eventually show up in your game.
 
Did you do a search on my User ID again?

Reading your post TCA is helping me get back into stroke.

Thank you very much
 
I can add one thing to what is already said. If the instructor will allow it you should record on Video tape your lessons for future reference. It's almost impossible to remember all you are told.
 
Do not try and impress the instructor with your knowledge of pool - that will be obvious to him/her.

Keep your mouth closed and your ears open. Keep an open mind.

Remember, you are paying him to pick his brain not to teach him what you know.

After the session is over is when you can try and impress him/her and critique the lesson.

Jake
 
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