How do you qualify to be a instructor?
Are pool schools worth the money?
- Thread starter cwilmeth
- Start date
lol at these so called certified instructors
get a table, a video camera, and a tripod
then get a good instructional book
then hire a pro
get a table, a video camera, and a tripod
then get a good instructional book
then hire a pro
Well there is more than one way that's for sure.
A. To become an instructor you just start giving lessons.
B. To become a BCA Instructor:
1. pass the tests.
2. take a three day course
3. pay your annual dues
4. up-grade your teaching education
5. teach a certain number of students a year
6. report to the Sanctioning Body once a month
After you have done a good job for a couple of years you can re-take more teaching & skills tests. If you pass you can move up a grade.
There must be more, I just can't think straight tonight....it's Christmas eve.
SPF=randyg
Sorry about your attitude....SPF=randyg
And that "pro" would be...
wait for it....
an "instructor"!
And as RandyG and his colleagues are doing what they do for a living, they therefore meet the definition of "professional".
See? Pretty simple.
Amy BCA Rocks
Amy BCA Rocks!
I'm lucky to live in Charlotte NC where many of the WPBA players live. I receive lessons from Kelly Fisher who is a BCA certified instructor. Once a month or so we get together and she checks me on how well I have done learned the previous month's homework. Then we move on to what she, I or my better teammates feel I need to learn next. This method is excellent for me to be able to grasp and execute what I have been taught. I would estimate my monthly homework takes about 15-20 hours for me to be able to properly execute during the month. If this were golf, which I have many more years of playing, then yes I could do a weekend of short game instruction but being fairly new to pool bite sized chunks are perfect for me.
As for watching the better players I have to agree 100%. I play in Kelly and Allison's regional Kwikfire Tour. At one stop this year the final was Kelly vs Allison. Kelly kept up a running dialog with me throughout the match of what the other was going to do next or why they shot the shot they did. Every now and then Allison would add a comment. It was absolutely fantastic. TV doesn’t do these women justice.
Another bonus watching great players is you can focus in on those players who most closely play the game as you do, abet better. Kim Shaw is very strategic in her approach. Her defenses are absolutely killer. I prefer to play strategic /defensive rather than trying to make every ball in sight so I watch Kim play every chance I get. I spent the Atlanta WPBA stop analyzing the table Kim was playing to see how she played out each rack. When I am playing I occasionally mentally replay some of her approaches and think to myself, “How would Kim play this situation?”
I have books and had received pointers here and there but periodic lessons and playing much better players has greatly accelerated my learning the game.
Amy
As for watching the better players I have to agree 100%. I play in Kelly and Allison's regional Kwikfire Tour. At one stop this year the final was Kelly vs Allison. Kelly kept up a running dialog with me throughout the match of what the other was going to do next or why they shot the shot they did. Every now and then Allison would add a comment. It was absolutely fantastic. TV doesn’t do these women justice.
Another bonus watching great players is you can focus in on those players who most closely play the game as you do, abet better. Kim Shaw is very strategic in her approach. Her defenses are absolutely killer. I prefer to play strategic /defensive rather than trying to make every ball in sight so I watch Kim play every chance I get. I spent the Atlanta WPBA stop analyzing the table Kim was playing to see how she played out each rack. When I am playing I occasionally mentally replay some of her approaches and think to myself, “How would Kim play this situation?”
I have books and had received pointers here and there but periodic lessons and playing much better players has greatly accelerated my learning the game.
Amy
Amy BCA Rocks
Amy BCA Rocks!
Thank you Pete 
Amy
Amy
Amy,
I agree that Kelly is a fine coach. She understands the game, and can teach strategy like very few others. When she and Val came to me to go through the instructor certification program, it was perhaps one of the easiest jobs I had. She has also sent students to me since she knows I specialize in teaching fundamentals, and learning to control what the balls will do by learning to control what the shooter does.
The thing that impresses me most about Kelly is her patience, and willingness to share what she knows about the game. While her approach to teaching is different from mine, I agree she has much to offer.
Steve
I agree that Kelly is a fine coach. She understands the game, and can teach strategy like very few others. When she and Val came to me to go through the instructor certification program, it was perhaps one of the easiest jobs I had. She has also sent students to me since she knows I specialize in teaching fundamentals, and learning to control what the balls will do by learning to control what the shooter does.
The thing that impresses me most about Kelly is her patience, and willingness to share what she knows about the game. While her approach to teaching is different from mine, I agree she has much to offer.
Steve
Amy BCA Rocks
Amy BCA Rocks!
Steve I see you are in Charlotte
Where does your wife play APA? Ladies division?
My APA teams are GAME BRED, GAME BRED 9, and Chicks with BIG sticks.
Are you and your wife going to play BCAPL with us?
Amy
Where does your wife play APA? Ladies division?
My APA teams are GAME BRED, GAME BRED 9, and Chicks with BIG sticks.
Are you and your wife going to play BCAPL with us?
Amy
Right now, I'm only playing on 2 teams, both 8 ball express. Deep Purple plays Sundays at Rack Em and Chalk-o-holics Tuesdays at Badfish. Didn't know BCAPL was coming to Charlotte, but I might be interested in that.
My wife was playing out of Rack Em, on Wed APA, but she has taken a couple of sessions off to work on a project she is trying to put together for an animal rescue group.
Steve
My wife was playing out of Rack Em, on Wed APA, but she has taken a couple of sessions off to work on a project she is trying to put together for an animal rescue group.
Steve
For most people - yes
My story: I was an APA 6 (awful) when I was introduced to the SPF method at pool school. I had been playing for 16 years at that point. It took me maybe 2 months to get back to my former level with the improved mechanics and in another 3 or 4 I had jumped a level and moved to BCA (YAY). In the half a dozen years since I have found the SPF method to be a solid base for improving my game. I only play once a week, never gamble etc so my opportunities to improve are limited and I'm still a solid A player capable of playing at a master level when I'm on (consider that master is still below the pro level of course).
What I have seen: Very rarely if a player is dominant in local tournaments or late in life then making corrections to minor mechanics issues may not be advisable. When you have 40 years of experience knowing just how your cue ball reacts to your individual stroke a basic change could set you back but that is really only true if you have a very bad stroke that you have learned to work around. Like someone who always pops the ball instead of stroking it - that person has learned how the cue ball reacts to that pop and may be totally lost when he uses an actual stroke instead.
For 99% of people it is a great idea even if you are already an A player. Consider the evolution of a pro athlete. Growing up and in high school they learn the basic mechanics of their sport. When they get to college they always break these kids down and improve their fundamentals. When these top guys turn pro they again go back and improve their fundamentals even further. Think about how many times you hear about a pro quarterback working on footwork for example (or a lineman).
So many people want to go to pool school and learn a few tricks or special shots - which is fine - but the REAL VALUE is taking your basic mechanics up a level and making it even better than it is today. Note the wording there - making it better. People assume they don't need to improve their mechanics because they play well already and they balk at the idea of making changes to something so basic about their game. You use your fundamental stroke mechanics on nearly every shot so a minor improvement can pay huge dividends.
As for picking an instructor, make sure to ask if they have written material to help you practice what they teach after the lesson. I've intentionally taken lessons from a number of different people to see how and what they teach. The guy who shows you 20 great shots in an hour but won't slow down for you to even make your own notes is not giving you anything since all the knowledge will be lost almost immediately. Review of what is taught is absolutely critical for getting the value out of the material.
Craig
My story: I was an APA 6 (awful) when I was introduced to the SPF method at pool school. I had been playing for 16 years at that point. It took me maybe 2 months to get back to my former level with the improved mechanics and in another 3 or 4 I had jumped a level and moved to BCA (YAY). In the half a dozen years since I have found the SPF method to be a solid base for improving my game. I only play once a week, never gamble etc so my opportunities to improve are limited and I'm still a solid A player capable of playing at a master level when I'm on (consider that master is still below the pro level of course).
What I have seen: Very rarely if a player is dominant in local tournaments or late in life then making corrections to minor mechanics issues may not be advisable. When you have 40 years of experience knowing just how your cue ball reacts to your individual stroke a basic change could set you back but that is really only true if you have a very bad stroke that you have learned to work around. Like someone who always pops the ball instead of stroking it - that person has learned how the cue ball reacts to that pop and may be totally lost when he uses an actual stroke instead.
For 99% of people it is a great idea even if you are already an A player. Consider the evolution of a pro athlete. Growing up and in high school they learn the basic mechanics of their sport. When they get to college they always break these kids down and improve their fundamentals. When these top guys turn pro they again go back and improve their fundamentals even further. Think about how many times you hear about a pro quarterback working on footwork for example (or a lineman).
So many people want to go to pool school and learn a few tricks or special shots - which is fine - but the REAL VALUE is taking your basic mechanics up a level and making it even better than it is today. Note the wording there - making it better. People assume they don't need to improve their mechanics because they play well already and they balk at the idea of making changes to something so basic about their game. You use your fundamental stroke mechanics on nearly every shot so a minor improvement can pay huge dividends.
As for picking an instructor, make sure to ask if they have written material to help you practice what they teach after the lesson. I've intentionally taken lessons from a number of different people to see how and what they teach. The guy who shows you 20 great shots in an hour but won't slow down for you to even make your own notes is not giving you anything since all the knowledge will be lost almost immediately. Review of what is taught is absolutely critical for getting the value out of the material.
Craig
Yep.. Just quoted myself...
All of you folks out there knocking personal instruction do understand that it is the model for education worldwide.....
I understand in the olden days you had to teach yourselves.... but even Moses got a written guide given to him... ala Ray Martin's 99 Critial Shots... so he could teach those that would get nada from the written word PERSONALLY....
If you can afford the time and the cost for the lessons, and you keep hitting a wall on your own.... Yes! The schools are worth it....