Balance problems swaying in my stance

Donny Lutz said:
To your point #2...

I don't remember ever suggesting that one should have more weight on the front foot...in fact many of the Hall of Famers did just the opposite.

You may be thinking of what I said about the weight shifting to the front foot on a power break.
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That sounds correct to me, Donny. "I've gotta quit drinking!"

And I bet I have to check my own balance at the tables, I probably have both my feet planted as usual... in mid-air!
 
PS. It must have been "the balance point" ad running at the top of this page sometimes that confused me! LOL.

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BilliardsAbout said:
PS. I see there are still some issues other than the teaching itself, for which I apologize. When I first arrived at AZ, I must have seemed both arrogant and self-defensive. That's not who I am and I apologize for my bull-in-a-china shop introduction. I got off on the wrong foot with a number of people here and I believe I've patched up with all of them except you and CJ--and I recommended his products and teaching again last month on About and I don't think I've ever directly or indirectly criticized him or his teaching at AZ or About, so I hope you will both read this with a grain of salt. (I tend to only visit Ask The Instructor and Aim subforums because of busy scheduling and haven't seen CJ post in some time. Is he doing okay?)

I just looked again at my About.com official biography page where it says "Billiards Expert". I apologize for any confusion. That isn't a term I would use lightly. ALL About Experts--over 1,000 of them in the English and Spanish languages alone, are labeled as "experts" on the current About sites rather than the former "About Guides". Not my label. It is now a "pizza expert" and not "pizza guide" and so forth, however, About.com demands competency for their experts/guides, yes. Also, as you know, I do mostly teach at About.com rather than provide TV scheduling or color commentary, etc. 90% of my posts plus are lessons I teach and/or have learned from real experts like yourself.

I would say I'm not a billiards expert and here is why:

* I've only taught pool for 27 years--and like any teacher, there is a big learning curve and trial-and-error there--a lot of trial-and-error.

* I've only published one pool book and one three-hour DVD lesson rather than a series of books or DVDs like most experts have.

* I've only done so many magazine columns and ringside event coverages, etc.

* I've only worked on some pool products now on the market or in development--I've been working for a while with a genius on another continent who has two pool products coming that could be world-changing! And I've designed an item I'm thinking of patenting (I finished all my patent designs and official renderings) and I've worked with several pool inventors.

I do teach pool, yes, including some long-distance travel to meet players. If you are looking for references for my personal character and knowledge base my students would enthusiastically give referrals. If you are looking for professional references for my knowledge base, I would refer you to Steve Lillis, Dominic Esposito, Tom Kennedy, Mike Massey, Tom Rossman, Tom Simpson, Ken Tewksbury, and some others. They would say I'm a standup guy, well spoken and knowledgeable about pool. One of the highlights of my entire life, let alone my pool life, was doing some trick shot shows with Mike and having him tell me I did shots he'd never seen before that he really appreciated. That felt as good as doing ten lessons for ten students and fixing their games! Again, I'm not a trick shot expert, either--I have a list of ten trick shots I want to practice and get right soon.

Donny Lutz is the expert who corrects my teaching, concepts and presentation the most, then again, he knows more about pool and life and many things than you and I, Fran, put together, but he's also been teaching pool longer than you or I have been alive! He was named to P&B's Top 20 pool teachers and rightly so--because his mind, his strategy, his teaching concepts are phenomenal. I've played pool with the man for fifteen-plus years and I ask him questions AND he (kindly!) lectures me, and I still don't know some of the moves he makes and shots and so on. Awesome! If I could "download" his pool mind, I'd go up two balls in playing ability!

I'm saying I'm not a pool expert like Donny Lutz, but if you ask Donny, who has been my friend for many years, he will affirm I'm a kind person who wouldn't hurt a fly (I know my avatar looks a little grumpy and I've thought of changing it).

So, I'd like to bury the hatchet but if this isn't scratching where you are itching or I've done something else stupid to offend you, please send me a PM? It has been bothering me for some months now that, well, all the pool teachers here seem to rip on each other (I include me in that list because I know how it can SEEM to be a rip even if it isn't meant to be) and I've had a fantasy about getting all the teachers and gurus to a private conference to share and harmonize. With a fraction of a fraction of pool players taking lessons at all, there are more than enough students going around and without naming, say, aim systems, if two or three of the people who insist their secret/not-so-secret aim system is the best (including me, I've got my own, too!) I can only imagine how amazing all that knowledge base would be. If I had a time machine, this thread would be you and I or you and some other teacher helping the student and each other more. I learn a lot reading not only your posts but the way you communicate. Your own knowledge base is tremendous and you and CJ ARE pool experts.

I can tell you that talking with a Tom Kennedy or Dom Esposito over concepts is always mutually benefiting and encouraging (and I just saw a piece yesterday online on Wikipedia, I think it was, that describes the scientific principle of two programmers or engineers coming together and therefore quadrupling, not doubling, their individual output--I forget the name of the principle but...).

I apologize for the lengthy post.

Thanks for considering.
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I don't have a problem with people who don't know a lot about pool. I do have a problem with people who steal other people's work and then call it their own. Are you still claiming that both you and Jerry Briesath coined the term 'chin lock' independently of each other? You got caught red-handed taking credit for something you didn't invent and you wrote excuse after excuse in this forum. I don't doubt that you didn't know it originated from Briesath. You probably heard someone else use the term and you liked it and decided to use it as your own in one of your articles. Then when I confronted you about it, you said you invented it to cover it up.

You even admitted it here that you share information from other people. That is what you do. The problem with not doing your homework is that you often miss the context of what someone is saying, and even worse, you don't know enough to question something that may not make total sense.

Instead you parrot what others say, and often, very conveniently, forget to mention who said it.

So yes, I'm going to have a whole lot less sympathy for someone like you when you make an error here.
 
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About pool

BilliardsAbout said:
That sounds correct to me, Donny. "I've gotta quit drinking!"

And I bet I have to check my own balance at the tables, I probably have both my feet planted as usual... in mid-air!
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Please do not quote me or use my name on your website or here.
 
1. Repeating, I was honestly unaware of the term chin lock before I "coined it" for use. It was wisely suggested I look online more before posting fresh terms to my site. Good idea.

2. I believe I was reading something by teacher Todd Leveck regarding the fact that the ideal place to level one's head (without benefit of a mirror) is to level/rotate the chin by feel using proprioception. Then I thought, "if you're in your stance and not level, point your chin cleft at the object ball target and kill two birds" whereas Mr. B. was locking the chin from the erect standing position (I watched his DVD after getting slapped here). Similar but different. Independent. You'd likely say moving the head AFTER being in the full, sighted stance is heresy... so I wasn't copying Mr. B. or you or anybody. I take full responsibility for my crazy ideas!

3. I have an extensive teaching manual I use with students and of my own design/my own ideas for the most part, except for things like draw and topspin that no teacher in this generation "owns". The problem is your last email is illogical as you both accuse me of plagiarizing (using other's teaching material frequently without proper attribution) on the same thread where you say my suggestion is "absolutely wrong". If I'm copying other teachers so much, why do you so frequently say I'm teaching the wrong things? Be consistent. Figure out whether you don't like my ideas because they are wrong or because I'm "stealing" them from the wrong people!

4. I thought my email was clear that I'm seeking peace with you (and everyone else, blessed are peacemakers). I invited you to contact me via PM if there's something/anything you'd care to discuss. I do so again today. I'm also politely (again) asking you to do me the courtesy of not accusing me of stealing and then further, when I explain myself, to accuse me of lying and covering theft. I hope I've been clear that my personal moral compass abhors theft and lying. Again, not a big deal--teachers can be rude to each other at times without meaning to do so--we're all passionate about pool--and I'm not mad at all. If I saw you in person again, I would certainly make an effort and invite you for a meal or drinks and a chat as my guest. You are one of the best pool teachers in this sport and I deeply respect your knowledge.

Thank you.
 
Donny Lutz said:
To your point #2...

I don't remember ever suggesting that one should have more weight on the front foot...in fact many of the Hall of Famers did just the opposite.

You may be thinking of what I said about the weight shifting to the front foot on a power break.
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Respectfully, may I ask, do you have a citation regarding the Hall of Famers concept?

Thank you.
 
Fastrockyf said:
Thank you I won't do that then
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At the risk of being a pedant, Fran's statement is equally true if you have too much weight on your rear foot, or if you stand with one foot in the air--or both feet in the air--I feel trick shots coming on--jump in the air and shoot! :)

I do not yet know your stance without photo or video, but the act of stepping with one foot ahead of you (45 degree feet placement-rather open stance) puts a good deal of weight onto the front foot. Stepping super-closed near 90-degrees--crossing one's foot in front of the other, tends to put a lot of weight on the rear foot. (Cross your feet now in place to see what I mean).

I'm sure everyone here would agree--you need the correct placement of weight on both feet. I'd heard 60/40 forward, not backward, which is why I'd asked--although I can't imagine anyone disagreeing that different top players use different methods here.
 
BilliardsAbout said:
At the risk of being a pedant, Fran's statement is equally true if you have too much weight on your rear foot, or if you stand with one foot in the air--or both feet in the air--I feel trick shots coming on--jump in the air and shoot! :)

I do not yet know your stance without photo or video, but the act of stepping with one foot ahead of you (45 degree feet placement-rather open stance) puts a good deal of weight onto the front foot. Stepping super-closed near 90-degrees--crossing one's foot in front of the other, tends to put a lot of weight on the rear foot. (Cross your feet now in place to see what I mean).

I'm sure everyone here would agree--you need the correct placement of weight on both feet. I'd heard 60/40 forward, not backward, which is why I'd asked--although I can't imagine anyone disagreeing that different top players use different methods here.
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Does the BS ever end?? I mean --- Holy geez....
 
FranCrimi said:
Does the BS ever end?? I mean --- Holy geez....
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You can certainly add clarity to this discussion:

How did you know I was wrong without seeing the student's stance/seeing which foot had more weight upon it?

Do you believe in one stance for all body types?

Is it going to be your policy to address my pool teaching without saying I am BS'ing, lying or stealing?
 
BilliardsAbout said:
You can certainly add clarity to this discussion:

How did you know I was wrong without seeing the student's stance/seeing which foot had more weight upon it?

Do you believe in one stance for all body types?

Is it going to be your policy to address my pool teaching without saying I am BS'ing, lying or stealing?
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Must I really continue? Seriously?

I won't even address the ridiculous first line where you mention me.

What the heck does 90 degrees --- crossing one's foot in front of the other mean??

And once again, you refer to what you heard, not what you know or what you have learned by actually doing some work.

Edit: To add to that, you are missing the big picture about the relationship between actual alignment and weight distribution as opposed to the angle of the feet. But you see --- you actually have to do some real work in order to learn and understand that. And no --- I will not hand that information to you on a silver platter. GO TO THE TABLE AND DO SOME WORK BEFORE YOU OFFER ADVICE AS AN INSTRUCTOR.
 
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I see the difference between your refusal to answer my questions and your inability to answer my questions.

How did you know I was wrong without seeing the student's stance/seeing which foot had more weight upon it?

Do you believe in one stance for all body types?

If you are really asking me what it means to cross one foot in front of the other for balance, I'd be happy to explain.
 
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