Best Instructors

THam

THam

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey,

I was wondering who in your opinion is the best instructor for billiards? There are so many people who teach different things and I am never sure what is good information on what to practice to improve. I just don't want to be wasting time and money if I'm going to get lessons. Who do you suggest that either does online or in person lessons?
 
It probably depends on your skill level and what your goals are. I've heard good things about Demitrius Jelatis who runs MN pool boot camp. He's got some podcasts on YouTube that I like a lot. He's geared towards the experienced player that wants to get to a higher level. There are many others. You can check the PBIA (Professional Billiards Instructors Association) website and see if any top instructors are in your area.
 
tomatoshooter said:
It probably depends on your skill level and what your goals are. I've heard good things about Demitrius Jelatis who runs MN pool boot camp. He's got some podcasts on YouTube that I like a lot. He's geared towards the experienced player that wants to get to a higher level. There are many others. You can check the PBIA (Professional Billiards Instructors Association) website and see if any top instructors are in your area.
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My roommate went to train with Demetrius multiple times. I'm not quite that skill level. I need to get my fundamentals to a good spot, I am about a 400 speed in Fargo at my best. I guess someone more geared toward people who have played for a long time but not much training?

I have looked at PBIA and the ones in my area, the one has passed away and the other two I know who they are and they aren't good players, I don't know that I trust their information.
 
For fundamentals Randy Goettlicher or any BCA master instructor near you. The SPF system starts out with heavy fundamental training.
 
i wasted some money on two instructors. One outside boston(the worst one) and one in albany. The only meaningful class i took was with allison fisher. Other than that, i have learned more, and corrected FAR more errors by watching youtube instructors(barry stark), and by setting up an ironing board at home at table height, placing a cueball on it, and using a mirror to see myself and what i am doing when down on the ball and stroking.
This is one video that i found very useful
 
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THam said:
... the other two I know who they are and they aren't good players, I don't know that I trust their information.
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Whichever instructor you find, you have to figure out for yourself whether what they tell you is the truth and whether it works for you -- those are two different things. Many top players make really lousy instructors. They are too far away from having developed their fundamentals and generally won't have the patience to fix yours.

I suggest you ask the available instructors if they do video analysis of fundamentals. That will let you at least understand what's broken about your game now.

If you ever get out to the SF bay area, maybe I could help you.
 
THam said:
My roommate went to train with Demetrius multiple times. I'm not quite that skill level. I need to get my fundamentals to a good spot, I am about a 400 speed in Fargo at my best. I guess someone more geared toward people who have played for a long time but not much training?

I have looked at PBIA and the ones in my area, the one has passed away and the other two I know who they are and they aren't good players, I don't know that I trust their information.
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Thank you Tomato and THam. There are many great instructors out there, now more than ever.

I'm on the record as not being geared towards fundamentals. To me fundamentals are really, really tricky. Everything is connected to everything else so if you change your grip or stance it can impact your sighting, if you change your elbow it can throw off something else. Additionally there are some things that can be done different ways. So for those looking for fundamental work I would be really careful about working with someone who just recklessly starts twisting you into different positions and pronouncing that you'll see great results. Instead I would want to work with someone who is both super experienced and also has a really soft touch. I've never worked with Bob Jewett but I would trust him. Dr. Dave as well. And Jerry Brieseth. I think I'd be open to meeting Tanner Pruess. I'm sorry, I know I'm forgetting a couple, but I'm providing examples and not a definitive list.

You're right that I work with strong intermediate and advanced players. Not necessarily 500-700 Fargo Rates but kind of in there. 480, sure, but at 400 I don't think I'd be the best value. There are a few other steps you can take on your own that can probably help you out quite a bit. For people who want to train with me someday but aren't quite ready I'm occasionally willing to do a one off zoom lesson to help bridge the gap. But again, there is a lot of good info online and I think a motivated player who is putting in reasonable hours can manage this step without too much difficulty these days. It's in the 550-650 range that I see a lot of people stall out. And I wouldn't say I look for people who haven't had much training, most 600 players are VERY knowledgeable. I just happen to be able to see the holes in how they assemble their game. For example, I've worked with Lil' Chris who is an instructor and content creator himself in the 640FR range and he would tell you he has gained from our time together. So I'm not just for the uneducated.

So I think it comes down to what level you are at and what part of your game you want to focus on. Local instructors are great for lower levels due to convenience, although I think Dr. Dave's university is a super idea. He has another for advanced players which I think would be great for the right people. As I said there are a lot of great guys for fundamentals. And for those who are more interested in game play (cue ball/patterns, putting it all together) I am always happy to chat to see if I'm a good fit.

Cheers to all who share the love of this crazy game. Make 2023 a good one!
 
Having had to go through a number of "high competence" driving instructors when learning to drive real race cars--what matters most is the instructors ability to put the topics into words the student can understand. I finally found one and still use him today 13 years later.

For me this required an instructor to use engineering and physics terms::
Instead of "You are pinching off the corner" I needed "You are entering too fast, this increases the arc radius, so you are having to scrub off speed as you reach track out".

For others--it is what works between the teacher and student.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Whichever instructor you find, you have to figure out for yourself whether what they tell you is the truth and whether it works for you -- those are two different things. Many top players make really lousy instructors. They are too far away from having developed their fundamentals and generally won't have the patience to fix yours.

I suggest you ask the available instructors if they do video analysis of fundamentals. That will let you at least understand what's broken about your game now.

If you ever get out to the SF bay area, maybe I could help you.
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Thoughts on eu instructors for fundamentals and later more advanced, currently around Fargo 500s but not sure exactly because we don't use that system here much.

I currently work with van den Berg because he is local, but have easy access to Johan and Lely as well, not opposed to travelling a bit further, but not to another continent and I do better with in person over virtual or video.

Thanks
 
I’m really needing one to help me with my stroke. My friends who are solid players have told me I don’t push through the ball well enough. I miscue when getting low on the ball because of this or scoop it. I also struggle to grasp putting stroke on a shot vs power
 
zetetikos said:
.. I currently work with van den Berg because he is local, but have easy access to Johan and Lely as well, not opposed to travelling a bit further, but not to another continent and I do better with in person over virtual or video ..
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I think the best situation is to find someone local so you can practice/drill for several hours between each hour with coach/instructor. Not all instructor/student pairs are a good match. And I think in person is much better than by video if it's possible.
 
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THam said:
Utah
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There are three PBIA instructors in Utah, and one of them may be near you. See if there is a fit. As I said above, someone local is best.

If there is no one local, you might be able to arrange lessons elsewhere if you travel for business or vacation.

Also, do not expect any instructor to whisper three words in your ear and your stroke will be fixed. Most of the work is on you.
 
As a 400 fargo, I don’t think you will benefit from anything other than hands on instruction. One or two short sessions per week. Working on one skill only. Mastering that, then moving on to the next. A week at SVBs’ basement, would be nice, but how much would stick? If you are really good at the tech side of things, maybe someone like Anthony Beeler. If you can, work with a local player or instructor, a little bit at a time. You don’t need the best instructor, you need to be the best student. Glean the wheat from the chaff. If you do the work, you should be able to get to 500, for sure. 500 to 600 is a whole different thing.
 
THam said:
I’m really needing one to help me with my stroke. My friends who are solid players have told me I don’t push through the ball well enough. I miscue when getting low on the ball because of this or scoop it. I also struggle to grasp putting stroke on a shot vs power
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Also curious; what weight cues are you using? The default displacement of the ball is something not found in your arm.
Otherwise good advice on from this thread considering the variables are unknown.
 
straightline said:
Also curious; what weight cues are you using? The default displacement of the ball is something not found in your arm.
Otherwise good advice on from this thread considering the variables are unknown.
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18oz or close as possible
 
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