Best Instructors

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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I'm not an instructor..just an amateur trying to get better like you, and these thoughts are based on my experience

there's obv A LOT that goes into stroke but a few small things have helped me get through the ball better
using a cue that is balanced to your liking might help. I've learned that I like a more fwd-balanced cue, for example
if the cue feels good, your hands won't be inclined to move around as much, and you'll have more confidence when stroking
especially if you use an open bridge, which I do..but using a closed bridge can offer security, esp. when using draw

where are your hands when you stroke? if they're not in a good place, that could affect how well you stroke through the ball
8"-12" from tip on your bridge hand, butt hand perpendicular to the ground seems to be the consensus as to what's good
try difference positions tho, if only to experience them, give your brain info. and see how they feel. find what really feels good

on your draw shot, are you hitting where you want to? check and see. keeping my eye on the cb when draw has helped me
also take a video of yourself playing and look at your body..how does it look? is anything impeding your cue action?
use a mirror, have your buddy take pics, make videos of yourself playing- look for things that look right/wrong
check with an instructor you have a good feeling about, ask questions, participate in your own progress, keep working
good luck and have fun!!
 
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THam said:
18oz or close as possible
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Try an oz more for comparison. Anywhere in the 19s is good for draw and follow if you can generate the cue speed.
I find that at 20 oz, the cue will "self follow through" very easily at lower speeds and close, short draw requires very little effort or cue speed. As you add more oomph, stuns will become the norm and follow shots will require more aforethought. Your results may vary of course.
 
brunswick1901 said:
In the late 1960s I overheard a guy ask "Machine Gun" Lou Butera for a lesson.

Lou's response was, "How many hours a day do you play pool"

Lou would not teach anyone unless the person said, "Four or five hours a day".
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I think this is the most important part. Instruction is pointless if you don't put in the work.

Nobody can help someone that doesn't help themselves.

If a guy has a flat and is sitting in his car waiting, he may wait forever. If he is out there jacking it up and making an effort to change it, people are more likely to stop and help.
 
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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I would do the mighty x drill. 100 sessions
10 follow, 10 stop, 10 draw.
Do them with purpose.

I think people can point you in the right direction. You could look to Barry Stark or Michael Holt videos for the stroke.

Something about grinding through drills like this over and over can help you find what your looking for.
 
couldnthinkof01 said:
I would do the mighty x drill. 100 sessions
10 follow, 10 stop, 10 draw.
Do them with purpose.

I think people can point you in the right direction. You could look to Barry Stark or Michael Holt videos for the stroke.

Something about grinding through drills like this over and over can help you find what your looking for.
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was just thinking of this vid, and there are others on the tube
 
I started shooting on a regular basis about 20 months back after joining the APA. I started as a 3 and was there for about six months and then went to a 4 after another six months. Been a 5 for about 8 months now and I feel I'm a strong 5. Hoping to get to a six this year. This is for both 8 and 9 ball.

I've most benefited from Dr.Dave's videos and his billiards university exams and drills the most. I'm sure I could have progressed faster with a personal instructor on a regular basis. But I have a full time job and am raising a family and my job also requires me to travel. So I can't commit to an instructor.
I have a 9' table in my basement and clock in at least 2-4 hr/wk.
I think his drills are quite helpful. Exam-1 that makes up the fundamentals is something so basic that it's something one needs to practice pretty much forever. Like a musician practicing scales, chords, arpeggios and modes for life. There's no limit to how much one can hone his skills using these drills and coming up with one's own personal variations of them.
The other exams are also so good that I'm convinced that practicing all the exam drills would get someone to 600.
EDIT: I forgot to mention an important point. His run out drill system is an excellent game simulation set. For someone looking to improve, it's important to play at the edge of one's ability and comfort zone. Playing a full fledged 8 ball or 9 ball game is beyond most people's abilities. Instead, it's best to follow the RDS for actual game practice. Also very useful to gauge one's skill level and improvement over time.
So for drills, use the exam material above and if you feel like playing games, use the RDS above.
I think he's the best teacher online and the best part is all his material is freely available. There are others as well who post drills and instructional videos but his work is so comprehensive and so detailed (both in breadth and depth) that merely by just following him alone one can make progress over time.

Perhaps you would benefit from in-person lessons because that's your preference. Feel free to look for a local coach and good luck to you!
Not every highly rated player can be a good coach, as has been said above.
More importantly, it's a bit like making a friend. The coach needs to be someone who works for you so it's also some personal dynamics at work.
 
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couldnthinkof01 said:
I would do the mighty x drill. 100 sessions
10 follow, 10 stop, 10 draw.
Do them with purpose.

I think people can point you in the right direction. You could look to Barry Stark or Michael Holt videos for the stroke.

Something about grinding through drills like this over and over can help you find what your looking for.
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Couldn't agree more. Acquiring a stroke that is true, accurate, and consistent is a surprisingly difficult thing to do. I call it a "TAC" stroke myself and every once in a while I do the mighty X drill. The level of technical purity that this drill demands is amazing.
 
Bob Jewett said:
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.
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As a PBIA instructor, I gave lessons before COVID but have since retired from teaching - honestly, COVID was just a good excuse as I had become frustrated with teaching. The unfortunate reality I found is that most people aren't really willing to change or put in the work to solidify their fundamentals. They assume a lack of immediate improvement is the fault of the teaching or they conclude it "just isn't for them". I had a promising 15-year-old tell me during his second lesson that he was "too set in his ways" to change his stroke. The few people who were willing to adapt and put the work in showed significant improvement over a relatively short amount of time.

It seems to me that what most people really want is not teaching (how to stroke or control the cueball), but rather coaching (how to play or win). These are two very different things. When I help people today it is mostly focused on gameplay, strategy, and theory. This can also be very beneficial and as a teacher is frankly a lot more fun, but it has to be done within the ability and limits of the player.
 
Quesports said:
For fundamentals Randy Goettlicher or any BCA master instructor near you. The SPF system starts out with heavy fundamental training.
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I'd be careful before using "any" BCA Master Instructor. Some are pretty bad.
 
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