Can't learn pool from Internet...

[Billy_Bob]

I am now convinced beyond a doubt that some of the local "experts" in my area are full of hooey and don't know what they are talking about!

It is their latest statement... "You can't learn pool from the Internet!" which has me convinced.

These guys don't even know how to turn on a computer let alone read what the Internet has to offer!

They told this to a friend of mine, who I gave a copy of my drills to eight months ago (have not seen him for awhile). They saw him practicing these drills and told him he couldn't learn pool from the Internet (referring to the printed drills sheet).

Well...

1. The drills on my friends list are not from the Internet! There are a few from books, but mostly it is a list of shots I was not good at when I made up the list about a year ago. (Practice the shots you are not good at.) [He saw me practicing from the sheet and asked if he could have a copy.]

2. My friend has been practicing the drills frequently and has improved about 500%. Actually he left me in the dust the other night.

3. He says the drills sheet is what has helped him the most to improve his game. (Nothing magic here. Just a lot of difficult or seldom used shots to practice like frozen to rail shots, draw shots, follow shots, difficult long shots, combo shots, etc.)

4. I have seen these "experts" ruin other players games by sharking them. Also they give free unsolicited "advice". Then those getting the advice will play worse, not better. For example they will tell a *very* beginning player who is just learning to pocket balls to use English. Of course the beginning player will go from making most of his shots to not making any at all. They don't mention anything about squirt, aiming differently, or long shots using English.

5. As for the Internet, I have learned quite a lot of good stuff! I feel it gives me a big advantage. Actually just one post I read helped me to make a key shot and win 1st in a local tournament recently.

Anyway... I am really amazed that these local "experts" would go so far as to try to discourage my friend from doing the one thing which is helping him to improve. Don't they like to see other players get better? I sure do. I was happy as heck that this guy left me in the dust the other night.

 

[Rich R.]

Without realizing it, these guys are probably right.

You don't learn to play pool from the internet. However, you can learn a lot about pool and how to improve your game from the internet.
You still have to get to the table and practice, if you are going to improve.

 

[sixpack]

I am now convinced beyond a doubt that some of the local "experts" in my area are full of hooey and don't know what they are talking about!

It is their latest statement... "You can't learn pool from the Internet!" which has me convinced.

These guys don't even know how to turn on a computer let alone read what the Internet has to offer!

They told this to a friend of mine, who I gave a copy of my drills to eight months ago (have not seen him for awhile). They saw him practicing these drills and told him he couldn't learn pool from the Internet (referring to the printed drills sheet).

Well...

1. The drills on my friends list are not from the Internet! There are a few from books, but mostly it is a list of shots I was not good at when I made up the list about a year ago. (Practice the shots you are not good at.) [He saw me practicing from the sheet and asked if he could have a copy.]

2. My friend has been practicing the drills frequently and has improved about 500%. Actually he left me in the dust the other night.

3. He says the drills sheet is what has helped him the most to improve his game. (Nothing magic here. Just a lot of difficult or seldom used shots to practice like frozen to rail shots, draw shots, follow shots, difficult long shots, combo shots, etc.)

4. I have seen these "experts" ruin other players games by sharking them. Also they give free unsolicited "advice". Then those getting the advice will play worse, not better. For example they will tell a *very* beginning player who is just learning to pocket balls to use English. Of course the beginning player will go from making most of his shots to not making any at all. They don't mention anything about squirt, aiming differently, or long shots using English.

5. As for the Internet, I have learned quite a lot of good stuff! I feel it gives me a big advantage. Actually just one post I read helped me to make a key shot and win 1st in a local tournament recently.

Anyway... I am really amazed that these local "experts" would go so far as to try to discourage my friend from doing the one thing which is helping him to improve. Don't they like to see other players get better? I sure do. I was happy as heck that this guy left me in the dust the other night.

Billy Bob -

I think you're on to something here. I generally try to ignore anything after the words "you can't" because it represents somebody else's limiting belief. When they say "you can't" what they mean is that they believe they can't and they don't want you to prove them wrong. That's why they discourage your friend.

A lot of pool stuff is difficult to learn from the people around you because they either don't know it, can't articulate it well, or won't help you.

I think it would be extremely valuable to have the experts from this board in a room sharing their knowledge with you, but that would be difficult, so they share it here.

Also, the discussions online lead you to ask questions from local experts that wouldn't have occurred to you to ask and wouldn't have occurred to them to volunteer.

When trying to excel at something, it's important to pick a good model to pattern your behavior after. Success leaves clues. Would you rather pick the mind of Keith, Johnny, Jenn, and the other experts here to find those clues and behaviors? Or only learn from local experts who are likely as good as they're going to get?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not disparaging local experts, they will probably help most people more than the internet because they are there to help personally, but if you rely solely on them, you will inherit their limitations and never be able to surpass them.

Cheers,
Regas

 

[Rude Dog]

Billy Bob -




Don't get me wrong, I'm not disparaging local experts, they will probably help most people more than the internet because they are there to help personally, but if you rely solely on them, you will inherit their limitations and never be able to surpass them.

Cheers,
Regas

I agree with you sixpack. When I am approached by a weaker player to answer questions they may have, I always tell them what I know, or what I feel about certain strategies. I tell them that, for me, this is the high percentage shot in this case. I don't ever want to teach someone and lead them to believe that this is the ONLY way to do it. I try not to fill their head with too much info because that could be worse than what they are doing in the first place. When I was in the early stages of my playing, I didn't hesitate to ask as much as I could because I knew what I was going to do with that information, PRACTICE. Some people don't take it straight to the practice table and that's unfortunate if they are really trying to get better. Anyway, good post sixpack, peace.

 

[Billy_Bob]

BTW - I'm not saying that *all* local pool players don't have good advice....

I'm saying that some local pool players in *my small town* don't have good advice (others do).

When I travel to larger cities nearby, I find a lot of very Knowledgeable helpful players. And much better players too. (The large city folks have the same opinion of the players in my town as I do.)