Coaching/Instruction...
- Thread starter Zims Rack
- Start date
JennBarretta
Pro Player
Hi Zim,
I started playing pool on the weekends with my husband and I hated losing so much that I decided to take lessons. First I called around to the poolrooms to find a coach. When I called Chelsea Billiards they told me they had a pool school every Mon. and Sat. for 2 hours. Basically you paid for table time and the instruction was free. I went on the next Monday and one of the instructors, Mark Finklestein, helped me out with my mechanics and stroke.
I worked with Mark for about 6 months and then started searching for a 1 on 1 instructor, and the name that kept coming up was Tony Robles. I worked with Tony once a week for 2 years and one day he pointed out Stu Mattana and said that he knew a lot about the game and that I should play some with him and ask him to help me out.
Stu was working with a couple of people already, but one of them moved away and the other encouraged us to work together. I worked intensly with Stu every Wed. for 3 years, and I continue to play a few sets with him every Wed. when I'm in town. My time with Stu was when I really learned what pool was all about.
Last summer I spent the summer in South Jersey and was asking around about a good pool hall to play in when someone told me about Jose Garcia's room. A friend of mine was working with him and had dramatic improvement in her game so I decided to head over there and see if he'd work with me for the month I was in town. He did, and we continue to work together to this day. It's hard because I live 2 hours away, but I'm trying to drive down there more often.
That's my story!
I started playing pool on the weekends with my husband and I hated losing so much that I decided to take lessons. First I called around to the poolrooms to find a coach. When I called Chelsea Billiards they told me they had a pool school every Mon. and Sat. for 2 hours. Basically you paid for table time and the instruction was free. I went on the next Monday and one of the instructors, Mark Finklestein, helped me out with my mechanics and stroke.
I worked with Mark for about 6 months and then started searching for a 1 on 1 instructor, and the name that kept coming up was Tony Robles. I worked with Tony once a week for 2 years and one day he pointed out Stu Mattana and said that he knew a lot about the game and that I should play some with him and ask him to help me out.
Stu was working with a couple of people already, but one of them moved away and the other encouraged us to work together. I worked intensly with Stu every Wed. for 3 years, and I continue to play a few sets with him every Wed. when I'm in town. My time with Stu was when I really learned what pool was all about.
Last summer I spent the summer in South Jersey and was asking around about a good pool hall to play in when someone told me about Jose Garcia's room. A friend of mine was working with him and had dramatic improvement in her game so I decided to head over there and see if he'd work with me for the month I was in town. He did, and we continue to work together to this day. It's hard because I live 2 hours away, but I'm trying to drive down there more often.
That's my story!
JennBarretta
Pro Player
Thanks, Zim!