Coaching/Lessons

H

Heckler

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello,

As a player who comes from an English Pool/Snooker background I am looking to take some coaching/lessons from a good coach....

After reading several past topics I was wondering who people would reccommend? I am looking for 3-5 days intensive coaching followed by regular follow up lessons....
 
Billiard Sanctuary Academy of the Cueing Arts (BSACA)...

Heckler- The BSACA teaches a Snooker style approach to the table. We are located throughout the US and available for travel. Here is our website, www.billiardsanctuary.com and my site, www.zimsrack.com. I am located in the Mid West in Illinois, about 15 minutes from St. Louis.

Best of luck in your search,
Zim
 
Zims Rack said:
Heckler- The BSACA teaches a Snooker style approach to the table. We are located throughout the US and available for travel. Here is our website, www.billiardsanctuary.com and my site, www.zimsrack.com. I am located in the Mid West in Illinois, about 15 minutes from St. Louis.

Best of luck in your search,
Zim
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Thanks for the quick reply.....

What are your charges? I will be living in BC, Canada from June but will be willing to travel to get the right help...
 
Heckler said:
Thanks for the quick reply.....

What are your charges? I will be living in BC, Canada from June but will be willing to travel to get the right help...
Click to expand...
Sent you a PM!

Zim
 
Heckler said:
Hello,

As a player who comes from an English Pool/Snooker background I am looking to take some coaching/lessons from a good coach....

After reading several past topics I was wondering who people would reccommend? I am looking for 3-5 days intensive coaching followed by regular follow up lessons....
Click to expand...



If you go to my website www.GradyMathews.com you can find my rates.
Grady
 
Heckler said:
Hello,

As a player who comes from an English Pool/Snooker background I am looking to take some coaching/lessons from a good coach....

After reading several past topics I was wondering who people would reccommend? I am looking for 3-5 days intensive coaching followed by regular follow up lessons....
Click to expand...


how far are you willing to travel?

a few names come to mind,

mark wilson
scott lee
tony robles
grady (who's already posted)

coming from a snooker background, you may want to consider allison fisher, she and gerda hofstatter(sp) have a weekend clinic every other month or so. i don't know anyone who has been, so i don't know if its any good.

all depends on what you're looking for, how much you're willing to spend, and how far you can travel.

thanks

VAP
 
Yeah

randyg said:
Allison Fisher sounds like a perfect fit.....randyg
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Coaching with Grady also sounds appealing....anyone out who has received coaching from him and can tell me how good it was???
 
Heckler said:
Coaching with Grady also sounds appealing....anyone out who has received coaching from him and can tell me how good it was???
Click to expand...

I have not received any coaching from Grady myself, but I can't imagine it would be anything less than excellent.
I would like to add Karen Corr to the list of instructors with a snooker background...she is in Philly.
 
Both Allison and Karen, along with Mike Massey and Corey Dueul, have worked with Tim White and The BSACA. We (BSACA) teach a Snooker (English) style of approach to the shot, along with many other Snooker aspects to the game.

I'm sure an experience with Grady would one to remember! (as well as the other Instructors mentioned)

Enjoy your search,
Zim
 
Heckler said:
Hello,

As a player who comes from an English Pool/Snooker background I am looking to take some coaching/lessons from a good coach....

After reading several past topics I was wondering who people would reccommend? I am looking for 3-5 days intensive coaching followed by regular follow up lessons....
Click to expand...

Pool & snooker are two completely different games played on different equipment, played with different equipment, and the diameter of the balls changes the physics, the size of the table in relation to the smaller balls changes the angles of deflction etc, etc. Learn one game or the other. The fact that players like Allison & Karen have adapted and succeeded in both worlds should be recognized as a phenomenal feat that is not common. If you are trying to play pool better, find a pool instructor. It would be wise to put everything you know about snooker in your back pocket and learn the game of pool as a beginner. I know because I did this when I started playing snooker in Europe back in the 1980's. It was a completely different game, and a completely different mindset. Depending on your location, there are several instructors that would meet your requirements. I'm located in Florida and my rates are very reasonable, and I have a ton of free material available at my website for the taking. Also look at the BCA Instructors list as well as The Billiard Sanctuary site for available instructors. Tim Miller (The Monk) and Scott Lee have their traveling schools, and I have personally watched Scott Lee and he is a phenomenal instructor, well worth whatever he charges.
 
Grady's lessons

Heckler said:
Coaching with Grady also sounds appealing....anyone out who has received coaching from him and can tell me how good it was???
Click to expand...

I took 18 hours with him a year ago. Spent 3 days in Columbia and we did 6 hours a day. My wife went with me and she and Ms Randi shopped while Grady taught. This added significantly to the cost of my instruction :D. Had a really wonderful time and became quite close friends with them.

Grady has a lifetime of knowledge and there is no way a person can get it all in 18 hours. My recommendation, take one specific area of your game and address that for however much time as you can afford. Then take that instruction with you and work on it until you have it down pat. Then get back with Grady and hit another area of your game. All any instructor can do is give knowledge and guidance. You have to work to implement it in your game. If any instructor tells you that you can walk into his class as a 'C' player and after 3 or 4 days you will walk out an 'A' player - RUN LIKE HELL.

Be sure and take a video recorder with you. I would recommend to Grady that he obtain one and furnish a tape as part of the package. Grady has a hyperactive personality so be ready to move along quickly. Also be ready to enjoy the many wonderful stories relating to pool that he loves to share with his students.

Personally, I feel Grady's style of teaching is not for the very basic beginner. You must have some fundamentals to move through his lessons at the pace he sets. This will enable you to gain a vast amount of information in a short period of time. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. In fact, I am considering getting with him again and do a few hours of just kicks and safety play.

Give him a look see, Pel
 
Allison Fisher & Karen Corr both recieved their teaching degrees at CUE-TECH Pool School in Dallas Texas.

Never overlook either one for instruction.....randyg
 
I think you may be on the wrong track here. If you want to be a good pool player, go to a top pool instructor. Whether that instructor has any background in or expereince in snooker shouldn't matter to you at all.
 
sjm said:
I think you may be on the wrong track here. If you want to be a good pool player, go to a top pool instructor. Whether that instructor has any background in or expereince in snooker shouldn't matter to you at all.
Click to expand...

Excellent point sjm. In fact, if you read about when the snooker players first came over that had to basically relearn many aspects of the game. Incidentally, I have had lessons from Scott Lee and he is really good also.
 
Several good recommendations here. I have worked with both Scott Lee and Mark Wilson and they were both great to work with. I will continue to see Mark as he is only a couple hours away from where I live.
 
Excellent

Yeah I don understand that coming from a english pool / snooker background I will have to relearn much of what I do.....

I have already cut the down the amount of time I spend playing these other games. I hardly ever play snooker now but still end up playing english once or twice a month and I do believe it is still setting me back in my progress as a 9ball player....

I think I will be getting in touch with Grady, I am not sure about which aspects I should be working on with him. I am a resonable cueist and wouldnt say I was a beginner. I think that I may just go to him the first time and work on the all round basics of the game. See what he notices I doing wrong, shot selection etc etc and then go away work on those and go back again in say 3 - 6 months.

My overall goal is to be able to compete in competitons of ALL levels, I realise I will never be a top pro but after 4 years of playing english I can (even now only playing every so often) compete with all but the very best pro,s. It may take me a longer but I wish to develop the ability to this in american pool disciplines.

I guess I also need some seasoning in competitions in the US and Canada. Can anyone recommend and events in BC or North West corner of the states that I would be good for me to play in?
 
Heckler said:
I guess I also need some seasoning in competitions in the US and Canada. Can anyone recommend and events in BC or North West corner of the states that I would be good for me to play in?
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The following publication covers California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and West Coast Tournaments. Click on "Find a local Tourney".

So far as small local tournaments, their list will not be complete. So best to find one tournament and ask the players where all the other tournaments are.

FYI - If you click on Oregon, there is a regular 14.1 tournament in Portland.

http://www.onthewirebilliards.com
 
go to dallas

My advice, make a trip to Dallas if you can and go to Cue-Tech. My son (14) took lessons from RandyG last year & year before and he's turned out to be a really fine shooter! He also enjoyed the classes as he had one-on-one & top-notch instructions ... He's taught the best ...
 
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