Declaration of "not an instructor" status -- do we have it all backwards?

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I'm not an instructor,

and I haven't read all the posts in this thread,

and maybe I'm wrong, but

I can't for the life of me understand why Fran insists only certified, credentialed individuals can order off the dollar menu at McDonalds...
 
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Again, you looking for things that are just not there. Whom advised that you are NOT an instructor? By my very definition, you are, since you teach at the senior center..... But certainly, you can understand that not everyone is, right ??

Please understand that I am not simply trying to contribute to a debate here. This is a very real answer to your question.

After observing many of the posts in this sub forum I have been hesitant to respond to many of the things said. I truly do not consider myself a pool instructor, as variously defined and or implied by many who post here as "instructors."

The challenges to experience, qualifications and other ego boosting statements made by some people I find offensive and I prefer to refrain from getting in any sort of argument. I really am one of those people who prefer not to become involved in a war of words and have felt for some time that it is better to simply refrain from posting, though I have often read things with which I disagree.

While I have substantially more teaching experience than several of the people who post as "instructors." I have no real need to state my qualifications ,nor anything else for that matter. We all learn about each other over time if we are willing to be open and responsive.

When I was a full time professor all of my students were told to call me "Joe." Respect is earned on an individual basis and should not be based on some assigned degree, title or authoritative pronouncement. I would explain to my students that they became my colleagues when they started act like my colleague.

As you might imagine some of my professorial colleagues were not pleased when their students started calling them by their first name and used my statements as justification. I have said many times in many places that a formal degree (or any other type of certification) is basically a personal accomplishment that allows nothing more than entrance to an activity. It says nothing about the quality of services rendered.

I have (prior to retirement) taken teaching as a serious occupation and spent much time trying to figure out the best ways for students to learn. I learned that teaching is about the student, not the teacher. So I have a long history with a particular set of opinions about the role of teachers as the senior students in the room.

I truly do not consider myself an expert in anything*. I have read a little and I have some opinions that might be worthy of consideration. The only thing that really matters, and the only thing that should matter, to the student is the usefulness of the ideas presented.

With no intent to be falsely humble, or disingenuous, I see my self as a student and in some areas with more experience than others in the room at the time. I can, and do, learn from anyone.

--
* I have testified in criminal court many times as an "expert" witness where my credentials were reviewed by judge and jury and where I was asked to render an opinion. However, even under these circumstances my approach, as recommended by the Amer. Psych. Assoc., has always been educational with emphasis on empirical research that lead to an opinion. So even as an "expert" I took the educational approach and presented the consensus opinion.
 
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Myself for one.

I suspect there have been many who have offered advice here and did not ask a fee.

This isn't the end of the world, but I didn't ask if you know people who offer pool advice, here or anywhere else, for free. I asked if you know anyone who identifies him/herself as a pool instructor... who doesn't charge anything...?

So if you're saying yes, you identify yourself as a pool instructor, great! How would one schedule pool instruction with you, say, a weekly, two-hour lesson for the next six weeks? Again, it's great you'll do that for no charge!

Just a reminder, early in this thread, randyg said Instructor = teaching as an occupation, which didn't seem to bother you, or did it? (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3937494&postcount=10)

If parents instruct, educate or teach their children, are they not qualified because there is no fee?
No, it means the parents had a captive audience. :) It's extraordinary that Stan Shuffett, for example, plays so well and taught his son to play so well, but to me as a prospective student/customer, I'm more interested in his considerable success selling products/services to satisfied customers. Come to think of it, I gotta give my thanks to Joe Tucker for his completely controversy- and drama-free Aiming by the Numbers system! This happy, repeat customer says thank you, Joe! I jest, of course; I don't believe any aiming drama on the internet to be Stan's fault.

In my opinion, the fact that some or in your opinion...all instructors are compensated has no bearing on their ability to instruct.

I of course get your point that an instructor's ability to get paid, again and again :wink:, is an imperfect measure of whether that instructor is great or not. I believe, however, it's a heck of a lot better than no measure at all. Beyond that, I am A-OK with ChicagoRJ's description of the instructor universe.

Anyway, it's time for me to resume lurking in the "Ask.." forum. On we go!
 
Mitch asked:

I don't know any folks who identify themselves as pool instructors who don't charge for pool instruction. Sounds like you do. Who are they?


Mitch reiterated:
This isn't the end of the world, but I didn't ask if you know people who offer pool advice, here or anywhere else, for free

Some might think that's exactly what you're asking......It's probably the part where you ask "Who are they?"
The fact that you didn't like my answer doesn't negate the reality of the situation.

I think your issue is with the fact that I, as an instructor and others, may actually offer free lessons. It shatters your sense of reality.
As such it prevents you from placing all instructors into a single bucket where we can now define a "qualifying" parameter.

Enough said. I'm sure you'll get over it.

The rest of your revival is just a diversion from the real issues so no need to respond there.

We do agree that a certification is no guarantee of performance.

Anyway, it's time for me to resume trolling....oops, I mean lurking in the "ask" forum.
 
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This isn't the end of the world, but I didn't ask if you know people who offer pool advice, here or anywhere else, for free. I asked if you know anyone who identifies him/herself as a pool instructor... who doesn't charge anything...?

So if you're saying yes, you identify yourself as a pool instructor, great! How would one schedule pool instruction with you, say, a weekly, two-hour lesson for the next six weeks? Again, it's great you'll do that for no charge!

Just a reminder, early in this thread, randyg said Instructor = teaching as an occupation, which didn't seem to bother you, or did it? (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3937494&postcount=10)

No, it means the parents had a captive audience. :) It's extraordinary that Stan Shuffett, for example, plays so well and taught his son to play so well, but to me as a prospective student/customer, I'm more interested in his considerable success selling products/services to satisfied customers. Come to think of it, I gotta give my thanks to Joe Tucker for his completely controversy- and drama-free Aiming by the Numbers system! This happy, repeat customer says thank you, Joe! I jest, of course; I don't believe any aiming drama on the internet to be Stan's fault.



I of course get your point that an instructor's ability to get paid, again and again :wink:, is an imperfect measure of whether that instructor is great or not. I believe, however, it's a heck of a lot better than no measure at all. Beyond that, I am A-OK with ChicagoRJ's description of the instructor universe.

Anyway, it's time for me to resume lurking in the "Ask.." forum. On we go!

Excuse me, Mitch, but you have no idea how many pool lessons I've given for free over the years. I don't go around bragging about my charity work, either. Do you have any idea how many charities I've given away lessons for? Do you have any idea how many charity events I've stood at a table for 6 hours or 8 hours all-day long to help people with their pool game for free? Do you have any idea how many times I've told a student not to pay me because I know that times are tough for them?

What contributions have you made for our game lately, Mitch, eh?

How dare you go down that road. You don't know anything about us. Yes, I agree. Please do resume lurking rather than posting this kind of unknowing gibberish.
 
Just one observation. The posters who write "I'm not an instructor but" tend to add very long posts! Clearly, they have a heart to teach and should gain certification or keep teaching and learning and otherwise hone their craft...
 
Please understand that I am not simply trying to contribute to a debate here. This is a very real answer to your question.

After observing many of the posts in this sub forum I have been hesitant to respond to many of the things said. I truly do not consider myself a pool instructor, as variously defined and or implied by many who post here as "instructors."

The challenges to experience, qualifications and other ego boosting statements made by some people I find offensive and I prefer to refrain from getting in any sort of argument. I really am one of those people who prefer not to become involved in a war of words and have felt for some time that it is better to simply refrain from posting, though I have often read things with which I disagree.

While I have substantially more teaching experience than several of the people who post as "instructors." I have no real need to state my qualifications ,nor anything else for that matter. We all learn about each other over time if we are willing to be open and responsive.

When I was a full time professor all of my students were told to call me "Joe." Respect is earned on an individual basis and should not be based on some assigned degree, title or authoritative pronouncement. I would explain to my students that they became my colleagues when they started act like my colleague.

As you might imagine some of my professorial colleagues were not pleased when their students started calling them by their first name and used my statements as justification. I have said many times in many places that a formal degree (or any other type of certification) is basically a personal accomplishment that allows nothing more than entrance to an activity. It says nothing about the quality of services rendered.

I have (prior to retirement) taken teaching as a serious occupation and spent much time trying to figure out the best ways for students to learn. I learned that teaching is about the student, not the teacher. So I have a long history with a particular set of opinions about the role of teachers as the senior students in the room.

I truly do not consider myself an expert in anything*. I have read a little and I have some opinions that might be worthy of consideration. The only thing that really matters, and the only thing that should matter, to the student is the usefulness of the ideas presented.

With no intent to be falsely humble, or disingenuous, I see my self as a student and in some areas with more experience than others in the room at the time. I can, and do, learn from anyone.

--
* I have testified in criminal court many times as an "expert" witness where my credentials were reviewed by judge and jury and where I was asked to render an opinion. However, even under these circumstances my approach, as recommended by the Amer. Psych. Assoc., has always been educational with emphasis on empirical research that lead to an opinion. So even as an "expert" I took the educational approach and presented the consensus opinion.


Joe, we are all students. You may not like to think of yourself as a teacher but you occupied the position of teacher for many years. You also teach pool at whatever level you teach it. Just because you stubbornly refuse to refer to yourself as a teacher, it doesn't mean you aren't. For whatever reason, you are refusing the label. Maybe it's the stereotype that bugs you. Maybe you've seen things in your career that angers you about the teaching profession.The 'why' part is personal to you.

I gain my knowledge every day from many different sources. I get it from my most beginning students. I get it from knowing individuals. I get it from introspection. I get it from research. I love the idea of a forum that gives all of us teachers a chance to share that knowledge. I don't have to 'learn' every time I teach or share. Sometimes it's good (and beneficial!) just to teach.

P.S. Oh and by the way, I worked for one of the top forensic accountants in NYC for several years. I did all the research and armed him with all the pertinent facts that he needed to testify. I sat in many courtrooms with him and the attorney and would advise the attorney at the table as the trial progressed. The only thing that kept me from testifying and being classified as an 'expert' myself, was the fact that I only had a degree in accounting and was not a CPA. I was deeply entrenched in my other life as a pool player and did not want to give that up.
 
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I have been fortunate in life and had the opportunity to study with some truly significant people, including a Nobel Laureate.

When I took up teaching as a profession, originally my interests were purely research oriented, I reflected on all of the truly great people I studied with and all of the truly great teachers from whom I leaned. The conclusion I came to is that what all of these people had in common was a sense of real modesty about their accomplishments. Each of them could, and often would, point to the mentors in their life who, in their opinion, were the inspiration for their own minor contributions. If you said to one of these people that they were an expert most would defer and point to the shoulders of other great thinkers whose contributions were more significant and influenced their thinking.

Great teachers think of themselves as students of the subject matter. Their real concerns are with the development of their students and this is why they have so many accomplished students. I remember attending a lecture by one of the world’s truly significant thinkers. He began his lecture with, “Let me tell you a story.” You probably needed advanced course work in chemistry, physics, and neurophysiology to track with his “story,” but that was irrelevant to his presentation. He assumed that we are all students and he was delighted to tell you what he had stumbled upon over the years.

On further reflection it occurred to me that all of these people were right. Originally I took up studies in the sciences when I learned that the scientific is method is designed for people who do not know. “What the hell,” I said to myself, “Any dummy like me can do that.” All you have to do is admit that you don’t know and then try to find some sort of answer. Only much later did I learn that many others have the same attitude, we don’t know anything but it is a lot of fun trying to find answers.

Some of these mentors kept encouraging me to become a teacher because, as they said, I had the right attitude. I already knew I was a dummy! So you see it is not some stubborn refusal, it is a deeply held belief that we are all ignorant and the fun is in the attempt to learn. I took a lesson from these, to my mind, great thinkers, concluded that they were right and have tried to live that life for many years.

Later, when I was studying what makes a good teacher I learned from my students what they did not like about their "bad" teachers. For the most part students do not like the arrogant, I am better than you, or why did you ask such a stupid question attitude. They learn best when they are respected and they learn the most from people who are “just like them.” My teachers and my students agree, we are all ignorant and can only help those behind us get a leg up in their thinking.
 
I can't believe this thread is still going lol.

So I just went to the dictionary and searched the word forum, which is what this is.


fo·rum
/ˈfôrəm/
Noun
An Internet message board, meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.


Under that definition everybody has the "right" for lack of a better word to post in here or any other section of AZ. If it's decided that only certified instructors should answer questions here then the moderators should do something about it.

If we all used common sense when it came to answering people's questions on this forum then we wouldn't have any problems, if you only have an "opinion" about a subject then state that that it's just YOUR opinion, opinions are not necessarily right and can be changed, if what you say it's a "fact" then you should state so and of course back it up not by opinion but "facts" as in research etc etc.

It seems like the only thing you all are agreeing on is that students and players and instructors can and are learning constantly from each other, so why try and limit the exchange of ideas which is the key for progress?
 
I have been fortunate in life and had the opportunity to study with some truly significant people, including a Nobel Laureate.

When I took up teaching as a profession, originally my interests were purely research oriented, I reflected on all of the truly great people I studied with and all of the truly great teachers from whom I leaned. The conclusion I came to is that what all of these people had in common was a sense of real modesty about their accomplishments. Each of them could, and often would, point to the mentors in their life who, in their opinion, were the inspiration for their own minor contributions. If you said to one of these people that they were an expert most would defer and point to the shoulders of other great thinkers whose contributions were more significant and influenced their thinking.

Great teachers think of themselves as students of the subject matter. Their real concerns are with the development of their students and this is why they have so many accomplished students. I remember attending a lecture by one of the world’s truly significant thinkers. He began his lecture with, “Let me tell you a story.” You probably needed advanced course work in chemistry, physics, and neurophysiology to track with his “story,” but that was irrelevant to his presentation. He assumed that we are all students and he was delighted to tell you what he had stumbled upon over the years.

On further reflection it occurred to me that all of these people were right. Originally I took up studies in the sciences when I learned that the scientific is method is designed for people who do not know. “What the hell,” I said to myself, “Any dummy like me can do that.” All you have to do is admit that you don’t know and then try to find some sort of answer. Only much later did I learn that many others have the same attitude, we don’t know anything but it is a lot of fun trying to find answers.

Some of these mentors kept encouraging me to become a teacher because, as they said, I had the right attitude. I already knew I was a dummy! So you see it is not some stubborn refusal, it is a deeply held belief that we are all ignorant and the fun is in the attempt to learn. I took a lesson from these, to my mind, great thinkers, concluded that they were right and have tried to live that life for many years.

Later, when I was studying what makes a good teacher I learned from my students what they did not like about their "bad" teachers. For the most part students do not like the arrogant, I am better than you, or why did you ask such a stupid question attitude. They learn best when they are respected and they learn the most from people who are “just like them.” My teachers and my students agree, we are all ignorant and can only help those behind us get a leg up in their thinking.

Joe, we are very fortunate to be able to learn from you!

Thanks for the "leg up"!!

Ken
 
Meanwhile i really wonder in what kind of discussion this *theme* turned.

Some allready said it, too.
Finally as a teacher (no matter which sport or what ever) you have to learn daily, you learn from students (if not, imho you re bad teacher).
If you stop to learn, then you ll have a really big problem.

The passion is what it makes it worth for a teacher to give his knowledge to other persons/students. Every single feedback let him grow (or not).
 
Meanwhile i really wonder in what kind of discussion this *theme* turned.

Some allready said it, too.
Finally as a teacher (no matter which sport or what ever) you have to learn daily, you learn from students (if not, imho you re bad teacher).
If you stop to learn, then you ll have a really big problem.

The passion is what it makes it worth for a teacher to give his knowledge to other persons/students. Every single feedback let him grow (or not).

^^^ Another top instructor, who is also known to occasionally give free advice.
 
Joe, we are all students. You may not like to think of yourself as a teacher but you occupied the position of teacher for many years. You also teach pool at whatever level you teach it. Just because you stubbornly refuse to refer to yourself as a teacher, it doesn't mean you aren't. For whatever reason, you are refusing the label. Maybe it's the stereotype that bugs you. Maybe you've seen things in your career that angers you about the teaching profession.The 'why' part is personal to you.

I think the direct answer to your statement is that teaching is something I do. It is not who I am.

Every mother, every father, and even our friends teach us things, but it is not who they are, it is, for some, a skill, nothing more.
 
I'm not as fortunate as you, Joe. I'm a scrapper. I grew up in a lower-middle class neighborhood. My parents are children of Italian immigrants. My going to college was a big deal for them. Anything beyond was inconceivable.

Most of my education was from life. I never got to take part in high level think-tanks. I flew by my wits and common sense. Street smarts ruled the day where I came from. So maybe I missed out on learning the part where the great leaders don't lead and the great teachers don't teach.

One of the things I did learn: Somebody has to take the lead. Somebody has to step out. Mother Theresa did it beautifully, and yes, she was a leader.

I'm not going to be embarrassed when I act with authority in certain circumstances. Authority doesn't have to be arrogant. People who rebel against all authority see it as arrogant. That's their choice.
 
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Just one observation. The posters who write "I'm not an instructor but" tend to add very long posts! Clearly, they have a heart to teach and should gain certification or keep teaching and learning and otherwise hone their craft...

Since I fit that description and I always have a lot to say (because I want to be clear), I'll respond>>

You're clearly passionate about teaching and that's great. I read your bio on your billiards.about.com page and you position yourself as a top billiards instructor, being on every major tv channel (ABC, CBS, NBC, DISCOVERY, NASA CSPAN and whatever), quoted in the LA Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune (quoted on what, not sure), as well as leading the University of Florida's billiard team to 6 national championships.

You even have a blurb about how you teach billiards to CIA intelligence officers. That's an oxymoron in terms because if they knew anything, they'd seek out a top instructor who was thought of as such among their peers. In your bridge length post, you say a player might need someone like "Scott or myself" to fix something, in an effort to raise your reputation through written association. You also referred to "we" when referring to pros, implying you are a pro player. Do you have a video you can post of yourself playing?

If you recall, I always defended you when you took on that wave of criticism here when you first showed up when many of those critiquing your teachings/writings were absolutely correct in saying many of your assertions/conclusions were wrong.

That said, you present yourself as someone whose bio/posted resume doesn't jive with the quality of your posts or the materials you put out (or the posture you're taking as a pro player). Many of your stuff tends to make the more knowledgeable people "bang their head into their laptop" as Fran so eloquently stated.

I'm not saying you're not a technical person who doesn't know the advanced stuff; I'm merely saying we haven't seen any proof of it yet in your writings. It's all super, super basic and even most of that material isn't technically correct.

I think you have a lot of potential and your enthusiasm is unmatched. I'm hoping you stop with the posturing and start with real good technical answers to specific questions, instead of saying "pros use long bridge lengths because they can."

Unlike About.com, you're going to get called out if your responses aren't correct and don't match themselves well to your claimed resume.
 
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So maybe I missed out on learning the part where the great leaders don't lead and the great teachers don't teach.

I just have to respond to that one for you. It turns out (there is research to back it up) that the great leaders don't lead. They are not even the most intelligent people. The great leaders are consensus builders. They know how to listen to everyone and then make wise decisions based on their distinct (above average) ability to listen to everyone else and sort out the information.

Interesting isn't it.

In my thinking the greatest teacher of all time is Socrates (as presented by Plato). I know it has been a long time but it is worth reading some of his dialogs where he is the one who does not know and how in his attempts to learn from his students we all learn something. His style has been emulated for centuries.
 
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1) You are certainly not one of the posters I was thinking of, Spider! You have those disclaimers on your posts sometimes but you are certainly always brief and pithy as well. I like your posts almost always.

2) I have appeared on TV as an entertainer, collector and emcee for a wide variety of events besides pool, as my page states.

3) About.com is for beginners and up across its many subjects. I do post meatier pool items on there on occasion (I don't want to overdo it and to be frank, for example, most people want to read about stroke and stance and not look at throw and squirt graphs). But that same page states how one of my series for InsidePool was called "The Year of Pro Secrets." In that vein, I take some flack for teaching some controversial things but I don't mind too much.

4) I do a good job with pool lessons and my students improve. I also play for money and the Internet is destroying every road player with its Youtube videos. I play typically where I can have (some) peace and privacy without videos taken and I do not resemble my avatar that much at this time or the photos on my site. People have trouble picking me out in person sometimes. I'd love to play with you some time and hang, by the by, not for money but to shoot the breeze...

5) I'm aware that some find my teachings incorrect including some strong players and teachers. It comes with the territory. I've been involved in non-pool endeavors where if you hang with the big people, you have to have a tough skin. I'd rather not get into debates but am willing to explain further anything on my site or elsewhere that you or anyone wants more information regarding.

6) I'm sorry I wrote "pros use long bridge lengths because they can." I've been trying to keep my posts briefer at AZ. Let's amend that to:

IMO Pros have fabulous technique and stance and aim and can use long bridge lengths, but many amateurs would see their percentage increase by shortening their bridge instead. Why? 1) Because their is more room along a longer bridge length to swerve offline 2) There is more room " " to mis-time any vertical looping action/pendulum in the stroke 3) The average amateur doesn't play off their vision center and would do better getting their feet and head closer to the cue ball/object balls then they do now. 4) Etc.

To me, pros getting by with long bridges is similar to pros using extra stiff shafts in golf, extra stiff strings on a tennis racket, etc. I know a lot of amateurs cannot handle it as well. And as I've written about elsewhere, I catch intermediates often with 14-inch bridges or longer and show them a 7-inch bridge so they can feel the difference they can't feel with an 11-inch bridge. I'm sure you stroke as softly as I do on many shots and bangers with 14-inch bridges are in a world of trouble IMHO.

**I do remember and appreciate your defending me. That was kind of you. I don't mind getting called out if I use an imprecise term or whatever. I like to post here sometimes as I find the give-and-take stimulating as we all do.
 
I just have to respond to that one for you. It turns out (there is research to back it up) that the great leaders don't lead. They are not even the most intelligent people. The great leaders are consensus builders. They know how to listen to everyone and then make wise decisions based on their distinct (above average) ability to listen to everyone else and sort out the information.

Interesting isn't it.

In my thinking the greatest teacher of all time is Socrates (as presented by Plato). I know it has been a long time but it is worth reading some of his dialogs where he is the one who does not know and how in his attempts to learn from his students we all learn something. His style has been emulated for centuries.

Then it's a matter of definition. It sure sounds to me like they're leading and teaching.
 
I think your issue is with the fact that I, as an instructor and others, may actually offer free lessons.
No, not at all, Rick. I understand volunteering one's services. When I mentioned my being A-OK with ChicagoRJ's post that included instructors who...
...donate your time to the Park District, schools, senior center, or other areas to provide instruction about pool, you qualify.
..., I was attempting to include and acknowledge instructors who volunteer their services.

In the last ten years, I've volunteered over 700 hours of my time in service to my community, so I "get" volunteerism. I hope that's now more clear.

The good news, Rick, is that those in your area, if they didn't know it already, now have another instructor they can contact.

I am very fortunate to have worked with a terrific pool coach. I hope all students find that person or persons who make the game a special part of their lives.

ChicagoRJ did a much better job of making himself clear. I again defer to this post:

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3940524&postcount=68
 
1) You are certainly not one of the posters I was thinking of, Spider! You have those disclaimers on your posts sometimes but you are certainly always brief and pithy as well. I like your posts almost always.

2) I have appeared on TV as an entertainer, collector and emcee for a wide variety of events besides pool, as my page states.

3) About.com is for beginners and up across its many subjects. I do post meatier pool items on there on occasion (I don't want to overdo it and to be frank, for example, most people want to read about stroke and stance and not look at throw and squirt graphs). But that same page states how one of my series for InsidePool was called "The Year of Pro Secrets." In that vein, I take some flack for teaching some controversial things but I don't mind too much.

4) I do a good job with pool lessons and my students improve. I also play for money and the Internet is destroying every road player with its Youtube videos. I play typically where I can have (some) peace and privacy without videos taken and I do not resemble my avatar that much at this time or the photos on my site. People have trouble picking me out in person sometimes. I'd love to play with you some time and hang, by the by, not for money but to shoot the breeze...

5) I'm aware that some find my teachings incorrect including some strong players and teachers. It comes with the territory. I've been involved in non-pool endeavors where if you hang with the big people, you have to have a tough skin. I'd rather not get into debates but am willing to explain further anything on my site or elsewhere that you or anyone wants more information regarding.

6) I'm sorry I wrote "pros use long bridge lengths because they can." I've been trying to keep my posts briefer at AZ. Let's amend that to:

IMO Pros have fabulous technique and stance and aim and can use long bridge lengths, but many amateurs would see their percentage increase by shortening their bridge instead. Why? 1) Because their is more room along a longer bridge length to swerve offline 2) There is more room " " to mis-time any vertical looping action/pendulum in the stroke 3) The average amateur doesn't play off their vision center and would do better getting their feet and head closer to the cue ball/object balls then they do now. 4) Etc.

To me, pros getting by with long bridges is similar to pros using extra stiff shafts in golf, extra stiff strings on a tennis racket, etc. I know a lot of amateurs cannot handle it as well. And as I've written about elsewhere, I catch intermediates often with 14-inch bridges or longer and show them a 7-inch bridge so they can feel the difference they can't feel with an 11-inch bridge. I'm sure you stroke as softly as I do on many shots and bangers with 14-inch bridges are in a world of trouble IMHO.

**I do remember and appreciate your defending me. That was kind of you. I don't mind getting called out if I use an imprecise term or whatever. I like to post here sometimes as I find the give-and-take stimulating as we all do.

Matt--- you have a tremendous enthusiasm for teaching which is certainly a gift. I defended you during that "wave" because people tend to look beyond the good in order to find the bad. I'm not saying you're not a "technician" when it comes to this game; I'm merely saying if you took as much time into your responses as you did your bio (instead of a 3 second basic/generic answer), you'd shut up your critics in a heartbeat.

For instance, your bio states that you led the University of FL to 6 national collegiate billiard titles. Clearly, you have to have examples with players who struggled with certain things, what you guys worked on, how they improved and some challenges they encountered. Use that kind of approach to relate your real-world experiences into your responses instead of drive-bye generalities.

I'm only straight-talking you on these items because no one will. I think if you formatted your responses in the form of laser-guided strikes instead of carpet bombings, you'll earn a new group of fans here. I hope you do because I like your style as an instructor (personality/style), but your bio leaves us wanting more out of your posts. It's like if you asked a champion instructor how you hit a certain shot and they say "just whack it in." The person asking the question KNOWS there's more in there, but all they ever get is the left-over dried up mushrooms while picking the pizza instead of the hot pepperoni.

Best of luck --- next beer is on me if we cross paths.
 
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