First lesson on Sat
- Thread starter Stroking
- Start date
Questions?
These are up to you.
And instructor is not a mind reader. If you have questions about your game, write them down before you get the lesson.
Your expectations are YOUR expectations. Your instructor will likely ask you what your expectations and goals are.
If you're talking about an instructor's qualifications or teaching methods, you should probably have some understanding of these before even scheduling a lesson.
For myself, I describe my lessons on my website. I also furnish each new student with a brief quiz to get an idea where he or she is at before I plan the lessons. He or she will ask you questions, observe your play and show you what you need to do to meet your goals.
In other words, the teacher tailors lessons to an individual student and this requires input from the student.
I also tell new students that whether the lessons help is largely up to the student. Are they attentive listeners? Will they actually follow instructions and do the drills and exercises prescribed?
No instructor can make anyone a great player. It's up to the instructor to point the way and present a plan...it's up to the student to implement the plan and follow instructions.
These are up to you.
And instructor is not a mind reader. If you have questions about your game, write them down before you get the lesson.
Your expectations are YOUR expectations. Your instructor will likely ask you what your expectations and goals are.
If you're talking about an instructor's qualifications or teaching methods, you should probably have some understanding of these before even scheduling a lesson.
For myself, I describe my lessons on my website. I also furnish each new student with a brief quiz to get an idea where he or she is at before I plan the lessons. He or she will ask you questions, observe your play and show you what you need to do to meet your goals.
In other words, the teacher tailors lessons to an individual student and this requires input from the student.
I also tell new students that whether the lessons help is largely up to the student. Are they attentive listeners? Will they actually follow instructions and do the drills and exercises prescribed?
No instructor can make anyone a great player. It's up to the instructor to point the way and present a plan...it's up to the student to implement the plan and follow instructions.
A good first step is for the instructor to look at your basic mechanics. Is your stroke straight and repeatable? Can you bring the cue stick through with reasonable power? It is very likely that there will be things there to work on, and the instructor should give you ways to work on them. Video is a good way to look at flaws in technique.
After that, you should have a short list of shots you have problems with. The problems may be due to the problems found above or to lack of knowledge or practice. For example lots of players have a hard time with draw because they fail to hit the cue ball as low as they intend or need to due to flawed mechanics. Other players simply don't have experience with playing simple position shots -- they have little feeling for where the cue ball is going on any shot. There are drills for getting experience with positioning.
There should be a good back-and-forth communication between an instructor and a player.
Your number one priority is why you are taking the lesson in the first place. What prompted you to get help with your game? Explain that to the instructor.
Then put yourself in their hands to allow them to properly assess your game. Let them take the lead.
If you don't understand something, stop them and ask for a clarification.
Ask him to show you an 8 foot reverse kill skid shot. If you get a blank look reconsider your choice of instructors.
Well, don't come to me then because I'm stumped. Isn't 'skid' a descriptive of a kill shot? Can you kill a ball without skid?
Would that be like saying, "Hush, don't say anything." ?
Also, do you mean 'reverse' or do you mean 'inside' ?
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that's just the way I describe it .
You are right it's an inside kill shot. I use old school terms.
I like the other description because I usually get a blank look until I shoot the shot and describe what I'm doing.
I figured you would know what it is.
I use the term skid because that's how I learned it in Jersey back in the '60s. Probably an old term not used anymore.
The greatest skid shot shooter I ever saw was a New Jersey player Ernie Lager.
I was like 14 and every skid shot he did I would figure out the next day and shoot it until I got it right.
He'll tell you what he's doing as he makes his way through the rack.
Watch him "beat the ghost" playing 9-Ball so you can see his personal playing style. He can also tell you what he's doing as he makes his way through the rack.
Ask why he went about things the way he did if you're curious and need further explanation (besides the demonstration).
Watch him "beat the ghost" playing 9-Ball so you can see his personal playing style. He can also tell you what he's doing as he makes his way through the rack.
Ask why he went about things the way he did if you're curious and need further explanation (besides the demonstration).
I love that shot. It's one of my favorites. Shooting it from 8 feet is definitely a test, like you wrote, and you're right, not many know it well enough to use it in play, but it does come in handy. I think Ervolino taught it to me, if I'm not mistaken. Got me out of a few jams.