Giving lesson's

jeff1234

jeff1234

Registered
I amjust looking for some feedback as far as giving lesson's goes. I am about a c+ player, no pro here. I recently joined a in house league in the area and have had alot of beginners asking about lessons. Other than stance,bridge,and stroke where do I start? All and any feedback is helpfull.
Thanks
Jeff
 
Get a group of players together who actually want to improve their game. Pool all of your money together and call either Randy G, Scott Lee or Mark Wilson (in St louis) for group lessons.
 
Explain to them how to determine where to aim on the object ball to pocket it with a softish center ball hit. Then explain to them how to determine in which direction the cue ball will go after it hits the object ball at the intended point. Most early beginners don't know where the cue ball and object ball are going on an ordinary hit, but you can show them how to work it out.
 
Scottster said:
Get a group of players together who actually want to improve their game. Pool all of your money together and call either Randy G, Scott Lee or Mark Wilson (in St louis) for group lessons.
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Good advice! Getting off on a good first foot, by taking lessons, makes the game that much more fun, right from the beginning!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
Another option is go get with Randy or one of the other BCA instructors and look into the instructor program. Not only will you learn how to teach various concepts to others, but in the process, you will see your game improving as well. If you have the desire to teach, learn how to become the best instructor possible.
Steve
 
jeff1234 said:
I amjust looking for some feedback as far as giving lesson's goes. I am about a c+ player, no pro here. I recently joined a in house league in the area and have had alot of beginners asking about lessons. Other than stance,bridge,and stroke where do I start? All and any feedback is helpfull.
Thanks
Jeff
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The outline of the Basics Clinic I give is available for free on www.sfbilliards.com as a PDF. Print it out. Look it over. Which parts of it do you feel comfortable explaining to beginners? Do those parts.

As a C+ player, it is a little early for you to be thinking about being certified as an instructor, but it is a reasonable long-term goal if you enjoy teaching and you continue to improve at pool. As a certified instructor, you don't need to be able to run racks and racks, but you do need to be able to demonstrate some shots and techniques that very few C players can manage.

Improve your knowledge. Which books and tapes do you have so far?
 
Bob Jewett said:
As a certified instructor, you don't need to be able to run racks and racks, but you do need to be able to demonstrate some shots and techniques that very few C players can manage.
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I agree with you almost entirely, Bob. I am of the belief that if the knowledge is not evident in the instructor's game then most of what he teaches will not benefit the student at all. If a student comes to me wanting to advance their level of play, such as wanting to learn how to run out a rack of 9 ball, then I need to be able to demonstrate running out a rack of 9 ball and teach the student what to do. If I don't have that knowledge - or if I have substandard or incomplete knowledge - that will be passed along to the student. I would much rather take lessons from Tony Robles then to merely pick a name out of the phone book just because they might have a certification.

I would recommend finding the best instructor you can find and never settle for just anybody. I wish I had a dime for every time I ran into a player that told me that they had wasted their money on lessons from an instructor that played no better than anybody else in the room. Most of them are permanantly turned off by the idea to instruction. If the instruction is worthwhile - you will see the evidence of its success in the instructor's game and in the games of his/her students.
 
Blackjack said:
.... I would recommend finding the best instructor you can find and never settle for just anybody. I wish I had a dime for every time I ran into a player that told me that they had wasted their money on lessons from an instructor that played no better than anybody else in the room. Most of them are permanantly turned off by the idea to instruction. If the instruction is worthwhile - you will see the evidence of its success in the instructor's game and in the games of his/her students.
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On the other hand, I wish I had a nickel for every player I've met who spent time with a champion and got nothing out of the experience except misinformation. A huge part of the equation depends on the student. Most students I've seen are at or below APA SL5. They need to work on things that require patience and flexibility from the instructor.

An example of one student I had: He had spent something over $1500 for celebrity lessons with champions, and had been playing quite a while including in room tournaments. He could not draw his ball. He had not yet received a critical piece of info: you have to hit the ball below center to get backspin on it. And, no, I'm not kidding.

An example at the beginner level I had last night: a student who is about a freshman in high school. Lots of interest, pays excellent attention, picks things up fairly quickly, loves to play pool, but has never made an open or a closed or a rail bridge you would recognize; is not able to send the cue ball into a foot pocket from the kitchen 80% of the time, and has drawn the cue ball only twice (with supervision).

At the other end of the student spectrum you find the A-level nine ball player who wants to bring his one pocket game up a couple of balls so he can trap Geezer Bert.

Those three students probably need at least two different instructors.
 
I've heard this one time and it has stuck. Those who can do, do; those who can not, teach.
 
seymore15074 said:
I've heard this one time and it has stuck. Those who can do, do; those who can not, teach.
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Hey! look! it is only The 5th day of 2007 and we already have a top nominee for:

A$$h0le Quote of the Year.

Players and Instructors come on this site and offer advice to help others.

Not too many years ago you couldn't find anyone to help improve one's game. Everyone was on their own, and more knowledgable players took advantage of the lesser skilled and liked it that way.

I appreciate the instructors who come on here and share little "tidbits" of their knowledge free of charge.

Your comment is way out of line. I am willing to bet that Jerry Brieseth, or Mark Wilson can teach you how to rack the ol' fashion way.... by you being the loser.
 
Bob Jewett said:
The outline of the Basics Clinic I give is available for free on www.sfbilliards.com as a PDF. Print it out. Look it over. Which parts of it do you feel comfortable explaining to beginners? Do those parts.
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Bob,

I just discovered your BD articles online and have literally spent the past couple of days reading them. Just want to say they are some of the best I have read and I'm putting together my practice routines using your progressive drills.

The basic clinic document is a great help as well. Thanks for making this available online.

Greg

(Sorry for the thread hijack)
 
lessons

Thank you to all who have replied.

Bob, I am going to look into that link. thanks bye the way. I am a young guy 25 and I am a little hesitant about doing this,but these really are beginners we are talking about. I am not doing this for the money more for the love of the game and a favor to a friend who owns a pool hall. I have never taken a lesson in my life. Just thousands of hours in the halls. I am worried about teaching my ways instead of the right ways, but I am sure you your basic clinic info will give me somewhere to start. THANKS AGAIN

Scoottster
I coulnd't agree with you more. It is very hard to get a high level player to release any info. They keep there tips hidden like magicians.

I am glad to see people still looking to help out someone for just the good deed factor. I might be an A player if I had me tmore people like this a few years ago.

Thanks again for all the info
Jeff
 
Instruction

Do you know how many PGA Tour caliber golfers get instruction from players/teachers that do it better than them ? (Tiger included) I will bet zero ! The same applies in pool, karate, football, etc, etc.
 
Foolonthehill said:
Bob,

I just discovered your BD articles online and have literally spent the past couple of days reading them. Just want to say they are some of the best I have read and I'm putting together my practice routines using your progressive drills. ...
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Thanks for the feedback. For others who might be interested, the 14 years of monthly articles are listed at http://www.sfbilliards.com/articles/BD_articles.html

The August 2002 article contains a diagram of aim-and-pivot squirt compensation from 1839 that I mentioned above.

Many of the articles are too technical for some people's tastes. Pass those by until you feel a need to know about what's being discussed.
 
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