How much would you pay for lessons?

[Andrew Manning]

His son Brandon is also a living testimonial.

I think you mean Landon.

As far as the original post, I paid $150 for my last lesson, which was scheduled for 2 hours but actually lasted closer to 3. I feel it was worth it, and if I went back in time to before that lesson, I'd spend the $150 again. At this point in time, however, at my current level of ability versus knowledge, I feel I am my own best teacher. I think I get more, at this point, out of going to the pool hall and playing the better players than I could get out of a lesson. I know what I did wrong when something goes wrong. I know what the strengths and weaknesses of my game are, and how to improve the weaknesses. What I really need now is the spare time to play more pool, and to accumulate a lot of hours on the table.

And I would never pay $1150 for a lesson.

-Andrew

 

[JimS]

I'm sorry, but your 'old man on a mountain' is a fool. I don't care who he really is. That statement is the statement of a fool. If something is worth learning, it's worth paying for. If you wanted to learn martial arts, would you just buy a book, or just watch it on t.v.? NO! You would think that would be ridiculous. Do you pay for college? Of course!

I get so sick of hearing people say that it is foolish to pay for pool lessons. Why on earth would it be??? Just find a decent instructor so you get your monies worth.

Some think all you have to do is play. Sure, one can learn that way. But be prepared to take a lifetime to learn the things you don't know. By then, you no longer have the eyesight, stamina, desire, many other things that you had in your youth. Then, you can say that you wish you had taken lessons earlier in life.

No halfway decent instructor has ever claimed that taking a few lessons will automatically make you a better player. They do claim, and rightfully so, that if you practice what you have learned, you will get better. That means time on the table. The lessons expoentially decrease the time that you have to spend on the table figuring out how to do something. And increase the quality of the time you do spend on the table. Because now you are practicing the right things to do, instead of the wrong things.

Sure, many good players will offer tips now and then. But very, very few will actually take time with you to show you just what you are doing wrong for free.

You don't know what you don't know. And if you really want to know it, it is worth paying for.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Great post.