Instructor in SoCal (Orange County)

In your opinion, what's the best bang for your buck in terms of improving your game?

  • Table time (both cost and opportunity cost of time)

    Votes: 2 13.3%

  • Instruction

    Votes: 11 73.3%

  • Books/videos

    Votes: 3 20.0%

  • Fee for league/tournament/wagers

    Votes: 1 6.7%
  • Total voters
    15
T

thejeffcho

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello all, longtime reader first time poster. Can you guys recommend a good pool instructor in the Southern California (Orange County) area? And can you give me an idea of what a fair rate might be?

I am an APA 4/5 with decent fundamentals (the stroke looks better than the results hehe), have been playing for years but the progress is slowing. I missed out on Scott Lee's traveling pool school when they were in Dana Point, and have been considering getting instruction ever since.

Side question: in your opinion, what's the best bang for your buck in terms of improving your game?

a) Table time (both cost for table and opportunity cost of time).
b) Instruction.
c) Books/video.
d) Cost for league/tournaments/wager.
 
You have a lot of choices on the list of BCA instructors in California. Talk to them to find out which ones will best fill your needs and that you feel will work well with you.
 
For sure it is no mistake to increase your knowledge by reading/learning from good books-there are several for sure.

But definitley the best what you could do is to work several sessions with a good instructor (including all)- just one session is not enough in my opinion- the first session is the most important because the instructor has to analyze where you have to work on- after that the real work could begin :-)


Go for it^^

lg from overseas,
Ingo
 
I voted for tournament costs. You get hours of play time, you get the mental practice you need from the competition. You learn positional routes and strategies, much like you would see from watching match videos. You get some practice time on the tables to always keep your stroke nice and loose. I wouldn't say it's the only thing you should be doing, but I think it offers great improvement. From books and videos, which I've taught myself through, I've learned quite a bit. Now it's the competitive edge I'm working on and real life situations in tournaments and small money matches really help push me to be creative, precise, and keep calm enough to focus on fundamentals no matter what the situation. A good instructor will take you far though, but best bang for the buck, I would say is self exploration by finding yourself at the table. May sound corny, but oh well. I'm actually from OC area myself, living in Irvine. If you ever want to shoot, send me a pm and we could meet up.
 
You asked about the best "bang for your buck" so I picked books/videos. Good books and videos offer more information per dollar, plus they stay with you for future reference. Instruction from good instructors might be a good 2nd choice.

Roger
 
While books and videos offer some great information, they are unable to pick out specific stroke errors, or answer questions, like video analysis from a qualified instructor can. Nothing substitutes personal instruction, imo.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Roger Long said:
You asked about the best "bang for your buck" so I picked books/videos. Good books and videos offer more information per dollar, plus they stay with you for future reference. Instruction from good instructors might be a good 2nd choice.

Roger
Click to expand...
 
I voted for table time, but certainly good instruction can't hurt.

As for recommending good instruction in the area, I'd suggest you give Dave Hemmah a call. He's been the house pro at Hard Times for years and I've learned some good stuff from him. I first hooked up with him when he knocked me out of the Swanee last year. :embarrassed2:

Just call Hard Times and they can put you in touch with him.

Where are you in OC? Maybe we can hook up and play some.
 
Mitch...I don't know if Dave is still giving lessons there or not, but as of January, when I was last in S. CA, Corey Harper was the new house pro at Hard Times. Corey is giving lessons there, and is easy to find. He has an office upstairs in Hard Times.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

DogsPlayingPool said:
As for recommending good instruction in the area, I'd suggest you give Dave Hemmah a call. He's been the house pro at Hard Times for years and I've learned some good stuff from him.
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
Mitch...I don't know if Dave is still giving lessons there or not, but as of January, when I was last in S. CA, Corey Harper was the new house pro at Hard Times. Corey is giving lessons there, and is easy to find. He has an office upstairs in Hard Times.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info about Corey. I knew he had an office there for his marketing company but I didn't know he was now the house pro. Someone ought to tell Hard Times that because their website still says Dave is the House Pro:

http://www.hardtimesbellflower.com/Contact.html

Dave still gives lessons but more or less by appointment only. Since he became a father 2-3 years ago he doesn't play as much pool or spend as much time hanging as he used to. But he does still give lessons or at least he was as of the last time I saw him, at the Swanee in February.

Corey would be another good choice, especially if he could teach me that stroke of his.
 
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