Instructors!

[tuda]

to me, it seems like a reasonable question, but one that is a very common misconception...

the guy that tought me how to play, was an old road warrior, played very well, but just couldnt do it "any more"... he knew what to do, just couldnt execute due to old age and bad eyes... by the end of our "classes" i was giving the guy the 7 out, playing 9 ball and 11-7 playing one pocket, and stealing...

its not about what you know, its about what you can execute...

i can picture the mona lisa in my head... doesnt mean i can take a paint brush and put in on canvas.

 

[brophog]

Most sports coaches (basketball,baseball) were great at their sport during their time.

I disagree. We can pick any discipline and name off legendary coaches that were benchwarmers. In fact, you'll find a bit of an inverse correlation between success as a player and success as a coach. That's not to say there aren't some really good coaches that also happened to be great players, but it isn't the most likely situation.

One of the reasons often missed for that is personality. Coaching is an indirect action. Great players, and in particular those that go well above and beyond their peers often have very dominating personalities. They are often perfectionists. They get that extra little bit out of themselves by pushing themselves that much harder. That works great because they are directly in control of their actions.

The problem is that it doesn't work so great when you're trying to train and motivate others who will have a wide range of personality types. Sometimes you come across a player that needs a kick in the butt to succeed while he may have a teammate that such an approach will completely shut down. Dominating personalities often must have ironclad control over their situations. Again, that's great if they have the ball in their hands for that game winning shot. It's not so great when they're on the bench relying on someone else to take that game winning shot.

 

[brophog]

Very true sir, i was coaching so much my game suffered. I then took a break and put the hours back on the table and have been in 7 finals in my last 10 events and in the cash 9 out of 10.

It's hard to find the balance

Only so much time on one's hands, that's for sure. Some coaches find that teaching is a great means of learning. Students come up with all kinds of questions that may otherwise not be thought of, giving inspiration to try a new method or see something from a new perspective. Teaching is also a great way of finding out how much one really knows, and that's a great impetus for learning.

 

[pool101]

I am all for Jerry being inducted... He was the founder and the soul impetus for years in the US on instruction..... I do find most of the info taught to still be somewhat antiquated but fundamentals will always be a keystone....

I just dream of advanced classes that address things like the upstroke and the other changes of cue angle during the stroke and what they can accomplish... The Beard and Brumback have rendered much moot from the Dr. Dave Archives but the pendulum and the physics of the rolling ball still seem to to be the basis of most teaching.....

You need to see Lee's DVD when it comes out (soon), the up down stroke and the elbow drop are covered.
Mark

 

[macguy]

You ever notice in some sports not just pool that students of what ever discipline play better then the one teaching.I mean if one is great at teaching something and knows everything about the sport why cant he reach the top level.Why can someone teach but not play as good as they teach.
No bashing me please im for all instructors..:smile:

To play at a top speed requires the time put in to do so. Many very talented and knowledgeable players could be much better players if they wanted but it is not realistically worth their time to put in all those hours. That in no way negates their ability to teach.

In fact, even among the pros. Most may make the sacrifice and get their games to a high level, if for no other reason then to see how good they can play. But a majority after they have done so don't keep it up, it just is not worth it.

Heck I know guys who used to never miss a ball and you run into them and they haven't played in months or years. It is nice to look back though and know you did have the ability, but the day to day grind to keep your game at a high level begins to pale in importance. For many, teaching can be far more rewarding then just playing.

 

[randyg]

I am all for Jerry being inducted... He was the founder and the soul impetus for years in the US on instruction..... I do find most of the info taught to still be somewhat antiquated but fundamentals will always be a keystone....

I just dream of advanced classes that address things like the upstroke and the other changes of cue angle during the stroke and what they can accomplish... The Beard and Brumback have rendered much moot from the Dr. Dave Archives

but the pendulum and the physics of the rolling ball still seem to to be the basis of most teaching.....

Under pressure, keep it simple. One simple pendulum move gets the same results every time.
randyg

 

[Bambu]

The same can be said in every sport, we cant all reach pro level. Sometimes its time, effort, dedication, or just a lack of natural talent. Other times, people are happy with their game and have no desire to dedicate their lives to pool. Thats what most pros do, they play every day, sometimes all day long.

Anyone ever go for a tennis or golf lesson? Hitting instructor? If so, did you expect your instructor to be a pro? Its the same thing in pool. You want a pro instructor, you have to seek one out. But even if you do, theres no data that suggests you will do any better. Some pros have no idea why certain things work the way they do, even if they can execute a shot you dont understand. Depending on your level, that may or may not matter.

The way I see it is, 80% of people who seek out lessons are beginner or intermediate level. For them, pro level instruction as opposed to A or even B level means very little. Many of them wouldnt be able to tell much difference between an A and a pro anyway, only a trained eye can do that. For the other 20%, yes you should seek out a pro if you want advanced lessons.