lenght of bridge

[BilliardsAbout]

You keep re clarifying and re stating your position so much that I really have no idea what you are talking about half the time. I suggested this before and I will suggest it again. Learn how to play and you won't have to keep changing your story. You're a pro player. No, you changed your mind. You're a semi-pro player. Who says stuff like that??

I've rarely been attached for using the word "we" and not "they". I admire your acumen--you are a good debater to single out the use of one word.

I recognized my goof when I wrote the note in a rush and thought, "Maybe I should go back and put "pro players and pro teachers?" but I didn't. You were right and I was wrong. Can we move past my post?

 

[BilliardsAbout]

There it is. The clarification.

That is what I do because I am very patient. When someone says, "Wow, you're a big fraud," I clarify rather than resort to name calling and accusations. Fran, there are some real issues between us--this isn't just you policing the teaching here in general--if you're going to accuse me of trying to add clarity to a thread. That's not how you talk to a friend when there is confusion. You say, "Go ahead, clarify so I understand your point of view better." Clarification and defining terms tends to defuse an argument and enhance understanding in my experience.

Let's take a deep breath, both of us, please. I have a lot of students online and off and I recognize the responsibility. I think there are superb opportunities for me to refine my knowledge base here, whether it's via you or many other very knowledegable teachers and players. I get it--I do--I need to be careful here at AZ and try to give in-depth commentary more so than zen-like snippets. I will try to be more clear in my statements.

I got off to the wrong foot here at the AZ forums in a big way--and not just with you only as we all know. Can you be the bigger person, call it a day and move on?

 

[FranCrimi]

That is what I do because I am very patient. When someone says, "Wow, you're a big fraud," I clarify rather than resort to name calling and accusations. Fran, there are some real issues between us--this isn't just you policing the teaching here in general--if you're going to accuse me of trying to add clarity to a thread. That's not how you talk to a friend when there is confusion. You say, "Go ahead, clarify so I understand your point of view better." Clarification and defining terms tends to defuse an argument and enhance understanding in my experience.

Let's take a deep breath, both of us, please. I have a lot of students online and off and I recognize the responsibility. I think there are superb opportunities for me to refine my knowledge base here, whether it's via you or many other very knowledegable teachers and players. I get it--I do--I need to be careful here at AZ and try to give in-depth commentary more so than zen-like snippets. I will try to be more clear in my statements.

I got off to the wrong foot here at the AZ forums in a big way--and not just with you only as we all know. Can you be the bigger person, call it a day and move on?

I honestly don't know why you insist on continuing with this but....

So let's CLARIFY, shall we?

1.) You referred to yourself as a pro player. And yes, you were talking about players, not teachers.

2.) I called you out on the carpet for that one and you then corrected yourself and said you should have written 'semi-pro.'

3.) I then suggested that you get Donny Lutz, a reputable instructor who knows your game and who posts here to confirm that you're a semi-pro player.

4.) You then clarified yourself again and said you will always consider yourself a 'professional' because you teach pool for money, and that you consider yourself to be an expert player.

Nobody has to accuse you of anything. You do it all by yourself.

 

[Neil]

I honestly don't know why you insist on continuing with this but....

So let's CLARIFY, shall we?

1.) You referred to yourself as a pro player. And yes, you were talking about players, not teachers.

2.) I called you out on the carpet for that one and you then corrected yourself and said you should have written 'semi-pro.'

3.) I then suggested that you get Donny Lutz, a reputable instructor who knows your game and who posts here to confirm that you're a semi-pro player.

4.) You then clarified yourself again and said you will always consider yourself a 'professional' because you teach pool for money, and that you consider yourself to be an expert player.

Nobody has to accuse you of anything. You do it all by yourself.

Fran, why the big issue with his playing ability? You sound like you think being a pro or a semi-pro playing ability has some bearing on ability to teach, is that what you really think?

 

[BilliardsAbout]

I honestly don't know why you insist on continuing with this but....

So let's CLARIFY, shall we?

1.) You referred to yourself as a pro player. And yes, you were talking about players, not teachers.

2.) I called you out on the carpet for that one and you then corrected yourself and said you should have written 'semi-pro.'

3.) I then suggested that you get Donny Lutz, a reputable instructor who knows your game and who posts here to confirm that you're a semi-pro player.

4.) You then clarified yourself again and said you will always consider yourself a 'professional' because you teach pool for money, and that you consider yourself to be an expert player.

Nobody has to accuse you of anything. You do it all by yourself.

I've written several times I used "we" instead of "we experts" and etc. This is a silly argument. And it's even sillier to dog me for being proactive--since you like to roam my site to nitpick--to say "I am a pro teacher" so that this nonsense will stop. It says all over my site I am a pro teacher or "we pros and pro teachers" or "we experts" and nowhere on AZ or my site, or my book, or DVD, or years of magazine articles, does it say "pro" except for the word "we" earlier in this thread, an unfortunate choice to be sure.

Donny and others want no part of the bickering here nor do I. He can speak for himself, but he and I are infrequent posters at AZ, in part because of the nonsensical arguments.

I will repeat, I used the wrong word choice. You win, I surrender. You are 100% right. I am 100% wrong. Are you wanting to make the peace?

 

[BilliardsAbout]

Fran, why the big issue with his playing ability? You sound like you think being a pro or a semi-pro playing ability has some bearing on ability to teach, is that what you really think?

Fran has stated so elsewhere and I am inclined to agree with her. She cannot deny that responding to me, she wrote that one has to be able to feel certain things that a pro can feel to convey that to others.

For my part, I agree with her. I commonly start lessons with "Today I will show you and help you to feel what a pro stroke feels like" and etc. because I am capable of such. I'd even hazard a guess that I can draw further--I'm "Quick Draw" Sherman--and break harder than Fran but this is not a "My dad can beat up your dad" argument.

Some fabulous teachers in all sports play beneath a pro level. I hardly play at all anymore and spend most of my time teaching. It's been a long time since I played ten hours a day and Fran has much she can teach her students about discipline and commitment as well as shots, strategy and tactics.

I'll go ahead and speak for her to say there's no way she's saying one has to be a pro player to be a good or even great teacher because that would be untrue. How about it, Fran? Some of my very good friends are certified instructors in a variety of pool organizations, have waiting lists for classes and aren't pro players. Do you not agree?

 

[Neil]

Fran has stated so elsewhere and I am inclined to agree with her. She cannot deny that responding to me, she wrote that one has to be able to feel certain things that a pro can feel to convey that to others.

For my part, I agree with her. I commonly start lessons with "Today I will show you and help you to feel what a pro stroke feels like" and etc. because I am capable of such. I'd even hazard a guess that I can draw further--I'm "Quick Draw" Sherman--and break harder than Fran but this is not a "My dad can beat up your dad" argument.

Some fabulous teachers in all sports play beneath a pro level. I hardly play at all anymore and spend most of my time teaching. It's been a long time since I played ten hours a day and Fran has much she can teach her students about discipline and commitment as well as shots, strategy and tactics.

I'll go ahead and speak for her to say there's no way she's saying one has to be a pro player to be a good or even great teacher because that would be untrue. How about it, Fran? Some of my very good friends are certified instructors in a variety of pool organizations, have waiting lists for classes and aren't pro players. Do you not agree?

I agree with your statement above. I also am curious about her answer.???

 

[FranCrimi]

Fran, why the big issue with his playing ability? You sound like you think being a pro or a semi-pro playing ability has some bearing on ability to teach, is that what you really think?

My issue in this case with Matt is about his continuous and consistent misrepresentation of who he is.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

My issue in this case with Matt is about his continuous and consistent misrepresentation of who he is.

I play pool... well. I teach pool... well. My signature lists some of my resource materials and accomplishments.

You are consistent only in saying I'm a lousy player and a misinformed teacher. Have you seen videos of my play or watched me play in person? Have you interviewed my students to assess their experience? Have you visited my book and DVD reviews at Amazon or other reviews online of my work?

Please make the peace already. If you would merely confine yourself to critiquing my teaching viewpoints--admittedly against the grain and unorthodox at times--instead of daring to suggest I'm illegitimate, we'd get along superbly.

PS. Answer Neil's question if you would.

 

[zpele]

I usually bridge at about 10 inches from the cueball. The farther away the bridge the more magnified are the stroke imperfections. In general it is advantageous to limit the amount of variables that change in your stroke so that it is easier to modify your speed.

Consider everything about your stroke- stance (where your feet generally face), bridge length, where you grip the cue with your back hand, how you grip the cue (if your wrist turns when you deliver the cue you are generally speaking probably holding too tight to the cue), where you are lining up the cue in your eyesight, the speed of your backswing, etc..

Out of all of these things you want to slowly isolate and deal with each factor. You want every part of your stroke to be in control on every shot. As long as each time you get down and stroke the ball you are doing everything the same except your forward swing speed you will find it much easier to modulate your cueball speed.

There are many imperfections that we naturally develop when we start playing pool and most of them feel so natural to us that we don't know what it is that is causing the problem. I would highly suggest that you either analyze your stroke and spend years studying how to change your body mechanics or just get a few lessons.

 

[PaulM]

For my part, I agree with her. I commonly start lessons with "Today I will show you and help you to feel what a pro stroke feels like" and etc. because I am capable of such.

How do you teach someone a feeling?

 

[3kushn]

How do you teach someone a feeling?

He's not talking so much about feeling such as happy or sad but tactal feel of a good technique. When the teachings are followed, point out "That's it, how did that feel" compared to before. Not so much in the mind and regardless whether the shot was made but how did it feel in the fingers, hands, arm, body, feet.........

This can be done, I've done it and its an exceptional feeling (mind) for me to witness the light bulb turn on so bright.

You instructors have a great occupation.