Lessons from A Pro

BillYards said:
There are three players (Archer is one) that are coming to the island in January for a tournament. I was thinking about trying to get some paid instruction from Johnny or maybe gambling with him for the experience.

Anyone have any ideas regarding this?
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it depends on your level. the better you are, the more you can gleen from a brief encounter. sounds like you must be good enough if you can gamble with him. if you're not, i honestly don't think you'll gain any more than if you just watched him play. he'll only play good enough to beat, which might mean nothing, education-wise.

if you play him, play with a spotted cb.
 
BillYards said:
There are three players (Archer is one) that are coming to the island in January for a tournament. I was thinking about trying to get some paid instruction from Johnny or maybe gambling with him for the experience.

Anyone have any ideas regarding this?
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Make sure you get weight!
 
That's a great point Randy

randyg said:
What a great post!

I sure do like OLDHASBEEN and his relationship between teaching and playing.

But, I'm no different than anyone else, I love this game. I have spent quite a bit of time studying with four (high ranked) professional players. Granted I'm around some of the pro's a little less time over the last few years I still watch my favorites as much as possible. Played in a tournament against a few of them this past Oct.

I had a very hard time learning from these nice players. God could they play, but extracting the "why's" from them was tough. Not their fault, they are players. Still they become the foundation for my game and some of my teaching traits. I wouldn't trade those times for nothing.

Right now I think I would like to spend some time with Wade Crane......SPF-randyg
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There are a lot of great players who can shoot all the shots you throw at them, but if you ask them why the ball did this when it hit this ball or that rail, all they can tell you is thats what happens. I'm no great teacher, but I can explain the reactions of the balls to people I'm helping. Once you start to understand why, it helps you learn from just watching the other players shoot. Sam
 
I would sell my soul....

If I was a young upcoming player, I would sell my soul to get lessons from The Beard. Unfortunately, I am no longer young, and I am The Beard. Oh, to be young again instead of smart.
Just kidding.

the Beard

Old school pool. Bank on, brother!
 
I second Thorsten as a nominee here. I can tell from watching him play that he approaches the game the way I think about it. And you can't go wrong with someone who has that kind of straight pool talent.
 
Has anyone ever noticed.................

Has anyone ever noticed the big differences between a good local player (a home-grown tomato) and an accomplished Road Player that is seasoned?
It Is Usually HUGH!

The best lessons that are truly learned come from defeat and observation. If you constantly play the same players at home and never get out to play better players on all kinds of equipment, under all kinds of conditions - You are limiting yourself as to how much you CAN improve.

That is why, (when I was on the road) and was after a certain good local player - I would just go to a neutral poolroom or bar and wait for him to come to me where I was already In Stroke. He usually came with all his fans and their money - BUT - he was now in my court instead of his. Of course, he was just playing some Ad Salesman, so it really didn't make any difference.

Here (as everywhere) there are many of these Home Grown Tomatoes and to see their games change so drastically when playing a Road Player is mind-boggling. As soon as they shoot a couple of good games and the Road Player doesn’t fall apart but shoots right back at them - they’re done.

After you reach a certain skill level - You need to get out.
Then after you have paid some dues and experienced some defeats, and learned from them - you may now be ready for some lessons on refining your game.

(JMHO) - TY & GL
 
Mark Wilson for mechanics.

Freddie for banks. Freddie or Grady for one pocket.

Hard to say for nine ball. Whoever can help me pocket hard shots more consistently, that's my guy. Probably pick Buddy Hall over all- he knows as much about nine ball as anyone alive.

For billiards, probably Ceulemens but I love Blomdahls commentary on accu-stat tapes. Hard not to pick Ceulemens though...
 
Freddy,

Regardless of your age, I would be thrilled to have an opportunity to pick your mind at the table.

As helpful as your book has been, I imagine that it is just the tip of the iceberg.

re; OHB.... I understand exactly.

Anyone would be lucky if I could teach you how to tie a shoe....much less how to make a certain shot.
I may be able to make that shot, but I'll be damned if I can't articulate to someone what they need to do in order to make it for themself.
 
bud green said:
Mark Wilson for mechanics.

Freddie for banks. Freddie or Grady for one pocket.

Hard to say for nine ball. Whoever can help me pocket hard shots more consistently, that's my guy. Probably pick Buddy Hall over all- he knows as much about nine ball as anyone alive.

For billiards, probably Ceulemens but I love Blomdahls commentary on accu-stat tapes. Hard not to pick Ceulemens though...
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blomdahl's commentary is great. so is sayginer's. but have you seen caudron's dvds on balkline? he has one where he runs 300 and out in both the semis and the finals of the world championship in 2003. it's post-produced with his own commentary. he also has an instructional dvd which includes straight-rail (in europe, they call it the "free game"), 47.1, 47.2, and 71.2 balkline (the metric versions of 18.1, 18.2, and 27.2), and three-cushion.

william
 
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Chicken_Blood said:
If you could take lessons from any Pro out there (Money not being an object) who would you choose?...
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I think that many of the players mentioned for fundamentals have no interest in nor any ability to teach fundamentals except by example. Of the top pros today, I'd go with Corey Deuel or Efren Reyes. Deuel because he seems to think about his game about 100 times more than most players, and Reyes to learn the moves needed for rotation.
 
OldHasBeen said:
Has anyone ever noticed the big differences between a good local player (a home-grown tomato) and an accomplished Road Player that is seasoned?
It Is Usually HUGH!

The best lessons that are truly learned come from defeat and observation. If you constantly play the same players at home and never get out to play better players on all kinds of equipment, under all kinds of conditions - You are limiting yourself as to how much you CAN improve.

That is why, (when I was on the road) and was after a certain good local player - I would just go to a neutral poolroom or bar and wait for him to come to me where I was already In Stroke. He usually came with all his fans and their money - BUT - he was now in my court instead of his. Of course, he was just playing some Ad Salesman, so it really didn't make any difference.

Here (as everywhere) there are many of these Home Grown Tomatoes and to see their games change so drastically when playing a Road Player is mind-boggling. As soon as they shoot a couple of good games and the Road Player doesn’t fall apart but shoots right back at them - they’re done.

After you reach a certain skill level - You need to get out.
Then after you have paid some dues and experienced some defeats, and learned from them - you may now be ready for some lessons on refining your game.

(JMHO) - TY & GL
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I totaly agree.. the Staying power of a seasoned road player is hard for alot of people to handle.. of all the matches I ever played for money the seasoned road players were always the most trouble..

Road players seem, they may not be as good as you, but it seems they have the ability to hold thier speed longer.. consistancy.. the best way to deal with a hardened road player is to keep them off the table, and if they do get to the table, make sure its not a give me..

I have alwyas noticed a change in my game after matches like this.. the experiance gained can make or break a would be player, thats for sure..


2wld4u
 
hanisch said:
... have you seen caudron's dvds on balkline? he has one where he runs 300 and out in both the semis and the finals of the world championship in 2003. it's post-produced with his own commentary. he also has an instructional dvd which includes straight-rail (in europe, they call it the "free game"), 47.1, 47.2, and 71.2 balkline (the metric versions of 18.1, 18.2, and 27.2), and three-cushion.

william
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I have both of those DVDs, and every pool player should watch them at least once to learn what control is all about. Sadly, very few pool players will ever know how well the balls can be controlled. I hope that kozoom (www.kozoom.com) can figure out some way to distribute the DVDs in the US, since it costs about $100 per order from Europe.
 
Nick Varner- I would like to learn his strategies in one pocket and the way he plays position in rotation games is unbelievable. Add to that the mental toughness of shaking while shooting and I think you have a great all around package.
 
Chicken_Blood said:
If you could take lessons from any Pro out there (Money not being an object) who would you choose?
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Great players are not necessarily great teachers.

IMO, it is highly probably that you could learn as much from watching Efren (or any other great player) as from taking lessons from them.

-td
 
I don't know about that, watching them play isn't going to tell you what type of aiming system they use or what in the world he is thinking about when he let's go of the cue when shooting. I agree that you can learn a lot from watching, but actual conversation and insight will help you more.
 
Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, Danny Harriman and Charlie Williams would all be good picks to take lessons from.
 
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