mvp,
usualy an instructor does not have to be a world class player to teach you. But my personal opinion is, that it is helpful if he can demonstrate you also some things. But necessary? Definitley not-
Softshot wrote it already- in any other sports noone would talk about the quality of football-team trainer etc. -and this is for sure a *pool-billiards-player* problem

and each instructor could tell you stories about this opinion the whole evening...lol.
Little story: i made a very long break from billiards for about 10 years- then i started again and soon i gave lessons again and also started to play league also (a senior league-with my old team mates- which now all just play for fun-not time for training etc. )- i visited a friend in his pool-hall on a friday. He himself is a great A Player and told someone (a guest) to ask me for lessons bc he were looking for someone. His first question were about my player abilities...grin. Just told him nicley almost the same what Softshot wrote in his Posting. Imo it s hard to me to talk about my personal abilities anyway- just told him which league i used to play before my break- His answer was like about like the main sense from mvp s posting. (He never saw me playing- for info). So we didn t come together- i was not really unfriendly but let him feel a bit what i was thinkin about him.
2 weeks later on a sunday we then had a league match in senior-league....and what should i say *grin*. "This" guy was in the other team. And he had to play me in 10-ball to 8 and 8-ball to 5. I ve beaten him 8:0 and 5:2. After the match he came and laughed loud and then he suddenly wanted lessons......- i just told him- the he now got 2 lessons for free-and that it is not necessary for me to give him any in the future. he just looked a bit strange-and never asked again. Also funny is,that his team mate was a student from me

The world is a small village
Ok,back to topic- usualy it is not necessary to beat your student-you just have to know more than him, to have the experience to discover his mistakes and to analyze how to work on his problems-
Many players have the same problem like you MVP- But it s hard for an instructor as long he hasn t got a good reputation-this takes a long time.
Especially here (where i live) i now know, that some instructors also have a problem with each other (like talkin about the holy gral sometimes). Grabbing students from other guys for example-talkin bad behind their back etc. -
From that what i read here on AZ about the pro-instructors in the stqates, many from *them* could learn about their mentality. The quality from the instructors here are good as far from what i saw- but here it s really hard to *fish* students.
Last point: Anyway you have to believe in your instructor- nothin else counts! otherwise you could spend your money better to a foundation.
p.s. the best advices/lessons i received from 2 old men- both weren t able to play anymore one stroke- i m still lucky they shown me important things. I just was told later who they are...2 world class 3c and 47/2 players who were just having a coffee while watchin me doin drills.....
So MVP- sometimes it s perhaps better to LEARN to BELIEVE and think about yourself

this will help you also to find what you re looking for
sry for a bit off-topic,
lg from overseas,
Ingo