I seem to be stuck at my current level of play. I see others who have gotten better very quickly. I am getting better very slowly with practice. I can generally run six to seven balls about 50% of the time in 9ball when there are no problem balls. So I decided to take some lessons. To those of you that have taken lessons. How much did they help? What did they focus on?
Lessons?
- Thread starter mnShooter
- Start date
mastercueartist
Registered
Lessons
what is the level of the teacher ?
I think lessons are great by a correct teacher but not by someone who just shoots better than you.Someone who has a consistant clean up routine and has acretided stature.Not certificates but a solid ranking.
Years ago when I gave private lessons to a selected few that got into what I call a "slump" I did see improvement from all I taught but I was just fundementally takeing them back to the basics.Yes a teacher can help but just make sure the teacher is qualified.Just because the guy or gal is the best in your town or state does not mean they are a good teacher.I had a couple pros that went into a slump and they went into the private school and came out worse then when they went.Yes they could make nicer shots but thier consistancy was gone.I had one of them come to me in tears litterally and asked for my help. 1 month later they were back in the rankings.I just took them back through the basics without them really knowing.I think personally when people complicate the art of pool they loose the simplicity and grace and that is where the slump starts and it ads frustration or fear to a players train of thought.There are people qualified here in the US to teach but Im not sure #1 what your level is and also what time and devotion your willing to put into it.I think any good teacher will walk you back through the basics while clearing all the debree out of your mind.Its simple. Just find a honest careing teacher with solid refs not the house pro.Good luck
mnShooter said:
what is the level of the teacher ?
I think lessons are great by a correct teacher but not by someone who just shoots better than you.Someone who has a consistant clean up routine and has acretided stature.Not certificates but a solid ranking.
Years ago when I gave private lessons to a selected few that got into what I call a "slump" I did see improvement from all I taught but I was just fundementally takeing them back to the basics.Yes a teacher can help but just make sure the teacher is qualified.Just because the guy or gal is the best in your town or state does not mean they are a good teacher.I had a couple pros that went into a slump and they went into the private school and came out worse then when they went.Yes they could make nicer shots but thier consistancy was gone.I had one of them come to me in tears litterally and asked for my help. 1 month later they were back in the rankings.I just took them back through the basics without them really knowing.I think personally when people complicate the art of pool they loose the simplicity and grace and that is where the slump starts and it ads frustration or fear to a players train of thought.There are people qualified here in the US to teach but Im not sure #1 what your level is and also what time and devotion your willing to put into it.I think any good teacher will walk you back through the basics while clearing all the debree out of your mind.Its simple. Just find a honest careing teacher with solid refs not the house pro.Good luck
chalkisfree
Registered
I have never taken formal lessons, but I would think that they would help speed up your improvement greatly, if you have a good instructor. Is he certified? Do you know anybody that he has instructed - what do they think about him? Did he assess your current playing ability to provide a starting point to work with? For example if you have a good stroke, that is one huge hurdle that you won't have to rehash. But without the stroke you have nothing. Another example: why aren't you running out when there are no problem balls? Are you getting out of position or missing makeable(sp?) shots? I hope your instructor covered that early on.mnShooter said:
Well I am going to try out a local amatuer who just got the top finish by a Minnesota player in the MN Big Table 9 Ball Championships. This is a very tough tournament and there were many semi-pro players there. I'll see how I like his instruction. I know probably about six instructors in the area that I could go to. The instructor I would chose first would be Mike Lowe but he lives a couple of hours away. I could also go to Jimmy Wetch or one of his instructors.
The reason I don't get out is about half bad shape half missing medium hard shots. I would really like to improve my accuracy on both. I believe this is a result from my stance/stroke being slightly off. Also I wouldn't say I'm in a slump. I'm actually shooting the best pool of my life. I just want to get better. I'm playing probably 3-4 days a week 6-8 hours at a time.
The reason I don't get out is about half bad shape half missing medium hard shots. I would really like to improve my accuracy on both. I believe this is a result from my stance/stroke being slightly off. Also I wouldn't say I'm in a slump. I'm actually shooting the best pool of my life. I just want to get better. I'm playing probably 3-4 days a week 6-8 hours at a time.
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Cue Tech
go see Randy Goettlicher and crew in Dallas. These guys will give you some really sound advice and practice routines. I've been twice and noticed marked improvement in my game . They don't try and change everything about your game, just give you better ways to do some of the things you may allready be doing. The practice routines and drills are worth the price of the lessons. I'm a natural skeptic about lessons because there are so many different opinions about how to play right. Ask any five pros about anything to do with playing and you will likely get five different answers. IMHO Randy doesn't try and beat you over the head with right and wrong, just shows you different ways to think about execution and provides you with results to prove his points
go see Randy Goettlicher and crew in Dallas. These guys will give you some really sound advice and practice routines. I've been twice and noticed marked improvement in my game . They don't try and change everything about your game, just give you better ways to do some of the things you may allready be doing. The practice routines and drills are worth the price of the lessons. I'm a natural skeptic about lessons because there are so many different opinions about how to play right. Ask any five pros about anything to do with playing and you will likely get five different answers. IMHO Randy doesn't try and beat you over the head with right and wrong, just shows you different ways to think about execution and provides you with results to prove his points
mnShooter said:
I recommend you call Jay Wegner (at Shooters Billiards in Burnsville) or Mike Fieldhammer (somewhere around Minneapolis), tell them your current level of play, and ask them what they would focus on. I don't know their certifications or anything like that, but both are reasonable, sensible, knowledgable instructors who I suspect know what they are doing.
mike page
fargo
mnShooter said:
Hey there mnShooter, taking lessons will NOT be an immediate FIX. That's a fact of life. It takes time to become used to something new.
If your instructor was insightful & could see a weak area, it will only take a little time (2 weeks plus) until you are firing them balls in again.
Discipline with the fundamentals is IMPERATIVE. However, you may have a physical difference that prohibits the average fundamentals to be used by you. Lots of teachers never take into account that some of us are physically different or vision impaired or ???.
Have you discovered the carom paths for position? Are you very capable of hitting a hidden object ball with the Diamond System?
Obtaining knowledge is what separates each & every human being from the "ordinary ".
Good Luck to you...
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