lessons

[juspooln]

why is it we are so eager to take instruction for everything from swimming to tennis,golf,football,soccer,cooking,music,etc.with no intent to make a living at it but not for pool when I told most of my league players and even my oldest son and wife I was going to take one with an actual instructor for the first time after 20 years they said why I said why not if done it in everything else I care about doing well, I had at least 5 different golf pro's which compared together I think room for error is way much less in billiards and I have never had some one that teaches for a living help me with the game I love the most and after last night I'm wishing I would have did it 19 years and 9 months ago would love to hear your opinion thanks,Bill

 

[SKILLZELITE]

I'd take lessons without hesitation ,,provided I felt the instructor was a better,and more knowledgeable player at the game,than myself...

Practice may help you get better ,but thats only if your practicing the right techniques ,thats where an Instructor could enhance your game a ton..

So with that in mind are there any good instructors around Pittsburgh ??:thumbup:

 

[Joe T]

I think part of it may be because on almost every shot people think they were close to perfect. A miss by 1-3 inches on the pool table is the equivalent to a golfer having to walk in the woods to find their ball but the pool player may think “I almost got it”

 

[juspooln]

I'd take lessons without hesitation ,,provided I felt the instructor was a better,and more knowledgeable player at the game,than myself...

Practice may help you get better ,but thats only if your practicing the right techniques ,thats where an Instructor could enhance your game a ton..

So with that in mind are there any good instructors around Pittsburgh ??:thumbup:

better at what part of the game no matter how well you play at what ever given sport doesn't mean you can also teach it I have played with many players better than me golf and pool doesn't mean they have the ability to take my game to the next level only the ability too have me emulate them which may be impossible for time and physical restrictions AKA Tiger and Earl

 

[KCRack'em]

interesting

I think part of it may be because on almost every shot people think they were close to perfect. A miss by 1-3 inches on the pool table is the equivalent to a golfer having to walk in the woods to find their ball but the pool player may think “I almost got it”

Interesting perspective, Joe. Anytime I miss by more than a wee bit (a technical term) I always say I missed by a mile. I never really thought about why I say that or how true it actually is. Thanks, Joe.

I had a lesson with Bob Jewett recently and found it to be invaluable. I've played for a quite a long time and taught beginning billiards to upwards of 1,000 students when I was in college. I did take an advanced class while in college. It helped. But this was my first real lesson, and Mr. Jewett quickly pointed out some things I can work on and showed me how, giving me the tools to take my game to places it hasn't been to before. Now it's up to me.

Keep in mind that the best players aren't always the best teachers, although I was equally impressed by Mr. Jewett's stroke.

Karl

 

[brophog]

For the same reason 'bar rules' still exist.........pool is often not taken seriously.

 

[billf59]

lessions

I was like you I took a three day session with chris at the georgia billiard academy and wish I had done it years ago I reomend any one who loves the game and wants to get better go to a good instructor it is well worth your money

 

[juspooln]

For the same reason 'bar rules' still exist.........pool is often not taken seriously.

for some that play that way they take it very seriously from my experience

 

[Three.Two.N.D.]

I too wish I took lessons sooner. Probably would have been a lot better than I am right now.

 

[JamisonNeu]

They just want to feel comfortable, and confident. I think that is why most everyone get's lessons...They don't want to feel awkward trying something new and/or they just want to get as good as they can faster than on their own.

The really bad instructor is the guy that thinks everyone is trying to be a snooker champ. Most people just want to know enough to figure it out.

 

[TNKen]

I snow skied for years and never took lessons. A self-taught hack. After 20 years, joined the National Ski Patrol, and learned how to do it right. Horrible bad habits to break, and after 11 years, still working on breaking some of them. My kids started early in a race program and do it well.

I decided to learn to shoot pool about 16 months ago. Fortunately, friends with a very good instructor who started me on the right track from day 1. Still have to work on things, but know the basics. Get a "lesson" about 2x a month now, with a ton of stuff to work on in the meantime. Get "schooled" quite often by her. In our 8 ball league, I got one shot last night, and stood back and watched the show.

Ken

 

[oldplayer]

i took 2, one hour lessons from a pro @ $125/hour....1st lesson he watched me shoot a few balls, said my stroke looked pretty good. then i watched him shoot several balls and he talked about the importance of making ball position. i been playing for 35 years or more.......i know about those things. he said, "we would work on ball position the next lesson". that lesson consisted of our playing 9 ball and me watching him run out almost every rack. the only thing of value i got from the lessons and the money was i had him autograph my cue case.....it all comes down to the teacher.........is he a teacher or player? so i am back trying to teach myself. get great hints from this forum and youtube......

 

[randyg]

I thought I played pretty good for the first several years of my pool life. Then I was introduced to Jerry Briesath and my pool World changed....for the better.

If I had the chance of taking golf lessons from Tiger Woods or Tiger's coach, well that would be an easy choice for me.

I want to believe that I learn and give something about this game every day......randyg

 

[FranCrimi]

why is it we are so eager to take instruction for everything from swimming to tennis,golf,football,soccer,cooking,music,etc.with no intent to make a living at it but not for pool when I told most of my league players and even my oldest son and wife I was going to take one with an actual instructor for the first time after 20 years they said why I said why not if done it in everything else I care about doing well, I had at least 5 different golf pro's which compared together I think room for error is way much less in billiards and I have never had some one that teaches for a living help me with the game I love the most and after last night I'm wishing I would have did it 19 years and 9 months ago would love to hear your opinion thanks,Bill

Bill, I think a lot of people still consider pool to be just a game that doesn't require a whole lot of skill. We all know that it's not just a game. There's a lot more to it and once you've done all your calculating of what shot to take, where you want the cb to go and then how to hit it to make that happen --- then you have to execute it all. It's hard, and help is always a good thing.

But how do you know you're getting a good instructor? There's no easy answer but here are some tips that might help when looking for private instructions:

1.) Interview any potential instructor. Ask them how they plan to go about teaching you. What is their philosophy on learning pool?

2.) Beware of teachers who talk too much. During a private lesson, there needs to be a back and forth interaction between you and the instructor.

3.) Watch out for cookie-cutter types. They will preach their agenda to you regardless of your needs. You can tell you've got one if they start off teaching you before they even watch you hit balls. Turn around and run in the opposite direction as fast as you can if that happens.

4.) You should be shooting pool during your lesson, not just standing there while the teacher talks and demonstrates. Talking and demonstrating is important, but once something is explained, you should be trying it, right then and there.

5.) Follow your gut. If you don't feel right about something someone is teaching you, then maybe it's wrong. Don't let anyone talk you into anything that doesn't make sense to you. Always ask for the logic behind what they are showing you. If they can't explain it, then maybe they are just passing along info that someone else told them that might not be accurate.

6.) Lastly, always remember, this is YOUR lesson, not their's. You should be feeling that your instructor is genuinely concerned about YOU and not about themselves. It shouldn't be about them and how much they know or how well they play. It's about you.

 

[tom mcgonagle]

Most of the people that call me for the first time often state they have waited a long time to make the phone call and I completely understand. NOBODY WANTS TO ADMIT THEY MAY NEED SOME HELP.

The hardest part is taking the first step.

Once they take a lesson and see what I teach them and how I teach them they are eager to learn and keep coming back for more instruction.

Of course there was that one person that came and new way more than I did and never came back. What a shame.

People that take lessons should come with an open mind and clean slate. They should find one instructor they believe in and stick to what they teach them.


_________________________________

http://tommcgonaglerightoncue.com

 

[Scott Lee]

Tom...This is a good post, and I agree with almost everything...with the exception of your last sentence. That, I have to respectfully disagree with. I tell my students that they should take lessons from everyone that they have the time, inclination, money, and opportunity to work with. You may just reinforce what someone else taught you, or you might understand something in a better way, from one teacher to another. I do agree that it's better for teaching philosophies to mesh, but I would never demand or expect my student to learn only from me.-

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Most of the people that call me for the first time often state they have waited a long time to make the phone call and I completely understand. NOBODY WANTS TO ADMIT THEY MAY NEED SOME HELP.

The hardest part is taking the first step.

Once they take a lesson and see what I teach them and how I teach them they are eager to learn and keep coming back for more instruction.

Of course there was that one person that came and new way more than I did and never came back. What a shame.

People that take lessons should come with an open mind and clean slate. They should find one instructor they believe in and stick to what they teach them.


_________________________________

http://tommcgonaglerightoncue.com

 

[TNKen]

Agreed. Different instructors have different styles. Different students have different methods of learning, some are auditory, some are visual, some are kinestetic (sp). Most are a combination of the above, but lean toward one method. A good instructor recognizes the learning pattern of a student, and teaches accordingly.

Some instructors connect with a student in different ways. I have taken a ton of ski lessons, paid for a bunch, had friends that were level 2 and 3 instructors that were good/great. Some folks connected, some didn't, but I remember the ones that did, and now, as an instructor myself, try to remember the things that worked for me. Sometimes it takes hearing it a different way from a different source to click.

Some instructors/students plateau, and when that happens, its time to move elsewhere. A good instructor will tell you, I'm out of tricks.

Ken

 

[Bob Jewett]

... They should find one instructor they believe in and stick to what they teach them. ...

Every instructor I can think of has blundered at least once, and that includes Willie Mosconi. Instructors are human and subject to error. Students shouldn't "believe" what any instructor tells them -- they have to test the teaching in their own game and according to their own understanding. And they should realize that their understanding after playing for 40 years will be a lot different from their understanding after their first year, so that ideas they rejected at first will turn out to be true (for their later selves) and what they adopted enthusiastically and maybe even taught to others will turn out to be false.

Keep questioning -- do not accept teachings on faith.

 

[pooltchr]

I also believe a student should take every opportunity to learn from different instructors...just not at the same time. Multiple instructors could end up making things very confusing. The exception is if you are in a class with several instructors who are all working together to teach the same things. I had one instructor for about 3 years before I spent any time working with other instructors. Once I had the foundation, I could work with other instructors and get a different perspective. The interesting thing is that the really good instructors were pretty much on the same page with most of what they taught...but each had their individual approach. Not to say they were cookie cutter teachers, but there are some things that are universal to the game.

There is no reason that you can't learn something every time you are at the table. You just have to learn how to learn. I rarely teach a class where I don't end up learning something myself.

Steve

 

[tom mcgonagle]

They should find one instructor they believe in and stick to what they teach them.

The reason I tell my students this is:

I have had different people come to me and they say, "He said and she said I should do this and I just say to them. That's not the way I would do that."

I tell them, "I teach everything I do because I know it works and I firmly believe in it. I don't discourage them from seeking other opinions or instructors. I just think to many pool players go to the table with to much on their mind. If you find something or someone you believe in. The game makes more sense and your ability to play it will improve and I think that's the bottom line."