Opinions on Pool School

Only because you took what you learned, and put it to work in your own game!

It's important to note that it isn't going to happen in one weekend. Pool School is just the beginning. If you don't take what you learn, get to the table and work with it, you will be disappointed.

If you apply what you learn, the results can be quite impressive.

Steve

Very true, but spending two days with ya let me know what I was fouling up. It helped a lot that the transition was pretty easy for me. It also helps that I am very analytical with my game as well. Regardless of that without the pool school I would definitely be behind from where I am now.
 
Do you advise your friends to take three full days of golf lessons over a long weekend, or do you advise your friends to take a series of lessons, one every week or two so they can get ongoing feedback as they progress?

I actually advise for one every so often to monitor progress. But really I think that part is best left up to the instructor.
 
Lessons learned...

I intend to take advantage of RandyG's visit to the Memphis Tn. area. Have intentions of spending at least 3-4 hrs with him. That being said....I have also considered going to the Pool School in Texas. Don't mean to hijack the thread, but if anyone has attended the Texas school I would appreciate some critique on it as well......Dan
 
I went

I attended pool school (and wrote a review). It was the best money I ever spent on my game and I really enjoyed it. I put in the work afterwards, and everyone that new me before has acknowleged my improvement. But you MUST put in the time at the table to practice what you are taught or you are wasting your time and money.


---Thanks again Randy.
 
Our school in Dallas (Masters Pool School) is definitely a great experience. Randy has everything set up perfectly, to accomodate any level of player. The road show schools are also a duplicate of Dallas, just held in a pool room, as opposed to the Dallas school. We just finished a successful school in Las Vegas 3 weeks ago, and we're holding another one there in early July. Anyone can have pool school where they live...whether it is a private lesson, or a full-blown 3-day school. Contact either Randyg or myself for information.

mrsmith1976...Yes you did! (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=2776847#post2776847) I bolded your last comment, because it represents the most important part of the process. It's what you do with the information AFTER the school/lesson that really matters. Follow your process and success is guaranteed! Good luck with your progression.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

I attended pool school (and wrote a review). It was the best money I ever spent on my game and I really enjoyed it. I put in the work afterwards, and everyone that new me before has acknowleged my improvement. But you MUST put in the time at the table to practice what you are taught or you are wasting your time and money.


---Thanks again Randy.
 
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I would have taken any lesson's from any school like this if I'd known they existed when i was in the Navy in '78-'80. My learning came from 20 to 25 hours practice a week and watching other people shoot in pool halls, bars or tourney's. I was able to learn as much or more from their shots made or missed then I could on my own from practice. It wouldn't of mattered if I learned one thing or a dozen as long as it helped me bring my game together. I know from having been an instructor in sailing schools as well as sea/land survival, the hardest part of instruction is finding that ground that the student can relate, understand and adapt the knowledge you are trying to pass on. For all you guys and gals that teach, I know that no words can describe the unspoken appreciation that is felt by each of your students.
 
Hi there,

to get lessons (with a qualified instructor) right from the beginning is the greatest thing you could do. Then you have a very great chance not to input bad habits-- if bad habits burned in a day, it s very hard to get from there again.

Like some guys already shown up here a good instructor lives from his experience- a good instructor has the ability to *observe* and furthermore to use the right words to transfer his knowledge to the student, which is in my opinion one of the hardest parts in instructing/teaching. Each person is individual-so a big experience is the capital where a student will take his benefit (from the instructor). You can say ofc, that a good player has also a big experience-but does he have ablities to observe, to imagine how the student interpret the informations he gets? The chance, that a student misinterpret something is high by using wrong explanation or using the wrong words.

Another important part is, that some guys (not many from my experience) expect something, that no teacher/instructor could give him. They expect after taking lessons (no matter if it s hours, days etc). that they become a better player immediatley after leaving his instructor.
The instructor just can show him the way how to work on his skills/abilities- and giving him here the useful drills to control himself and to practice it.

I know some guys who spent tons of money for playing with A+++ players expecting to become better players-- for a price, where i m wondering a bit. I definitley know ppl spending 500-1.000 $ a day with a class-player-where the player says, that he s not an instructor at all...but they want it and pay for it. The player sure spend his time with that guy, but told him seriously, that he could spend it somewhere better. That s how *minds* work, lol.

The important is, to work on the fundamentals by creating a well planned practice plan, depending on the GIVEN abilities of the student. Further imo it is necessary to also teach him the knowledge, so he can understand what he s doing in the future. There s nothing that can beat experience and knowledge (in ANY sport)- and if your having a very good instructor right from beginning, you ve done yourself a great favor!

At least you have to spend the table-time for sure like any other player-but spending time on practicing with a well defined target is necessary.
Good practice has always a target/goal-without it it will not make any sense at all.

Short version: Your friend did himself a great favor :)

lg from overseas,

Ingo
 
Do you advise your friends to take three full days of golf lessons over a long weekend, or do you advise your friends to take a series of lessons, one every week or two so they can get ongoing feedback as they progress?

Just about any skier would take a week in ski school over weekly lessons. :D

Randy G tells students to only practice - not play - for 6 weeks after his school to get what has been taught to sink into the dim pool mind. :D
 
I'd love to attend pool school next time any of you guys are up around MN

Yup. Scott Lee & myself have a Pool School in your area this August.

For private, I will be in Mankato most of that time. Contact me.

randyg
 
Just about any skier would take a week in ski school over weekly lessons. :D

Randy G tells students to only practice - not play - for 6 weeks after his school to get what has been taught to sink into the dim pool mind. :D

:wink:Was 6 weeks long enough for you......:-)
randyg
 
I intend to take advantage of RandyG's visit to the Memphis Tn. area. Have intentions of spending at least 3-4 hrs with him. That being said....I have also considered going to the Pool School in Texas. Don't mean to hijack the thread, but if anyone has attended the Texas school I would appreciate some critique on it as well......Dan

Hi Dan

I am also looking forward to our time together. If we can get in 2-3 hours of work together, Dallas will be next.

See you this June, I hope.

randyg
 
think of it as a shortcut...a really good shortcut...

First and foremost, make sure you are setting up a lesson with a qualified instructor. Denny S. of Ohio Pool School definitely is.

As someone pointed out, getting quality lessons early on will provide a solid foundation for your game. Some of the things that will be taught are the kinds of things that could take someone years or even decades to figure out on their own.

I have been around pool for over 40 years. I saw Denny recently at SBE and in a matter of fifteen minutes of watching me play he made some excellent observations and suggestions for me. If he can teach an old dog like me a couple of new tricks, imagine what he can do with a pup in three days. :thumbup:

And that frozen cue/object ball magic bankshot he taught me was stupendous. :) :) :) :) :)

To the op; your friend has made an excellent decision to go to Ohio Pool School.

Please update us on when he's completed the course.

Best,
Brian kc
 
I think what is important after having any number of lessons is that usually, the new stuff won't feel like second nature, is to practice it by yourself before you play with someone.

Example: You take a lesson and your teacher changes your stroke completely for whatever reason (crooked, deceleration, so on and so forth). Well I would advise that student to not use it in matches the following weeks because chances are, its not implemented in the brain yet and what that will do, is shatter your confidence. You'll feel like you wasted money and time because you can't sink a ball-in-hand shot.

Its something that I have to stress myself over because I do take lessons from time to time but at least I have the courage to go to the poolhall by myself for 4 hours a few times a week and master a new technique/shot/decision making. It makes me a better player every day.

Now I only need a more consistent break *bummer*:angry:
 
I share your view that someone new to the game is better off developing an on-going relationship with a local coach.

Apples and oranges. More people live closer to a pool table than to a ski slope.

But they don't necessarily live close to the coach. So the analogy does apply, somewhat.

Having the free time to go back to the coach is another consideration. Making the time for a weekend, once, versus making the time for shorter periods more often, might not work for some. Due to employment/family obligations, and the aforementioned travel possibility.

Now all I've gotta do is save my pennies, and convince the wife that it would be a good idea for me to use vacation time for pool school. Piece of cake, huh? :D
 
Now all I've gotta do is save my pennies, and convince the wife that it would be a good idea for me to use vacation time for pool school. Piece of cake, huh? :D

Convince her to give you pool school for a birthday gift. Then agree to take her along and let her spend the weekend shopping, at a local spa, or whatever else it is that she enjoys.
Compromise is the key!

Steve
 
Convince her to give you pool school for a birthday gift. Then agree to take her along and let her spend the weekend shopping, at a local spa, or whatever else it is that she enjoys.
Compromise is the key!

Steve

A fine plan. I shall set my nefarious plan in motion, and see if I meet with any success. :D
 
Back in the early 90s, in Southern New Hampshire, I witnessed a pool school that was stealing money. They had students who sucked teaching other students. When the new student failed to execute a shot, they simply did it over and over again. The poorly skilled but higher ranked student teaching the class had no idea what to do differently, so they just continued to fail to execute. This instructor taught a different stroke for every different cue ball action desired. Hold cue stick with fingertips for a follow shot and scoop with your follow through. Bend the wrist inward for right English, out for left. Grip tightly and stop the cue abruptly for stop and jerk back for draw. He had dozens of people in his school. The poor folks didn't know any better. It was an exorbitant fee, for which they got horrible instruction from a prolific author on pool. It was shameful.
 
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Not on my personal Bucket list to attend any Pool School with out of town instructors. But if you have the EXTRA GREEN, I would say go for it.
 
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