Player Management Advice......

[Beware_of_Dawg]

there are a lot of people both in and out of the pool world who have a much higher opinion of their own advice than is merited by their ability.

I don't like the word or perception of the idea of "coaching".. It implies one person has knowledge and another doesn't or that Im telling them what to do... That's excatly why I dont ask if someone wants a "coach", I ask them if they want to talk about it.

I give my opinion or try to present an alternative possibilty that the person may not have thought about.

 

[alstl]

I don't like the word or perception of the idea of "coaching".. It implies one person has knowledge and another doesn't or that Im telling them what to do... That's excatly why I dont ask if someone wants a "coach", I ask them if they want to talk about it.

I give my opinion or try to present an alternative possibilty that the person may not have thought about.

That is a distinction without a difference. Just be aware that not everybody responds the same way to that.

 

[theycallmerock]

I dont make stupid coaching interuptions. I generally allow the player to play his/her game... if they want a coach or they look confused, at times I will say "do you want to talk about it?".... and at the begiining of a coach my first question has always been "so, what are you thinking? what shot(s) are you considering?"... after they tell me... (if they were thinking anything at all, lol.) I will ask the... " well, what do you think about this option... I'll explain, and then ask "do you feel good about that?"... That's the standard template of how I handle coaching...

Sounds like your coaching philosophy is much more effective than many I have seen in that you get the player's buy in before they shoot any shot. If sitting the player down and explaining to him that you are simply trying to present another option available to him and that he does not have to always take that option but to at least hear you triggers a negative response to him, then I say he doesnt need to see the table or you shoot him in a position that he will not get beaten by a deficit that the team may not be able to recover from. I would not throw him off on someone if he is shooting bad. It doesnt work out as well in 9 as it does in 8.

Something that worked well for us when we qualified for Vegas. Ideally, we wanted everyone to see the table at some point in regionals but we had one weak player that didnt get a chance to play due to circumstances. In the final match, we happened to open up a sizable lead heading into the last match. We only needed 2 points to win which translated to something like 4 balls against their 7 as opposed to our 8 playing their 7. Our player went down 34-3 before pocketing the match cinching ball, but he did get to play and benefited the team greatly.

 

[KRJ]

Hmmm

I dont make stupid coaching interuptions. I generally allow the player to play his/her game... if they want a coach or they look confused, at times I will say "do you want to talk about it?".... and at the begiining of a coach my first question has always been "so, what are you thinking? what shot(s) are you considering?"... after they tell me... (if they were thinking anything at all, lol.) I will ask the... " well, what do you think about this option... I'll explain, and then ask "do you feel good about that?"... That's the standard template of how I handle coaching...

Sounds like you got the coaching thing right to me. If his theory is not want I want to do, now I would just add, here is what I would like you to do. Play safe here, or take this shot there, or whatever and explain to him you want him to play the odds, and this favors him. I have a sl4 that acts the same way, and once I started explaining the "odds" he buys into a lot more. I tell him a shot is only a 80/20 or a 50/50 and this is the smart play. You get ball in hand, you are out..... he likes to hear that !!

Also, I would absolutely without a doubt put him against a tough player, prefer early in the match. Burn the other teams player with your "weak" link, and who knows, maybe he steps it up when he realizes he has to play well to win. Worst case scenario, you took our the other teams good player and your weak player out at the same time. It has worked for me quite often. Sometimes I think there is a slight "mental" problem with certain SL4's out there LOL !!!!

 

[JDB]

I dont make stupid coaching interuptions. I generally allow the player to play his/her game... if they want a coach or they look confused, at times I will say "do you want to talk about it?".... and at the begiining of a coach my first question has always been "so, what are you thinking? what shot(s) are you considering?"... after they tell me... (if they were thinking anything at all, lol.) I will ask the... " well, what do you think about this option... I'll explain, and then ask "do you feel good about that?"... That's the standard template of how I handle coaching...

That is pretty much what I do and I have found it to be relatively effective for the most part.

The first thing I do (whether I called the timeout or they called it) is ask, "what are you thinking." Sometimes it is the right thing and I just confirm it.

Other times, I ask them; "what about this or another option." I ask them what they are comfortable with. If they are not comfortable with my preferred option, I may offer another option.

Before I leave the table I tell them to do what they are comfortable with, even it it was their initial option. If they don't trust what they are doing they will never execute. Therefore, I always want them to be comfortable with the option they choose, even if I don't necessarily agree with it.

 

[justadub]

The last three posts are spot on. I have been guilty in the past of reacting badly to the "you wanna coach?" question when I'm down on the ball. I admit it, and have taken steps to try to not let it affect me, and to keep my mind open to the possibilities my coach wants me to see.

That having been said, the presentation and/or delivery can make a BIG difference, especially if done as described above. I'm in management for my profession, and getting your employees buy-in makes anything you are striving to do much more effective. If you have a player who doesn't take coaching very well, examine what you are doing before blaming him. Maybe ask him how he would like to be approached (and in this guys case it appears he isn't interested in any event) and how he would handle it if he were the coach/captain. Ask him if making the winning decisions for THE TEAM were HIS responsibility, how would he approach coaching? Putting that onto the player for a minute might get him to see the bigger picture.

Then again, he might think no one should ever be coached, or some other theory, and that might give you a different direction to take in the future.

I think you guys are all on the right path. (I wish my current captain were on that same path, but alas that will never come to be. No matter how I explain these concepts to him. A very dear friend, but pig-headed and stubborn and unwilling to change. Oh well.)

 

[budonahog]

Is it possible he feels embarrassed when you call a time out when everyone is around? I would try to get him practicing one on one with you and explain to him you noticed he isn't shooting the way he was. Is he missing shots? Missing position? It could be a simple solution to get him back to where he was. I had a player that was doing something similar, I told him to aim for the center of the pocket and it worked. He was simply aiming towards the pocket. We take things for granted about how people shoot, but sometimes, they are just forgetting the fundamentals of the game. Watch him shoot and try to spot some differences.

 

[KRJ]

Is it possible he feels embarrassed when you call a time out when everyone is around? I would try to get him practicing one on one with you and explain to him you noticed he isn't shooting the way he was. Is he missing shots? Missing position? It could be a simple solution to get him back to where he was. I had a player that was doing something similar, I told him to aim for the center of the pocket and it worked. He was simply aiming towards the pocket. We take things for granted about how people shoot, but sometimes, they are just forgetting the fundamentals of the game. Watch him shoot and try to spot some differences.

Good Point !!

Also, I forgot to add I don't ask, "do you wanna coach".. I just say "coach" and start moving in. Because in APA, asking if you want a coach counts the same if he says no !! There might be local league interpretations, but APA, says you ask and you shall receive. So I don't want to leave up to the player, and also it doesn't look like he "wants" a coach, he is just taking one. Just like a manager walking to the pitchers mound, the pitcher does not really have any choice in the matter. And I'm sure the pitcher is not gonna like what he hears either !!

 

[Chris_Lynch]

Play some scotch doubles for practice and talk through it. There isn't anything you can do in the heat of the moment but if you talk to him away from the matches about his game then it can carry over to the match play. Every player on the team needs to understand that coaches can be necessary and sometimes things can be seen away from the table that aren't seen up close. You can't take it personally no matter which end of the coach you're on.

 

[rvan]

What is a sl-4? Is that a rateing in apa or tap? sl = slow player @ a 4 level?

Thanks Rvan.

 

[justadub]

What is a sl-4? Is that a rateing in apa or tap? sl = slow player @ a 4 level?

Thanks Rvan.

Yes, "SL" is an APA Skill Level, a handicap rating each player is assigned. The Skill levels go from 2 to 7 for ladies and 3 to 7 for men, in eight ball. Levels go up to 9 in nine-ball. The higher the number, the better the player. An SL4 is usually either a relative beginner and/or a player who doesn't play very a highly-skilled game for whatever reason, compared to better players. (i.e. me, I'm an SL4)

As the "slow player" part, well.... that isn't rated and occurs at all skill levels! :wink: