Pool league timeouts

SloMoHolic said:
[...snipped a lot of good advice...]

8. Flip it. (similar to #7): When YOU are in a match, and come up with a cool solution to a layout problem or strategy, call a timeout, and ask your low-skill-level teammate to be YOUR coach. Discuss the situation, let them take a crack at a solution, then tell them what you were thinking, and ask them how they feel about it. This is GREAT for team-building and building trust between top players and low-skill-level players because there is absolutely NO pressure on them, but they get to analyze a real live match situation with a very experienced player. Plus, occasionally, you will discover a great move from the naivety of your rookie.

I hope some of these guidelines will help you. If you would like more detail on any of these, or more advice, please let me know. I'd be happy to help. I have a lot of ideas. :)

Best of luck, and HAVE FUN!

-Blake
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There are a lot of things still on my Billiards Bucket List.
I don't play APA but I do follow the APA threads. I find the strategy interesting and your idea here of flipping around the timeout is a really cool idea. It seems like this would be a really good idea for those aspiring 5's and 6's that are really trying to learn the subtleties of the game as they work their way towards becoming a 7. You can study all the tape you want but there's really nothing like the real thing.

Real nice post and real cool idea.
 
The only woman on our team prefers me to give her coaching for her timeouts. She says I am able to "dumb it down" better than the Co-Captain can. However, one thing that is glaringly clear is that KNOWING which shot to try and EXECUTING the shot are two completely different things. She is not a good shot, cannot use english, has trouble with speed control of the CB based on how thin or full she contacts the object ball, etc, etc. I must take her lack of ability into account when coaching her on which shot to take.
 
you have gotten some pretty good advice thus far and if one more suggestion is not too much.....I offer my experience with acting as "coach";
when the player calls a time out and asks that I come over to the table, the very 1st thing I do is ask him, "what are YOU thinking here?". he tells me and I then, and only then tell him what I am thinking the best shot might be and we discuss both or possibly more options. the last think I ask when I leave the table is, "which shot are you more confident of doing? that's.hope it helps.
 
I haven't been playing pool for very long...just a couple years. But the biggest mistake I see a lot of coaches making is over-information during timeouts. My coach is very good about keeping the instruction to a level that the player can understand. But I've seen a WHOLE lot of coaches tell a SL2/SL3 30 different things at one time, trying to tell them how to make a shot, control the cueball and play 3-rail position on a shot. That very well could be the "right" shot, but it's not the "right" shot for a low-skilled player. So my best advice would be to coach to the level of the player that you're coaching. Know their strengths and weaknesses. And don't overcoach them. KISS (Keep it simple, stupid).
 
Every time I hear about other leagues I'm happier that I'm in a BCA-sanctioned league with a simple (and weak) handicap, no timeouts, no coaching, and a dead simple match structure.
 
daphish1 said:
If I'm giving a timeout usually the first thing that I ask is, "What are you thinking about doing?" Then depending on what they say they'd do I'll either let them run with it or ask questions like "What about doing X instead?". Depending on the outcome I'll discuss with the player good/bad in their execution. Also, depending on their opponents skill level that changes the approach as well.
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I agree with daphish1. When I first started coaching my team I would tell them what I would do, but they didn't have the skill the execute it. I had one teammate get upset with me, because he thought that every time I told him what I would do that he needed to do it even thought that was never my intention.

I still tell them what I am thinking, but only after I have asked them what their thoughts on the situation are. That way I can get a better understanding for their ability, how they are thinking, and know that they have challenged them self to develop a solution to the problem situation.They in turn get the learn from me about what I would do, which should, over time, help improve their game.

When you get feedback from the shooter first, rather than just tell them what to do, you will get information about what they think is possible. Then you can talk through what they have told you and suggest other options that they may not have seen. Realize that the other options that you suggest may not be good options for the shooter, as they may not feel confident in executing the shot. The most important thing I have found is to make sure that you let the shooter decide what shot to shoot, so they feel confident when they shoot it. I often give the shooter the two best options that they feel comfortable with and then let them choose the shot they want to shoot.

Also, JesseBfan, there may be a "right" shot for every situation, but that "right" shot is going to be dependent on the shooters ability. If the shooter can't execute your "right" shot, then it is the wrong shot for the shooter. Timeouts should be about finding the "right" shot for the shooter and that is done through getting their feedback on the situation.
 
driven said:
you got good advice in all the above posts.
the only thing I could add is this.

When I played for the one and a half yrs apa:
I might tell my player to hit it soft.
I know what soft is, but my players sure didn't. none of them. Didn't have a clue actually.

If you are going to use the words soft or hard or medium,

set up some shots in practice and show them what soft really is. What it feels like.
what medium really means.
have them hit it like you.
now they know what soft means. how it feels to "hit it soft"
or medium,
they already know hard...
get them to learn the language and understand what you are saying.
steven
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I use "lag speed" as a reference point, which works well if you're in a division that lags instead of flipping coins.
 
lorider said:
i tend to agree with dub but would like to expand on it some more.

taking into consideration your players limitations plays a huge part in their success.

i think i have pretty good success coaching most of my players. one thing i do different than most is i don't take a long time put like i see a lot of people do.

i quickly look at all options and take the 1 i think best for my player. i tell them what part of the object ball to hit. where to strike the cue. what speed to hit the cue ball. give them a pat on the back and say go for it.

i dont give them time to think. they are already nervous and i dont want to add to that. i just tell them to give it their best. as you know " when you think long ... you think wrong ".

regardless of their success they know that i think they tried their best and that instills confidence in them.

i have one of the worst shooting 3's you have ever seen on my team but he has about 90% success rate on my time outs. he has that much confidence in me which instills confidence in himself when he is shooting. when he misses i always tell him ... good try and i probably could'nt have done better my self on that shot.
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^^^^^^ This ^^^^^

Exactly what was said by lorider. I couldn't have said it better, and don't even have anything to add to it... :thumbup:
 
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