Here is my $0.02
Take the money the pool school would cost you, buy a good used table (if you dont already have one) a 9-foot. Now buy a good video camera with a tripod. Now buy yourself some of the tapes people have mentioned. Use the tapes, and when you practice what they teach video tape yourself and analize your stroke. You will shock yourself on what you look like on camera compared to what you "feel" your stroke looks like.
You would get WAY more out of the video camera and tapes using them over the course of a year or so then you will ever get out of a 2 day pool school. I did a 1 day class with Jerry Briesath in my younger years and it was the biggest waste of time and money I ever put into my game. He made my game worse and it took me a year to work out the kinks he put in. Maybe it would be OK for the complete beginner who has never picked up a cue or someone with zero natural skill, but if you have played much pool at all forget formal lessons that cost premium like these pool schools at $2000+. Buy tapes, buy a video camera, buy some accustats, play in some tournaments or for small cash against good players, and work on your own game.
$3000 can get you a good used pool table, a good video camera, and lots of good tapes. Money way better spent.
The greatest thing I got out of the Briesath course was the video taping of my stroke, a HUGE eye opener that just shocked me. I did not need him to tell me what I needed to work on, once I saw the tape I knew what I needed to do. I could have done it myself though if I had a video camera, the course only cost $180 Canadian though so it was not nearly the cost of the pool schools out there now that cost more then a great video camera and a pool table combined.
PS: Briesath was probably the foremost BCA teacher at the time of the course. Expect hours of "dont drop your elbow, here lets stroke the cue on the rail for an hour making the tip drop after contact so we know your elbow is staying up".
Take the money the pool school would cost you, buy a good used table (if you dont already have one) a 9-foot. Now buy a good video camera with a tripod. Now buy yourself some of the tapes people have mentioned. Use the tapes, and when you practice what they teach video tape yourself and analize your stroke. You will shock yourself on what you look like on camera compared to what you "feel" your stroke looks like.
You would get WAY more out of the video camera and tapes using them over the course of a year or so then you will ever get out of a 2 day pool school. I did a 1 day class with Jerry Briesath in my younger years and it was the biggest waste of time and money I ever put into my game. He made my game worse and it took me a year to work out the kinks he put in. Maybe it would be OK for the complete beginner who has never picked up a cue or someone with zero natural skill, but if you have played much pool at all forget formal lessons that cost premium like these pool schools at $2000+. Buy tapes, buy a video camera, buy some accustats, play in some tournaments or for small cash against good players, and work on your own game.
$3000 can get you a good used pool table, a good video camera, and lots of good tapes. Money way better spent.
The greatest thing I got out of the Briesath course was the video taping of my stroke, a HUGE eye opener that just shocked me. I did not need him to tell me what I needed to work on, once I saw the tape I knew what I needed to do. I could have done it myself though if I had a video camera, the course only cost $180 Canadian though so it was not nearly the cost of the pool schools out there now that cost more then a great video camera and a pool table combined.
PS: Briesath was probably the foremost BCA teacher at the time of the course. Expect hours of "dont drop your elbow, here lets stroke the cue on the rail for an hour making the tip drop after contact so we know your elbow is staying up".
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