Strategy for teaching the little ones...

jokrswylde

jokrswylde

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I did not want to hijack Booville's thread, but I do have some questions for those that may have gone through this:

I have two girls, 13 and 8. They have been playing around on my bar table for a little over 2 years. Early on, The youngest would occasionally beat the older, side arm- chicken wing stroke and all. (She is short). Fast forward two years and the oldest can't beat the young one. Not really even close.

Last week two members of my apa team were over shooting and she asked if she could play with us. we won a few double games, had fun, and the kid went off to bed. After she left, one of the guys asked me if I realized that she had made roughly half of all the balls that our team pocketed, including some tough cut shots and a draw shot. Told me he was the the best little kid he had ever seen shoot pool. I wasn't even making note of it, because we play almost daily together.

The only real instruction I have given her is to focus on making a solid stroke with a sold bridge hand...no aiming systems or ghost ball or anything. I have recently started having her work on straight strokes. (stroking a single ball straight into the corner pocket from the footspot...not a shot, just hitting single balls) She usually makes 13 or 14 out of 15 while alternating between left and right corner pocket.

This week I have paid more close attention to our games, and I'll be damned if she ain't playing some pretty good pool for a little girl. She can regularly make some long straight shots, does pretty well on shorter cut shots, and very rarely miscues...even though she still shoots sidearmed and looks awkward in her stance due to the height of the table. I asked her last night how she was aiming. she said she didn't know, she just sees the ball going in and hits it.

Now to the point of this long post (thanks for your indulgence). I love the time we have together on the table...wouldn't trade it for anything. The last thing I want to do is discourage her by taking the fun out of pool and turning it into a chore. At the same time, if she loves it and wants to improve, I want to foster that improvement.

She has already asked for her own cue, any specific advice for helping her develop her game? Fun drills or games? Techniques that an 8 year old can process? I have searched for potential billiards instructors in our area and there didn't seem to be anything close.
 
jokrswylde said:
I did not want to hijack Booville's thread, but I do have some questions for those that may have gone through this:

I have two girls, 13 and 8. They have been playing around on my bar table for a little over 2 years. Early on, The youngest would occasionally beat the older, side arm- chicken wing stroke and all. (She is short). Fast forward two years and the oldest can't beat the young one. Not really even close.

Last week two members of my apa team were over shooting and she asked if she could play with us. we won a few double games, had fun, and the kid went off to bed. After she left, one of the guys asked me if I realized that she had made roughly half of all the balls that our team pocketed, including some tough cut shots and a draw shot. Told me he was the the best little kid he had ever seen shoot pool. I wasn't even making note of it, because we play almost daily together.

The only real instruction I have given her is to focus on making a solid stroke with a sold bridge hand...no aiming systems or ghost ball or anything. I have recently started having her work on straight strokes. (stroking a single ball straight into the corner pocket from the footspot...not a shot, just hitting single balls) She usually makes 13 or 14 out of 15 while alternating between left and right corner pocket.

This week I have paid more close attention to our games, and I'll be damned if she ain't playing some pretty good pool for a little girl. She can regularly make some long straight shots, does pretty well on shorter cut shots, and very rarely miscues...even though she still shoots sidearmed and looks awkward in her stance due to the height of the table. I asked her last night how she was aiming. she said she didn't know, she just sees the ball going in and hits it.

Now to the point of this long post (thanks for your indulgence). I love the time we have together on the table...wouldn't trade it for anything. The last thing I want to do is discourage her by taking the fun out of pool and turning it into a chore. At the same time, if she loves it and wants to improve, I want to foster that improvement.

She has already asked for her own cue, any specific advice for helping her develop her game? Fun drills or games? Techniques that an 8 year old can process? I have searched for potential billiards instructors in our area and there didn't seem to be anything close.
Click to expand...

I take my granddaughter to the poolroom with me from time to time. She has her own stick and case that I let her pick out. Zebra stripes and pink of course with matching case. They are inexpensive.

I give her no instruction whatsoever. I just want her to have fun and enjoy the game. When she is ready for instruction she will ask or I will probably instinctively know. If it isn't enjoyable, fun, for her she won't stay with it.

I don't know where you live but in my local rooms there are instructors.

Perhaps go to the "Ask an instructor" forum on AZB.
 
That’s a toughy, if it were I...I would probably wait a couple years and let her improve naturally. By then the table will probably not physically impede her as much.

Or I would maybe watch some segments from Tor Lowry’s instructional video about stance and stroke and other key fundamentals with her and see if she tries to incorporate it into her playing, maybe set some goals with rewards attached, ie a new cue?

But if she’s cleanly stroking the cue ball and pocketing balls by feel already I would just let her go with it until she decides that she would like to improve from some instruction.
 
Good post and interesting topic. I have a grandson starting to show some interest so I have been looking into this. Have you heard of the two Hanson kids out of Mankato MN? Read that their father built boxes, that fit around the table, so they could stand at the right hieght.
 
Get your child an Apple Box to stand on so that chicken wing doesn’t hinder them in the future.
I would build one that had a larger surface so their stance will be correct.

Get Mike Sigel’s “Perfect Pool” DVD to see some good beginner’s Drills that progress step by step.
Don’t go to the next Drill until the current one is mastered.
***Ignore the talkative used car salesman playing with Mike.***

Most of all have fun and teach them to be good sports.
(Something a lot of Pool players need to do.)
 

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Superiorduper said:
That’s a toughy, if it were I...I would probably wait a couple years and let her improve naturally. By then the table will probably not physically impede her as much.

Or I would maybe watch some segments from Tor Lowry’s instructional video about stance and stroke and other key fundamentals with her and see if she tries to incorporate it into her playing, maybe set some goals with rewards attached, ie a new cue?

But if she’s cleanly stroking the cue ball and pocketing balls by feel already I would just let her go with it until she decides that she would like to improve from some instruction.
Click to expand...

Good idea!

Jimmorrison said:
Good post and interesting topic. I have a grandson starting to show some interest so I have been looking into this. Have you heard of the two Hanson kids out of Mankato MN? Read that their father built boxes, that fit around the table, so they could stand at the right hieght.
Click to expand...

Another good idea that I had not given much thought to.

mchnhed said:
Get your child an Apple Box to stand on so that chicken wing doesn’t hinder them in the future.
I would build one that had a larger surface so their stance will be correct.

Get Mike Sigel’s “Perfect Pool” DVD to see some good beginner’s Drills that progress step by step.
Don’t go to the next Drill until the current one is mastered.
***Ignore the talkative used car salesman playing with Mike.***

Most of all have fun and teach them to be good sports.
(Something a lot of Pool players need to do.)
Click to expand...

Agreed!
 
jokrswylde said:
<snip>

Now to the point of this long post (thanks for your indulgence). I love the time we have together on the table...wouldn't trade it for anything. The last thing I want to do is discourage her by taking the fun out of pool and turning it into a chore. At the same time, if she loves it and wants to improve, I want to foster that improvement.

She has already asked for her own cue, any specific advice for helping her develop her game? Fun drills or games? Techniques that an 8 year old can process? I have searched for potential billiards instructors in our area and there didn't seem to be anything close.
Click to expand...

My dad got me playing "call your next shot" when I was younger. Just got me thinking about the next position I needed to get to, which got me interested in learning how to get the CB there.

Going through the same thing now with my kids as you are with yours.

Agree with the Lowry suggestions, but at her height, they're unlikely to pay off right now. She CAN start seeing some basics of position play, though.

Good luck!
 
Haven't you heard? The only way to improve at pool is to start playing for money.

Take her to the pool hall, give her $8, drive off. If she gets home and can pay you back the $8, she might have a chance at getting good. If she doesn't make it back, well...c'est la vie.
 
jokrswylde said:
I did not want to hijack Booville's thread, but I do have some questions for those that may have gone through this:

I have two girls, 13 and 8. They have been playing around on my bar table for a little over 2 years. Early on, The youngest would occasionally beat the older, side arm- chicken wing stroke and all. (She is short). Fast forward two years and the oldest can't beat the young one. Not really even close.

Last week two members of my apa team were over shooting and she asked if she could play with us. we won a few double games, had fun, and the kid went off to bed. After she left, one of the guys asked me if I realized that she had made roughly half of all the balls that our team pocketed, including some tough cut shots and a draw shot. Told me he was the the best little kid he had ever seen shoot pool. I wasn't even making note of it, because we play almost daily together.

The only real instruction I have given her is to focus on making a solid stroke with a sold bridge hand...no aiming systems or ghost ball or anything. I have recently started having her work on straight strokes. (stroking a single ball straight into the corner pocket from the footspot...not a shot, just hitting single balls) She usually makes 13 or 14 out of 15 while alternating between left and right corner pocket.

This week I have paid more close attention to our games, and I'll be damned if she ain't playing some pretty good pool for a little girl. She can regularly make some long straight shots, does pretty well on shorter cut shots, and very rarely miscues...even though she still shoots sidearmed and looks awkward in her stance due to the height of the table. I asked her last night how she was aiming. she said she didn't know, she just sees the ball going in and hits it.

Now to the point of this long post (thanks for your indulgence). I love the time we have together on the table...wouldn't trade it for anything. The last thing I want to do is discourage her by taking the fun out of pool and turning it into a chore. At the same time, if she loves it and wants to improve, I want to foster that improvement.

She has already asked for her own cue, any specific advice for helping her develop her game? Fun drills or games? Techniques that an 8 year old can process? I have searched for potential billiards instructors in our area and there didn't seem to be anything close.
Click to expand...

Look at the BEF website and contact them for local instructors and youth pool programs or leagues in your area. Our youth league right now has two girls competing in the Junior World Championships in Russia and the program has produces several top 8 National ranked kids (my son included in the older boys group) :D If you get your kids started correctly there is a lot of future in the game for them, especially being girls. You just need to play at high C level and they can get to top 12 at Nationals in that field, and a B player would be top 4.

Here is what we do, but this is with a few instructors and a very co-operative pool hall owner or three. Every week there is a youth league, 1 hr before it starts they do drills, from shooting a row of balls with no cueball into a pocket to train stroke and stance (which you may need to be in charge of since you can't find an instructor), the advanced kids use a cueball and shoot 15 balls across the table at various length depending on the skill level. That is pretty much the main drill and even the best kids do that, and try to get a perfect score.

Do some simple drills like putting out 8 balls in a grid or circle or shooting alternate balls from side to side to get position practice. Get some training aids like the OB Digicue that has feedback. Play with that as a game to see who gets the least buzzes from faulty strokes. Some simple things like a short plastic strip with pennies on either side to shoot between to check for aiming (if you hear a ting, you aimed to one side), make some card games with shots to setup, get a training cueball to help visualize spin.

The kids we have in our program go from 6-17, while there may be issues with reaching, everyone plays on the same 9 foot tables, and by the same rules. Of course with some fudging of the rules for the beginners and really young kids.
 
You might consider getting her a shorter cue. I hate seeing short kids try to manage a full-length cue.

Charlie
 
I raised three sons and started each of them off with solid fundamentals. When my youngest son was 14 we would regularly take down my league buddies in scotch doubles for the cheese. I thought wow I wish I had someone to teach me the right way to play this game when I started, imagine how good I would be now.

Well the reality is none of my boys will likely ever be as good as I am in spite of my decades of bad habits. Why? Because you can't teach the love of the game. And without that a plateau will be reached that will never be elevated.

You have to know how and you have to want to.

So help them with fundamentals as best you can and let them have fun. Chances are they will not love the game. Most humans don't.

You can always find a tired old valley table for a couple hundred bucks. Take the legs off and throw it on the garage floor and let them at it. Put 4x4s under it as they grow and when they out grow it take it to the dump.

JC
 
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PoppaSaun said:
Haven't you heard? The only way to improve at pool is to start playing for money.

Take her to the pool hall, give her $8, drive off. If she gets home and can pay you back the $8, she might have a chance at getting good. If she doesn't make it back, well...c'est la vie.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that. I think it is human nature to want to put something on competition to make it more meaningful. Obviously, my daughter has never wagered, and has certainly never been in a pool hall.

But the other night as we were about to lag, she looks at me and says "How about this daddy, If I win you do my chores for the next week..and if you win, I will do them!"

I agreed to the bet. Wasn't until about three shots in that I realized I had just been suckered!!!!!!!
 
First of all, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing such an uplifting story!

Second, for a child that age if you are going to give them a game to "practice", I would say start out with six ball. It's the easiest way to start learning pattern play and rotation. If she's already beyond that, encourage her to play 9 or 10.

It's probably a little early yet, but if she wants to get really good, 1 Pocket is an excellent teacher for patterns, defense, offense, banks, and two way shots. For now though, it sounds like 6 and 9 are fun for her, so let her keep playing.

Unless you see her playing for hours, she probably doesn't know what she wants to do with the game yet. So I would just say make sure she develops a good set of fundamentals for stance and execution, then she can pick up the games as she is inclined. Even Efren was small at one point and used a milk crate to make sure he was at an ideal height.

Thanks again for sharing and hope yall keep having fun!
 
Let them play rotation by themselves first with 3 balls, then 6 balls, 9 balls working their way to 15 balls. Make it fun and keep bringing it up a notch as they progress. As long as they have the basic mechanics and can pocketnshots then keep a lot of the stuff that bogs us down out of their heads.
 
I was fortunate enough to have a very nice home billiard room with a nine footer as my two sons grew up.They both played all the major sports through high school, but playing pool in the evenings, weekends,especially during the Northeast winters were very enjoyable family times. I started them very young- age7 and they were only two years apart. It was always focused on FUN - NOT PRACTICE - we played mock tournaments- I purchased a billiard trophy and it passed to each person if they "WON" the tournament on a given day. As they approached age 12 or so I started to put up a small cash prize-$5 for the "Tournament " winner- we played ring 9 and 8 ball as they had progressed by then to the point where all three of us had a handicap for the ring matches. My training consisted of simply pointing out rights and wrongs as we played- never suggested drills- I believe that would have made the game WORK and not PLAY. Pool was ALWAYS about family time together- they developed naturally to the point where by age 14 they could compete in full adult tournaments and even won some of them. they both became very successful businessmen, but to this day they both love the game and cherish anytime that we can play together. Let them develop naturally and they will find their natural love for the game and desire to excel at their own pace.
 
Give them a cue, sit down and watch. It's amazing how enthralled kids get when playing for the first time. Take a mental picture of the look on their face and how into it they get. Once you have this locked in its simple.

Simply try to recreate that look every time they play.

Pool is a simple sport and one that can create hours and hours of joy for people of all ages. First and foremost for a child... It should be fun. If they pick it up they pick it up, as they get more into it you can teach them to improve. But from experience it's best to wait for them to ask than to jump in and force it upon them... Then it stops being fun.
 
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