Taking lessons?

M

monty

New member
Although this isn't an option for me as I'm from the UK, can anyone give me an idea about how taking lessons can improve someone's game? My stance is good, my aim is fine, most relatively easy balls I go for end up in the pocket etc - how would someone be able to teach me how to become a better player?

My weaknesses are; dealing with pressure (which I'm poor at) and cueball control (esp when under pressure). I can feel myself fold/crumple at crucial shots against good players. Against poor players I rarely miss, but can predict with alarming regularity when I'll miss a pressure ball when playing someone I know will finish if I cock up.

As lessons aren't an option, can anyone recommend online videos for me to look at? I'm relatively new to pool - after switching from snooker - so maybe I need to learn the game a bit as well.
 
Lessons???

Having a knowledgeable 'Qualified' Instructor give an 'Objective' critique of your game is always helpful, even if you ultimately do not pursue 'Lessons'.

That said here are a few helpful websites:

http://www.freepoollessons.com/index.shtml - Jimmy Reid's Site - All aspects

http://www.monkbilliardacadem-e.com/ - Tim Millers Site - The Monk - Mental

http://www.easypooltutor.com/index.php - Their 'Pool Lessons' PDF Book, 400+ pages is available for download for a $4.00US donation. Basics, Drills, etc. Basically everything you would want to know about Pool. I gave a copy to everyone on my League Team


Hope this is helpful-
 
Lessons - my perspective

Monty,

FWIW, if you find yourself struggling under pressure it can often be attributed to a poor fundamental. You may be doing one small thing that causes you to fail when the chips are down and the only person that may be able to see it is a qualified instructor. Poor fundamentals are the first thing to break down when you're feeling the heat. Having a bullet proof stroke, pre shot routine and post shot routine help to stop the chokes.

I took a lesson 18 months ago from Scott Lee here in the States and while I still dog balls, my fundamentals are much better and I'm less likely to. I also have much more confidence when the match is on the line, in fact I like having the heat on me.

Brian in Va - still hears "Who Let The Dogs Out" from time to time. :mad:
 
monty said:
Although this isn't an option for me as I'm from the UK, can anyone give me an idea about how taking lessons can improve someone's game? My stance is good, my aim is fine, most relatively easy balls I go for end up in the pocket etc - how would someone be able to teach me how to become a better player?

My weaknesses are; dealing with pressure (which I'm poor at) and cueball control (esp when under pressure). I can feel myself fold/crumple at crucial shots against good players. Against poor players I rarely miss, but can predict with alarming regularity when I'll miss a pressure ball when playing someone I know will finish if I cock up.

As lessons aren't an option, can anyone recommend online videos for me to look at? I'm relatively new to pool - after switching from snooker - so maybe I need to learn the game a bit as well.
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The best thing any player can do is to remain open minded and teachable. Far too often more attention is paid to what is being taught instead of what is being learned. I've seen instructors that are aweful, I have seen instructors that take pride in what they do. I've worked with players that are motivated to learn and excel, and I have also seen those that wait for the magic to fall from the sky and if it doesn't, they blame the instructor or the first thing that gets in their way. As a student of the game, take pride in your dedication and your ability to apply what is learned. It is a two way street. Remember, the teacher has a responsibility to ensure the student is provided with the proper coaching, teaching and guidance. The student has the responsibility of learning, practicing, and applying that knowledge. It's not a 50/50 propostion, its 100/100 (perhaps even more is required of each at different stages) and I ensure that everybody I work with understands that before we even start.
 
Good advice ...

Blackjack said:
The best thing any player can do is to remain open minded and teachable. Far too often more attention is paid to what is being taught instead of what is being learned. I've seen instructors that are aweful, I have seen instructors that take pride in what they do. I've worked with players that are motivated to learn and excel, and I have also seen those that wait for the magic to fall from the sky and if it doesn't, they blame the instructor or the first thing that gets in their way. As a student of the game, take pride in your dedication and your ability to apply what is learned. It is a two way street. Remember, the teacher has a responsibility to ensure the student is provided with the proper coaching, teaching and guidance. The student has the responsibility of learning, practicing, and applying that knowledge. It's not a 50/50 propostion, its 100/100 (perhaps even more is required of each at different stages) and I ensure that everybody I work with understands that before we even start.
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Tap Tap Tap, David ... Very good advice
 
lesssons completely changed my game. I was a solid b+ player, i would have periods of time where i shot unbelieveably good, then slumps where i was awful and didnt know why. One i had lessons it nailed down my fundamentals, which really opened up my pool world. Once you KNOW youre doing everything right with your fundamentals, then you could really start to learn the game, it just frees you up to concentrate on strategies and shapes. A few months after my lessons my game has improved considerably, i went from top 10 in my room to probably 2nd or 3rd. The other night i was playing even against a local player who finished in the top 100 at the us open, before lessons i wouldnt have played this guy without at least the 8, i beat him 5-1, he got me 5-3. My confidence is so much better. Lessons with a good teacher is the best pool gift you can give yourself.
 
I recently Purchased several Bert Kinister DVD's and I have to say I am very impressed, I tried every thing Bert mentioned and it certainly helped me regain my focus..

2wld4u
 
monty said:
Although this isn't an option for me as I'm from the UK, can anyone give me an idea about how taking lessons can improve someone's game? My stance is good,
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but is it optimal for alignment, perfect for your body style, or just good?
my aim is fine,
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but is it exacting?
monty said:
most relatively easy balls I go for end up in the pocket etc
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what about the tough shots, tough angles, bank shots, kick shots?
how would someone be able to teach me how to become a better player?
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I'm not digging at your game, but there is a LOT more to pool lessons from a qualified instructor than just stance, aiming and ball pocketing. Look at the pros that have gone to instructors... Jeanette Lee, Alison Fisher, Gerta Hoffstetter, Karen Corr and the list goes on. I know some Male Pros that have gone, but their ego's don't allow them to admit they needed help so I can't post their names! LOL There are aspects of the game that many players just don't think about or even know about.
My weaknesses are; dealing with pressure (which I'm poor at) and cueball control (esp when under pressure). I can feel myself fold/crumple at crucial shots against good players. Against poor players I rarely miss, but can predict with alarming regularity when I'll miss a pressure ball when playing someone I know will finish if I cock up.
Click to expand...
I wish you had a good instructor available, but since you don't, read everything you can about the mental game. I've read, Inner Tennis, Inner Golf, Pleasures of Small Motions, etc, but the best stuff I've ever read on the mental game is by AZB's own David "Blackjack" Sapolis. Many books tell you why you choke, but Blackjack explains the different syndromes and what's going on in your subconsious and how to defeat the choke syndromes. There is no magic cure, and getting over choke syndromes takes time and work, but without an instructor on hand, if it were me, I'd read everything I could about the mental game, but BE SURE to read what Blackjack writes. I think he's been kind enough to post some excerpts on here recently about the mental game.

Later,
Bob
 
scottycoyote said:
lesssons completely changed my game. I was a solid b+ player, i would have periods of time where i shot unbelieveably good, then slumps where i was awful and didnt know why. One i had lessons it nailed down my fundamentals, which really opened up my pool world. Once you KNOW youre doing everything right with your fundamentals, then you could really start to learn the game, it just frees you up to concentrate on strategies and shapes. A few months after my lessons my game has improved considerably, i went from top 10 in my room to probably 2nd or 3rd. The other night i was playing even against a local player who finished in the top 100 at the us open, before lessons i wouldnt have played this guy without at least the 8, i beat him 5-1, he got me 5-3. My confidence is so much better. Lessons with a good teacher is the best pool gift you can give yourself.
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Scott, Now that's the kind of news that makes travelling the country and doing this worthwhile! For those of you that don't know, Scott was in a class that RandyG taught in Charlotte that Pooltcher and I assisted teaching.

Scott, email me at caneman@clnk.com. Need to talk to you about something.

Later,
Bob
 
Outstanding Book...

Please try to read "The Mental Game of Baseball" by Harvey Dorfman.....the most outstanding read of my life. My psychology teacher introduced me to it, and I still read it 2-3 times a year. It will help you with all aspects of life, not just competition.
 
sure i can give plenty.

monty said:
Although this isn't an option for me as I'm from the UK, can anyone give me an idea about how taking lessons can improve someone's game? My stance is good, my aim is fine, most relatively easy balls I go for end up in the pocket etc - how would someone be able to teach me how to become a better player?

My weaknesses are; dealing with pressure (which I'm poor at) and cueball control (esp when under pressure). I can feel myself fold/crumple at crucial shots against good players. Against poor players I rarely miss, but can predict with alarming regularity when I'll miss a pressure ball when playing someone I know will finish if I cock up.

As lessons aren't an option, can anyone recommend online videos for me to look at? I'm relatively new to pool - after switching from snooker - so maybe I need to learn the game a bit as well.
Click to expand...


Well, let's see, with proper instruction, you can learn how to use advanced aspects of the game to aid in planning and postion. You can learn game specific strategies that you would otherwise be oblivious to. you can learn more accurate methods for aiming banking kicking jumping, and when to use what in which situations.

/in other words, from qualified instructors you can learn how to become better at everything, this game is all about knowledge, regardless of what that knowledge is about. You can get it by intelligence and practice, but you're game will then be limited by both and the type of practice you get, or by having the knowledge imparted on you, either by knowledgeable players that are willing to give it to you freely or by getting lessons.

If you are lucky enough to get to an A+ level by either of the first two then more power to you. In all liklihood though the best and easiest scenario is to get instruction from a qualified instructor with knowledge in the games you would like to get better at.
 
Instruction

Just like in golf - instruction has its place in pool. Its not THE answer but it is part of THE ANSWER.

As BlackJack said - the right instructor means everything. Fundamentals, analysis, drills etc etc etc all come from an instructor.

Execution and clear thinking under pressure takes the player with great fundamentals and a knowledge of the game to higher and higher levels.
Seek out a good instructor and seek out opportunities to challenge yourself and then be honest with what you need to do to improve.

Just as in golf - the mental/psychological aspect of pool is always the determining factor on who is a champion and who is not.

Yogi Berra once said......"90% of this game is mental and the other half is in your head...!"
 
Lessons rule. But, if you can't take lessons form an instructor in person, then I have to recommend Bert Kinister's collection. You can work one video and once you have practiced it well, then put in a new one and learn from it. He is always showing something new and it is like getting a personal lesson on each video. His stuff is not one of those things where they cover everything in one or two DVD's. You don't really learn from someone telling you something once and then expect you to just do it. On Bert's videos, he shoots the shot or has a student come on and learn it with you. The student is usually a good player, but has never seen the lesson. As you see it develop, you learn from the student's mistakes or you get a real feel seeing the shot over and over again. It also really helps sink the memory in of what you learned when you see it over and over. Also most of them have very few cuts. They show you basically the lesson without stopping the camera on most of it, so you see the mess ups too.

Man I wrote too much, my bad!
 
Q. What does air smell like?
A. We don't notice the smell because we are always smelling it...

For learning to shoot under pressure, what worked for me was to place myself in pressure situations as much as possible. And that means tournaments, and more tournaments. Sign up for leagues and go to as many tournaments as possible. Then, same as not being able to smell air because it is always there, you will not notice the pressure because you are frequently in pressure situations.

For cue ball control, first learn the fundamentals of ball interactions. Dr. Dave's DVD will teach you where the cue ball will go after a hit, how to tell where it will go, and how hit it to get it to go where you want. Get this DVD at link below. Everything in this DVD applies to many different shots...

Don't watch this DVD like a movie, study it like there is no tomorrow. Watch a little, take notes, diagram the shots, then play more. Then practice everything you have learned daily for the next year. Imbed this stuff in your mind. Learning these fundamentals is the first step, then practice, practice, practice. This DVD will continue to help your game improve years after you have watched it (as you practice shots using these fundamentals and get better and better).

And the other thing is speed control. Rack all 15 balls and break. Then practice speed control by shooting each ball so it rolls up to the edge of the pocket, but does not drop. This will teach you how slowly you can hit various shots to get the ball to the pocket. And will teach you that full on shots require very little cue ball speed - thin cuts require a lot of speed. (Or that the cue ball will retain a lot of its energy after a thin cut.)

Dr. Daves DVD...
http://www.engr.colostate.edu/~dga/pool/dvd_description.html
 
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