What Do You Look For in a Pool Instructor
- Thread starter lfigueroa
- Start date
No one can drive any other poster off the board.
You can either explain yourself with logic and sound argument or you cannot. CJ just offered up endless memes and fortune cookie logic for what he espoused. And at the end of the day, PJ is right.
Lou Figueroa
As I have often said in the past: every player has their own “science” when it comes to pool.
IOWs, what works for one player may very well not work for the next. Players develop their theories and they may consistently work great “for them.” Their only mistake is making the assumption that they will work for all.
Maybe for some. Maybe for many. Maybe for no one else at all. I have seen instructors do this — trying to make what works for their bodies and mechanics a universal. That would be a mistake, IMO.
Lou Figueroa
I inquired as to your personal assessment of your ability on the table. The lack of a response on your part could be construed as Rude. Well by a lesser person. Being a better person I can overlook.
So lacking a response I have no way to measure if I am enjoying playing with a peer-or (heaven forbid) better. Shrug
Of course perhaps the mystery keeps me on my best behavior. Right? I mean I haven't been rude,(yet) have I? Do you play for money. My sales pitch is I pay for lessons and of course charge for same. Ya wanna play some 3 ball?
In a 20-page thread I am not sure my response will have all that much impact on the discussion, but some of the problem is with how people express their observations of what techniques work or don't work.
lfigueroa shared a "thumbs down" observation with me years ago, which struck me as really important, especially after I observed professional players up close at the DCC--Lou observed that many good players have a backhand grip where their thumb points straight down. Of course, some don't. I do think there are a series of "best practices" that many professional players use knowingly or unknowingly. Cataloging commonalities in the physical techniques of great players strikes me as an enterprise that is not totally worthless. Sharing these observations with others might help them, especially if they are going through a tough time with their stroke.
Where someone discovers a helpful observation, often I could see how they would be tempted to talk about this discovery as if it is the only way to play or the best way to play. It seems understandable that people would be influenced heavily by what works for them or what helps them.
Players have unique environments, ideas, and anatomy that influence their playing techniques, but at a certain degree of unconventionality, a player is probably having to overcome their technique rather than using it as a source of consistency.
To say one technique is best for all is probably not wise, but I don't think it follows that technique doesn't matter. I know lfigueroa is not saying technique doesn't matter, because I know he thinks technique matters and his beef is with instructors selling their secret sauce that isn't all that good. The fact is: some techniques are more successful for more people than others, and I think when many people hear smart folks like lfigueroa say a variety of techniques work, they use that as an excuse to continue with a ridiculous side-arm stance using their ear as their dominant eye.
For me, there is enough variations of methods in the techniques of top players that I am convinced there are a variety of techniques that would support the development of world class play in a reasonable time frame. However, I think it is important to look for commonalities in these techniques, and maybe use them a guidelines, smart suggestions, or best practices. I count Lou's observation on thumbs, as something that I personally worry about in my own game.
kollegedave
You just answered your own question about who the head lemming is. You're a follower.
A gang can and has been on just about every forum I've seen or been on. Not just pool related either.
Yet amazing that CJ could stomp every body's ass on this forum and bust them in any game. Who wants to be the first to challenge him for the big dough and in what game? Would you like to give it a try?
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ROTFLMAO! That'll be the day.
He's one of the names giving you the thumbs up in post #405 and a couple of other members of the lemming tribe.
Someone with a magic aiming system. Barabim!!!!
Frankly, the best teachers are already on YT.
Niels Feijen, Darren Appleton, Tor Lowry and several snooker instructors.
Frankly, the best teachers are already on YT.
Niels Feijen, Darren Appleton, Tor Lowry and several snooker instructors.
skiergd011013
Well-known member
Is anyone familiar with the instructor robert le blanc outside of boston?
No, and I've been around the pool scene in this area for over 50 years.
Doesn't mean he doesn't exist but if he had any kind of significant reputation I would think I would have at least heard of him.
Are you talking about Dr Dave?
Well it certainly had a big impact on me. The above paragraph in particular stands out but you made a number of really good common sense points that everyone should recognize and appreciate.
skiergd011013
Well-known member
hes got a website. Says he was the house pro at jillians billiards for 18 years. I took a lesson with him a while back. Wanted to see if anyone else is familiar with him. The dutchess of doom is coming to my area in two weeks and i signed up for a 3 hour lesson with her. Never thought id have that honor.
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There are two AZBers from the Boston area that are Facebook friends with him: Cats Cradle and Pete, I have heard of Boston’s Robert Leblanc (I’m from Massachusetts), but never met the man as far as I know. Lots of Leblancs in New England.
That may explain why I don't know of him. Jillian's has always been a college hangout type of place. It wasn't the kind of poolroom that serious players frequented. Enjoy your time with Allison.
What has always seemed obvious to me is that the person that can't hit centerball consistently can't hit a touch of something consistently either.
Let's use an eighth tip as our error and as our "touch of" also to simplify things. Mark off an eighth of a tip each side of center ball. Hit a dozen shots with this offset each side of center ball, going to center diamond and back. Try to keep speed pretty consistent so you come back to the rail you are shooting from. Mark where the cue ball stops each time and soon you have a cluster of where you think the cue ball will stop.
Now, Let's try the toucha shots. Move over 1/8 tip, now hit a dozen shots, six center ball(minus 1/8 error) and six shots 1/4 tip out, the 1/8 error in the other direction. Where did this cluster end up and which cluster is wider?
OK, now lets go a quarter ball left of center, hit a dozen balls as outlined above. How do these clusters compare to the first ones? Try right and left sides. Chances are that the two clusters will not be nice symmetrical arrays either side of the center line.
While I often use a little right or left spin it is because it goes with the rest of the shot, not because I think deliberately missing is an improvement on accidentally missing. If I couldn't hit center ball I would spend a lot of time working on that, not working on a patch to go over an error.
Hu
Let's use an eighth tip as our error and as our "touch of" also to simplify things. Mark off an eighth of a tip each side of center ball. Hit a dozen shots with this offset each side of center ball, going to center diamond and back. Try to keep speed pretty consistent so you come back to the rail you are shooting from. Mark where the cue ball stops each time and soon you have a cluster of where you think the cue ball will stop.
Now, Let's try the toucha shots. Move over 1/8 tip, now hit a dozen shots, six center ball(minus 1/8 error) and six shots 1/4 tip out, the 1/8 error in the other direction. Where did this cluster end up and which cluster is wider?
OK, now lets go a quarter ball left of center, hit a dozen balls as outlined above. How do these clusters compare to the first ones? Try right and left sides. Chances are that the two clusters will not be nice symmetrical arrays either side of the center line.
While I often use a little right or left spin it is because it goes with the rest of the shot, not because I think deliberately missing is an improvement on accidentally missing. If I couldn't hit center ball I would spend a lot of time working on that, not working on a patch to go over an error.
Hu
In golf and pool you don't hit the exact target every time - you hit within a typical "shot group" area surrounding it, larger or smaller depending on your precision That shot group (your precision) doesn't shrink because you add a curve (in golf) or some squirt (in pool) - it only shrinks as you gain skill. That's why I don't think the "pick a side" technique works in pool and likely not in golf (I know of enough examples of pool pros being wrong to not automatically trust golf pros' opinions either).
pj
chgo
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