Pretty sure I was sincerely that time.GregCantrall....
I thought that's what you were doing when you said thank you for your input. It was how I read it anyway. Nearly spit up my drink.


Pretty sure I was sincerely that time.GregCantrall....
I thought that's what you were doing when you said thank you for your input. It was how I read it anyway. Nearly spit up my drink.
The FM path may be the right one in most situations but for technical stuff weird problems sometimes require a deeper understanding. That's true at pool when diagnosing problems.
I remember Tugboat (whose real name was Maurice although he hated that name) he gave me my first real lesson back in the early 60's when I was young and too stupid to pay attention to what he was trying to tell me.Thanks Lou. Dalton used to tell me about his admiration for Tugboat and how he was his inspiration to play also, and his first teacher. I think a lot of the things he showed me during our time together were probably from Tugboat.
As for your question to players --- What do you want from a teacher --- I can answer that, even though I'm a teacher, because I'm a player --- not some pansy player --- I mean a real player, who ground it out every day on a pool table and survived in the sub culture of pool rooms of NYC for a few decades, for better or for worse, experiencing both great and horrible advice from people with good intentions.
What I want from a teacher is someone who could step into my shoes and read my mind, just by watching me play. I don't care what they think is right or wrong for the universe or even for themselves. I want them to become me, understand my stumbling blocks, and help me fix my issues both physically and mentally. The two must go together. When I train instructors, I test them on their ability to read a player. This is key.
For example: You can't tell a rhythm player to take a longer pause at the end of his backstroke unless you want to kill both his game and his spirit. I've seen teachers do this. There are better solutions for those types of players. Sadly, most teachers are terrible at reading players. Some are born with the talent but for those who are not, a lot of it can be learned if the teacher is willing.
I remember Tugboat (whose real name was Maurice although he hated that name) he gave me my first real lesson back in the early 60's when I was young and too stupid to pay attention to what he was trying to tell me.
Lou,When Tugboat would occasionally play at the room I frequented in Daily City he was already pretty ancient.
Slightly stooped, sports coat, white shirt, suspenders, and a well worn tubular leather case. This is a page on him from John Grissim's excellent and lengthily titled book, "Billiards -- Hustlers & Heroes, Legends & Lies and The Search for Higher Truth on the Green Felt."
Lou Figueroa
Lou,
Yeah I've seen that picture before now I know where it came from.
Tug and his wife used to come down to visit Jimmy and Dorothy Wise at Sequoia Billiards in Redwood City every Sunday night back in the day, that's where he gave me that first lesson. If you could compile the knowledge of both Jimmy and Tug, you could easily fill an entire library full of books! The last time I saw Tugboat was at Cochrans in SF that was many years ago!
Dennis
Lou,No kidding, undoubtably he knew tons.
When I saw him in Daly City at Town & Country he'd be playing 14.1 with either Dorthy Wise or a guy named Dennis. Watching them play (and Mosconi) is the reason I still love 14.1.
Lou Figueroa
Lou,
Sorry to say that I'm not the same Dennis that you saw playing Tugboat down at Town and Country in DC. Back in the 90's I used to play at Town and Country but it was only 9 ball at that time. I too remember seeing Mosconi 2 or 3 times and forever loved the game of 14.1 partially because of him and some of the other old timers who I saw play the game during those times.
Dennis
Off topic: I got to meet Dorothy once and shake her hand and thank her. She was truly a pioneer for the women players, and we all admired her. I was the new WPBA president at the time and the BCA was looking for a woman to give the speech for her induction into the Hall of Fame, and they asked me to do it. It was a big deal with Dorothy being the first woman to be inducted. I was pretty nervous about it and I interviewed Dorothy before the speech. She was kind and gracious, and she made me feel at ease.No kidding, undoubtably he knew tons.
When I saw him in Daly City at Town & Country he'd be playing 14.1 with either Dorthy Wise or a guy named Dennis. Watching them play (and Mosconi) is the reason I still love 14.1.
Lou Figueroa