What Do You Look For in a Pool Instructor

[WobblyStroke]

An instructor is cheating! Pool is a journey! Experiment Experiment and Experiment some more!

Lots of great free stuff out there if you search and educate yourself!

Dr. Dave website!
99 moves Ray Martin!
Stroke training tool!
Aiming by number ball set!
Svb Aiming system using ferrule
Azbilliards.com

I suggest that you go ahead and exhaust the free stuff online and get a library of books before you start lessons.

Kd


Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

I think youtube and free resources for learning pool stuff like physics, spins, pattern play, etc are great. But for stroke building, as countless golfers have shown, by picking this tip from one guy and another tip from another guy and mashing them together....they don't always mix well. There are many different types of strokes in pool just like in golf. The difference is that in golf, everybody is aware of this and they know the cornerstone of one technique can be considered a stroke killer for another. A good insgtructor can help you navigate through the landmines of mismatched hot tips or at the very least just teach one coherent technique from A-Z where they know every component gels well.

On top of that, most people are actually really bad at actually doing what they think they are doing so an instructor can make very minor tweaks here and there and shave a lot of table hours off your journey towards getting there on your own (some never get there without outside help).

 

[JolietJames]

When I first got serious about improving, I wanted someone who could fix my fundamentals.
Bert did that for me. He also taught me the drills I needed to improve my overall game as well as
a way to gain strength in the areas I was weakest.
I can only imagine the level I could have achieved if I had done the drills as often as he suggested.

Today I need a mental coach.
I would love to have JJ in my ear advising me on shot selection and why his suggested way is better.
I would also like a coach who could instill in me the confidence and determination I had when I was young.
I had very little doubt back then and seldom thought myself out of a runout as I do today.

 

[Podunker]

My two cents, I would choose Mark Wilson. Mark has been up down and all around in this billiard world. This man has experienced the whole spectrum. He worked hard to attain personal stature as a Mosconi player, has been Mosconi coach, is a college coach, has been a commentator on some of the most historic matches, his clinics involve the likes of Buddy Hall, John Schmidt, Nick Varner. Allison Fisher visits for tune-ups. If you ever take time to listen to him, he doesn't sell bullshit and shortcut promises. Everything he stands for resonates the message of all the great coaches. How much more cred do you need?

 

[gregcantrall]

I've seen transformations inside 1 hour personally

You have a good point. My brush was overly broad.
A result I have noticed in the friends or aquintences, after 1 lesson encounters was an immediate uptick in their performance. Then a gradual slide back to where they were. My theory is that habits play such a big role, that I stumbled into the right method. Well I love to quote Efren, "I got lucky".
I have to take care not to let my head overinflate when I see Stephen Hendry promote methods that I employ.
Seriously the knowledge is available. Finding it is one thing. Knowing what to do with it is another.
The cheap fix is hoping. The investment of time into study is easy to write off the value of my time. It's a lot like my other hobby......Gold prospecting.
Study Barry Stark and Stephen Hendry on YouTube. Then a coach that's in agreement with what they teach will be a better value.

 

[Bob Jewett]

An instructor is cheating! Pool is a journey! Experiment Experiment and Experiment some more!

...

No. A major problem for most students is that several parts of their fundamentals are broken/lacking/deficient. It is really hard for the typical player to self-diagnose that kind of problem.

Beyond that, in-person instruction greatly speeds the learning. (I guess if the journey is the point, that's not a factor.) As a brief example, I was struggling with a particular big draw shot at 3-cushion. An older player watched me for a while and said, "Less draw, more spin." That worked and it might have taken me a long time to reach that conclusion.

I agree with most of your info sources, but you should have included Byrne.

 

[WobblyStroke]

A result I have noticed in the friends or aquintences, after 1 lesson encounters was an immediate uptick in their performance. Then a gradual slide back to where they were.

This is common. Several golf coaches have fixed Charles Barkley by now. I think this tendency of old habits creeping in is what made your road player's advice to have zero gambling while in lessons is actually sneaky key. When under pressure we tend to revert to old reliable. When trying to break an old habit, competing is about the worst thing you could do bc every instinct in your body will be telling you to go to your old way.

Study Barry Stark and Stephen Hendry on YouTube. Then a coach that's in agreement with what they teach will be a better value.

This is a good example of a way to go for a player. Find coaches, styles, methods, that resonate with you and that you are already in the process of developing and then seek out an instructor that is a good fit for that and can speed up your journey rather than change its course to a different method.

That said, Stark and Hendry won't be a fit for everyone so while I like the approach in general, I wouldn't necessarily put those two above any others in particular as if they are the gold standard to measure others up against, or promote them and their style over any other. Kinda the main point of my original post in this thread was that a student should do enough research on instructors and know what they are teaching to a certain degree to see if that is a fit or not. One lesson, and reassess fit. Personally, these two guys would not be a fit for me if I were seeking a lesson. Watching their stuff let me know this. Others resonate with me and my style more so I'd go to them or someone teaching what they teach.

But the process of research and then finding someone of the same school of thought is key.

 

[Kid Dynomite]

No. A major problem for most students is that several parts of their fundamentals are broken/lacking/deficient. It is really hard for the typical player to self-diagnose that kind of problem.

Beyond that, in-person instruction greatly speeds the learning. (I guess if the journey is the point, that's not a factor.) As a brief example, I was struggling with a particular big draw shot at 3-cushion. An older player watched me for a while and said, "Less draw, more spin." That worked and it might have taken me a long time to reach that conclusion.

I agree with most of your info sources, but you should have included Byrne.

I look at

Keith and Bustamante!

Vs.

Grady / Hopkins/ Rempe

A student ask which technique above to use! No instructor can answer the question!

All any instructor can do is teach what works for them!

Just think if SVB never experimented with Earls javelin cues!

Just think If SVB only learned ghost ball!

Wood vs carbon

Layered tips vs milk duds

Corey dueul and Joe Tucker using video to analyze the rack/ break.

The game is evolving too fast for a instructor! People have to learn to put the work and time in experimenting

Kd

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[gregcantrall]

But the process of research and then finding someone of the same school of thought is key

You make good points.
Another first question is, "What is your goal?" That came right after the accepted offer.
My current goals are more along Maintenance lines. Physical and mental and oh yeah religious fitness. Well the religious is the reply at the dispencery when they ask, "medical or recreational?"

 

[Bob Jewett]

... All any instructor can do is teach what works for them!
...

Well, no. A good instructor will find what works for the student. There are many poor instructors. Perhaps the worst are league team captains giving advice to their SL3 during a time out. That advice will be what the captain would do, so you are right for them.

 

[poolnut7879]

I will make your game much better in a one-hour lesson. That's the standard I seek in fellow teachers whom I've collaborated with.

And my claim for the upcoming clinic is you will go up several handicap points/an entire letter ranking in a day, from "C" to "B" and so on: https://forums.azbilliards.com/thre...tom-kennedy-matt-sherman.553972/#post-7545744

I'd be more interested in hearing how you turn a 700 fargo into a 725 fargo and so on. Due to the law of diminishing returns we know that improvement is slower the better we get and also it is human nature the better we get to be less susceptible to claims of accelerated advancement.

Most people who play in the range you speak still think there is some magic pill that will suddenly turn them into ball running machines or a new kind of cue that will make the difference.

The reality is most people don't understand how much time it takes to become proficient to master a craft or aren't willing to put the time in.

 

[briankenobi]

Great question. Here is what I would look for. First off, reputation. There are people that are known for being good instructors, whether they are well known here "insert original list" or a local instructor. (Dee adkins and Denny Stewart from Ohio) The next thing I would look at is the success of people they have taught. I will use Denny and Dee as examples. Denny is a certified instructor in Northern Ohio. I know one of his junior players, Dustin Muir. Dustin qualified for the Junior World Championships in Puerto Rico last year. Dee Adkins trains a lot of junior players from all of the county and even the world. They are all monsters. He as also worked with adults that I know and I have seen how those players have got better. The last thing I look at is effective teaching styles. Everyone learns differently but that has to be some positive results. Here are two examples of both sides of that coin. I brought in a HOF player to my area for an exhibition and clinic since I knew this person did clinics. I am friends with this person and will leave the name out of this. The clinic consisted of three player groups and his player would do a race to 5 with each person, allowing them to ask questions during the match. That was it. I don't think anyone who did the clinic got anything out of it except to say, "hey, I got to play with so and so." I really felt bad bringing this person in and none of my friends played any better afterwards. I will use the feedback from my jump lessons as the flip side. I teach the fundamentals first and demonstrate one time. I then teach people to utilized those fundamentals. I have lost count how many times someone who couldn't get over a ball to save their life began jumping over a ball consistently after one of my lessons. That is a measurable metric.

So to sum my answer up: Reputation, the success of their students, teaching style, my results.

 

[briankenobi]

Well, no. A good instructor will find what works for the student. There are many poor instructors. Perhaps the worst are league team captains giving advice to their SL3 during a time out. That advice will be what the captain would do, so you are right for them.

agree. When I do jump lessons, and if someone can't get the wrist snap down (dart method), I try to find something they can relate to sports wise to get that snap. So are so right Bob.

 

[lfigueroa]

One comment I would like to make is that I believe the higher the playing level of the student the fewer instructors there are out there who can effectively help them.

At the lower levels almost any decent player can help the tyro. Moderately skilled players can be helped by good instructors. Higher speed guys need to be careful whom they pick because they’re already pretty good playing the way they do. The wrong instruction can actually set them back.

I have seen and heard of this happening to several guys. They go to an instructor with good or even great credentials and then they either struggle and eventually go back to what they were doing or develop a permanent hitch in their stoke and never find their way back.

Lou Figueroa

 

[BlueRaider]

Someone who will push me out of my comfort zone.

It's very difficult to practice alone in a truly effective way where you are constantly challenging and pushing yourself. Human nature is such that you will inevitably settle in to practicing things that are barely challenging or that are simply "ego boosters" because you're already good at them and you like the feeling of succeeding.

It's the same reason many experienced bodybuilders/fitness enthusiasts hire instructors/trainers. It's not solely to gain new knowledge and technique advice, but rather it's to create a new level of accountability and to have someone pushing them to their limits--which is where the biggest breakthroughs happen.

 

[poolnut7879]

An instructor is cheating! Pool is a journey! Experiment Experiment and Experiment some more!

Lots of great free stuff out there if you search and educate yourself!

Dr. Dave website!
99 moves Ray Martin!
Stroke training tool!
Aiming by number ball set!
Svb Aiming system using ferrule
Azbilliards.com

I suggest that you go ahead and exhaust the free stuff online and get a library of books before you start lessons.

Kd


Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Before any of this I would tell someone to read Zen in the art of archery, bounce, talent is overrated, and the talent code all of which emphasize just how much time is needed to become advanced at anything.

 

[Fore Rail]

A pool instructor should be able to see things that his / her student does not.

 

[cookie man]

One comment I would like to make is that I believe the higher the playing level of the student the fewer instructors there are out there who can effectively help them.

At the lower levels almost any decent player can help the tyro. Moderately skilled players can be helped by good instructors. Higher speed guys need to be careful whom they pick because they’re already pretty good playing the way they do. The wrong instruction can actually set them back.

I have seen and heard of this happening to several guys. They go to an instructor with good or even great credentials and then they either struggle and eventually go back to what they were doing or develop a permanent hitch in their stoke and never find their way back.

Lou Figueroa

Would have to list Johan Ruysink as an exception to this. I believe he taught the American players a few things that improved there games and that they will use for a long time. His stroke drills are supposed to be top notch.

 

[JolietJames]

Would have to list Johan Ruysink as an exception to this. I believe he taught the American players a few things that improved there games and that they will use for a long time. His stroke drills are supposed to be top notch.

Did he teach other stroke drills besides Bert's Mighty X?
I've seen a couple of his position drills. Top notch.

 

[cookie man]

Did he teach other stroke drills besides Bert's Mighty X?
I've seen a couple of his position drills. Top notch.

Yes he did. He also teaches the elbow drop including when and where to use it. And yes his drills are great.

 

[BasementDweller]

I will make your game much better in a one-hour lesson. That's the standard I seek in fellow teachers whom I've collaborated with.

And my claim for the upcoming clinic is you will go up several handicap points/an entire letter ranking in a day, from "C" to "B" and so on: https://forums.azbilliards.com/thre...tom-kennedy-matt-sherman.553972/#post-7545744

I've never encountered a single player that got that much better in a day, in any sport, or in any other personal endeavor. Life doesn't work like that. I suppose many players don't know this, but us players on AZ Billiards do.

To be taken seriously, your claim should be that you can identify the changes needed in order to quickly improve your game which can lead to you climbing up the rankings.