I have a 2 hr. lesson with a pro coming up and wondered if there were anything I should ask him specifically. I guess I mean 'watch my stroke, follow thru,' etc. Are there many others? He is a very competent instructor so I hope he knows already.
What to ask my local instructor?
- Thread starter onemorebrando
- Start date
I'm not an instructor but I went through what you are asking. I took lessons from 2 different instructors in the past 10 years. The lesson started with...take a few shots.....and they took over from there. They will most likely study your stroke mechanics and the lesson begins. Have fun. Enjoy. Frank
Go into it with no preformed ideas.
Open mind
Yes, this is very important. One must be able to admit faults, and admit limitations to be a good student.
When I'm contacted by a new student, I email them a brief questionnaire that gives me a general idea of their experience and knowledge. It saves time. If the initial lesson is only an hour, I assess their fundamental skills and focus on that, along with any specifics they request.
If the first lesson is two hours, I give them a more extensive skills test before implementing a program for them. If they choose to take additional lessons, I encourage them to take notes while playing and bring specific ideas and questions to the next get-together.
In this way the process becomes one of cooperation rather than a one-way street of communitcation. Feedback is essential.
Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor
Yes, this is very important. One must be able to admit faults, and admit limitations to be a good student.
When I'm contacted by a new student, I email them a brief questionnaire that gives me a general idea of their experience and knowledge. It saves time. If the initial lesson is only an hour, I assess their fundamental skills and focus on that, along with any specifics they request.
If the first lesson is two hours, I give them a more extensive skills test before implementing a program for them. If they choose to take additional lessons, I encourage them to take notes while playing and bring specific ideas and questions to the next get-together.
In this way the process becomes one of cooperation rather than a one-way street of communitcation. Feedback is essential.
Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor
Just tell him what's bothering you about your game. Are you having trouble getting position on certain shots? Are you missing certain shots? Are you failing to close out the match? Are you missing easy shots?
These are clues that will help him zero in on your issues.
Before the lesson, you should note several specific shots or situations that give you trouble during competition. Maybe you can't get position from X or maybe you have a lot of trouble making a ball from Y that looks easy or maybe you saw Efren get a nice safe from Z and you can't even come close. Be specific.
Your instructor should be able to diagnose the problems and give you ways to work on and improve those particular facets of your game. Ideally the instructor will provide you with ways to work on problems in general and not just the specific problems you come to the lesson with.
The lesson is not a magic pill that will turn you into Earl Strickland. The lesson is only a very short beginning to the process. You must put in the time to work the new stuff into your game. A month or two after the lesson you should ask yourself, "How has my game changed since the lesson?" If there has been no change, the lesson was wasted. More on this aspect is in this article: http://www.sfbilliards.com/articles/2005-09.pdf
onemorebrando...It's less about what you should ask him/her, than what they should be asking you! Just curious, but is your "pro" a professional player or a professional instructor...they are two different things (they can be the same thing, but they rarely are). Whoever it is, they should ask you what you expect to get out of the lesson, and then address those issues, along with whatever their teaching plan is. First and foremost, if they don't use video analysis to check your stroke, they are not a highly competent instructor. Using video is mandatory for all PBIA instructors, and vital to quality instruction. Good luck with your lesson, and let us know how it goes. If I were you, I'd bring a video camera & tripod and record the lesson while you do it, just for your own review.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott, when did using video become mandatory for all PBIA instructors? This is news to me.
It has been part of the required instructor training from the beginning of certification. Whether a particular instructor uses it with a particular student is up to the instructor.
Well the lesson went great. Charlie Bryant went over many things with me, and I thank you all for taking the time to help.
That's the way I've always understood it to be.
onemorebrando - come on now spill the beans. We want to hear about your lesson.
What did he cover and what did you really take away from the lesson?
You can use your lesson time more efficiently by anticipating your instructor's questions than preparing notes to give him to start the lesson. Here's a recent example of questions I asked a student when he asked me,
"I live in [address withheld] and have played pool, mostly 9-Ball, for many years. I'd like now to begin playing professional tournaments but first I'll need fairly extensive improvement in some areas."
Assessing A Student's Wishes