Which instructor do you recommend?

[one stroke]

Scott is a great instructor. He is very easy to communicate with. He is organized. The 4 hour lesson is a course. The course is over when Scott feels you understand what just went on. He does not look at his watch. He does not charge extra if you exceed 4 hours. I can't say enough good things about him.
http://www.poolknowledge.com

My lesson as my other friends went well over the time limit ,, I played in a tourney the next day and he was giving another lesson and it was not the same as it was for me the player was not as skilled so he was showing him different things so he's catering to the individual

1

 

[KMRUNOUT]

I didn't see if anyone said this yet, but Earl Strickland would be another excellent choice. I spend many hours with him. My friend who shoots well below my speed took the lesson together with me. She has a lot of natural talent and is a quick learner, so neither of us got short changed. I was very impressed by how carefully Earl paid attention to both of us, pointing out very specific things we did wrong or well. He LOVES pool, and is a pretty cool guy. I believe it was $75 an hour. That is very reasonable for a tip top tier pro with his credentials. He definitely improved my game.

KMRUNOUT

 

[KMRUNOUT]

I had a lesson from Scott worth every penny ,, and I know 2 others that have the same opinion ,,he travels around the country so if he's coming to or thru your area he'll come to you or the place of your choice


1

I've also done lessons with Scott. He's also very good. Scott focuses more on the fundamental stuff...stance, stroke, etc. It is very useful if you have issues in these areas and are willing to change your routine a bit. Earl and Joe Tucker are more "outside the box" types...Joe can certainly deal with fundamental stuff, and has a ton of patience. Earl was best for imparting what he calls "remedies" for your game...little pearls of wisdom (pun intended) that can really make a big difference.

KMRUNOUT

 

[Pushout]

I'd recommend someone but I don't want to get those nasty immature pms again. Also, this has turned into another cte bashing thread. Ridiculous bullshit.

 

[Afrika]

You may wish to consider whether you are looking for a lesson or a learning relationship. I hired an instructor from Professional Billiards Instructor Assn:

http://playbetterbilliards.com

I could not be more pleased. I have a lesson in my home every Wed evening. He lives about 15 minutes away. I am in this for the long haul and everyone develops bad habits (learned that from golf and tennis). Having a weekly lesson for 1.5 hours keeps me progressing, but most of all, keeps me from regressing. I much prefer to spend my money on lessons than on a drop dead gorgeous cue. The price is reasonable. Very methodological and structured teaching approach, and nice to have lasers define alignment issues as well as video.

Anyway, this organization seems to have instructors at all levels in many locations. So, drop a dime, meet a few and pick one you can relate to and be comfortable with around the table. He also helps with table strategy, etc. Sometimes we just play and he makes me think about why I take certain shots, and maybe why there is a better way around the table. Really, this is a well rounded and full featured approach to teaching a most grueling and merciless game.

 

[nobcitypool]

No, you only wanted to bash CTE as you always do. Those 3 little letters were first brought up by you.

Even NobCity who said he took lessons from both Stan and Stevie made zero mention of CTE.

Passing up on a great instructor simply because they use CTE is foolish. Had you actually visited Stan's website and viewed his Foundation Course you'd notice there's no mention of CTE in the course. Heck, you could even have the man behind Pro One teach you how to use ghost ball if you really believe Pro One is "snake oil."

Thanks BieberLvr. My lessons with Stevie were primarily spent working on stroke, PSR and fundamentals. Stevie works very hard when he teaches and is a great instructor. Stan also had taught me far more than aiming. His overall pool knowledge is off the charts and he is a fantastic person to boot. I have another lesson scheduled with Stan next Friday, I can't wait.

 

[thekaiserman]

Anthony Beeler has a great online course check it out

 

[Johnnyt]

Exactly!!!! Fwiw, I've been using toi on certain shots where there is minimal cut on the ball! Not sure if this is how it's suppose to be used, but my make percentage definitely went up! Again, you said it perfect cj!

#1 Practice until you have smooth straight stroke. If you can't learn it yourself or with DVD's, books, a mirror or any other way, go to an instructor. W/O #1 trying to use a aiming system is to piss into the wind. JT

 

[lfigueroa]

Lou, I passed by Raleigh, NC twice last week and would have loved to get a lesson with Mr. Martin but could not find any contact info. Can you point me to someone who might be in touch with him at his new address? My youngest lives in NC and I'll probably be visiting him again before too long.

SP, PM coming your way.

Lou Figueroa

 

[FranCrimi]

Lou, I passed by Raleigh, NC twice last week and would have loved to get a lesson with Mr. Martin but could not find any contact info. Can you point me to someone who might be in touch with him at his new address? My youngest lives in NC and I'll probably be visiting him again before too long.

Ray is an old friend of mine. If you want a lesson, let me know and I'll send him a message through facebook.

 

[HendryMBE]

Sorry for the delay in posting back. I am in the Memphis, TN area.

Scott and I tried to get together at SBE some years back and we couldn't make it happen.

 

[Sloppy Pockets]

Ray is an old friend of mine. If you want a lesson, let me know and I'll send him a message through facebook.

Thank, Fran. I'll take you up on that well in advance of my next trip down.

I wish I'd brought this up before we took off. When I heard that Ray had moved to NC I decided that I would try to book a lesson when we visited, but we had a major family emergency just before we left and it completely slipped my mind. It was only as we were passing signs for Raleigh that I thought, "Oh, yeah... that."

Most of our days were packed full of activities, but there was one day in particular where all the girls went out for a day of shopping, pedicures, and other female bonding. The boy who lives down there had to work, leaving me and Nic (the son you met at Amsterdam Billiards) twiddling our thumbs all day. It would have been well worth the two-hour drive from Wilmington to get us both a lesson if Ray was willing.

 

[Sloppy Pockets]

SP, PM coming your way.

Lou Figueroa

Thanks for the PM, Lou.

 

[ceebee]

I very much second Joe Tucker. Aside from being an excellent teacher, he is a great guy and truly motivated to improve the overall state of pool.

KMRUNOUT

I would also support Joe Tucker... he has the knowledge & the skills. He also has the trophies for his fine play. Joe's reputation precedes him.

Joe knows the Play & the Break real well.

 

[CJ Wiley]

as we say "if it feels right, it's probably wrong,"

All kidding aside, I do agree with this train of thought. Whenever a player is attempting to learn a new way of seeing things, it is important to let go of what you think you know and keep an open mind. There are a lot of critics out there and even more squabbling here on AZ about what's right and wrong, but do what feels natural. CJ's methods seem to work for some people, other instructors and pro's have their own methods as well. Whatever you end up going with I hope it works!

Yes, although there are common denominators, every player is different. The main thing I look for to judge how well someone plays is in their hands and feet, and how they align to the cue, and "line of the shot".

If they don't do these things properly they are limited in how much they can improve. Understanding how the feet "SET" the two sides of the body (left and right) is essential - equally important is how the wrist/forearm/shoulder connect to the shot and add to the precision of the lower body positioning.

When this unit is pulled up (or coiled) properly it fits together really well, however, as we say "if it feels right, it's probably wrong," pool is the sample example. 'The Game is the Teacher'