Who is the best 1 pocket teacher?

King T said:
Not sure where you got your opinion, but its far from the facts. Danny D is as good of a One Pocket instructor as there is and is only second to Grady.....,

He plays the game at a very good speed too.
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My opinion stems from having watched the play and having listened to the commentary on stacks and stacks and stacks of Accu-Stats 1pocket videos and DVDs. After awhile you learn who knows what.

Let me give you just one example. Often times a player in a match will shoot a relatively easy or passive safety. Danny will always say the same thing: He didn't do much. He didn't accomplish anything. Billy, OTOH, will say something like: He took what the table of afforded him. Sometimes you have to take what the table gives you. The late Freddy the Beard, in the same situation, would say something like: As my mentor, Marcel Camp, would say, he's biding his time. Sometimes it's best to take "a pass" and see what the other guy will do.

I could go on. So that's what I think. And BTW, I mentioned the above directly to Danny while at dinner one night at the SBC.

Lou Figueroa
 
Black-Balled said:
Hard to convey in just text...but surely you see the difference here?

You want the 3 as in the first pic:
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As opposed to the 2nd pic...where 3 is basically no threat at all:
 

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On the left coast, I'd give the nod to Warren "the Monk" Costanza. I wouldn't know if he's the best but if Freddie the Beard was still around, I'm sure he'd give high mark to the Monk.
 
Tronpocket said:
IMHO.....Jimmy fusco is one of the top 3 one pocket teachers in the country ,also the top 3 nicest guys in pool....and number 1 in his rates per hr he charges.

$40 per hr, with a smoke break allowed (his). Maybe a 3hr minimum.i have it written down at work.

I was shocked to hear how little he charges. Wish i had 200 a month in disposable income. Being that i work for petey he probably would cut me a deal but i would want to pay more because at that rate i feel im already stealing.
Anyone interested tho could contact me and ill pass along the info.
Downside is he cant travel far from philly but anywhere less the 1hr away is possible.

Good luck, one pocket is the modern game of champions
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Man!! Wish I'd known that when I still lived in Binghamton, NY:rolleyes:
 
lfigueroa said:
The thread is about "the best." Now, 30 years removed from that event, I stand by my opinion.

Lou Figueroa
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Yep, Danny is past his prime as a player...
...but this thread is about the best TEACHER.
 
pt109 said:
Yep, Danny is past his prime as a player...
...but this thread is about the best TEACHER.
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Yep and I just recently listened to his commentary on several Accu-Stats DVDs from the 2014 DCC 1pocket and I stand by my opinion :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
lfigueroa said:
Yep and I just recently listened to his commentary on several Accu-Stats DVDs from the 2014 DCC 1pocket and I stand by my opinion :-)

Lou Figueroa
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Oh come on Lou, everyone needs it drilled into their heads how important the lag is in a 3 out of 5 match because it means that if it goes 5 games the lag winner gets to break the 5th game.

And of course we all know that the correct response to 99% of 1 pocket breaks is to kick 4 rails as DD so frequently diagrams for us, even though no player ever shoots it.

Like you mentioned earlier, when a player is biding his time because there's not much to do, DD always calls it a "nothing shot that accomplished nothing". He apparently forgot that many 1 pocket shots seem like this to the unknowledgeable.

ONB
 
lstevedus said:
I would like to learn more 1 pocket. Who is the best teacher that can communicate their ideas so that they are easy to understand? Travel is no problem inside the 48. Would like to know who you like and why. Also, any 1 pocket instructional vids that you think are exceptionally good. Thanks
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The best one pocket teacher is experience. If you really want to learn to play one pocket you should realize what can be taught and what you need to learn on your own.

There are good DVDs out that show many shots and situations that you may or may not understand depending on your skill level.

Basic kick systems are everywhere on the net. Most will help. I use the zero-X system and like it a lot.

Learn to practice effectively. It is not easy and requires concentration and determination.

Learn to Bank. Buy Brumbecks' DVD. Nothing takes the place of confidence when you must bet the outcome of a game on a must make bank. Find a bank method that works for you and practice it often.

Learn to play straight pool well. No other Billiard game will teach you how to move around balls, break up balls and run balls better.

Practice 9/10 ball to build confidence for the tough shots you must make in one pocket.

The above are all things you can do for yourself without a teacher.

Other aspects of the game are more nebulous and might benefit from an instructor. Picking the correct shot for you in a given situation for example.

At a high level one pocket is a game of percentages and leverage as well as running balls. This is difficult to teach to someone with a different skill set.

Last but not least work to get your fundamentals correct. This is where you will turn when the wheels go off your game.

As an example here is my daily practice routine.

Bank pool for at least one hour.
Play the Ghost in 10 ball several races to 10.
Straight pool for several hours or until I run 80 balls or more.

Hope this helps.

Bill S.
 
jimmyg said:
Tom Wirth is a great choice. Nice person, excellent teacher, and a one pocket player extraordinaire.

J
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Stroud just gave some good advice, but a teacher can help a lot, too. For that, I also vote for Tom Wirth. From everything I've heard, Fusco would be great too.
 
King T said:
Not sure where you got your opinion, but its far from the facts. Danny D is as good of a One Pocket instructor as there is and is only second to Grady.....,

He plays the game at a very good speed too.
Click to expand...

So I guess you're saying Danny is # 1.
 
i got a lot out of scott's power one pocket dvd. he's pretty straightforward and easy to understand. he's been trying to play really cheap one pocket the past few weeks out in AZ. i'm sure he'd be up for lessons too since he's rehabbing his wrist right now.
 
If you are looking for someone who can help you improve your one pocket game, you should be looking for someone who not only plays well but they must be able to teach at YOUR level. That instructor/coach must be able to evaluate your current skills and teach you what you don't know. Many instructors do not have the experience of playing well, especially in one pocket. Knowledge is king in one pocket.

Some players/instructors get lazy and just want to teach you what they know and not what you need to know.

I guess I'm saying that a lot depends upon your skill level in pool and your knowledge level in one pocket.

I would make some suggestions if I knew exactly what your deficiencies are and what specifically you hoped to learn from the one pocket lessons.

The truth is that one pocket advice usually goes in one ear and out the other with most people unless it is costing them something and the game is generally learned over a long period of time. There are shortcuts to learning but it really takes an open mind to listen to someone who tells you, that the straight in, easy to make shot is not the shot to shoot, when all you want to do is pocket that easy to make, straight in shot. You will need to respect the instructor's game and that instructor will have to have the ability to learn what you need and want to learn.

I have often thought that a cool way to learn one pocket is to have a headset on and have someone who is very knowledgeable in one pocket to coach you on every shot from a distance from the table (while you are playing your regular opponents).

I have coached a $10,000 set ($20,000,00 total) of one pocket with two evenly matched players. At the time, the other guy had a better player coaching them, but my guy had a better coach. :grin:

Good luck and let us know who you wind up with and how you liked it.

JoeyA
 
I would strongly recommend Willie Jopling's One-Pocket videos. They are no longer in print so I'm not sure how easy it might be to find them.
 
I agree with onepocket.org! There are a good many What Would You
Do threads over there and some mighty experienced One Pocket players, also. Billy, Artie, Mr. 3Cushion, etc.
I liked what Bill Stroud posted here also, especially the part regarding Straight Pool. If you can get copies of Winning One Pocket and Shots, Moves, and Strategies, they would be very beneficial, also.
 
I think we should separate commentary from actually teaching. A good teacher can take your personal flaws and show you how to correct them also they can teach you perspective about competition and the game. One pocket is a complex game which not only includes technique but theory. The basic help Danny has given me has upped my game much. Unless you take a lesson its hard to judge.
 
JoeyA said:
If you are looking for someone who can help you improve your one pocket game, you should be looking for someone who not only plays well but they must be able to teach at YOUR level. That instructor/coach must be able to evaluate your current skills and teach you what you don't know. Many instructors do not have the experience of playing well, especially in one pocket. Knowledge is king in one pocket.

Some players/instructors get lazy and just want to teach you what they know and not what you need to know.

I guess I'm saying that a lot depends upon your skill level in pool and your knowledge level in one pocket.

I would make some suggestions if I knew exactly what your deficiencies are and what specifically you hoped to learn from the one pocket lessons.

The truth is that one pocket advice usually goes in one ear and out the other with most people unless it is costing them something and the game is generally learned over a long period of time. There are shortcuts to learning but it really takes an open mind to listen to someone who tells you, that the straight in, easy to make shot is not the shot to shoot, when all you want to do is pocket that easy to make, straight in shot. You will need to respect the instructor's game and that instructor will have to have the ability to learn what you need and want to learn.

I have often thought that a cool way to learn one pocket is to have a headset on and have someone who is very knowledgeable in one pocket to coach you on every shot from a distance from the table (while you are playing your regular opponents).

I have coached a $10,000 set ($20,000,00 total) of one pocket with two evenly matched players. At the time, the other guy had a better player coaching them, but my guy had a better coach. :grin:

Good luck and let us know who you wind up with and how you liked it.

JoeyA
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Billy Incardona's one pocket video is VERY GOOD, imo.
 
Here are a couple of exercises I find helpful for one pocket.

Place two balls anywhere on the table. Take ball-in-hand and shoot one in your pocket and billiard onto the second ball. After you get proficient at it try to hit the second ball full or on its edge. You will be surprised at how much your position play will improve.

The other exercise is for banks. Put a ball hanging in one pocket. Place another ball anywhere on the table where you think you can bank that ball into your pocket with ball-in-hand. Start with a simple bank. Play the Ghost a race. If you make the bank you win. If not you lose. Don't worry about position. This exercise is to learn how to make the bank when you really have to. As you get comfortable, make the bank more difficult.

When you get really good at the above put an extra ball on the table. Now you must make both banks sudden death.

Enjoy,

Bill S.
 
One Pocket tips!

Always Play the score!
Defend balls by your hole!
when in trouble take a scratch!
When you can leave opponent doubled up on balls!
When you can leave opponent on rail!
when you can leave opponent in the stack!
when you can leave opponent cuing over balls!
Do the MOST with each and every shot!
Do not FORGET to incorporate kisses & caroms!
Always remember a shot is good only if the reward out weighs the risk!
Never be scared to leave distance.
Always read the stack for dead balls and learn to read it!

RULE #1 and most important! Always play cue ball position MORE than making or positioning any balls on the table!

KD
 
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Tronpocket said:
IMHO.....Jimmy fusco is one of the top 3 one pocket teachers in the country ,also the top 3 nicest guys in pool....and number 1 in his rates per hr he charges.

$40 per hr, with a smoke break allowed (his). Maybe a 3hr minimum.i have it written down at work.

I was shocked to hear how little he charges. Wish i had 200 a month in disposable income. Being that i work for petey he probably would cut me a deal but i would want to pay more because at that rate i feel im already stealing.
Anyone interested tho could contact me and ill pass along the info.
Downside is he cant travel far from philly but anywhere less the 1hr away is possible.

Good luck, one pocket is the modern game of champions
Click to expand...

If you can get him for that money it's a no brainer ,,


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