You can take lessons from the best pro ..

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
Robin Dreyer in Portland, Or. I think everyone that knows him or have taken a lesson from him would agree.
 
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Rusty in Montana

Well-known member
Jean Balukas felt as there weren't anymore bridges to cross with her career as a professional pool player so she retired or that's how I understand why she no longer is playing .
She was definitely a force to be reckoned with !
 

lakeman77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
forget a lesson from best pool pro, I rather take a lesson from whoever coaches Ronnie O'Sullivan
 

JusticeNJ

Four Points/Steel Joints
Silver Member
I play mostly 14.1 nowadays. I'd love to play a few hours of 14.1 with Jim Rempe and watch him navigate patterns or offer his thoughts on how to work his way through a rack.

I also really like Niels, and he's very active in educational material on YouTube. He's also very accessible.
 
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KennyTooSlow

New member
My criteria ... they must be a good player, must not have an attitude, they must know how to listen, observe and teach. Their competition status means nothing to me.
 
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alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
EFREN! I’d also think the language barrier would be a bonus. He would set up a shot or layout, execute it, then I’d attempt to copy. Rinse and repeat.
I wonder why nobody has approached him to do one pocket commentary - or any other game.
 

TheBasics

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Howdy all;

I'd like to spend a month with Dallas West, Mike Sigel and Ray Martin each.
Most likely just take the Hunter Classic cue with me.
By golly, if I can't learn to shoot pool by then, hang me out to dry.

hank
 

Guy Manges

Registered
The inference was meant to be that some of the best professionals have learned from great teachers. So, if you had a choice to learn from a top tier pro who might they be.

However your point is so well taken .. thanks ... ALSO, who are considered the best instructors ... Tor, Jerry Breiseth, Mark Wilson, John Oleson, etc.
As of the players pros I think Ernesto Oscar's dad or Ralph from Germany. I think both older pros that might make good teachers and probably have...
 

Guy Manges

Registered
There's different kinds of lessons. There's a kind of instruction that's given to a beginner, then instruction for more advanced players, and then you've got instructions involving gaming situations and how to play certain games.

I watched Mizerak give a one pocket lesson to a guy. It was great. It was not a bunch of if you're here do this or if you're there do that, it was a philosophy of the game.

How to evaluate balls, your side of the table, his side of the table and so on. He wasn't teaching the what to do but the how and why you were doing it so you could use the same evaluation on any shot. I guess that's the way you would expect a real teacher to teach, the student has to know why he's doing this.

I used to play with the Diliberto a lot not lessons just practice but they always seem to turn into lessons. There would always be points where I would do something and he quiz me on why I did it that way and then we would talk about it.

This was not to be critical just to maybe give me another perspective on the situation. He also would show me things that worked for a player of my skill level. In other words not necessarily what he would do, but what I should do.
Danny D , is one of my favorite past players, I hope and pray Danny is doing okay...
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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Silver Member
Fortunately we have many great pool instructors available today. That said, imo there is no better way to learn than by OBSERVATION! By that I mean watching closely what the top players are doing and studying it. Nothing better than watching the best players Youtube videos and absorb what works for them and how they go about it. After that, Copy, Copy, Copy what you see! Learn how to do it and you will be a better player, Guaranteed!

Additionally, being schooled by a top flight instructor should help you work out some kinks in your game, both mentally and physically. In my experience none better than the aforementioned Nick Varner and Ray Martin for articulate and simple tips on how to refine your game. No one better than Jerry Breisath and Mark Wilson to help with any fundamental flaws in your stroke or stance. All the others mentioned here are or were good instructors. Miz was sharp as a tack and really knew his stuff. One man who is glaringly omitted so far is Bert Kinister. He created the most extensive library of instructive pool videos ever assembled. A wealth of knowledge there! Plus Bert was a master of the mental game. He knew how to motivate a player to elevate his game to a higher level. He took Niels from being a journeyman pro to the top of the heap! See post #46 for his photo.

I hesitated to add this, because it sounds like I'm bragging, but I will anyway. I'm proud to say that I played a part in the success of several players, most notably Tang Hoa and Dennis Orcollo. Very little to do with the physical part of the game, much more to do with the mental side of being a winner. There have been several others that I prodded to achieve their goals with a simple word or two at the right moment. Once upon a time a very young Shane came to me and asked me if I thought he could ever be a top player. My response to him was that there is always room at the top if you're good enough. That's all he needed to hear!
 
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