Great instructors aren't necessarily great players and vice versa?

Question

To Straight:

I didn't say anything about how a great player feels about getting instruction. I'm talking about an average player getting instruction from an average player. This is a RECOGNIZED not certified instructor that I know. I don't know the difference.

In APA 8-Ball, it's games, not balls that are counted. You're thinking of 9-ball.

Answer 1

If you dont trust or respect your teacher dont hire them ,Advice & opinions are still free and worth every penny

                              Tks M.

Answer 2

I dont think you should worry too much about whether or not they are a player as good or better then you. I kinda look at it this way just for an example......in football Jerry Rice is the greatest receiver of all time ....that doesnt mean he is very good at teaching someone to play the same position....just like Bill Walsh was his coach it  doesnt mean Bill could out run him, out jump him or catch more balls but Bill still coached him and helped Jerry be the best he could be......Some people are good at doing ..some people good at teaching. Just cause they arent as good as you doesnt mean they cant help you be better....maybe they know more then you.... or see something that noone else has noticed....and it makes you a better player. Ill take the advice of a 3 year old if itll help me get better.

Answer 3

You don't need to be a world class player to teach a world class player, but I can't believe an APA 4 became a BCA instructor. And it sounds like you're talking about 9 ball, which is an even worse player than a 8 ball player who's a 4. A typical APA 4 is usually a player who not only misses a lot of balls, but also plays bad position, doesn't have solid mechanics, and maybe isn't even that familiar with proper strategy. I don't even know how a person who presumably plays every day (you've pretty much have to if you're a professional instructor, right?) cannot achieve at least a 6 or 7 rating without blinking.

I mean, I understand how a player could hover at like a 7 or so and still be able to teach at least 99% of poolplayers something, but I would never have confidence that a 4 could teach much to anyone but the greenest of amateurs. There's just no way you could not rise above that level as a player with any commitment to the game unless you had some sort of serious physical hindrance.

Answer 4

Do you think George Formans Trainer could beat him in the ring ??

How about Tiger Woods coach

Jeff Gordons crew chief

How would you rate me ? I have never played an APA set in my life.

I would be willing to learn from any one that knows something I dont.

As far as a BCA instructor .I got a Hundred on Straight-Better learn the rules first

Answer 5

I guess the first thing that puzzles me is, who are these below-average, certified instructors that you refer to?  I've known a lot of fellow instructors and nearly every one is what I would consider "above average" as a player.  I hate to use myself as an example, but when I walk into an establishment, I am fairly certain that I am probably a better player than 90% of the people in the room, and I don't consider myself to be anything great.  I miss balls and I get out of shape like anybody else.  I just think that I play smarter than somebody who might have more natural talent and in my mind, that makes me a better player in the long run.  I imagine that most instructors are fairly good players as well.  Playing and teaching are two completely different skill sets.  Sure, we play well and usually practice what we preach, but we may not win as many tournaments as some people might think that we should because of our "knowledge" of the game.  I understand your question in the sense that you probably wouldn't feel comfortable learning from someone who couldn't pocket a ball to save their life, but these people are a rarity.  If a person went to the trouble of becoming certified and keeping up their certification, it's safe to assume that they have more than a passing interest in the game and are likely not terrible players by just about anybody's standards.  I think it's reasonable to expect a certain minimum level of playing skill from a teacher, but don't let that factor too heavily into your opinion of their teachings.  I'm curious why it matters so much to you to have such high performance standards from an instructor.  The first thing you said in your question sums it up nicely, the best players aren't always the best teachers...  Johnny actually makes some good analogies here.  You asked about how a "great player" would feel about taking lessons from a lesser skilled pool player.  Well, I would definitely consider Tiger Woods and George Foreman to be "great" in their respective fields.  When an athlete has that level of skill, they could spend their whole life trying to find somebody "better" than they are to learn from.  Or they could benefit from the knowledge and experience of someone who knows what they are talking about but perhaps doesn't have the same natural ability for the game as they do.  Let me also just say that although I may not be an expert on the whole APA thing, I do have some issues with their whole rating system.  They have a few rules which in my opinion don't favor skillful play, but I won't get into that now.  This big thing I've noticed is the whole thing about adding up balls and having that factor into your rating.  Games like 8-ball are about who legally pockets the 8-ball, not who has more balls pocketed.  That's why a player who will run 7 balls on average when given ball in hand, but misses the 8-ball shouldn't be ranked higher than a smarter player who pockets one or two or maybe plays shape for an early safety.  If you want to count balls, join me in a game of straight pool.  That will definitely jump your 8-ball game up a few notches, but I digress.  The bottom line is, I don't think it's wrong to expect a certain level of performance from a teacher, but within reason.  Is a 4 in APA really that shameful?  Personally, I would be more skeptical of a touring pro trying to teach than an "average" player.  A pro tends to be more inflexilbe and very set in their own ways and little idiosyncracies and not so open to questions and different methods.  This is just my experience, I'm sure there are a few pros who have a lot to teach.  The thing is, you can't teach talent and that's what the pros have an overabundance of.  By the way, "Recognized" and "Certified" are just labels given to BCA Instructors based on how long they've been teaching and if they've chosen to upgrade their status.  They are both technically "certified" and there's really no difference in what they can do as instructors.  Now when you get to the "Advanced" and "Master" levels, things change quite a bit.  M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

P.S. Thanks for the clarification on ball counting.  See, I learn from others too.