Coaching Programs
Online Coaching Program
I spent 7 years testing this concept and I am now ready to offer it to anyone who wants to improve their game. It doesn’t matter where you live as we will work together online using skype. All you need is a digital camera, a computer, skype (free), and youtube (free). Video yourself playing pool for 5-15 minutes then send me that video. Next, we schedule a time to communicate on skype. During our coaching session we will watch the video together. This allows you to see yourself through my eyes. I will ask you questions pertaining to what I see in the video. We can work together to help you become whatever level of player you want. As a coach I wear many hats. The most powerful role that I play is your guide in your search for excellence. This is all about you, not about me, so my most important skill is to adapt to you. I believe a good coach is a guide, mentor, partner, psychologist, teacher, trainer, motivator, and friend. Let me join you in your journey to pool playing excellence!
Check out the testimonial section on this web site to see what people have to say about Paul.
Special Offer:
For a limited time I am offering a free online analysis to anyone, at any level, from anywhere in the world. Just send me an e-mail to paulpotier@yahoo.ca and I will show you how easy it is to work with me online.
How to get your free analysis!
Video yourself shooting pool for 10-15 minutes. My preference would be watching you play 8 Ball or 9 Ball. In 8 Ball break the balls and take ball in hand. Shoot your choice of solids or stripes until you miss. Then take ball in hand and shoot the other group until you miss. After any miss take ball in hand and change group until you make the 8 Ball, then take ball in hand and shoot the remaining balls in rotation until all the balls are gone. If you choose to play 9 Ball break the balls and take ball in hand. Whenever you miss take ball in hand. Keep shooting the balls in rotation until all the balls are pocketed. Respot the 9 Ball if you make it out of order and continue shooting in rotation until all the balls are pocketed.
Let me know If you are having a problem sending me a video and I will help you through that process. The best way to send a video is to upload it to youtube and send me the link.
Looking forward to seeing your video!
Do you have a skype and/or a youtube account? They are both free and very easy to use.
See you soon!
Paul Potier
www.paulpotier.com
paulpotier@yahoo.ca
Here are two links to a tutorial on all the steps to take to make and send a good video: Just copy and paste these links to your browser: http://youtu.be/lhVnRuXnRyA http://youtu.be/eE9nA0VcNb8
Online Teaching and Coaching Programs and prices
Programs can easily be designed around any students’ needs but here are two suggestions:
#1. The Full Coaching Program – If you are committed to becoming nothing less than the best you can be, this is the program for you. Combine desire, confidence and commitment with sufficient knowledge, great fundamentals, emotional control, and intelligent decision making, and you can become a great player. We will work together for a total of (26) hours over a maximum period of (3) years to develop and perfect all the skills you need to become the best you can be.
Cost $1,500 up front.
#2. One Time Private Lesson – If you are interested in taking a lesson to improve your game but are currently not interested in a group of lessons this is the one for you. Just like the other private sessions I will design the course around your needs but it will only be a short (2) hour one on one session.
Cost $200
Big News:
Professional player and Canadian Champion Eric Hjorleifson signs up with Paul Potier as his personal coach. This is what Eric has to say about his new relationship with Paul.
“I have officially signed on with Paul’s online coaching program and after our first conversations I can personally tell you that he has answered every question and has brought up aspects of my game that I have overlooked in the past. Being an instructor myself I am always in search of new knowledge and different ways to look at this complex game. I am particularly excited to continue talking to Paul about the mental side of the game. What he has offered so far has stuck with me and I feel like our future conversations will begin to greatly strengthen that part of my game. I would strongly recommend any of our followers to get in touch with Paul and see for yourself what he has to offer.”
Eric Hjorleifson
2014 Canadian 10 Ball Champion
In Person Teaching and Coaching Programs
#1 Group Seminars – From time to time I will offer a 3 hour group seminar. Each seminar will be on a specific and predetermined topic. For example, one seminar could be on Fundamentals while the next seminar could be on Cue Ball control, and yet another could be entirely on the break. This is a classroom setting and not hands on.
Cost $50/person – minimum 10 people – all skill levels welcome
#2 Mini Group Lesson Session – This is an opportunity for students to receive semi-private instruction from me for a very low price. From 2-5 people of the same or similar skill level can hire me for a (4) hour coaching session. The course content is built around the needs of the individual student and is not predetermined.
Cost $450/total – example 5 people pay $90/ea, 2 people pay $225/ea.
#3 Weekend Pool School – This is a pool junkie’s dream weekend. It is limited to 10 students. It is 8 hours of instruction and guidance over 2 days at 4hours/day, generally Saturday and Sunday.
Cost $1000/total – example 10 students pay $100ea, 8 students pay $125ea.
#4 One Time Private Lesson – If you are interested in taking a lesson to improve your game but are currently not interested in a group of lessons this is the one for you. Just like the other private sessions I will design the course around your needs but it will only be a short (2) hour one on one session.
Cost $200
#5 Full Time Coaching Program – If you are committed to becoming nothing less than the best you can be, this is the program for you. Combine desire, confidence and commitment with sufficient knowledge, great fundamentals, emotional control, and intelligent decision making, and you can become a great player. We will work together for a total of (26) hours over a maximum period of (2) years to develop and perfect all the skills you need to become the best you can be.
Cost $1,500 up front
#6 Traveling Coach – If you don’t live in British Columbia, Canada but would like to hire me as your personal coach you can choose the online coaching program or hire me to travel to your home city. This is the most expensive of my options because it forces me to travel and limits my ability to help others. I would also have to take time off work. However it is doable. It would be the same program as the Full Time Coaching Program. You would receive a total of (26) hours of personal coaching from me over a maximum period of 7 days.
Cost $5,000 up front plus all travel expenses, including Travel, Lodging, Food, Table Time
Note: In all situations students pay whatever table time is charged by the establishment. Paul’s fee never includes table time. The student(s) cover(s) Paul’s table time as well. Travel expenses may also be charged to the student(s). There is a refund policy for the Full Coaching Program. The refund will be based on the full price already paid minus $100 per hour for every hour already taught. For example: If the student paid $1,500 in advance and was given 6 hours of instruction then he/she would receive a total refund of $900. $1,500 minus (6 hours @ $100/hour ) = $900
Contact Paul at paulpotier@yahoo.ca or 1-604-690-7665
Personal Philosophy concerning Basic Fundamentals
My approach to teaching Basic Fundamentals is slightly different than the traditional way. I believe that there should be a balance between learning physical skills with mental and emotional skills. At every level, how you think is directly related to how you will perform, according to your skill level.
The 3 most important ingredients needed to improve at any pool game are:
1) Desire – wanting to play well and wanting to learn.
2) Confidence – belief in yourself and in the correctness of what you are learning and doing. Ultimately we are all striving for the highest level of control. The beginner wishes to enjoy the game more. Their enjoyment increases as they are able to pocket more balls and experience occasional planned control of the cue ball. As control increases their main goal shifts from enjoyment to performance. When this metamorphosis happens the player’s confidence increases as well. My goal as a teacher is to “help the student learn” as opposed to “telling them what to do”. Consistent with this philosophy is the idea that every student deserves to know why. Their confidence in what they are learning is dependent on their belief that what they are being told and/or shown is correct. When the teacher explains why the information is right, that gives the student confidence to trust it.
3) Commitment – spending quality time practicing what you’ve learned until it becomes part of who you are (habit).
The importance of good physical fundamentals is paramount. The best professionals can trust their stroke to do the job properly because they have spent their life developing the physical skills that will give them a good stroke. The beginner, however, must spend all of their time building these new physical fundamentals into unconscious good habits. There are only 4 steps to take in order to improve.
1) Learn what these good habits are
2) Trust them
3) Practice them
4) Repeat Steps 1, 2 & 3
Learning too much information at one time can be self-defeating. Have patience and try not to learn more than you can practice in the immediate future. Few skills practiced well are far better than many skills practiced poorly. Focus on just a few specific skills at one time. If that is still too much for you then only focus on 1 or 2 new skills at a time. Patience will be your most valuable skill in learning to play pool well. The most common mistake students make is wanting to become better too quickly. Their burning focus on results hinders their ability to build better habits by decreasing their focus on the new skills recently learned. Concentrate on improving each newly learned skill. Learn from every shot you try and refrain from wanting to judge yourself too early. Enjoy and trust the process as it is the key to your future improvement.
Style is personal and should be dependent on personal desires, body makeup, and physical limitations. This is proven correct by the fact that there are many great champions around the world who have very different, yet seemingly equally effective styles. However after hearing and seeing the logic concerning balance, stance, grip, bridge, set up, and stroke, my students generally choose some variation of the classic Open Stance and Pendulum Stroke. Like any other sport there are basic principles of playing pool that, if followed exactly, can produce the quickest and most effective results. When stroking your cue stick the logical goal is to send the cue ball on a predetermined path to, either pocket a ball, or move an object ball into a safe position. It is easier for the cue ball to do so if it travels in a straight line. You can stroke the cue stick through the cue ball more accurately when the cue stick travels towards the cue ball in a straight and level manner. A pendulum stroke is the most effective way of accomplishing this because there are few moving parts and the pendulum motion creates a consistent, straight, fluid, accurate, and repeatable cueing action.
You may contact me at paul@paulpotier.com or call me at 1-604-690-7665.
Enjoy the Process!
Paul Potier