Coaches and Lessons

Billiard coaching pays off most at the very start and when you hit a wall after a few years of play. Practice without correction cements mistakes — which is why one session with a coach can be worth more than a month of playing alone.

Listings cover one-to-one lessons, group training at clubs, camps and weekend courses, plus online consultations with video analysis of your own game. The first session usually goes on diagnosis: stance, bridge, straightness of the stroke and arm action. When choosing, ask about the discipline — snooker and pool need different technique, and a coach who plays one does not always teach the other. Between lessons, training aids and books help, and you can test your form by entering an event from the calendar.