Pool Coach Larry Nicholson on Fundamentals, Practice, and the Learning Journey

What makes pool such a great game isn’t just making balls—it’s the life lessons you learn along the way.

In this episode of the Lucky Breaks Podcast, Sue sits down with longtime PBIA/CSI instructor and trick-shot artist Larry Nicholson, who shares how a childhood belt buckle and a target drill shaped his cue-ball control, why performance anxiety is part of every competitor’s journey, and how real improvement starts with humility and solid fundamentals. Larry explains the difference between playing and true practice, why focused 10-minute sessions can beat hours of casual play, and how decision-making and strategy expand once mechanics are sound. He also points listeners to PBIA resources for finding qualified instruction and reflects on pool’s welcoming community for all players.

00:00 Resilience Lessons

00:16 Meet Larry Nicholson

00:53 Belt Buckle Origin

02:07 Position Play First

03:02 Trick Shots Warning

03:53 League Nerves

05:51 Failure Builds Greatness

07:04 Learning Without Coaches

08:41 Fundamentals Before Strategy

11:30 Humility To Improve

14:19 Thinking Outside Box

17:19 Practice With Purpose

19:50 Playing Versus Practice

21:26 Building Evaluation Plan

22:29 Remote Coaching Follow Ups

24:20 Adult Learning In Layers

25:03 Drills Versus Skills

27:01 Building Your Lesson Plan

27:48 Testing With BU Exam

30:09 Side Spin Comfort Zone

31:03 Embracing Discomfort Wins

34:03 Pool Is Lifelong Mastery

34:46 Finding Certified Instructors

38:18 Magic Eight Ball Jeanette

40:04 Why Pool Community Matters

41:17 Final Thanks And Sign Off

Scientific American Article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-works-what-doesn-t/

Dr. Dave’s Billiard University Exam: https://billiarduniversity.org/testing/exams/

Where you can find our guest:

Official Website - https://TrinityBilliards.com

YouTube - Trinity Billiards - YouTube

FaceBook - Trinity Billiards School - FaceBook

Email: larry@trinitybilliards.com

Professional Billiards Instructor Association (PBIA) - www.playbetterbilliards.com

American Cue Sports (ACS Instructors) - https://americancuesports.org/find-an-instructor

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