Emily Duddy grew up at the Hollywood American Legion Post 43, where her dad ran events for 35 years and she learned to play on a gorgeous antique nine-foot Brunswick surrounded by veterans. She sat through 15 minutes of college classes at UC Santa Cruz before disappearing to play pool for eight hours a day, took fourth in her first tournament at 18, and sold everything she owned at 23 to move to New York City and go pro. Now a WPBA veteran with 15+ world championship appearances for Team USA, 2010 Rookie of the Year, and a newly certified PBIA instructor, she's playing the best pool of her career. We discuss why your pre-shot routine matters more than your mental game, her "100%" commitment mantra before every shot, the three-second photo finish freeze, why she tells her students to embrace the suck, what she learned managing Jeanette Lee's social media, and how nutrition and energy management separate pros from everyone else.

Find Emily at EmilyDuddy.com or follow @BilliardBombshell on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube

Eric Naretto found pool at seven years old on a bumper pool table at the Lake of the Ozarks and spent the next decade chasing the feeling until a Jeanette Lee trick shot on ESPN sent him to Kmart for a $25 titanium cue with a screw-on tip. A mentor named George Sweitzer, who couldn't execute the shots he taught, changed Eric's life and inspired him to dedicate his career to billiards education. Now a PBIA Master Instructor, ACS Level 4 Instructor, and 2025 ACS Outstanding Instructor of the Year, Eric runs the G1 Billiards Academy in Illinois where he's building a program to train the next generation of instructors. We discuss why the best teachers aren't always the best players, his "three middles of the table" strategy for position play, the metronome concept for stroke speed control, why he starts with upper body instead of footwork, and the emotional story of winning a state championship for the man who taught him everything.Find Eric on Facebook or visit academy.g1billiards.com.

Tanner Pruess grew up a third-generation pool player in South Dakota, watching his dad get paid in crispy new $100 bills at a smoky 1996 state tournament while Eric Clapton played on the jukebox. By 16, he was glued to a livestream of Wu Jia-qing's legendary comeback at the World Nine Ball Championships, and that moment shaped everything that followed. Now a two-time VNEA world singles champion, five-time state champion, and PBIA Advanced Instructor, Tanner has built a reputation for transforming recreational players into legitimate competitors. We discuss the "league player shuffle" mistake killing your consistency, why you should always listen to that voice telling you something's off, his system for consistent warm-up strokes and the pause that separates amateurs from pros, and the student who went from C-level to double-A and became "Uncle Mike" to his family.Find Tanner at poolconfidence.com or connect with him on Facebook.

Demetrius Jelatis grew up watching a stranger run nine balls in order at a Minnesota pool hall and became instantly obsessed. He went on to dominate the state for two decades, racking up championships and a 700+ Fargo rating. Now, six years and 200+ boot camps later, he's helping players worldwide find the missing pieces in their game. We discuss his legendary win against Minnesota icon Jimmy Wetch, why pool isn't a mystical talent reserved for the gifted, the one question that separates improving players from everyone else, and why your last heartbreaking loss reveals everything about your commitment to the game.Ready to transform your game? Visit mnpoolbootcamp.comDownload the Bullseye Billiards app at https://bullseyebilliards.com/app

Anthony Beeler grew up playing pool in Kentucky country stores with farmers, hustlers, and future Hall of Famers. He became so dominant he was banned from local tournaments. Now, 27 years into teaching, he's trained national champions, worked with pros like Janet Atwell and Sam Henderson, and created the BAM aiming method used by players worldwide. We discuss his six-visual aiming system, why pre-shot routines are underrated, the craziest things he's witnessed at the table, and his new 284-page pictorial guide to playing professional-level pool.

Ready to transform your game? Visit poolteacher.com or call/text Anthony directly at 606-669-8401.

Master instructor Randy "Pops" Goettlicher has been teaching pool for 60 years and has certified over 300 instructors. At 82, he's still grinding to improve his game while sharing the secrets that have built champions for decades. From getting kicked out of his friend group for being too good to creating Scotch Doubles and rewriting the World Pool Rules, Pops has seen it all.

In this episode, he reveals why "hit a million balls" is terrible advice, breaks down the 20-20 training rule that actually works, and explains how tight grip destroys your game. This is raw, honest advice from the godfather of pool instruction who's dedicated his life to perfecting the sport we all love.

Contact Randy G for lessons at randygpool.com or call 214-908-2908

In this episode of Cue the Experts, we sit down with Bob Keller, the creator behind the popular "Shortstop on Pool" YouTube channel with over 50,000 subscribers and 1,000+ videos. Bob shares his incredible journey from a self-described high school outcast to an accomplished player who beat legends like Danny Medina and won the BCA National Championships.

Bob reveals the practice secret that transformed him from missing easy shots to running racks consistently in just 8 months. He explains why 99% of players practice completely wrong by just throwing balls around instead of using structured drills, and shares the mental shift from "wanting to win" to "playing your best" that separates good players from great ones.

You'll also hear about the embarrassing moment that taught Bob the right competitive mindset, why you need to "knock your heroes off their pedestal" to improve, and how getting out of your comfort zone is the fastest path to growth. Bob doesn't hold back on controversial topics either, explaining why he thinks most aiming systems are terrible advice.

Whether you're struggling to run three balls in a row or looking to break through to the next level, this episode delivers actionable insights from someone who figured out what actually works.

https://www.shortstoponpool.com

https://www.youtube.com/c/ShortstopOnPool

Join us as instructor Adam King shares the breakthrough insights that took him from self-taught teenager to national champion. In this episode, discover why your eye pattern might be holding you back, learn the grip secrets that unlock real cue power, and understand the mental game that separates tournament winners from practice room heroes. Adam explains why most players hit a ceiling and can't break through – and more importantly, how to shatter those limitations.

Whether you're struggling to win your local tournaments or looking to take your game to the next level, Adam's honest, no-nonsense approach will give you the tools to finally break through your pool ceiling. From managing pressure to developing your individual stroke mechanics, this episode is packed with actionable advice from someone who's been there and done it.