Dr. Dave Pool Lesson – Day 1 in Fort Collins

Day 1 in Fort Collins for pool lesson with Dr. Dave

At last, the day had arrived. I was finally on my way to meet Dr. Dave Alciatore for two full days of pool instruction—something I had been looking forward to for weeks. This wasn’t just another lesson. A two day pool lesson with Dr. Dave is known throughout the billiards world for its thoroughness and precision, and I knew this trip had the potential to change the trajectory of my game.

Traveling to Fort Collins for My Dr. Dave Pool Lesson

Getting to Dr. Dave’s Billiard University was an effort in itself. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado—about an hour and a half from the Denver airport. My trip began at 8 a.m. in Phoenix, and by the time I navigated airports, flights, shuttles, picked up a rental car, and drove to Fort Collins, I was worn out. At age 92, a full travel day feels more like two. By the time I reached my hotel, I was so tired I skipped dinner and went straight to bed. For younger pool players, you won't have to worry about being tired from the travel - until you reach your 90's.

Sleep, however, didn’t cooperate. I woke up the next morning not nearly as rested as I would have liked for such an important day. So when I arrived at Dr. Dave’s home for the pool lesson I wasn’t at 100%. I would have preferred to meet him at my sharpest, but instead, I had to dig deep and push forward on less-than-ideal energy.

The Billiard University Exam: A Humbling Start

Dr. Dave wasted no time. The very first task: the Billiard University (BU) Exam I.

How did I do? Let’s just say the numbers weren’t anything I’d be bragging about. 😅 The exam makes no excuses and shows exactly where your weaknesses are. What felt “not too bad” in league play looked shaky under a structured test. But that’s the point—you can’t fix what you don’t measure.

Key Lessons from My First Dr. Dave Pool Lesson

From there, the real learning began. Dr. Dave went straight at the biggest issues in my game, and we didn’t leave them until I was making progress. It was six hours of detailed, hands-on instruction—the kind of pool lesson you simply can’t get from just watching videos.

Some of the areas we worked on:

• Stroke Length. He had me change my bridge length from 8–9 inches to 10–12 inches, with a consistent draw-back distance for cue ball control. Example: 1/8 stroke for a one-table-length shot, ¼ stroke for a lag, ½ stroke for 2½ table lengths.
  

• Mini Pendulum Stroke. A specialized technique to move the cue ball as little as one inch at a time, up to several diamonds.
  

• Follow-Through and Speed Control. Sharpening precision to make cue ball response more predictable.
  

• Sight Alignment. A critical breakthrough. If you think the cue is straight but your eyes are misaligned, you’ll never be consistent on long shots. Dr. Dave worked with me until we found the head and eye placement that shows true straight for me personally. Now the work is to practice until that new position feels natural.
  

• Stop and Draw Shots. Rebuilding consistency with the corrected stroke and alignment.
  

  

  Dr. Dave helping my eye alignment over the cue stick

Each lesson came with clear explanations, demonstrations, practice drills, and even notes with links to follow-up videos. Nothing was rushed—Dr. Dave stayed with each correction until it clicked.

By the end of the day, I said something I don’t say lightly: what I learned today was worth the entire cost of the trip. The BU exam may have knocked me down a peg, but the six hours that followed pushed me further toward my goal of Fargo 400 by February 2026.

I need to clarify the goal here. Originally, I aimed for Fargo 500, but soon realized that was not only ambitious but probably unrealistic. The interim goal is now Fargo 400. My philosophy has always been to Aim High—because you will rarely exceed your goals. If you only aim for the moon, you won’t reach Mars; but if you shoot for the stars, you may very well land on Mars. Your subconscious will guide you toward your goal and help you navigate obstacles along the way.

Also, it’s important to note that Fargo is a lagging indicator, since it’s based entirely on competition results. If one is studying, practicing, and improving, it may take months before Fargo catches up. That’s why I’ll rely more heavily on Dr. Dave’s BU scoring system to gauge my true skill level when February rolls around.

And here’s the kicker—we’re only halfway through. Tomorrow brings another six hours, and I’ll be better rested. If Day 1 was this thorough, Day 2 has the potential to be game-changing.

Go to Dr. Dave pool lesson part II You can check out Dr. Dave's expansive website here.