Jerry Briesath - Part 1 (The Father of Modern Pool Instruction)
In this opening episode of a special four-part series, Legends of the Cue begins the remarkable life story of Jerry Briesath, widely regarded as the father of modern pool instruction and the longtime Dean of the BCA’s Master Instructor program.
Born in 1937 in Winona, Minnesota, Jerry’s story starts far from championship tables and teaching platforms. He grew up working at his father’s one-man gas station, pumping fuel for 23 cents a gallon, checking oil by hand, and learning the values of discipline, service, and hard work. As a youngster, his first athletic passion was golf—good enough to play high-school varsity as the number one player—before a move to Milwaukee and a chance visit to a small billiard room forever changed his path.
With no formal instruction available in those days, Jerry learned the game the old-fashioned way: watching great players, asking questions, and running balls late into the night. Under the influence of straight-pool runners like Willis Covington, Jerry fell in love with the game’s precision and patterns. Yet even then, he noticed something missing—there was no true understanding of mechanics, no structured way to teach how to control the cue stick.
That realization would ultimately reshape the sport.
In this episode, Jerry reflects on his earliest memories, the post-war years, discovering pool in Milwaukee, and the environment that shaped his thinking long before he ever taught a lesson. You’ll hear how his analytical mind, combined with a deep respect for fundamentals, laid the groundwork for an instructional philosophy that would influence generations of players—including Mosconi Cup player and Captain Mark Wilson and countless champions worldwide.
Part one sets the stage for an extraordinary journey—from small-town beginnings to the foundation of modern pool education—told in Jerry Briesath’s own thoughtful, humorous, and insightful voice.
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About
"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”
Pool Professional and Instructor
Jerry Briesath is widely regarded as one of the most influential instructors in the history of pocket billiards, often described as the “father of modern pool instruction.” Born in March 1937 in Winona, Minnesota, Jerry’s journey to becoming the game’s definitive teacher didn’t begin under bright tournament lights or inside a training academy. It began with work, hard, everyday, small-town work, at his father’s one-man gas station, where discipline and service weren’t motivational slogans, they were simply the price of admission to life. Jerry has recalled pumping gas for 23 cents a gallon, checking oil by hand, and learning early that consistency and pride in the basics are what separate “good enough” from exceptional.
Before pool ever took hold, Jerry was an athlete. His first love was golf, and he was good enough to play high-school varsity as the number one player—an important detail because so much of Jerry’s later teaching would be built around athletic movement, rhythm, and repeatable mechanics rather than guesswork or superstition. That athletic foundation, paired with a curious mind, made him a natural problem-solver when he eventually found his way to a cue and a set of balls.
Jerry’s introduction to pool came during his time in Milwaukee, where, in an era with little formal instruction available, he learned the old-fashioned way: watching strong players, asking questions, experimenting, and running balls late into the night. In our four-part conversation, Jerry describes the poolroom not just as a place to play, but as a living classroom, one …Read More