Question about stroke

The modern game is different. You watch guys like Thorsten or Mika power draw into stacks and smash them open.


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Crane could let his stroke when he needed to but mostly he used the speed and English necessary to get balls loose and the cue ball away from the rack. He also played with balls, cloth and cues nobody uses today.

Crane did play conservatively, though. Someone here quoted Mosconi as saying that Crane would have had more high runs (and maybe more chanpionships) if he took more chances.

Positively Ralf said:

Anyways, I was wondering from your guys' experience, do you change your stroke based on the game being played? Or is your stroke consistent in all games?

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I would say it differently. Your stroke should be the same for all games, but should vary depending on the shot at hand.

(yes, the difference between the old masters and today's players has been talked about a lot. there is not just one correct way to play.)

Your stroke is a part of you and should not change from game to game.

IMO. A stroke is like your toolbox, you might need any tool at any time, or you might be able to get the whole job done with just a few of them. The point is when the situation arises that requires that specific tool, it's better you have it available than to try to get it done without it.

Straight Pool Stroke

IMO from playing 14.1 and watching the best play it- the two most important things to apply regarding stroke in 14.1 is that your follow stroke when going into a stack of balls MUST carry the cue ball through the cluster of balls being struck and your draw stroke MUST draw the cue ball AWAY from the cluster being struck - or you will end up WAY TOO OFTEN with a frozen cue ball and no shot to continue your run. NOT executing either stroke correctly when hitting into a cluster in 14.1 is by far the most common reason players stop their mid-rack runs in 14.1-- just watch old videos of Mizerak - he almost never got stuck on a cluster with either stroke! Learn this and apply it religiously and you will see your 14.1 game improve dramatically. One word of caution on this is that you must always visualize the cue ball going through or away from the cluster when near the corner pockets closest to the rack to be sure and not follow or draw the cue ball into those pockets.

I learned to play 14.1 way back when.
Clay balls and slow cloth,you had to hit break shots very hard to open up the balls.
Now days with modern balls and fast cloth the break shot does not have to be hit as hard.
Different game today as to break shots.