Robert Byrne on Forearm

BeiberLvr · Sep 18, 2014

So going through my copy of Robert Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots, and I came across a line in the very first chapter I never payed much attention to, in which Byrne states the following.

"When the tip is halfway from the cueball to your bridge hand during your warm-up strokes, your right forearm (assuming you are right-handed) should be aimed straight down at the floor."

Notice he doesn't say at contact. Which means at contact you would be forward of 90 degrees. Now I've read in the past about how you should be at 90 degrees at contact, so I'm wondering why someone who I think most would consider to be a solid instructor, would offer such advice.

Was it just an error in the book, or is there any merit to what he wrote?

victorl · Sep 18, 2014

Not sure if there is any merit to it, and I don't think it's an error either.
He comes from the straight pool generation, where players generally used short bridges, so halfway from cueball to bridge would only be a couple of inches at most, meaning the arm would only be very slightly forward of 90 degrees, but still essentially perpendicular, at contact.
I doubt that advice would be applicable to the long bridges that some players use nowadays.

Bob Jewett · Sep 18, 2014

victorl said:
... I doubt that advice would be applicable to the long bridges that some players use nowadays.

The short-bridge players generally use all of the distance between bridge and ball for the stroke. I think few of the 18-inch bridge people bring the tip clear back to their bridges on most shots but I've never actually watched for it. I think it's fair to include only the used distance in the advice.

Most of the old-timers played with the grip about a hand ahead of the "orthodox" (orthogonal at impact) suggestion. Think Sigel, for example. Buddy Hall was the first top player I noticed who gripped in the currently recommended location.

CJ Wiley · Sep 19, 2014

his wrist position doesn't seem to be orthodox

Shane is one of the best players in the world/country right now and doesn't appear to be 90 degrees at impact......his wrist position doesn't seem to be orthodox either.

BeiberLvr said:
So going through my copy of Robert Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots, and I came across a line in the very first chapter I never payed much attention to, in which Byrne states the following.

"When the tip is halfway from the cueball to your bridge hand during your warm-up strokes, your right forearm (assuming you are right-handed) should be aimed straight down at the floor."

Notice he doesn't say at contact. Which means at contact you would be forward of 90 degrees. Now I've read in the past about how you should be at 90 degrees at contact, so I'm wondering why someone who I think most would consider to be a solid instructor, would offer such advice.

Was it just an error in the book, or is there any merit to what he wrote?

Cardigan Kid · Sep 29, 2014

CJ Wiley said:
Shane is one of the best players in the world/country right now and doesn't appear to be 90 degrees at impact......his wrist position doesn't seem to be orthodox either.

I watched shane quite a few times from table side. He plays off the butt of the cue a lot, grip hand and forearm almost a bit back from 90 and cues with a longer bridge, so when he lets the stroke go, it really creates some action.

this year, at turning stone, he played the entire tournament with an extention screwed into his cue, as he did recently at the world cup of pool. I saw it as a natural progression of his technique, instead of half his hand hanging off the butt of the cue, he now has more realestate to grip with his more than 90 deg forearm position.

hey CJ, when will we get to see you at the turning stone? Next one is in january, we have to see you play.

Robert Byrne on Forearm

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member

victorl

Where'd my stroke go?

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION

Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member