a closed bridge is very uncomfortable for me my fingers don't easily go into that position. are there exercises to gain the flexibility needed. I shoot primarily with an open bridge and do pretty good except with the longer draw and follow shots. Is there any videos or training advice. my buddy told me he wrapped his hand with the end of a cue in the bridge position.
closed bridge problems
- Thread starter Jdm34
- Start date
This may help.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=billiards+closed+bridge
The closed bridge is not a normal positioning of the hand. It does take practice.
Snooker champions/players do very well using an open bridge for all shots.
John
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=billiards+closed+bridge
The closed bridge is not a normal positioning of the hand. It does take practice.
Snooker champions/players do very well using an open bridge for all shots.
John
Slide your index finger across your middle finger, all day, every day, as much as possible.
Force the knuckle down not up. If it's uncomfortable too bad, and deal with it.
Do not use your other hand to cross the fingers, slide it over naturally.
30 days of that and you will have as good of a closed lock bridge as anyone, just keep it still.
Establish your bridge 100% before dropping down on the shot, adjust the pressure if needed.
I prefer the lock bridge over a loop bridge( Some call it a triangle,call it what you want) I like a loop bridge for breaking with power.
Do what works best for you but learn them all.
Sincerely: SS
Force the knuckle down not up. If it's uncomfortable too bad, and deal with it.
Do not use your other hand to cross the fingers, slide it over naturally.
30 days of that and you will have as good of a closed lock bridge as anyone, just keep it still.
Establish your bridge 100% before dropping down on the shot, adjust the pressure if needed.
I prefer the lock bridge over a loop bridge( Some call it a triangle,call it what you want) I like a loop bridge for breaking with power.
Do what works best for you but learn them all.
Sincerely: SS
I don't think players have to "deal with" the forced knuckle down as you say. That's just one way to bridge and certainly not the only way. I was taught that bridge 30 years ago and if I hadn't stopped, I would have inflicted some serious damage to my fingers. The pain was excruciating. It's not for everyone. I use a loose closed bridge with the index finger leaning slightly forward to secure the shaft, which I picked up from studying Loree Jon and never looked back. It's the most comfortable and yet stable bridge I ever used.
John, it may be the angle of the camera but it looks in the video like he's not touching his third finger with his thumb. I prefer to have the thumb, index and third finger touching. It's much more secure and even more comfortable when all three touch. I also disagree with his comment about a firm loop. I think it's okay to firm it up on certain shots but I prefer the California bridge style which is a looser loop yet perfectly secure. I call it the California bridge because the California players seemed to prefer it back in the 80s and 90s. They all made the big shots in 9-Ball with it with no problem.
Originally Posted by SmoothStroke View Post
Slide your index finger across your middle finger, all day, every day, as much as possible.
Force the knuckle down not up. If it's uncomfortable too bad, and deal with it.
I am not telling him to play that way, I am giving advice on the question he asked which was...
Is there an exercise for practicing a closed bridge?
My reference to force the knuckle down is in regard to the question asked as an exercise for a closed bridge not forcing it down for the rest of his life.
He can use whatever bridge he prefers after he knows how to get there.
I don't think I said play that way, it's an exercise for finger position.
Strengthening the fingers and getting them accustomed to the finger position of a closed bridge that he is having a problem with, looped bridge or locked bridge what's the difference, it's an exercise.
My post also states to adjust pressure as needed, that means loose, tight or in between, whatever works for him, to each their own, learn them all and have at it. My fingers never hurt with any bridge.
There are a handful of techniques for getting into a secure closed bridge, this is just one little exercise. I personally like 0-100 but Mizerak preached to me 0-50-100
Well, now you're being more specific that this is one possible exercise for one particular type of closed bridge. That makes more sense. That 'get used to it' comment you made, made it sound like that was the way to a closed bridge so he had better get used to that hand position, which is totally not true. There are other versions of closed bridges that are less painful and just as effective.
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I'm cautious about recommending a Pinoy/Filipino bridge to people unless they actually have the natural flexibility for it. And it is a genetic thing that varies by population.
For most people of European descent, the looseness of your joints is usually not going to match that of people of Asian descent. So don't think you 'need' to use a Pinoy style because that's how they bridge for the best stability. After all, their super flexible fingers are probably not as stable in other bridge positions as people without hypermobile joints.
(see: benign hypermobility joint syndrome)
My middle knuckles are not capable of any negative flexion so looping my index finger on top of my middle is not really ideal because my middle finger cannot bend inwards to allow much room for the cue. I actually think if your fingers aren't made to bend with negative flexion, the overlapping index finger style of closed bridge can involve too much non-symmetrical pressure on the cue, and sometimes intermediate players get a bit sloppy with their form when they rely too much on clamping down their closed bridge to mitigate problems that are going on in their stroking arm.
I use a closed bridge on probably 80% of my shots, but I avoid clamping down on the cue so I avoid Pinoy and 'old man' looped bridges. I'll show my bridge below, note that this is not the typical 'old man bridge' where you have your index finger wrapped over the cue and tucked on one side of your thumb.. I believe that bridge also causes too much of your flesh to contact the cue and is not as stable as a closed bridge should be.
Step 1: Reach your index finger over and grab the top of your thumb. My joints tend to only want to flex in and not out so when I lock my finger over my thumb like this it takes a LOT of force (50lb weight or more) to make it come undone.
Step 2: Straighten your middle finger and brace it firmly against your thumb, around the middle knuckle.The cue rides between the bony surface of my middle finger and the thumb. My index finger barely touches the cue, if at all. The index finger's real job is rigidly lock the thumb in one position, so that the middle finger can brace against it for a V groove that cannot move. The strong loop also prevents the cue from going anywhere after the shot to avoid a foul hitting other balls.
This closed bridge actually operates like an 'open bridge with a roof' and does not add stability to a sloppy stroke and I think that's a good thing. You don't want that anyway, I'd rather not get any added stroke stability from wrapping a closed bridge around my cue, because I will have to open bridge for when I'm stretched out too far on the table for a closed bridge or bridging high over another ball, and those are the exact wrong times to have to stop relying on a crutch to get your stroke straight through the ball since those are the most difficult shots to cue straight.
I like this particular bridge because it's rock stable even without the flesh of your palm on the table, and compared to Pinoy or other closed bridges, it has minimal surface area in contact with the cue so the cue tends to glide better. The drawback is that this bridge has limited height adjustment and works a little better with a longer bridge length but I can get it as flat or high as I need for any draw or force follow where I'm not obstructed by another ball.
Of course, if your middle finger easily flexes outward, this bridge may not be for you, try the Pinoy.
For most people of European descent, the looseness of your joints is usually not going to match that of people of Asian descent. So don't think you 'need' to use a Pinoy style because that's how they bridge for the best stability. After all, their super flexible fingers are probably not as stable in other bridge positions as people without hypermobile joints.
(see: benign hypermobility joint syndrome)
My middle knuckles are not capable of any negative flexion so looping my index finger on top of my middle is not really ideal because my middle finger cannot bend inwards to allow much room for the cue. I actually think if your fingers aren't made to bend with negative flexion, the overlapping index finger style of closed bridge can involve too much non-symmetrical pressure on the cue, and sometimes intermediate players get a bit sloppy with their form when they rely too much on clamping down their closed bridge to mitigate problems that are going on in their stroking arm.
I use a closed bridge on probably 80% of my shots, but I avoid clamping down on the cue so I avoid Pinoy and 'old man' looped bridges. I'll show my bridge below, note that this is not the typical 'old man bridge' where you have your index finger wrapped over the cue and tucked on one side of your thumb.. I believe that bridge also causes too much of your flesh to contact the cue and is not as stable as a closed bridge should be.
Step 1: Reach your index finger over and grab the top of your thumb. My joints tend to only want to flex in and not out so when I lock my finger over my thumb like this it takes a LOT of force (50lb weight or more) to make it come undone.
Step 2: Straighten your middle finger and brace it firmly against your thumb, around the middle knuckle.The cue rides between the bony surface of my middle finger and the thumb. My index finger barely touches the cue, if at all. The index finger's real job is rigidly lock the thumb in one position, so that the middle finger can brace against it for a V groove that cannot move. The strong loop also prevents the cue from going anywhere after the shot to avoid a foul hitting other balls.
This closed bridge actually operates like an 'open bridge with a roof' and does not add stability to a sloppy stroke and I think that's a good thing. You don't want that anyway, I'd rather not get any added stroke stability from wrapping a closed bridge around my cue, because I will have to open bridge for when I'm stretched out too far on the table for a closed bridge or bridging high over another ball, and those are the exact wrong times to have to stop relying on a crutch to get your stroke straight through the ball since those are the most difficult shots to cue straight.
I like this particular bridge because it's rock stable even without the flesh of your palm on the table, and compared to Pinoy or other closed bridges, it has minimal surface area in contact with the cue so the cue tends to glide better. The drawback is that this bridge has limited height adjustment and works a little better with a longer bridge length but I can get it as flat or high as I need for any draw or force follow where I'm not obstructed by another ball.
Of course, if your middle finger easily flexes outward, this bridge may not be for you, try the Pinoy.