Visual Tidbit

That sounds like good advice. I'll have to try the concept out next time I'm practicing. Thanks for the share.

Sounds like good logical advice.

I find this very interesting. So theoretically you could make every object ball and cue ball appear to be the same distance away from one another for every shot. Sounds like a gold nugget......

Thanks Brian (HE). I had forgotten about this until I read your post.

Talking about tidbits I have one also that came to me back in '93 when I decided to take the game a little more seriously.
I quit playing back in 2000 and just started back to playing in 2010, man its been a long 7 years but I'm slowly getting back to where I was back in 2000.

To the point. Part #1
Probably on of the most difficult actions to explain or demonstrate is acceleration of the cue through the cue ball.
All of the videos, books and DVD's say start the forward swing of the cue slowly and accelerate the cue through the cue ball.
If your a new student of the game all you see in front of you is a big white ball that they have to try and accelerate the cue through. Besides that their hands and arm muscles have no idea what it feels like to accelerate a piece of wood through a stationary object.

The next time your trying to help someone learn and feel what acceleration is do this.

Ask them if they have every played darts. Take them to a dart board and play darts for maybe 30 minutes. While they are up there getting ready to throw a dart start asking questions like, how tight are you holding the dart, do you feel any tension in your throwing arm. Then have them start throwing darts at the board ask them if they can feel the acceleration in their arm to stick the dart in the board. Ask them, your throwing arm started the movement slow and increased in speed until you released the dart. Right? Well this is what acceleration feels like and this is the movement and feel in pocket billiards.
End Part #1

I'll get to Part#2 later today. Gotta go.

Part#2 (I'm back had an errand to run)

Next take them to a table, throw some balls out on the table (no cue ball) and have them pretend that the cue is a dart and the OB is a dart board and from a distance have them dry fire (don't actually throw the cue) OB's into a pocket. You will want them to feel the same sensation/feel of throwing a dart. (no tension in the arm and a fairly loose grip) The whole idea is to train and the arm and hand to feel what acceleration like.
Next line up all 16 balls across the table at the head string and have them perform the same exercise by shooting each ball into the end rail corner pockets using a dart type of accelerating stroke.

Now this is where it gets interesting, after they have done the above exercise you the move up to using the cue ball to pocketing balls using the cue ball and object ball. Tell them to pretend that the cue ball is not there (even though it is) and shoot the shots.
They will have to get use to the resistance that is felt when the cue hits the QB. This takes practice.

Some folks will catch on pretty quickly others may need more practice at throwing darts until it clicks.

Have you ever played someone that plays darts? If you have then you know what I'm trying to get across here.

This is the only method I can think of for a person to experience an accelerating type stoke of the cue.

Watch Alex and Dennis deliver beautiful accelerating strokes in this match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUCAQxcdDKo

John

There are different strokes one can use. If you use a jab-style stroke (short backstroke) smooth acceleration will be key.

If you instead have, say, a nine-inch bridge and also bring the ferrule back to the fingers of the bridge hand, forcible acceleration is unneeded. A smooth stroke is needed instead.

I can use a three-inch bridge and send the cue ball around the table. I have to be careful with a nine-inch backstroke, because we're talking a powerful break speed if not careful.

I wanted to add a few words.

If any of you has a dart board at home or enjoys throwing darts when out. Pay attention to how you are throwing darts and then take that same motion to the pool table with your cue being the dart. One, two, three bring your arm back and throw the dart with enough acceleration force to stick it into the dart board. Be aware of what it feels like in your grip hand when pushing the cue thru the cue ball.

It's not important whether you use a a dart, underhanded or straight back/straight forward type stroke. The important thing is to feel the dart throwing motion. It is an acceleration type movement. The cue is your dart the object ball contact point on the dart board is your target, now get a bulls eye.

Here is whats going to happen when you accelerate through the cue ball to the object ball. What you will hear and notice is a definite clear sound of the cue ball striking the object ball. It's what I call a pure hit. The next thing you will and notice is the the sound of the object ball entering the pocket, it's a very distinct sound.

I'm sure many of you have walked into a pool hall and heard this sound. I have, and no I didn't ask the guy if he would like to play.

So, the next time you have a student that is having delivery issues have him/her watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMAdMr_5_BQ&t=20s

That's my tidbit. Watch the pro's.

Have fun out there.

John