Probably the most important part of the fundamental side of the game in my view. Finding the correct head position over the shot makes the game that much easier. Forget dominant eyes for a second as I think that term is over used for how important your dominant eye actually is. For example, my dominant eye is my left, but if I try sighting the shot, and having my left eye over the shaft when down I impart so much left hand side and miss the shot at hand every time. Instead I have to have the cue rather central, just a touch on the right of my chin.
A little experiment...
Draw a chalk line, or use some thin tape and put it on your table. It doesn't need to go the length of the table just a few feet will do. Now lay your shaft along this line. Position your head over the shaft how you normally would when down on a shot. Does the shaft look centered over the tape? If not shift your head side to side slowly until it looks centered. Remember the head position, and touch your chin against the shaft once you've found it to give you a physical feeling of what the new head position feels back so you can fall back onto this feeling when you are in doubt. Now try adding a cue ball to the line. Place it centrally over the line and try again with the new head position to see if it looks like you are lined up at centre cue ball. It should. Now its time to start hitting balls. Line a few straight ins and try hitting a stop shot so the cue ball stops dead, no top, bottom or side spin. Using a CB-OB distance of around 1ft and hitting the shot quite firm is best to see what spin you are unintentionally putting onto the cue ball. Once you are happy with this increase the distance.
Wrong head positions cause people to develop fundamental problems. Either cueing across the shot line, snaking the cue through delivery or basic alignment problems. Having the head in the right place allows you to faster develop a nice straight stroke aswel as rule out sighting issues for your missed shots.
I'd like to ask everyone who reads this what their head position is over the cue, and what eye is the dominant one?
Thanks,
A little experiment...
Draw a chalk line, or use some thin tape and put it on your table. It doesn't need to go the length of the table just a few feet will do. Now lay your shaft along this line. Position your head over the shaft how you normally would when down on a shot. Does the shaft look centered over the tape? If not shift your head side to side slowly until it looks centered. Remember the head position, and touch your chin against the shaft once you've found it to give you a physical feeling of what the new head position feels back so you can fall back onto this feeling when you are in doubt. Now try adding a cue ball to the line. Place it centrally over the line and try again with the new head position to see if it looks like you are lined up at centre cue ball. It should. Now its time to start hitting balls. Line a few straight ins and try hitting a stop shot so the cue ball stops dead, no top, bottom or side spin. Using a CB-OB distance of around 1ft and hitting the shot quite firm is best to see what spin you are unintentionally putting onto the cue ball. Once you are happy with this increase the distance.
Wrong head positions cause people to develop fundamental problems. Either cueing across the shot line, snaking the cue through delivery or basic alignment problems. Having the head in the right place allows you to faster develop a nice straight stroke aswel as rule out sighting issues for your missed shots.
I'd like to ask everyone who reads this what their head position is over the cue, and what eye is the dominant one?
Thanks,
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