Dropping The Sock - Keeping Connected

I like it. Sounds like it's worth the try.

If it works for you give it a try.

DrCue'sProtege said:

As most on here know I have struggled with straight-in shots. Especially the draw shot, but the straight in follow and stun shots also. I took a lesson this past Saturday and the video showed I was doing the "inside out/in" thing. In other words, my shoulder would come back slightly on the inside, bring the cue with it. Then as I went forward i'd bring the cue back to center. Then near the end slightly back to inside. Sort of a loop.

In other words, if my timing was perfect the CB would come straight back on the draw shot. If I was a little slow with my timing i'd hit the CB on the right and if I was a little fast with my timing i'd hit the CB on the left. Thus a lot of inconsistency.

So, here's what I've been doing. There used to be a golf instructor years ago by the name of Jimmy Ballard. He always talked about how he wanted the inside of the upper arm (right handed golfer and right arm here) to stay connected to the body. In other words, you could put a sock in your underarm and it wouldn't fall out during the swing.

So, I've applied this principle to my pool game. I have been keeping the inside of my right upper arm close to my body, to the point where a sock wouldn't fall out. This seems to keep my shoulder from veering off to the inside when I draw back. So far it seems to be working as I am a lot better with my straight-in draw shots now.

At this point I am only using this technique when I have straight-in shots. I still miss some, but I am a whole lot better now than what I was a few days ago.

Thoughts Instructors? Bad or Good Mechanics? Temporary fix that wont last? Make things worse in the long run?

r/Mike

p.s. Okay fellow posters, please don't anybody turn this thread into a pissing contest.

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Hi Mike,

If it's working, so be it.

I would think that you could still turn your shoulder with something under your arm.

The golf thing is to prevent separation & to maintain connection of the arms & body so that the arms are not swinging on a disconnected plane from the rotating body... but the shoulders & arms still turn.

From this new info, I "think" the issue might be the length of your back swing & how your connection to the cue may be limiting it.

You may 'want' more back swing for more power but your connection to the cue limits it at some point, so... your shoulder turns to get the cue back as far as you 'want'... or in taking it back that far turns your shoulder.


As I said before I do not even know what type of cue motion you are using, straight or rocking.

When I use a long action, my elbow drops toward the end of the back stroke because my hand 'action' can no longer keep the butt end from coming up which makes the tip go down.

Just my thoughts.

As was said elsewhere, without video we are just taking shots in the dark.

Anyway, as I said, if it's working, so be it.

ALL Best Wishes for You & Yours,
Rick

Absolutely fantastic thread headline.
You pulled me right in and then gave a very profound piece of observational and practical instructional advice. This is a successful thread and one of the reasons I love AZ Billiards-little slices of pool knowledge spring up everywhere.


Well done!!!!

:thumbup:

I'm gonna try and keep the premise in mind, and see if I might be doing something similar.

Good luck, and thanks for sharing it here.

Rodney Morris gave a very good explanation of the action of the elbow and the upper arm shoulder socket movement.

The elbow is a hinge and the shoulder is a swivel for the arm.

The shoulder should stay stationary and the arm should be allowed to swivel.

This information is in a three disc set.

You may want to check out Bert Kinisters "Advanced Fundamentals" video.

Thanks for the post.

John

DrCue'sProtege said:

Is this sarcasm? Or did I do good?

Its hard to tell on these forums sometimes.

r/Mike

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No no. No sarcasm at all. I even greened you up.
I meant every word.

And I agree, it is hard to read posts on this board without the cynical filter.

You definitely did good.

In golf, I think Ballard overemphasized this connection. In pool, it could work--unless your upper arm is pointed off line, then you are grooving a non-straight motion...

BilliardsAbout said:

In golf, I think Ballard overemphasized this connection. In pool, it could work--unless your upper arm is pointed off line, then you are grooving a non-straight motion...

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Grooving a stroke requires repetition. Don't you think the player would notice that something might be wrong if he's missing shots ---- or do you think he would be making shots with non-straight motion?

DrCue'sProtege said:

p.s. if anybody can tell me how I can use my nearly 7 year old 3G iPhone to video myself please let me know.

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Assuming that phone even DOES video (g):

Get yourself a selfie stick and keep the part that holds the phone (but only buy one that has a female tripod mount screw-in - mine cost $6), discarding the stick. Then you will need to buy a couple of little mounting pieces tht were designed for the gopro type cameras. You will need the one with the spring clip* and one or two of the little swivel connectors that have the appropriate tripod mounting screw. Put it together and you have a clip-on video camera that can be pointed in any direction and attached to anything you can clip to.

* not the expensive gopro one - shouldn't cost more than about $6. My whole mounting set-up cost me less than $15, not counting the phone and the micro sd card

Cardigan Kid said:

No no. No sarcasm at all. I even greened you up.
I meant every word.

And I agree, it is hard to read posts on this board without the cynical filter.

You definitely did good.

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yes excellent.....woke up couldn't sleep and i saw the topic....and i've mentioned something recently that since notice.....i realize its kind of rampantly everywhere.....

i'm not saying that evyerhint i will expunge on in type and a video doc thats not just thrown together.....it will be as good as the O.G. fundamentals of pool in explanation....so a monkey could even get it.....so no confusion. except in that nice hd stuff i got lol.....dam tech capability moves quick quick dont it lol

and never listen to those that gripe about but what about the flying cars.....most of us drive a car like we are blind sometimes....and they want to take to the skies.......stop that lol

but so far from a couple months of pretty solid study and think tanking....watching vids of players and myself and some students who also are solid players....and then institute some adjustments most of which at least the base idea i'm revolving all this on is pretty applicable for anyone, even dare i say.....Rick.

i'm not chitting no one. and Fran.....your not correct. You will understand when i take whats in my brian...that one fellow here just got in the past two weeks...well i told him about it....showed him....had previously found problems in slow mo hd....that he also seen and agreed was N.G. not good.

he has his own home table and coulda nipped it in the bud in a few days......he pissed it off and had watched me play beautifully when i def shoulna have....he plyed like a donkey....then the next week....donkey....and i restated again to him......tee you seen me apply it.....you agreed....you did nothing....if you dont want....hell dont doit...i could care less. truly. your choice. You dont watch me every day and such...so maybe that night was a fluke.....or maybe it happened for very specific reasons....real real specific. Whats its goooonnnnaa dooo too ya? Kill you? Its not a new technique for cliff diving. Homie did work and 5 days later laid waste in his match 5-1 against a good opponent.

and we wooed and did the n8tur boy!

hastag its coming.....to your house.....via lan line.....or wifi....for free. I guess all i can say is everyone sharpen your knives cuz the oven is about to ding.

hungry?
-greyghost


to the OP, love the sock thing.....even if it is just a band aid or something....wouldn't know without somestudy....cooly interesting though......rep to you sir. wish i had multiple accounts so i could rep you more lmfao

and this isn't a pissing contest....i really think even rick will approve much of the idea and reasons and basis. in all seriousness i'm not joking.....and the guy hasnt said nothing nice aout me really since 2012 wehn he said thanks and wanted to learn more about S.A.M.

which oddly enouh was the last user wall message i got..... how twilight zoneey

DrCue'sProtege said:

That's what I meant. I don't know if my 7 year old 3G iPhone even has video capability. How do I find out? What do I do? Is there an app?

r/Mike

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In the regular iphone photo app, there should be a slider switch near the bottom to go between regular photo mode, into video mode.

FranCrimi said:

Grooving a stroke requires repetition. Don't you think the player would notice that something might be wrong if he's missing shots ---- or do you think he would be making shots with non-straight motion?

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One can pocket a ball with an upper arm moving slightly off-line if the hand and wrist are moving online. We've both seen numerous students with little swerves and hand hitches to help them pocket balls. I've had students who've pocketed many (most) shots for many years while aiming consistently to one side of the cue ball, etc.

If we take your comment as wholly true, then simply using the sock will cause all players (potentially) to pocket everything eventually. Illogical.

BilliardsAbout said:

One can pocket a ball with an upper arm moving slightly off-line if the hand and wrist are moving online. We've both seen numerous students with little swerves and hand hitches to help them pocket balls. I've had students who've pocketed many (most) shots for many years while aiming consistently to one side of the cue ball, etc.

If we take your comment as wholly true, then simply using the sock will cause all players (potentially) to pocket everything eventually. Illogical.

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Well, what you're talking about takes a very long time to develop. A player isn't going to shoot with a sock under their arm that long to develop those types of compensations. I think you're reaching a bit here.

DrCue'sProtege said:

Regular iPhone photo app? I get something about Albums and Places on my iPhone when I click on the Photo icon.

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Ah. Maybe this is just the impetus you needed to get a new phone. The pictures and video of a current phone are light years ahead of your old iphone.

I did a little checking and while your phone can do video, from what I saw it is kind of a techy process to get it going.

Either way, good luck!