Right english results on the oldest pool drill

[newcuer]

Recently, I tried the old drill of putting the cue ball on the spot and hitting toward the middle diamond on the short rail drill to see if I am hitting center ball.

I was surprised on how bad my results were. I have done this drill in years past (obviously, with much less experience as a pool player) and had no problem hitting center ball.

But now, with much more experience, I was surprisingly giving the ball a good amount of right english every time. Sadly, it is not easy to correct as I believe I am hitting center ball.

I got to wondering if there is a common malady for a right handed player who is always inadvertently hitting right english? Something common perhaps in the stance?

 

[nataddrho]

Carefully set up the ball and mark the exact center with a sharpie. Hit the ball and inspect the chalk mark.

If your chalk mark is not in center, you need to work on your perceived center of ball contact point.

If your chalk mark is in center, you need to work on your perceived alignment to a straight shot line.

Also try this along the long rail rather than the center of the table to amplify aiming mistakes.

If you are shooting in any way with your shoulder joint muscles you can expect wildly varying results. Try shooting with your hand instead of your arm.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I got to wondering if there is a common malady for a right handed player who is always inadvertently hitting right english? Something common perhaps in the stance?

Geometry would suggest your eyes are slightly too far to the right, causing you to shift the cue to the right in order to look "centered".

Have you tried Dr. Dave's "vision center" technique?

NV J.133 – AIM MORE ACCURATELY by Finding Your Ideal Personal VISION CENTER - Billiards and Pool Principles, Techniques, Resources

billiards.colostate.edu

pj
chgo

 

[newcuer]

Geometry would suggest your eyes are slightly too far to the right, causing you to shift the cue to the right in order to look "centered".

Have you tried Dr. Dave's "vision center" technique?

NV J.133 – AIM MORE ACCURATELY by Finding Your Ideal Personal VISION CENTER - Billiards and Pool Principles, Techniques, Resources

billiards.colostate.edu

pj
chgo

So for a right handed player inadvertently hitting right english, would moving the head to the left a bit over the cuestick theoretically help?

 

[MitchAlsup]

After you get your CB contact straightened out::

Try to roll the CB hit OB on head spot to center diamond on end rail back to CB and have CB roll back to your still extended cue tip.

When you can do the above 40% of the time, your stroke is really straight.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

So for a right handed player inadvertently hitting right english, would moving the head to the left a bit over the cuestick theoretically help?

Yes, if that's the issue - and it won't matter which hand you play with.

But that's only one possibility - stance or stroke errors are others.

pj
chgo

 

[bbb]

i think you need to see an instructor in person

 

[newcuer]

Boy, this is a tough one to fix.

And if I do fix it, will I able to apply it beyond this drill when I have probably shot this way for the last few years???

 

[straightline]

...I was surprisingly giving the ball a good amount of right english every time. Sadly, it is not easy to correct as I believe I am hitting center ball.

I got to wondering if there is a common malady for a right handed player who is always inadvertently hitting right english? Something common perhaps in the stance?

You've seen players lean over the stick and craning to look back at the ball? They claim it's their visual alignment but there's a stroke thing involved as well. I went through that phase as a concession to; my stroke had a tendency to go inwards - to press into my belly. This caused enough of a pivot to produce english at the cue ball. In hard stroking games like 9 ball, a fair amount I might add.
Check your delivery alignment. It might be fine for medium speeds but way out of spec for long shots and breaking.

 

[newcuer]

You've seen players lean over the stick and craning to look back at the ball? They claim it's their visual alignment but there's a stroke thing involved as well. I went through that phase as a concession to; my stroke had a tendency to go inwards - to press into my belly. This caused enough of a pivot to produce english at the cue ball. In hard stroking games like 9 ball, a fair amount I might add.
Check your delivery alignment. It might be fine for medium speeds but way out of spec for long shots and breaking.

What is the best way to check if one's stroke is not going straight? I am trying to exaggerate my stroke past the spot and see where my tip lands but I am not seeing anything incorrect when I do this.

 

[straightline]

What is the best way to check if one's stroke is not going straight? I am trying to exaggerate my stroke past the spot and see where my tip lands but I am not seeing anything incorrect when I do this.

Some questions:
Loose grip or tight grip?
Stance? Pics help.

Meanwhile, do whatever test you're doing while gradually increasing the force.
Try stroking into a cardboard box or any flat surface you can set and hit. The chalk marks will show you what's going on.

Is your arm linear from shoulder through hand? If it doesn't swing in one plane, that could be part of your problem.

Enough questions lol..

 

[Bob Jewett]

.... And if I do fix it, will I able to apply it beyond this drill when I have probably shot this way for the last few years???

No one here can answer that question. The issue may be easy or impossible to fix.

 

[iusedtoberich]

Call up geno machino. He will get you straight quickly. Gene Albright (probably wrong spelling).

In a nutshell he will have you move your head until your eyes sort of lose focus. Then you move it a hair back. That will get your dominant eye driving the shot. You would do it on every shot, not just this up and down drill.

His premise is if the wrong eye is driving the shot, it pulls the stroke crooked.

I highly recommend his lesson. Good luck.

 

[gregcantrall]

What is the best way to check if one's stroke is not going straight? I am trying to exaggerate my stroke past the spot and see where my tip lands but I am not seeing anything incorrect when I do this.

I was taught to stroke into the neck of the tall beer bottle to touch the bottom but never at the entrance. Trying it starts with drinking the beer to have a target.

 

[fastone371]

I was taught to stroke into the neck of the tall beer bottle to touch the bottom but never at the entrance. Trying it starts with drinking the beer to have a target.

Is there anyone in the world that can do this???

 

[Patrick Johnson]

What is the best way to check if one's stroke is not going straight? I am trying to exaggerate my stroke past the spot and see where my tip lands but I am not seeing anything incorrect when I do this.

Bridge on the rail with the cue directly over/along the cloth/rail line.

pj
chgo

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I was taught to stroke into the neck of the tall beer bottle to touch the bottom but never at the entrance.

Is there anyone in the world that can do this???

Not without dropping their elbow.

pj
chgo

 

[fastone371]

I would think a lot of cues wouldn't even fit that deep into the neck, even if they did the available clearance has gotta be so small that its all but impossible.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

me looking at all this mumbo jumbo like

 

[Texas Carom Club]

I got to wondering if there is a common malady for a right handed player who is always inadvertently hitting right english? Something common perhaps in the stance?

all this comes down to is not paying enough attention to the stroke
it is that simple