The era of the "poke-stroke"

[liakos]

I learned how to play on an old 10 footer with directional cloth. It was at the boys and girls club in my town. I went there everyday for a couple summers and while I didn't develop a strong stroke, I did develop a straight one by having to shoot from one end of the table to the other all the time. When cloth started getting faster, I was older and thought at first that's why I could get more action from the cue ball. But eventually would come to realize the difference in modern cloth. While I do enjoy the ease of today's tables, I also kind of miss those old ones that were slow as molasses.

I started playing pool almost 10 YRS ago! I started out playing at a bowling alley with 9 ft gc1's with old nap cloth I know what slow is for sure! Anyway, I really got into it, playing 3-4hrs a day almost everyday, and putting quality practice in!

So a couple guys come in from a different bar, and they wanted to play so I said sure let's play! They introduced me to 9-ball, I only knew how to play 8-ball at the time, so we started playing and we were playing pretty even! So, they asked how come they haven't seen me around the league's? I told them I don't anything about leagues, this is the only place I play and they don't have any here! Plus I'm knew, I've only been playing for 8-9 months! They started laughing and saying we have been playing for over 10 YRS, and your already better than us lol!

So, we became pretty friendly, and 1 night they come by and ask me if I wanted to go there home room! I said sure let's go so I get there, and this was my first time on fast cloth! I'll never forget, I shot a couple balls and remembered how the balls just kept rolling and rolling and rolling. So, I had a nice straight shot, about 5 ft away from the object ball and I get down to shoot it, I knew this shot real well because it was my practice shot, I get down to shoot it, and I hit perfect,,, with the exception that I drew the cue ball back to about where it started! I couldn't believe what I just did!!! I had to hit that pretty hard at the bowling! Over there, I was just tapping it! I always find time to go there though I find playing on those tables with the slow cloth I have better control of the rock!

I do have to say though, I think today's cloth makes the game sooooo much easier but I guess it's a good thing, newer players will find it more enjoyable if they draw the cue ball the length of the table fairly soon! It took me almost 6 months to get a good draw stroke and after playing at the other bar, I'm sure I could of drawn the ball within a couple of months! But I wouldn't change how I started, the bowling alley taught me how to move the cue ball around with little effort

 

[The Renfro]

I'm not trying to sound like a jerk here, but is this an extremely hard shot? I watched SVB hit this shot at snookers a couple yrs back and I started practicing it for fun, I got the shot down within a few minutes! Mind you, it was on a freshly clothed gc4! I can get the cue ball just past the center of the table in my basement now, and the cloth is 3 yrs old and so much humidity the table is playing pretty slow!

Again, not trying to be an A$$! I know the shot is hard, but it's not that hard, unless I'm lucky enough to hit it well, I don't consider it to be a very difficult shot!

Sorry for my ignorance in advance!

Shane and Alex were hitting it at the Open for $100 a shot a few years back... After an hour neither had made it... Alex got close 2x once he made the hanger but had missed the ball in the corner....

Bring your hundred and I am sure they will shoot it with you.... I hit it last night on a diamond with month old cloth and got within a foot my first and only try so no it's not that hard but not something I think most would be willing to bet on.....

 

[Cardigan Kid]

Low right would help it get around the table.

Thanks for the response. Low right it is. I'll be trying this all week

 

[liakos]

Shane and Alex were hitting it at the Open for $100 a shot a few years back... After an hour neither had made it... Alex got close 2x once he made the hanger but had missed the ball in the corner....

Bring your hundred and I am sure they will shoot it with you.... I hit it last night on a diamond with month old cloth and got within a foot my first and only try so no it's not that hard but not something I think most would be willing to bet on.....

I agree with you!

 

[liakos]

Thanks for the response. Low right it is. I'll be trying this all week

Also, keep in mind, you can switch sides I can't do it as good from that angle because my right hand spin is a tad weaker than my left if I have to hit a ball that hard with all that spin, my left spin is much better

Hope that helps!

 

[rjb1168]

When I think of "poke stroke," Allen Hopkins comes to mind, and it works for him, quite effectively. The best finals I ever saw was between Allen and Ginky at Snookers in Rhode Island. Wow!

Check out Allen Hopkins' poke stroke ---> HERE.

I have poke & hope stroke

 

[Banks]

Poke or not, either you can play well doing it or not. Unless you play on the same table(or close) all of the time, you'd better learn how to do whatever needs to be done.

 

[JohnnyP]

Tony Drago vs SVB. Starts at 3:30.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WYAhhp84Oo

 

[Cardigan Kid]

Also, keep in mind, you can switch sides I can't do it as good from that angle because my right hand spin is a tad weaker than my left if I have to hit a ball that hard with all that spin, my left spin is much better

Hope that helps!

That's a great tip. Thanks. I'll try both sides to see how out goes.

 

[CJ Wiley]

"the moment of truth {in pocket billiards} is the moment of contact"

This shot is done with "Low/Right," however, the way we always shot it was three inches off the end rail.....on fast cloth it's not that difficult if you have a good hand/wrist action.

Some of the worst advice is to use a "long, fluid follow through" except on lengthy follow shots. On most type's of draw (shots) or shots that require minimum cue ball movement it's always best to use a stroke that has a limited "follow through".

The most important thing is acceleration AT the moment of contact - think in terms of throwing a dart, or serving a volley ball as a mental comparison.

"the moment of truth {in pocket billiards} is the moment of contact" - CJ Wiley

Is that done with just center draw or is there left English added also?

 

[PoolBum]

heres jeff de lunas version of this. not to make a ball but still pretty sick
http://youtu.be/qd-eJ7BLJ7o

Just curious...is that Earl's new cue in your avatar?

 

[lee brett]

Quote - Straightpool_99
Definition of a full stroke:

A stroke which has a medium to full length backswing, which usually is a lot slower than the forward swing, with a smooth acceleration at the forward swing which peaks at the cueball, giving the appearance that it is being pushed rather than punched. The stroke has a full length follow through. The transition between soft shots and hard shots is fluid, often making it hard to tell wether a shot will be hit hard or softly. Perfect example: Hall. Immonen is a "hybrid" between the full stroke and the Phillipino school stroke.

I have to disagree and i will be doing a video of my speed control system and to show that the follow through should be the same distance.(fully through the cue ball)

I will give you a brief example of my speed control system -

If i gave you a golf club PW for example and we say it will hit 100 yards at full power,

you now need to hit the ball 25 yards how would you do this?


1- Pull the club back 25% (quarter of your backstroke) so fully following through.

2- Or would you pull it back 100% (full backstroke) and then quit on your follow through, decelerating?

My bridge length is longer than anyone in the game, see picture below. I use my bridge and how far i pull back for how much power i need (like a golfer pulling a golf club back)

25% power equals quarter table
50% power equals half table
100% power equals full table

I keep the same speed of stroke on all shots (not 5 like pool school teaches) to hard to train the muscles 5 speeds, I have 1 speed of stroke and i use the cue ball 1 to 9 like the golf irons and i adjust from there.

5 is the center of the cue ball
1 is the bottom (extreme draw)
9 is the top (extreme follow)

2,3,4 are draw shots
6,7,8 are follow shots

4.5 is stun/draw or stop/draw
5.5 is stun/follow or stop/follow

The bridge length never changes due to how you reach for the cue ball, you always stand the same distance from the cue ball, thus the bridge is the same length and distance from the cue ball.

The follow through is always the same full distance through the cue ball, you ACCELERATE NOT DECELERATE through the cue ball.

So my point is, i have a long bridge and long stroke when i need more power ( like giving your car more gas to go faster) and on less power shots i come back less on my backstroke, yet i still follow through the same on ALL shots.

There are people on here who i have shown this too who might want to comment on this.

 

[Cardigan Kid]

Quote - Straightpool_99
Definition of a full stroke:

A stroke which has a medium to full length backswing, which usually is a lot slower than the forward swing, with a smooth acceleration at the forward swing which peaks at the cueball, giving the appearance that it is being pushed rather than punched. The stroke has a full length follow through. The transition between soft shots and hard shots is fluid, often making it hard to tell wether a shot will be hit hard or softly. Perfect example: Hall. Immonen is a "hybrid" between the full stroke and the Phillipino school stroke.

I have to disagree and i will be doing a video of my speed control system and to show that the follow through should be the same distance.(fully through the cue ball)

I will give you a brief example of my speed control system -

If i gave you a golf club PW for example and we say it will hit 100 yards at full power,

you now need to hit the ball 25 yards how would you do this?


1- Pull the club back 25% (quarter of your backstroke) so fully following through.

2- Or would you pull it back 100% (full backstroke) and then quit on your follow through, decelerating?

My bridge length is longer than anyone in the game, see picture below. I use my bridge and how far i pull back for how much power i need (like a golfer pulling a golf club back)

25% power equals quarter table
50% power equals half table
100% power equals full table

I keep the same speed of stroke on all shots (not 5 like pool school teaches) to hard to train the muscles 5 speeds, I have 1 speed of stroke and i use the cue ball 1 to 9 like the golf irons and i adjust from there.

5 is the center of the cue ball
1 is the bottom (extreme draw)
9 is the top (extreme follow)

2,3,4 are draw shots
6,7,8 are follow shots

4.5 is stun/draw or stop/draw
5.5 is stun/follow or stop/follow

The bridge length never changes due to how you reach for the cue ball, you always stand the same distance from the cue ball, thus the bridge is the same length and distance from the cue ball.

The follow through is always the same full distance through the cue ball, you ACCELERATE NOT DECELERATE through the cue ball.

So my point is, i have a long bridge and long stroke when i need more power ( like giving your car more gas to go faster) and on less power shots i come back less on my backstroke, yet i still follow through the same on ALL shots.

There are people on here who i have shown this too who might want to comment on this.

Very interesting stuff here. Consider me sold on your book. Im headed to amazon right now.