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ShootingArts · Saturday at 2:22 PM

Paul Bell said:
You are contending Shortstop's theory on the muscle battle fails. In Shortstop's defense, he agrees with you that it is entirely normal and efficient to have the swinging action when swinging an ax, punching a body and, probably, bowling. Maybe Shortstop can explain better how that natural swinging doesn't work with a billiard stroke.

Generally, would most players have less luck dealing with stress by pausing before the last stroke than not pausing? Is this moment of silence helpful?

Instead of thinking what works for the pros, what may work for the poor players? The rapid swinging motion of some new players is random and imprecise. With that group, instituting a pause after the last backstroke and before hitting the cue ball could do wonders to the poor player's stroke. Still, telling them you can only stroke back and forth twice after pausing at the cue ball---like Efren---might work, too.

Paul,

I haven't read or listened to Shortstop so I don't know what he is saying. The first question is if the player's issue is mental or physical. Then we will need to explore what is happening. There is no one size fits all thing.

If the player isn't a top pro there are improvements to be made, probably mental and physical. To make things more interesting, fixing one issue may create or reveal another!

The thing about the pursuit of perfection, none of us are ever going to get there!

Hu

ChrisinNC · Saturday at 2:15 PM

sjm said:
Looks like Margaret/Tyler took down SVB/Melling in the finals. Well done!

Taking away nothing from their awesome performance, it was on 7-foot tables.

KINGSCOURT905 · Saturday at 2:07 PM

Hail Mary Shot said:
The tip does change the feel significantly. Especially with breaking and follow shots.

Yeah, that's what I noticed too — the tip made more difference than I expected, especially on follow. Still figuring out which one suits me best on the break.

KINGSCOURT905 · Saturday at 2:06 PM

gregcantrall said:
The bite in the cloth effects how whitey comes off the second ball to the side rail.
How the different tables break is a wide spectrum.
Long ago and when I was hitting them good, I had a tournament where my first break brought the 8 out and it hit the rail just above the side. My second break I adjusted my input to whitey and the 8 came out good and hit just below the side. My 3rd break had a minor adjustment again and the 8 came out and straight at the heart of the side pocket. A few inches out a stray ball got in the way.
So I start the same on new equipment regardless of the cloth. If I play long enough I might be able to adjust to the equipment. Might!!!

Makes sense — starting the same and adjusting as you go is about all you can do on unfamiliar cloth. That 8-ball tracking to the side three breaks in a row is a great feel for it.

KINGSCOURT905 · Saturday at 2:05 PM

freds said:
I surrender to our robot overlords.

Ha, I'll take it. Back to the break, then — still trying to stop it coming up dry.

KINGSCOURT905 · Saturday at 2:04 PM

Bob Jewett said:
I suspect the RAM shot, used on power shots and especially the break shot, has not yet gotten into Canada.

I think many of the suggestions made here are of very little value if it's the opponent racking on the typical pitted bar table with the typical worn and maybe mismatched object balls. In such a situation, every rack is going to be different -- different gaps in different places. In such a situation, I think the best you can do is learn to hit the head ball perfectly full, as hard as possible, and with almost no spin. And ask your opponent to at least get the front ball frozen against its neighbors.

Fair point on the rack — most nights I'm on a bar box with worn balls, so that tracks. Hitting it full and hard with no spin is basically what I've been trying to stick to.

gregcantrall · Saturday at 2:03 PM

Bob Jewett said:
I suspect the RAM shot, used on power shots and especially the break shot, has not yet gotten into Canada.

I think many of the suggestions made here are of very little value if it's the opponent racking on the typical pitted bar table with the typical worn and maybe mismatched object balls. In such a situation, every rack is going to be different -- different gaps in different places. In such a situation, I think the best you can do is learn to hit the head ball perfectly full, as hard as possible, and with almost no spin. And ask your opponent to at least get the front ball frozen against its neighbors.

Given those conditions were My battleground nightly, I developed the habit of inspection of the rack before my 8 ball break. The really obscene racks were asked to adjust. Smaller gaps were just noted and possibly adjusted for.

Less skilled bad rack artists would leave a gap between head and a second ball. My experience was that gap allowed easier exit for the 8 ball to that side pocket. Didn't mean it would go just had a better chance.

A few times the rack artists knew what they had done and even asked if they should fix it. "No that's fine like that", would be my cordial reply.

KINGSCOURT905 · Saturday at 2:03 PM

sciarco said:
I play OPPL at Main billiards i use to play at end pocket i know Marty.

Small world — I'm usually at End Pocket, so we've probably crossed paths. Good to know you're over at Main.

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STACKED doubles field for Ultimate Pool Doubles event

Of these 3 CF shafts, which do you have or would purchase?

What do you change first when the break keeps coming up dry?

What do you change first when the break keeps coming up dry?

What do you change first when the break keeps coming up dry?

What do you change first when the break keeps coming up dry?

What do you change first when the break keeps coming up dry?

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