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What are “Soft Hands”?

Cornerman
GideonF said:
Scott and JJ repeatedly talked about certain players having “soft hands”, letting them hold the CB or make certain shots.

I mean I get that hitting the ball softly and with a good stroke is helpful, but what exactly are they talking about? Is it a specific technique like an extra loose back hand? Is it something else?
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The velvety touch with control

The absorption of the stroke into the hands, like a feather easily catching a boulder

Dropping the hammer to kill the shot with no rebound
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What are “Soft Hands”?

Straightpool_99
For pool I don't think it's critical to have an extremely loose grip. When you're playing straight rail carom there are shots where if the grip and wrist are not lose, I don't think it's even possible to make the shot consistently, your speed will be off. You are killing your feel on the ultra soft shots when you hold the cue too tightly. I played pool with a death grip for many years, and the need for those ultra delicate shots is so rare that it's not much of a handicap. Even the softest common shots in pool can be made consistently with a death grip.

You can get quite a bit of power with little effort with a soft grip and a whip of the wrist so it works in both ends of the scale.

IMO there is a trade-off. If I go to the extreme and use an almost tea-cup like grip, I feel I lose control of the cue and miss the long shots. If I clamp down too much, the cue action gets too rigid. I feel the snooker technique has the best of both worlds.
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U.S. OPEN 2026, Frisco, Texas, August 25-30

Bob Jewett
dquarasr said:
... I am extremely disappointed that a hill-hill match wasn’t anticipated and too much fluff at the beginning of the show precluded finishing the match in the allotted time. I had recorded the broadcast so I had to watch the highlights video on YT (thank heaven it was available!) to see who had won. Truth is that highlights videos aren’t all that bad to watch. ...
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Doesn't ESPN offer a replay on the ESPN-U coverage of the last six racks?

If you subscribe to WNTTV, you can see all the streamed matches from a lot of events, including the whole US Open finals. I think it's about $10/month.
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Ascension Carbon Fiber shaft.

Jaden
skor said:
my guess is that the CF shafts market is heading into two directions:
1. The custom made route - for those who seek "wooden feel" and used to play with standard solid wooden shafts, so higher deflection is not a big issue, these guys look for feel over performance, they fall into the category of "can't teach new tricks to old dogs"

2. The performance route - here you'll find the big manufacturers, it all about performance, power delivery and deflection reduction, you just get used to the feel with time and practice.

Pretty much like the world of pool was 30 years ago when Predator came out with the 314 shaft, it gave performance yet many old timers didn't like how it felt... few years later and other companies jumped the low deflection and performance wagon and most serious players adapted to performance shafts. Same today, the serious players will go with performance shafts, old dogs and collectors will go with the "feel" route.

I'm disregarding the 3rd route - the cheap crap that doesn't give performance or feel...
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Well what about the 4th route, a hybrid shaft that gives both???
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Billiards Digest

muskyed
Got mine as a Xmas gift last year. Didn't have the heart to tell my wife I can basically see it fir free. I enjoy the magazine.
Yes you mostly can electronically see it for free, but do you actually do that?
This way with the magazine coming, you actually look at it.
I guess if you were to do a poll, us old timers like it, younguns take it or leave it.
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