More elbow dropping nonsense

It makes me wonder if maybe the still elbow concept might cause more harm than good along the same lines. Just a lil devil's advocate.

Good recap. In a disciplined stroke with a pinned elbow, the cue will come to a stop with no effort whatsoever because the arm reaches the end of it's flexibility and the bicep stops it. Scott Lee demonstrated that to me in a lesson.

There are some shots where a full arm follow though is advantageous. I had to learn to let my elbow release through the break shot -my pinned elbow was just killing my power break. I also learned a couple of good power draw shots I think offer better control with an elbow drop and I prefer them over pinned techniques. In some cases you can administer and control power a lot better - with less effort - when the elbow is released.

Chris
 
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Randy,after I read this entire thread,my head hurts. I'm concerned JoeyA may be suffering an aneurysm,and hierovision scared me to death with the weatherchannel map of the son of snowmageddon!!! All this makes me question whether or not tip contact with the cueball has meaning anymore!!!!:banghead::grin-square:

Me also. Lots of opinions out here. Always fun to read from the amatuers. JoeyA is just funning with us....SPF=randyg
 
Me also. Lots of opinions out here. Always fun to read from the amatuers. JoeyA is just funning with us....SPF=randyg

I don't know you, but I have a distinct impression that you and the rest of you "professional" pool instructors aren't worth a spit.
 
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Me also. Lots of opinions out here. Always fun to read from the amatuers. JoeyA is just funning with us....SPF=randyg

Just because some people think the elbow drop is the move, doesn't make us "the amateurs." Based on your comment, over 85% of the pro tour must be amateurs too, right? :)

Seems like whenever I'm at a pro event and I watch the players (to see who drops and who doesn't), I get bored after 5 mins when I see everyone does it.
 
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Just wondering what you are looking at....SPF=randyg

I watch a lot of people that use the "pure pendulum stroke" and many of them have trouble with making balls using side spin, especially on longer shots.

Maybe some of them just missed the part of the class about how to pocket the ball. :D

JoeyA (uses pendulum stroke, elbow drop, hip swivel, pivot, backhand English, eye traverse and anything else THAT I THINK IS NEEDED to make a ball and get shape).
 
I don't know you, but I have a distinct impression that you and the rest of you "professional" pool instructors aren't worth a spit.

John, is that just a nice way to say that I'm full of crap?
Are you lumping us all into the same "spit" group?
You certainly have the right to your own opinion.......SPF=randyg

PS: That's my nice way of saying I'm not getting into a spitting contest with you!.....:-)
 
I watch a lot of people that use the "pure pendulum stroke" and many of them have trouble with making balls using side spin, especially on longer shots.

Maybe some of them just missed the part of the class about how to pocket the ball. :D

JoeyA (uses pendulum stroke, elbow drop, hip swivel, pivot, backhand English, eye traverse and anything else THAT I THINK IS NEEDED to make a ball and get shape).

Well said, Joey. Me too. When breaking, why don't people pin their elbow instead of following through with the entire arm? I recall in this thread someone said there's nothing you can do with an elbow drop that you can't do with a static elbow. If nothing matters after contact, why not just break with a still elbow? You can break just as hard, right? ;)
 
Just because some people think the elbow drop is the move, doesn't make us "the amateurs." Based on your comment, over 85% of the pro tour must be amateurs too, right? :)

Seems like whenever I'm at a pro event and I watch the players (to see who drops and who doesn't), I get bored after 5 mins when I see everyone does it.

Views from Amatuer players....sorry....SPF=randyg
 
I watch a lot of people that use the "pure pendulum stroke" and many of them have trouble with making balls using side spin, especially on longer shots.

OK??????

Maybe some of them just missed the part of the class about how to pocket the ball. :D

Maybe how to spin the ball accurately?
JoeyA (uses pendulum stroke, elbow drop, hip swivel, pivot, backhand English, eye traverse and anything else THAT I THINK IS NEEDED to make a ball and get shape).


I agree. Get the job done. Thanks Joey
 
Well said, Joey. Me too. When breaking, why don't people pin their elbow instead of following through with the entire arm? I recall in this thread someone said there's nothing you can do with an elbow drop that you can't do with a static elbow. If nothing matters after contact, why not just break with a still elbow? You can break just as hard, right? ;)

Actually, maybe a little faster. The Bicep is a lot quicker than the shoulder muscles....SPF=randyg
 
Hey Willie, wouldn't it be better to say that you haven't read a pool book which covered this subject in this depth?

I mean I know you've been around the pool world for like a year and have "pro" friends, but there is NO pool book? You really seem to over-exaggerate things when someone you call a friend is involved.


I will disagree respectfully with all so far. I will await the publication of Mark Wilson's instructional text (I've had a look at the draft and it is amazing); but he addresses this point in depth and at length. There is NO pool book that has ever covered the subject in this depth. I doubt any could read his extremely well thought out analysis and still disagree....but I could be wrong.

For PD to say that "teachers didn't understand what they are talking about" is just flat wrong. These teachers have played at a very high level, and have analyzed this subject to a far greater depth than anyone posting here so far. I won't ruin Mark's impact by giving away his analysis; but anyone interested in this subject would do well to read his book after publication if they really want to convince me they are interested in stroke mechanics.

You might as well say that Mike's mustache is the reason for his success. He succeeds because of an incredible drive towards perfection and victory - his elbow has little to do with it in my view.

P.S..- I do NOT believe there is any good instructor who has EVER said you cannot play great pool with an elbow drop - to suggest such a thing is ridiculous. The instructors are giving advice to aspiring players who wish to achieve proficiency as rapidly as possible - a totally different situation and a totally different discussion from this.
 
If nothing matters after contact, why not just break with a still elbow? You can break just as hard, right? ;)

So are you saying what happens after contact effects the speed?

I still think that if the act of dropping the elbow by itself increases speed, then the elbow must be moving before (or during) contact. Or are you saying that the increased speed is from not trying to keep the elbow from dropping?

The break shot is a tough one to bring into the discussion of your original thread, since it is the only time someone would reasonably hit the ball that hard and there are techniques that would be considered ok for the break shot that would never be used in a normal shot.

Good thread Spidey, I had actually been messing around with the subject a little on my own so Im enjoying reading all the opinions.

Woody
 
Actually, maybe a little faster. The Bicep is a lot quicker than the shoulder muscles....SPF=randyg

I don't think it's a bicep vs shoulder thing. The shoulder doesn't come into play until the follow-through. It's the wrist snap that generates the speed. If someone had a static elbow and static wrist - they'd break like a dog.

Pros probably drop before contact because their body comes upward. With a static upper-arm, it'd be hard to use your legs as well.

I think the break is a good example that sometimes you gotta drop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lYmiTjWHLE

Johnny drops his elbow pre-contact on his break.
 
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Actually, maybe a little faster. The Bicep is a lot quicker than the shoulder muscles....SPF=randyg

That's a strawman. If you drop your elbow on the break you are using your bicep AND shoulder or, possibly, just your bicep. Not just your shoulder. The pendulum stroke uses either the same or fewer muscles, not different muscles.
 
Yet, if you watch closely, you will see that his elbow does not drop until after contact with the ball.

I know that different things work well for different people, but for me, their 2 keythings for my stroke. 1st, shoot with a very relaxed grip, second, DO NOT drop my elbow. I lose a lot of accuracy when my elbow drops. When I check to see if I am hitting the cue ball where I am aiming, I can always tell if my elbow is dropping by how accurate I am.
 
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