grip on break
- Thread starter berlowmj2
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I move my grip hand forward about a hand width to shorten the distance I have to move the cue. My feeling is that one can generate more speed over a short distance much like a boxer throwing a Jab (quicker) than a left hook (slower).
Obviously, others may have different opinions on this.
I also stand up a bit, but I don't choke up. I do hold the cue a little tighter than on a normal stroke, though. Is this recommended?
i have heard this from many pros and saw them doing it for some time, but never heard a real explanation. the first good explanation i saw was from colin colenso's power breaking video. i think he is a sports trainer or something. the reason is that choking up on the cue puts your upper arm in a different position, where it shortens the muscles in the deltoid and pec and this allows more power. it felt weird to me at first, but in my experience it really does work.
i found that standing up higher or raising up during the shot as you see so many people do, also adds power. colin explains why also in the video, it's the concept of a longer lever. i'd recommend colin's video, it has very interesting information on power techniques. it is on youtube somewhere.
generally though power comes at the expense of some accuracy and cue ball control (unless your name is SVB!). it's nice to have some of these techniques for certain games/situations, but you definitely have to find some compromise between going for too much power and keeping control.
of course all this is only if you want power on the break. for a game like nine ball, where maybe you want a more accurate, soft or medium speed break, i'd just use my normal shooting form.
You are indeed a fine student of the game. Those are great answers.
I also choke up a hand length for a higher speed break. It increases my stick speed about 35%. We have been teaching this technique for years. I think Colin is right on target....SPF=randyg
A tighter grip would slow your speed down, is that what you want?....SPF=randyg
No, it's not what I want at all! Is that because everything is rigid instead of fluid? I feel like I get more accuracy when I grip it tighter, but maybe that's because everything is slower...
amen
Thanks to your encouragement, I have been experimenting with choking up my grip on the break & have found that my speed increased without compromising accuracy.
However, I continue to be amazed that it is possible to explode 15 balls with 6 pockets & still come up dry.
Thanks to your encouragement, I have been experimenting with choking up my grip on the break & have found that my speed increased without compromising accuracy.
However, I continue to be amazed that it is possible to explode 15 balls with 6 pockets & still come up dry.
It would be hard to go wrong with that advice.
(BTW, you usually manage to have something worth listening to as well)
Steve
Interesting thread. I will have to give this a try. My break speed isnt high at all making it harder to run out. Granted on the positive side a weaker break will make it harder for my opponent to run out....still to be able to on command break and run out (the ultimate goal)...would be nice to have a solid break that consistently makes 2 balls leaving the cue ball in a position to give myself the chance to run out.
I will definitely mess with this to see how my accuracy changes.
I will definitely mess with this to see how my accuracy changes.
Time to change your mindset a little bit. While it is nice to break and run, the balls don't always fall into a pattern that makes a break and run realistic.
The ultimate goal is to win the game. Whether you do it in 4 innings or 1 inning doesn't really matter.
I've seen too many players try to run out when it wasn't there, only to end up leaving their opponent a 2 or 3 ball run out.
Steve
Agreed....my wording is a bit off. I am a very defensive player, almost too defensive sometimes but it works well. I sometimes have to switch gears and try to run out more if my opponent is running racks or play better safeties lol. I was referring to more with the increase of speed as long as accuracy is not being sacrificed with this increase, it will be nice to be able to break and run more often. I definitely do not try to smash the balls and run out all the time...this is a recipe for a loss.
I met a guy last week with a sledgehammer break. He is big (6’2”, 250 or so) and I was impressed by his extremely hard break. The balls seemed to explode. Regardless of his size it seemed to me that it had as much to do with his grip as his size. So I figured, I might as well try something different.
I very much agree with Colin’s thoughts on the break but do not remember what he said about the grip with regard to how tight one should hold the cue.
Here is a link to Colin’s Power break video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW1tsONEI_U
I think the guy was getting such a powerful break because he was holding it tight, like hammering a nail. Well, I agree with Randy that a tight grip will screw up one’s stroke so I thought what if I tighten the grip at the end of the stroke.
It works well for me. There is a timing issue. The grip is tightened just before contacting the cue ball and you have to make sure that your stroke stays on line. The result was a much harder break (for me) and I did not need as much effort. It seems like I could reduce the power in the swing to about 75% of what I was using and get a more powerful break with the tighter grip.
It is worth experimenting with. I was surprised with the amount of force I was able to exert. Might work for others too but you need to play with it awhile to get it fine tuned,
I very much agree with Colin’s thoughts on the break but do not remember what he said about the grip with regard to how tight one should hold the cue.
Here is a link to Colin’s Power break video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW1tsONEI_U
I think the guy was getting such a powerful break because he was holding it tight, like hammering a nail. Well, I agree with Randy that a tight grip will screw up one’s stroke so I thought what if I tighten the grip at the end of the stroke.
It works well for me. There is a timing issue. The grip is tightened just before contacting the cue ball and you have to make sure that your stroke stays on line. The result was a much harder break (for me) and I did not need as much effort. It seems like I could reduce the power in the swing to about 75% of what I was using and get a more powerful break with the tighter grip.
It is worth experimenting with. I was surprised with the amount of force I was able to exert. Might work for others too but you need to play with it awhile to get it fine tuned,