Here are a couple of thoughts that might be of use to some people. I have small hands and with a closed bridge the cue rides against the padded part of my first finger. This too often leads to cue stick side movement when I use a more powerful stroke.
With an open bridge the cue stick is in a relatively more fixed position and rides closer to the bone where it is less likely to have side sway. Teaching myself to use a more powerful stroke with an open bridge requires me to pay more attention to a better stroke because I cannot depend on the first finger to lock the cue stick. I have learned that it does not lock it like I thought it did anyway so I am better off with an open bridge whenever I can use it.
I place my chin as close to the cue stick as I reasonably can because this allows me to check to see that my eyes are in the same place for each shot. Wrong eye placement relative to the cue stick is my single biggest reason for missing shots.
Placing the cue tip on the cloth at the beginning of each shot helps me to insure that I have found the center of the cue ball for each shot. When I can use them, physical indicators are better tham visualized indicators. Seeing the cue on the vertical center and feeling that the chin is directly over the cue are relatively better methods for me.
With an open bridge the cue stick is in a relatively more fixed position and rides closer to the bone where it is less likely to have side sway. Teaching myself to use a more powerful stroke with an open bridge requires me to pay more attention to a better stroke because I cannot depend on the first finger to lock the cue stick. I have learned that it does not lock it like I thought it did anyway so I am better off with an open bridge whenever I can use it.
I place my chin as close to the cue stick as I reasonably can because this allows me to check to see that my eyes are in the same place for each shot. Wrong eye placement relative to the cue stick is my single biggest reason for missing shots.
Placing the cue tip on the cloth at the beginning of each shot helps me to insure that I have found the center of the cue ball for each shot. When I can use them, physical indicators are better tham visualized indicators. Seeing the cue on the vertical center and feeling that the chin is directly over the cue are relatively better methods for me.