Warm-up Strokes Vs. Measuring Strokes

B

BasementDweller

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I noticed this quite a while back but didn’t make much of it and so I sort of just forgot about it, but it jumped out at me again while watching the World Cup of Pool. I think there’s been a significant change in the way the younger pros handle their warm-up strokes compared to how many of the older pros do it.

I don’t have any firm statistics on this but I think it’s a valid observation. Many of the younger pros simply do not take warm-up strokes in the traditional sense. Many of them instead spend this pre-trigger pulling time doing measuring strokes.

It’s sort of an interesting topic, well at least to me it is, but if you take two of the greatest Nine Ball players the world has ever known – Earl Strickland and Efren Reyes and you watch them you will see the traditional warm-up strokes. When I say traditional warm-up strokes, I’m referring to what closely resembles a full stroke with a long backswing and then a full forward swing right up to the cue ball. They both will do several of these types of warm-up strokes before pulling the trigger.

But when you watch many of the younger pros (too many to name) they really forego these types of warm-up strokes and instead spend their time doing what I call more of a measuring stroke. They just focus really intently on the precise location they are going to hit the cue ball and then they pull the trigger.

To this casual observer (apologies to The Casual Observer) it appears that the one type of stroke – the traditional warm-up stroke, is concerned with loosening up the shooting arm while the other type – the measuring stroke, doesn’t worry too much about the shooting arm and instead uses this time to focus on the cue ball alone.

What does all this mean? I’m not really sure but I know I was in a slump all summer long and I think I’m coming out of that now in part because I started paying closer attention to the cue ball and eliminated a lot of the unnecessary warm-up strokes. I guess only time will tell.

So are you more of a measurer or a warm-up stroker?
 
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For myself this past year. I have been transitioning from a full stroke to short warmups, focusing on the cue ball target.

I felt this was necessary due to my advancing age, and the layoff from pool that I had over the past few years.

The results have been positive, for me at least.



BasementDweller said:
I noticed this quite a while back but didn’t make much of it and so I sort of just forgot about it, but it jumped out at me again while watching the World Cup of Pool. I think there’s been a significant change in the way the younger pros handle their warm-up strokes compared to how many of the older pros do it.

I don’t have any firm statistics on this but I think it’s a valid observation. Many of the younger pros simply do not take warm-up strokes in the traditional sense. Many of them instead spend this pre-trigger pulling time doing measuring strokes.

It’s sort of an interesting topic, well at least to me it is, but if you take two of the greatest Nine Ball players the world has ever known – Earl Strickland and Efren Reyes and you watch them you will see the traditional warm-up strokes. When I say traditional warm-up strokes, I’m referring to what closely resembles a full stroke with a long backswing and then a full forward swing right up to the cue ball. They both will do several of these types of warm-up strokes before pulling the trigger.

But when you watch many of the younger pros (too many to name) they really forgo these types of warm-up strokes and instead spend their time doing what I call more of a measuring stroke. They just focus really intently on the precise location they are going to hit the cue ball and then they pull the trigger.

To this casual observer (apologies to The Casual Observer) it appears that the one type of stroke – the traditional warm-up stroke, is concerned with loosening up the shooting arm while the other type – the measuring stroke, doesn’t worry too much about the shooting arm and instead uses this time to focus on the cue ball alone.

What does all this mean? I’m not really sure but I know I was in a slump all summer long and I think I’m coming out of that now in part because I started paying closer attention to the cue ball and eliminated a lot of the unnecessary warm-up strokes. I guess only time will tell.

So are you more of a measurer or a warm-up stroker?
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For me anyway the warm up stroke is supposed to be the same speed as the final stroke. I do not however take long warmup strokes. The final backswing is usually much bigger than the previous warmup strokes but it is the same speed as the final follow through. It took me a while to figure out that the speed of the backswing has a lot of effect on the speed of the follow through.

So yes- I guess I focus on the cueball during the warm up strokes as it is part of the aiming instead of getting my arm ready. Wait, that's not true either really... My eye pattern is usually cueball, object ball during the final stroke.
 
I think warm up strokes is misleading. You should be already warmed up and loose, so there isn't any reason to use all your bridge feathering the CB of you aren't going to use all the bridge on the shot. Your practice strokes should be pulled back as far as you will when shooting the shot...thats what they are after all...practice before the shot.
 
Pidge said:
I think warm up strokes is misleading. You should be already warmed up and loose, so there isn't any reason to use all your bridge feathering the CB of you aren't going to use all the bridge on the shot. Your practice strokes should be pulled back as far as you will when shooting the shot...thats what they are after all...practice before the shot.
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I think that's always been the conventional wisdom on these practice strokes but more and more players are doing something different -- they are just measuring the hit. They are only pulling the cue back an inch or two at most and just focusing on the hit of the cue ball. They aren't really gauging the movement of the entire cue, just the tip.
 
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I agree, and I first noticed it with Alex. It made me feel a little justified in my own pre-shot movement, which I have had since the 80's and is not what one would call a warm-up stroke (and has earned me no small amount of criticism over the years). Just as a golfer does not take full swings at the ball, checking his momentum at the last instant, I feel no need to partially replicate my full stroke in a "warm-up" movement.

Instead, I do a few short strokes just to ensure that the cue is moving freely through my bridge and to feel my back arm moving straight through the shot, then I have a short period of minute adjustments where I dial in my cueball contact point and object ball aim point - to an outside viewer I appear to freeze for a second or two, but I am actually making small adjustments - then I come with the final stroke. I have noticed a similar technique being used (to good effect) by some of the younger generation of Asian players.

Aaron - gladly accepts the label of "measurer".
 
This is a great thread, and a topic I took the better part of the last half a year in changing my pre shot routine (including warm up strokes).....

I first noticed tor lowry on one of his road trip videos, instructing the player to shorten up the stroke to the cue ball to dial in the aim. He almost described it in gestures with his index finger like tapping morris code slightly in front of the cue.

Then in one of the many accu stats I have of niels Feijen playing, he does this on every shot. Gets down, and engages tiny measuring strokes, then pulls straight back with a hesitation and follows through with shot.

Here is him playing 14.1 at his home table
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dt-isNeP0Gc

So yes, to the OP, I've noticed this too in many of the younger players...dechaine, Alex p, Feijen, even Shane from time to time...gone are the strickland bustamante long fluid warm up strokes.
 
zpele said:
For me anyway the warm up stroke is supposed to be the same speed as the final stroke. I do not however take long warmup strokes. The final backswing is usually much bigger than the previous warmup strokes but it is the same speed as the final follow through. It took me a while to figure out that the speed of the backswing has a lot of effect on the speed of the follow through.

So yes- I guess I focus on the cueball during the warm up strokes as it is part of the aiming instead of getting my arm ready. Wait, that's not true either really... My eye pattern is usually cueball, object ball during the final stroke.
Click to expand...



Warm-up and final have no bearing on each other.

randyg
 
I tend to start out unfocused, then work to zero in on the shot location and groove the stroke. Once I have that, three or four strokes, I go.
 
BasementDweller said:
I noticed this quite a while back but didn’t make much of it and so I sort of just forgot about it, but it jumped out at me again while watching the World Cup of Pool. I think there’s been a significant change in the way the younger pros handle their warm-up strokes compared to how many of the older pros do it.

I don’t have any firm statistics on this but I think it’s a valid observation. Many of the younger pros simply do not take warm-up strokes in the traditional sense. Many of them instead spend this pre-trigger pulling time doing measuring strokes.

It’s sort of an interesting topic, well at least to me it is, but if you take two of the greatest Nine Ball players the world has ever known – Earl Strickland and Efren Reyes and you watch them you will see the traditional warm-up strokes. When I say traditional warm-up strokes, I’m referring to what closely resembles a full stroke with a long backswing and then a full forward swing right up to the cue ball. They both will do several of these types of warm-up strokes before pulling the trigger.

But when you watch many of the younger pros (too many to name) they really forego these types of warm-up strokes and instead spend their time doing what I call more of a measuring stroke. They just focus really intently on the precise location they are going to hit the cue ball and then they pull the trigger.

To this casual observer (apologies to The Casual Observer) it appears that the one type of stroke – the traditional warm-up stroke, is concerned with loosening up the shooting arm while the other type – the measuring stroke, doesn’t worry too much about the shooting arm and instead uses this time to focus on the cue ball alone.

What does all this mean? I’m not really sure but I know I was in a slump all summer long and I think I’m coming out of that now in part because I started paying closer attention to the cue ball and eliminated a lot of the unnecessary warm-up strokes. I guess only time will tell.

So are you more of a measurer or a warm-up stroker?
Click to expand...


On the vast majority of my shots I am a measuring kinda guy. However, I have learned that there are certain shots that I must go to warm-up strokes or I'll bunt stroke it.

Lou Figueroa
 
Pushout said:
That's what I was wondering!
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Don't know if this is exactly what BD meant but to me a measuring stroke is one where your strokes prior to final delivery are designed to ensure you're hitting the CB exactly where you intend, perhaps making minute final adjustments, and also calibrating the final stroke speed you want to apply. For some guys there could be last, small grip adjustments.

Lou Figueroa
 
randyg said:
What is a "measuring stroke"?

randyg
Click to expand...

Just a throw away term I used to describe what many players are doing with their practice strokes prior to pulling the trigger. These strokes are the type where the cue tip is just barely moving away from the cue ball. These are contrasted with the long and fluid practice strokes employed by someone like Earl Strickland.
 
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In golf players waggle the club before starting their final swing. It's for relaxation, developing rhythm and part of the golfers pre-shot routine.

Is it possible some pool players are doing the same thing ?
 
I find the the little wiggle strokes help me
refine my aim on the ob. I start out with big
sloppy warm up strokes then check my aim
with two or three little short strokes. If my aim
is off it becomes very apparent during the little
strokes. Then I do very precise and deliberate
practice strokes, not many just enough to verify
all is good. Then I pull the trigger.
I never really wondered why anyone else did
them, I thought it was my own glitch.

Joe
 
On todays equipment (cloth and rails) you really don't need the long strokes of yesteryear.

Its all about the feel of the shot. Those little "mini strokes" or measured strokes are used to feel.

I take a couple of long practice strokes just to make sure that my cue is on the shot line. Then its to the feel stokes measuring distance between the QB and OB and force of the shot needed to send the QB where I want it to go.

I have notice Mika and Johnny A. taking very small measure strokes though, maybe a quarter inch.

Thanks for the thread BD. :smile:

John
 
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randyg said:
What does that mean?

randyg
Click to expand...


It means that if you're going to make such a universal statement -- as in "Warm-up and final have no bearing on each other" AS IF this applies to all players -- at least provide some supporting evidence and arguments.

Personally, I think you're flat out wrong, but am willing to hear what you have to say :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
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