Quite possibly, but look at Stephen Lee.
Fundamentals - Minimizing your Errors
- Thread starter skateboardkid
- Start date
I was wondering of chin on cue might have been preferred by Buddy but not possible due 5 his size but younger skinnier picks show his stance to be about 10" above the cue also.
Yeah the belly shouldn't be too much of a hindrance. On shots where you stretch I've seen guys not be able to get set as they normally would but most get used to that way of constantly adapting shot to shot, and have quite a versatile stroke as a result.
Having a big chest on the other hand can stop you from getting the chin all the way down whilst keeping proper alignment. There is a guy that plays at my local club that's built like Arnie in his prime. His chest is so broad he can't stick his chin on the cue whilst keeping his back arm aligned, he has to chicken wing it. Women have the same issue. If the chest is on the large side it tends to get in the way.
Our physique affects our form, no doubt about that. Having a huge belly does you no favours in this sport.
Yeah that makes sense.
I think it does have a bearing (players of average height or shorter will always find it more natural to lock the back leg and still get down on the shot than taller players will), but it isn't quite the stumbling block people make it out to be. Like you say, it's something easily fixed with a wider foot placement.
There is too much emphasis in American pool on having a "comfortable" stance, IMO. No matter how you slice it, bending down with a cue in your hand is never going to be a "natural" position for a human. It's with practice that a position becomes comfortable, that it becomes natural.
If a locked back leg is good for your game, but you find it uncomfortable at first, then practice with it and (barring any knee issues/old injuries, things like that) it will become more comfortable over time.
All that being said, I don't lock my back leg when I play pool
.I also agree on the things people have said regarding stomachs and chests getting in the way. The stomach should only be an issue when you're stretching for a shot, but a large chest can get in the way. Isn't there something in an old Ray Reardon book about, ahem, "one or two limiting factors" affecting women playing cue sports?
I agree, bending down alone isn't comfortable. Who remembers when they first started playing, or after a long time off getting back into the game? The back ache you get is enough to put a sane person off...good job pool players aren't sane. When In my late teens I had a car accident and broke my arm. Couldn't play for months. After I got back into it the back of my locked leg was stiff, tight and ached for a good week. You soon get past the aching stage and it starts feeling comfortable.I think it does have a bearing (players of average height or shorter will always find it more natural to lock the back leg and still get down on the shot than taller players will), but it isn't quite the stumbling block people make it out to be. Like you say, it's something easily fixed with a wider foot placement.
There is too much emphasis in American pool on having a "comfortable" stance, IMO. No matter how you slice it, bending down with a cue in your hand is never going to be a "natural" position for a human. It's with practice that a position becomes comfortable, that it becomes natural.
If a locked back leg is good for your game, but you find it uncomfortable at first, then practice with it and (barring any knee issues/old injuries, things like that) it will become more comfortable over time.
All that being said, I don't lock my back leg when I play pool
I also agree on the things people have said regarding stomachs and chests getting in the way. The stomach should only be an issue when you're stretching for a shot, but a large chest can get in the way. Isn't there something in an old Ray Reardon book about, ahem, "one or two limiting factors" affecting women playing cue sports?
Perhaps, but I've been on the receiving end from both Kid Delicious and Jay Swannee Swanson & it didn't seem to slow either of those 2 down as they were both beasts.
Sort of a late bump on this...
I finally got a chance to mess with my stance this last weekend testing out having my right/back leg straight with my front left leg bent. I tested this out playing the 9 ball ghost. It felt weird (probably because it was new) and for some reason it gave me occasional right side pain, as well as my right leg felt pain, possibly from the muscles just not used to this form....thoughts? The side pain was my lower right side basically and came and went throughout the 4 sets I played vs the ghost on the diamond barbox. I seemed to be able to hit my stroke ok, but occasionally it seemed like I wasn't necessarily hitting my spot I was aiming for.
On a more depressing note after losing for like the 3rd time I wanted to compare the old stance to the new one...low and behold doing the crummy both leg bend I broke and ran out against the ghost
Damn this game can be frustrating!
I finally got a chance to mess with my stance this last weekend testing out having my right/back leg straight with my front left leg bent. I tested this out playing the 9 ball ghost. It felt weird (probably because it was new) and for some reason it gave me occasional right side pain, as well as my right leg felt pain, possibly from the muscles just not used to this form....thoughts? The side pain was my lower right side basically and came and went throughout the 4 sets I played vs the ghost on the diamond barbox. I seemed to be able to hit my stroke ok, but occasionally it seemed like I wasn't necessarily hitting my spot I was aiming for.
On a more depressing note after losing for like the 3rd time I wanted to compare the old stance to the new one...low and behold doing the crummy both leg bend I broke and ran out against the ghost
Damn this game can be frustrating!
Locked back leg
I'm on the taller side (6'2"), keep my chin very close to the cue, and used to bend both legs in my stance. It felt fine, was very flexible, and served me well when playing a set or two (i.e., league nights).
When I started playing weekend tournaments and had to last 10 or 12 hours of play, sometimes over the course of two days my legs would be toast going into day two.
I converted to locking my rear leg and it took some time; your body needs several months to acclimate to the new muscles and flexibility that are needed to develop and fully adapt to the change. Also, you need to be careful and very conscious as changes like this may alter your head height and eye "cant," which can mess with your perception of the shots.
In the end, I'm glad that I put in the time to switch. My stamina during tournaments is able to stand stand up over longer periods of time.
I'm on the taller side (6'2"), keep my chin very close to the cue, and used to bend both legs in my stance. It felt fine, was very flexible, and served me well when playing a set or two (i.e., league nights).
When I started playing weekend tournaments and had to last 10 or 12 hours of play, sometimes over the course of two days my legs would be toast going into day two.
I converted to locking my rear leg and it took some time; your body needs several months to acclimate to the new muscles and flexibility that are needed to develop and fully adapt to the change. Also, you need to be careful and very conscious as changes like this may alter your head height and eye "cant," which can mess with your perception of the shots.
In the end, I'm glad that I put in the time to switch. My stamina during tournaments is able to stand stand up over longer periods of time.