shes always been a strong student of the game. i think she studied under jose garcia and robles few other ny/nj greats
Jennifer Baretta's preshot routine
- Thread starter BRussell
- Start date
At the 2004 Open, I think it was, Keith was practicing before a match, and Jimmy Reid was sitting tableside, sweating Keith with me. He told Keith that he wasn't addressing the table correctly. If I understand what he meant by that correctly, he wanted Keith to actually take a brief pause before he leaned down on the table. In other words, when Keith walked up to the table to analyze the shot he was going to take, he wanted Keith to pause for a brief second while analyzing the shot.
Actually, it did work. We both noticed that when Keith paused before he leaned down on the table and actually addressed the table (Jimmy's words), Keith pocketed balls more consistently.
One thing's for sure Jennie, Jimmy looked a whole lot better than I did marching around with his uniform on. He got the girls and the cash!
If you watch more of her you will see she sits in her stance (bends both knees) more often than locking her right leg... This hurts her
I recently watched her live a few months ago and she never locked her right leg once.
She is on the short side and sitting in your stance makes you even shorter,
you become more closed up, jammed,, instead of taller in stance that would open you up,it keeps you more on the loose side.
As Runouteasy said, never see her free wheeling or loose, always on the tight side. I believe her stance is a key reason why.
A few tweeks in her game and I think she would see a welcomed change.
I recently watched her live a few months ago and she never locked her right leg once.
She is on the short side and sitting in your stance makes you even shorter,
you become more closed up, jammed,, instead of taller in stance that would open you up,it keeps you more on the loose side.
As Runouteasy said, never see her free wheeling or loose, always on the tight side. I believe her stance is a key reason why.
A few tweeks in her game and I think she would see a welcomed change.
That makes sense. I rarely see pool players, at least Americans, using a square stance. They almost all use a sideways stance. And I associate the square stance with snooker, but Ronnie is one of the few snooker players I've watched, so maybe that's the reason.
I know. I'm just impressed that you were only 4 1/2 minutes. But when I turned my brain back on I realized she was doing something interesting with her approach. :thumbup:there should have been a warning from the op as I was in a trance for 4 1/2 minutes watching her "stroke"
You notice it a lot more with the older snooker players how side on they are. A lot from back in the 80s angled their hips around 45 degrees to the line of aim. Its a more natural way to stand and gets the hips out of the way of the grip hand easier than a Ronnie or Jennifer type stance. A lot of old school snooker players if they raised the head off the cue a little would look like a lot of modern day pool players. I'm not sure why the modern era has produced so many square hip players. What you will notice between Ronnie and Jennifer is although their feet look pretty similar, Ronnie plays with a bent left forearm a lot more than Jennifer. This massively helps the square stance. You don't have to twist and distort your upper body so much as you do with a locked bridge arm.That makes sense. I rarely see pool players, at least Americans, using a square stance. They almost all use a sideways stance. And I associate the square stance with snooker, but Ronnie is one of the few snooker players I've watched, so maybe that's the reason.
Jen's stance
Her stance is similar to a rather standard stance used generally by most of the legends years ago, and many today. The name of the player who developed it escapes me...I've read about it in several books. I'm surprised no one here has mentioned it yet.
I like your description of her routine, except for the term "jab", which I think of as a very quick motion as in boxing.
It's really consistent and a little unusual I thought.
After sighting the line, she steps in with both knees bent, then she straightens her right leg as she puts her head down, leaving her left leg bent. And it looks like a snooker stance, with her body more square to the shot line rather than sideways like most (American?) pool players.
She doesn't take any full practice strokes, maybe a just a few very short jabs toward the cue ball.
I wonder if this is something to be emulated, or if anyone knows where she learned it. Who else shoots like this?
(Full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsFMFYTVVGQ)
Her stance is similar to a rather standard stance used generally by most of the legends years ago, and many today. The name of the player who developed it escapes me...I've read about it in several books. I'm surprised no one here has mentioned it yet.
I like your description of her routine, except for the term "jab", which I think of as a very quick motion as in boxing.
Too slow?
I get what you mean about "slow".
Slow works for some, not so much for others.
But I see "deliberate" as something a little different, and a rather positive trait.
I played very slowly in the '70s, and still take a lot of time in defensive battles. Playing slowly was part of my learning process.
Once, at a team event in Milwaukee in the '70s I overhead the youngest member of the championship team complain about my slow play. His captain (Willie Munson) responded to him with, "Yeah, but he runs a lot of racks, doesn't he?"
I doubt there's any game that can be more slow and boring that baseball at times. I attended a Cleveland Indians game in the 50s that ended 1-0 with a total of four hits. I was bored to death and lost interest in baseball for a while.
I guess it has a lot to do with how you see the game. Fast players tend to like watching fast play, while slow players wonder why fast players don't take a little more time...
I get what you mean about "slow".
Slow works for some, not so much for others.
But I see "deliberate" as something a little different, and a rather positive trait.
I played very slowly in the '70s, and still take a lot of time in defensive battles. Playing slowly was part of my learning process.
Once, at a team event in Milwaukee in the '70s I overhead the youngest member of the championship team complain about my slow play. His captain (Willie Munson) responded to him with, "Yeah, but he runs a lot of racks, doesn't he?"
I doubt there's any game that can be more slow and boring that baseball at times. I attended a Cleveland Indians game in the 50s that ended 1-0 with a total of four hits. I was bored to death and lost interest in baseball for a while.
I guess it has a lot to do with how you see the game. Fast players tend to like watching fast play, while slow players wonder why fast players don't take a little more time...
the famous photo
I got a kick out of Jeanette's story about the famous photo of Jennifer on the pool table!
Count me among those who enjoy studying Jennifer's game...
I got a kick out of Jeanette's story about the famous photo of Jennifer on the pool table!
Thanks, it is interesting to see the stance and stroke the different pro's use. Her legs seem very close together and as others have mentioned very short warm up strokes
great point
Great story and great point. Even the slightest pause can make a world of difference.
At the 2004 Open, I think it was, Keith was practicing before a match, and Jimmy Reid was sitting tableside, sweating Keith with me. He told Keith that he wasn't addressing the table correctly. If I understand what he meant by that correctly, he wanted Keith to actually take a brief pause before he leaned down on the table. In other words, when Keith walked up to the table to analyze the shot he was going to take, he wanted Keith to pause for a brief second while analyzing the shot.
Actually, it did work. We both noticed that when Keith paused before he leaned down on the table and actually addressed the table (Jimmy's words), Keith pocketed balls more consistently.
Great story and great point. Even the slightest pause can make a world of difference.
Great post on the subject :thumbup: and one approach does not fit all situations. Jennifer does appear to be very deliberate in her style of play in pressure games and like most when she is out shooting for fun I'd bet it's totally different. I know my approach to playing pool is different in league or tournament situations than it is when I am just shooting for fun.
referee warning?
If there's no time limit, a referee calling a player for playing too slowly can create problems.
I can only smile thinking about all the times when guys said to me, "Damn you play slow!"...as they handed me their money!
there should have been a warning from the op as I was in a trance for 4 1/2 minutes watching her "stroke"
If there's no time limit, a referee calling a player for playing too slowly can create problems.
I can only smile thinking about all the times when guys said to me, "Damn you play slow!"...as they handed me their money!
I bet it is because her back would hurt if she did it your way. She's got a long back that can hurt if misused long-term so it could be necessary to bend the legs when setting up to prevent that.
I get the same criticism as I do it much like she does, but I don't care. To play well requires not hurting my body during play, even if I'm trading off a better stance for that. I've found that I like the bent knees as it allows my aim to be tweaked but I must beware of rocking during my stroke.
(I do not know whether Jennifer has a bad back, I'm just speculating)
Jeff Livingston
Play like you Practice and Practice like you Play
Yeah, my game is often like this. And when I "get into stroke," I'm shooting a little more quick and fluid. However, I consider this a flaw in my game. Through the years, I have learned that you should "Play like you Practice and Practice like you Play." Important aspect in all mental conditioning.
I also see this as a big difference between gambling and tourney players. Gamblers rarely jump out of the gates in stroke. They play better as they get settled into their surroundings. Where tournament players play more deliberate, take less chances and never really really get into stroke (but play more consistently).
Yeah, my game is often like this. And when I "get into stroke," I'm shooting a little more quick and fluid. However, I consider this a flaw in my game. Through the years, I have learned that you should "Play like you Practice and Practice like you Play." Important aspect in all mental conditioning.
I also see this as a big difference between gambling and tourney players. Gamblers rarely jump out of the gates in stroke. They play better as they get settled into their surroundings. Where tournament players play more deliberate, take less chances and never really really get into stroke (but play more consistently).
I never lost to a 'slow' player. Slow players are using it as a 'move' to break the other players rhythm. The reason I never lost is that, my cue comes apart. No reason to let some guy 'move' on you when you're bettin your cash. No shot clocks in pool rooms, so, just unscrew. There was plenty of good action in the 60's & 70's. No reason to put up with 'slow' players, unless you're stealin!
ps
All thoses 'air strokes' players use now is just 'profiling'! Love to play thoses guys that do all that and then 'dogit'!
She is not slow at all... that is evident in the gifs. She may take a bit of time looking at the table in tricky situations but who doesn't? I watched her play last night and the pace was pretty normal. The match before that however had two slow players and ran almost an hour overtime!
