There is/was a local champion down here in Mississippi that had such a pronounced slip stroke it almost seemed we was throwing the cue at the cueball. In his prime he played and beat most everybody that came through the south. I could never figure it out but it is sure cool as hell to watch.
The slip stroke; not its definition, but its purpose
- Thread starter BillPorter
- Start date
Seems everybody has a different opinion of what a regular pendulum stroke does. And yes, the new players get confused about that as well.
This is quite a brilliant insight SP. One I've never seen expressed anywhere else. Very admirable reasoning. Kudos to you, sir. I'm going to give this gem a good trial on the practice table and see if my experience is similar to yours and worth incorporating for whatever incremental stroke/aim benefits may accrue.
On another note for other interested AZBers regarding Mosconi's stroke, go to the 21:26 point here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JCdJ08_M3Y
(and actually elsewhere during this televised match) no slip stroke in evidence (granted he's a bit jacked up and also may have abandoned his more youthful stroke at this point in his career) -- in any case, no slip stroke and poor Willie grossly misses the shot . . . IMO entirely due to the ref's idiotic compulsion to point his finger at each designated OB for the naïve in-person and home audience *while* the hapless player is aiming each shot.
Arnaldo
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Absolutely can increase spin I use the bull whip type stroke for extra amount of draw or lower left/right snap. Also I think the slip makes for a more relaxed shot for those that may strangle the shaft. I have only seen one amateur person in my lifetime in person use it and he was excellent. He was a barber by trade. For me it's a waste of motion. But then again I use a forward press in putting and a slight hip turn to the left prior to taking club back, it releases my hips better. Some quarterbacks like to pump.
For more accuracy try the bull whip deal. Immediately after striking cue ball pull back quickly, works better on shorter shots, lose accuracy on long shots. That wasn't taught to me it just made sense.
I'm going with cool,flashy and intimidating. Same as the pump stroke. The cball does not know or care one bit what you did before or after the hit. A hit is a hit. John B.
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Two words that beautifully illustrate the aptness of all three adjectives:
--- Eddie Kelly ---
His stroke and comportment were wondrous to behold in his prime.
Arnaldo
Wayne said it and he emphatically said he copied Willie's stroke.
Wayne had a scrapbook to back up his straight pool stories .
Not at all - one of the best players from this area, who was a top contender in the
40s to 60s, had as pronounced a slip stroke as did Cowboy Jimmy Moore.
He was close to unbeatable(local play) in Bank and One Pocket and played 9Ball
with all the best around. When I asked him why he used that stroke his answer
was that it just seemed the natural way to hit a cue ball. No expectation of more
spin, more control, or more anything.
Straight Pool, he probably hasn't played 10 serious games of 14.1 in his life.
Dale
That's the problem...
A lot of people have ZERO clue why they do the things that they do when they succeed...
I guess those are the only people you could really call naturally talented.
When they just do it without understanding what it is they're doing...
That type of play has two flaws...Most will NEVER get to that level doing it that way and when they get into a funk, they'll have greater difficulty getting out of it.
Jaden
A lot of people have ZERO clue why they do the things that they do when they succeed...
I guess those are the only people you could really call naturally talented.
When they just do it without understanding what it is they're doing...
That type of play has two flaws...Most will NEVER get to that level doing it that way and when they get into a funk, they'll have greater difficulty getting out of it.
Jaden
Slip stroke -- The grip hand slips back on the butt just prior to the forward stroke at the cue ball.
Stroke slip -- As the forward stroke at the cue ball is executed, the cue slips through the grip hand to some degree (a "throw" or "release and catch").
Over thought and under analyzed...
Def NOT a problem for this guy.
To restate for you, using a slipstroke was not a decision he made.
Believe me, he understood quite well what he was doing.
Dale
I understand the point just as the cue ball understands how it is 'hit'.
We're human beings & not machines & hence we have methods of conveying the language of our directions to the cue ball.
Just like when there is a person that only speaks one language, like the cue ball, we need an interpreter to get our meaning & directions across.
When speaking another language, some can speak the basics while others can speak it fluently.
It's sort of like two musicians, say violinists. One's violin has no frets on it & the the other's does. They play the same notes, or do they?
One musician can make you cry as he or she makes their instrument sing like an Angel of God, while the other will only remind you of the time that the other made you cry.
When the second musician is told that his or her performance was not as good as that of the first musician, he or she asks, 'While not, I played the same notes?'.
Best 2 You & All,
Rick
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If I set up on a shot & then slide my hand back to where I want it to be & then wait a few seconds while I confirm my line or choose my speed & then stroke, did I use a slip stroke?
I ask that somewhat facetiously.
When I was 'coming up' the term slip stroke referred to the forward stroke where the cue was released & allowed to be thrown through the cue ball.
A straight 'flying' cue can not be steered.
I just thought I'd throw that out for consideration.
Best 2 All,
Rick
I ask that somewhat facetiously.
When I was 'coming up' the term slip stroke referred to the forward stroke where the cue was released & allowed to be thrown through the cue ball.
A straight 'flying' cue can not be steered.
I just thought I'd throw that out for consideration.
Best 2 All,
Rick
I didn't read the entire thread, in fact only up to Jaden's post here. I totally agree that the slip stroke is the antithesis of the "death grip" spoken of as very bad so often.
The slip stroke is more the result of a very very light cradling of the cue than it is a conscious style of cuing IMO.
I've tried to use a slip stroke and it doesn't work for me. I figure the advantage is less movement of the cue on the backstroke = a reduction of any imperfections in the backstroke which might cause the cue to get slightly out of line.
A lot, probably most of the guys who used it were 14.1 players where you don't need a big back stroke to generate power to move the ball around the table like in 9 ball. Perhaps a factor in the decline in the number of players using the slip stroke was the rise in popularity of 9 ball.