Cuttung shots with inside english.and the contact point.

ENGLISH! said:
Mike,

I'm just curious. Do you know if Hopkins' grip was/is loose or more firm like CJ's?

B,
Rick
Click to expand...

Don't know. He has very little mechanics to actually study. It's over in the blink of an eye. :D You'd need a high speed camera to slow down his technique, then ask him about what he's feeling to go with the picture. Tremendous talent, that's for sure.

Best,
Mike
 
Mikjary said:
That short backstroke eliminates a lot of problems. Something to think about when you got the wobbles going on.

He's definitely on one end of the spectrum for mechanics of the stroke.

Best,
Mike
Click to expand...
True. I had this discussion with someone at the poolhall yesterday regarding my own stroke. As I have aged I have shortened my backstroke as well.

Gettin old sucks.
 
Tony_in_MD said:
True. I had this discussion with someone at the poolhall yesterday regarding my own stroke. As I have aged I have shortened my backstroke as well.

Gettin old sucks.
Click to expand...

I've had to shorten mine, too. Fast and loose has turned into fat and sloppy!

Best,
Mike
 
Mikjary said:
His elbow drop is longer than his backswing for most shots. That would take some good timing to pull off.

Best,
Mike
Click to expand...

Mike,

He's definitely a pusher much the way CJ is & not a puller of the cue.

I said it in another thread. As in most athletic endeavors its timing, but it's not conscious timing. He does not have time to think about when to drop his elbow. It just happens when it's supposed to happen given what his focus IS on.

Best,
Rick
 
ENGLISH! said:
Mike,

He's definitely a pusher much the way CJ is & not a puller of the cue.

I said it in another thread. As in most athletic endeavors its timing, but it's not conscious timing. He does not have time to think about when to drop his elbow. It just happens when it's supposed to happen given what his focus IS on.

Best,
Rick
Click to expand...

He strokes with his upper arm to push no pendulum.

Be well.
 
Tony_in_MD said:
When his timing is off he sits down too.
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LOL It must've been a real pleasure to get any input from him on the game. A guy that that could really help smooth out any wrinkles.

I played against Dallas West a few times before I realized it would be cheaper to just pay him for lessons. Jumped my game up quite a bit. We never worked on my stroke except for a few techniques, but the strategy part was worth every penny.

When a guy like that talks you through a rack, your runs go from 30-40 balls to 75+. Makes you get some confidence in your abilities and want to play all the time.

Best,
Mike
 
LAMas said:
He strokes with his upper arm to push no pendulum.

Be well.
Click to expand...

Think about how good his initial alignment must be. There are times I stroke back and forth to gauge my shot line and speed. It'd be a game changer for me to shorten my backstroke any more than I already have. I'd have to rely on video or an observer to find any flaws with such minimal movement.

I knew a guy he played like Hopkins. He wasn't a pro, but played pretty strong. Just under pro level. When I matched up with him, I had to stop watching his stroke, or lack of, to keep my focus. I always admired how much he could spin the cue ball with mainly his hands and follow through. When I tried it, it turned into a spasm. :)

Best,
Mike

Edit: You were probably talking about CJ, not Hopkins.
 
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ENGLISH! said:
Mike,

He's definitely a pusher much the way CJ is & not a puller of the cue.

I said it in another thread. As in most athletic endeavors its timing, but it's not conscious timing. He does not have time to think about when to drop his elbow. It just happens when it's supposed to happen given what his focus IS on.

Best,
Rick
Click to expand...

CJ definitely has a solid technique going on. It's a push as far as I can tell. I feel the same way about my stroke playing rotation games. I may pull the cue a little more playing straight pool.

Best,
Mike
 
Mikjary said:
CJ definitely has a solid technique going on. It's a push as far as I can tell. I feel the same way about my stroke playing rotation games. I may pull the cue a little more playing straight pool.

Best,
Mike
Click to expand...

Mike,

If a kid came in off the street & kicked your butt with a stroke similar to CJ's or even Hopkins', would you tell him or her that he or she was playing wrong & should change his or her stroke?

Okay...let's say they did not kick your butt but they gave you all you could handle.

Oh well, let's just say one that showed promise with that type of stroke.

Best,
Rick

PS Didn't Mosconi hold the cue short & push many of his shots until he used the slip stroke for some other shots that for some reason he did not want to push?
 
ENGLISH! said:
Mike,

If a kid came in off the street & kicked your butt with a stroke similar to CJ's or even Hopkins', would you tell him or her that he or she was playing wrong & should change his or her stroke?

Okay...let's say they did not kick your butt but they gave you all you could handle.

Oh well, let's just say one that showed promise with that type of stroke.

Best,
Rick

PS Didn't Mosconi hold the cue short & push many of his shots until he used the slip stroke for some other shots that for some reason he did not want to push?
Click to expand...

I've played guys that had some such terrible strokes, I never figured out how they got out. Dave Yeager used to pull his stick around his back and act like he was pulling out his wallet. He stood straight up (6'6"tall), jacked up, super short bridge with a punch stroke. Never hardly took a practice stroke and beat me with 7 ball.

I was hitting them good. I had just got done barely losing 1 race in a session with Joey Gold playing even, a day or two before. I jumped on Dave after watching his game and thinking he couldn't play well. I needed a surgeon to stop the bleeding and quit after about an hour. :grin:

I would help somebody if they asked me for help and I thought I could help them. If they played better than me, I'd evaluate what just happened and think about what they did better than me. Maybe they knew something I didn't.

As far as Mr. Willie, some may think he might not have stroked textbook perfect, but you can't argue with the results. Maybe he is the perfect textbook...I don't know. It sure looked like he pushed and poked a few balls, to me. But if that's what it takes, I'm in.

I'm not sure if he gravitated to the slip stroke on some shots later in his career or not. I never saw him play in person in his younger years. My only experience is video of him later in life and he was doing something on some of the shots with his cue I'd never heard about.

When I did speak to him in person, he went off about something I said and the crowd I was with made a hasty departure. We never did figure out what set him off. I did get his autograph, FWIW. :) 1983 in Dallas.

Best,
Mike
 
A short push stroke could be useful when trying out an aiming system with the CB and OB close together. Takes a bad stroke out of the mix.

Be well.
 
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