I had no idea that Keith played snooker (i'm going to continue reading the thread now)
I'll Take A Poor Looking Stroke That Works
- Thread starter Johnnyt
- Start date
I had no idea that Keith played snooker (i'm going to continue reading the thread now)
I've heard the same about girlfriends.
Many a good player has screwed themselves up trying to fix something that was working just fine, but were told or believed that what was going on behind their line of sight was "incorrect" and needed "fixing". Intense concentration on how you grip, whether or not your elbow is directly above the cue line, etc. just takes you off task. If you have trouble, sure, fundamentals/mechanics are usually the culprit. But if you focus on a repeatable, straight stroke that gets the tip precisely where you want it to go and through the ball, making the shot, then your stroke works. Case closed.
Funny, I see tons of C players that have beautiful strokes, but can't run three balls to save their lives...and most high level players I see have some hitch or idiosyncrasy that a purist would criticize--yet they're "the exception"
.
Funny, I see tons of C players that have beautiful strokes, but can't run three balls to save their lives...and most high level players I see have some hitch or idiosyncrasy that a purist would criticize--yet they're "the exception"
.
:thumbup2::thumbup2::thumbup2:
A long 'waxing' post changed to the following:
It's like Butch Harmon said, 'I may NOT be able to build a Championship swing... but if I'm not careful... I KNOW I can ruin one.'
The artistry can not be taught so the teachers teach what they can teach. A GOOD teacher KNOWS when to NOT teach, so as to not ruin the artistry.
In the beginning, one does not know if one has a Hendy or a Higgins. One should find out before one ruins a Higgins. Cookie cutters can cut off what might be Future Championship Dough.
Too many think themselves more valuable than the student & that could not be farther from the truth. Almost always the teacher's time has past while the student even at the lowest level has potential & could become a Champion & hence the student is way more valuable than the teacher.
Two large EGOs rarely get along for long especially if one is outwardly arrogant. A little Humility & genuine concern can go a long way.
So, Yes, IMHO we ALL should take a stroke that works, FOR US, over one that looks 'textbook' & we also should consider just who is writing the 'textbook'.
The Civics being taught in schools today is not what was being taught when many of us were in school long ago.
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I've noticed rich guys tend to have good looking wives and girlfriends. They aren't worried about whether or not she works.
Hi Jaden,
There are more individual golf swings than Carter has oats, but what ALL good players have the same is at contact. How each individual gets to that critical moment matters not, it's that they get to that 'proper' position.
I understand what you're saying but like your friend we are all individuals & the cookie cutter does not fit all.
I've seen quite a few natural hitters of the baseball basically get ruined by coaches that taught what they could teach & then blame the 'student' for the lack of success.
Perhaps the coaches should have studied the natural hitter to see if there was anything that they could learn & perhaps then pass on to others.
It's not about teaching idiosyncrasies of other individuals. It's about knowing that they really don't matter to the 'textbook' so let the individual have them.
They may be the Championship Dough cut away by the cookie cutter that keeps that individual in mediocrity.
Best 2 Ya.
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Many a good player has screwed themselves up trying to fix something that was working just fine, but were told or believed that what was going on behind their line of sight was "incorrect" and needed "fixing". Intense concentration on how you grip, whether or not your elbow is directly above the cue line, etc. just takes you off task. If you have trouble, sure, fundamentals/mechanics are usually the culprit. But if you focus on a repeatable, straight stroke that gets the tip precisely where you want it to go and through the ball, making the shot, then your stroke works. Case closed.
Funny, I see tons of C players that have beautiful strokes, but can't run three balls to save their lives...and most high level players I see have some hitch or idiosyncrasy that a purist would criticize--yet they're "the exception"
...:thumbup2:...
Name a couple.
You may be right, but I doubt that you know it as certainly as you seem to think.
pj
chgo
I could name legions of them...but since I doubt you would know them, what's your point?
Sure, but who'd believe you? Not me. Are you saying "legions" of players have told you this happened to them? Or do you just "know" it's true?
That unsupported beliefs posing as facts are rampant here and readers should be aware.
pj
chgo
McCready comes to mind lol.
A nice looking stroke to me means straight. If it's straight then it's good. If it arcs and sweeps it will let you down at some point, usually what you least want it to. Someone mentioned Alex Higgins... Ronnie O'Sullivan also falls into the bad looking stroke also but it's worked wonders for him. In snooker the vast majority have a nice looking stroke that works. Exceptions like Ronnie, Alex and even Mika Immonen exist but trying to learn and base your stroke around these types is extremely difficult because because of all the moving parts. The timing has to be perfect to make them strokes work. But a simple back, pause and forward cue action like Melling is easier explain why it works and teach.
So you think Keith ruined his game by trying to fix his stroke?
I trust the readers to evaluate what's posted here with whatever grain of salt they require. I share my observation based upon 30 years of playing, starting with Busch League, then the Coors Light World Series of Tavern Games, followed by APA and then regional/open tournaments all over the country (California, Washington and the East Coast), two regional tours and Europe. I don't think I remember a time I didn't know a good player on a winning streak that wasn't struggling with some perceived mechanical issue and had his game plummet in pursuit of a fix--that in my view didn't need fixing. I've seen plenty of low level players that improved their game fixing mechanical issues (with instruction). Two different things. Choose to "believe me" or not...I frankly don't care.
I agree completely… All pro's have great strokes (or they wouldn't be pro's), but some look a lot better than others.
Results are how you evaluate stroke, not looks!
No, perhaps I took this out of context. McCready played pretty sporty with an unorthodox stroke.
So you're saying it's better to be good than look good, eh?
Hmmmm, never thought of that. And all this time I thought emulating Efren would make me play like Efren.