Drawing Back Straight

[KMRUNOUT]

I've spent tons of time practicing my draw, specifically drawing perfectly straight. I have noticed that things go wrong primarily due to a few things:

1) Stay still. It is amazing how much you can move around without realizing you are doing it. I find that when you want to strike the cueball hard, this effect is greatly magnified. REALLY focus on staying still, especially your head...that seems to drive the rest.

2) Maintain a loose grip on the cue. Clenching up can really cause problems. Don't get me wrong, you can do tremendous things with the clenching of your *hand*, but the clenching of your *wrist* and forearm usually causes problems. Learning to feel the difference between these muscle sets is a BIG deal for me.

3) Verify good alignment. This is super tough without a knowledgeable friend or a video camera. But it is everything...

Hope these help you. 99% of my draw issues (actually *any* issues), boils down to these 3.

KMRUNOUT

 

[9Ballr]

One thing that is killing me nowadays is that for some reason I cant draw the ball straight back. Whether its just a straight draw or a draw back off the rail and then into position I seem to be struggling with this.

Tips?

r/DCP

You want to draw straight (or follow straight) then everything
else has to be straight.

Assuming the two balls are lined up:

First make sure you're stroke is perfectly straight and isn't
wobbly at all.

Then make sure you're hitting the cue ball at 6 o'clock or 12
o'clock.

Then make sure you give it a little follow through.
Some say 6-8 inches. I agree with this.

Last......practice all the above until there's no tomorrow and you
barely have enough energy to make it to your car and drive
back home.

Then come back the next day and do it all over again.

Also, just on a personal note, I find it much easier to draw and
control the cue ball in general with solid maple shafts as opposed
to LD shafts. But that's just me. Many people think the exact opposite.
Not me. I get a lot more action on the cue ball with solid maple
shaft than any LD that I've tried.
Again, that's just a personal thing.

 

[California Fats]

I had the same issue. I got together with a few high level players, and they were very quick to point out my follow-through was the problem. It takes practice to hit with the force needed, all the while focusing on doing the perfect follow-through. I didn't realize it, but I wasn't dipping the cue as much as I should have after contact. Next time you're at the table, get out of your comfort zone and make a point of it to dip your cue way more than you usually would. Start easy by putting the cue ball and the object ball close together. Don't worry about moving your cue out of the way, just get a feel for that perfect roll-back. After it's comfortable, move them further and further away.

 

[Blue Jam]

You *can* draw with the cue ball on the rail, but it is far more difficult. What the OP was saying I think is the idea of drawing back *to* a rail and back out.

KMRUNOUT

Pedant.

 

[Blue Jam]

Actually what he says is not wrong. Try it. The mass of the cue allows it to keep travelling straight even if you let go. Also, he did say to then grab it again. I've had success with this technique at times.

KMRUNOUT

If your cue action is prevents such an obstacle to straight cueing that letting go of the cue mid-stroke shows an improvement, you really ought to take up a pastime that doesn't involve fine motor skills. Genuinely.

 

[JoeyA]

I was going to save this for Joey

I have reached NIRVANA after many years. I set up the object ball, one ball off of the left side rail near the foot rail on the secnd diamond from the far corner pocket. From the head string, I place the cue ball one ball off of the side rail, maybe a schooch more, so that it is a straight in shot.

When I can make this consistently, I move the object ball a half diamond further down the table and move the cue ball 1/2 of a diamond behind the head string.

I have had inconsistent results for YEARS. Now, I simply line up the shot correctly (as always) but make sure that I am going to hit the part of the cue ball that I plan to hit and use only one slow, smooth back stroke and a pendulum forward stroke. My accuracy with this has increased SIGNIFICANTLY and am finally happy with my draw shot.

I can't tell you how long I have been working on this. I guess, when I do the traditional multiple warm up strokes, it gets me off line and I don't hit the cue ball where I want to hit it.

That's all there is to it.

JoeyA

 

[KMRUNOUT]

If your cue action is prevents such an obstacle to straight cueing that letting go of the cue mid-stroke shows an improvement, you really ought to take up a pastime that doesn't involve fine motor skills. Genuinely.

I'm sure Efren agrees. Check out his stroke and delivery. This is where I first came across this type of stroke. I think it would be better to say "relaxing your grip" rather than "letting go of the cue".

Your post sounds like the classic "knock what you don't understand" type. Sorry man hope things improve in that department.

KMRUNOUT

 

[KMRUNOUT]

Pedant.

Funny you made the exact same correction to your post. I noticed after I posted. Are you also pedantic? Rather I should say, do you also believe yourself pedantic?

Good post.

KMRUNOUT

 

[Inaction]

Haha that's brilliant. Let go of the cue. Yeah, and when driving to the pool hall and you're approaching a junction, just close your eyes. Oh, and just before you go into a job interview, take off all your clothes!

Tom Rossman did an exhibition at South Dakota State while I was there. I learned the shaft jump shot from him, and also the "throw your cue at the cueball" shot. He used this technique for a trick shot where he shot a ball in the side pocket with extreme draw to send it to the corner pocket down a path created by the rest of the balls lined up about a ball and a half from the side rail.

I used the throw the cue shot in a tournament once where I was lined up at about a 25 degree angle into the corner pocket. With low right, the CB came straight back to the rail and rebounded at a sharp angle to get behind the spot for a shot on the 8.to win.

I don't always throw my cue, but when I do....it is an extreme draw required situation.

 

[Colin Colenso]

One thing that is killing me nowadays is that for some reason I cant draw the ball straight back. Whether its just a straight draw or a draw back off the rail and then into position I seem to be struggling with this.

Tips?

r/DCP

Either 2 things....

1. You're not hitting low... practice hitting low.

the more likely is the 2nd...

2. You're aligned wrong! Disregard what many have said about the stroke. If you're hitting near middle and low, the CB will come back as it should.

It's that simple. There's very little anyone can do to turn a pot off the aim line if they actually hit low near the center axis. All manner of swiping makes hardly any difference.

So focus on your bridge positioning. Get that right, unless you can't hit it 80-90% max draw, and if you can't do that, then no forum answer is better than just practicing hitting low.

Colin

 

[Colin Colenso]

Tom Rossman did an exhibition at South Dakota State while I was there. I learned the shaft jump shot from him, and also the "throw your cue at the cueball" shot. He used this technique for a trick shot where he shot a ball in the side pocket with extreme draw to send it to the corner pocket down a path created by the rest of the balls lined up about a ball and a half from the side rail.

I used the throw the cue shot in a tournament once where I was lined up at about a 25 degree angle into the corner pocket. With low right, the CB came straight back to the rail and rebounded at a sharp angle to get behind the spot for a shot on the 8.to win.

I don't always throw my cue, but when I do....it is an extreme draw required situation.

How is that different to a firm draw shot? Throwing is just one means to hit it hard, say 14-18 mph.

 

[Blue Jam]

Funny you made the exact same correction to your post. I noticed after I posted. Are you also pedantic? Rather I should say, do you also believe yourself pedantic?

Good post.

KMRUNOUT

I edited it to avoid pedants derailing the conversation into pointless semantics.

I'm sorry to see I have failed.

 

[Blue Jam]

I'm sure Efren agrees. Check out his stroke and delivery. This is where I first came across this type of stroke. I think it would be better to say "relaxing your grip" rather than "letting go of the cue".

Your post sounds like the classic "knock what you don't understand" type. Sorry man hope things improve in that department.

KMRUNOUT

The post I responded to said similar to "release your cue and re-grip it", not "relaxing your grip". Quite a difference I'm sure you'll agree. You can let us know if Efren agrees with it.

Carry on making incorrect assumptions though, they do amuse me so.

 

[Pidge]

If players are struggling with this the. It comes down to their accuracy and control over the cue. Controlling the cue and striking the cue ball accurately starts with the warm up strokes. Try to keep away from big rapid strokes. It causes movement of the body. Try little dabs of the cue maybe half an inch or so back and forth to the cue ball. Then there is the back swing. Slow it right down. The slower it is the more control you have over how straight you bring it back. That's the key... Bring the cue back straight and the only way your cue can go forward is straight... Unless I dunno, you sneeze half way through. People's strokes would be a lot straighter if they pulled the cue back 10 times slower than they do now.

 

[Colin Colenso]

If players are struggling with this the. It comes down to their accuracy and control over the cue. Controlling the cue and striking the cue ball accurately starts with the warm up strokes. Try to keep away from big rapid strokes. It causes movement of the body. Try little dabs of the cue maybe half an inch or so back and forth to the cue ball. Then there is the back swing. Slow it right down. The slower it is the more control you have over how straight you bring it back. That's the key... Bring the cue back straight and the only way your cue can go forward is straight... Unless I dunno, you sneeze half way through. People's strokes would be a lot straighter if they pulled the cue back 10 times slower than they do now.

All this is great advice, but if the bridge V is 1mm out, it's worth naught on that shot.

Colin

 

[Pidge]

All this is great advice, but if the bridge V is 1mm out, it's worth naught on that shot.

Colin

True say. That's why I have always said the most important part of pool is finding and accurate vision centre for your self. Without it, you can't consistently place your bridge... Or do anything else consistently actually.

 

[KMRUNOUT]

I edited it to avoid pedants derailing the conversation into pointless semantics.

I'm sorry to see I have failed.

Well, it makes sense that you would prefer to view it as semantics. In reality, you made a point that was wrong in 2 ways. I was correcting you. Most don't like to be corrected. Some react defensively.

While factual information may be "pointless" to you, it may not be for others. So when you say "you can't draw on the rail", I wish to correct this misinformation.

It didn't derail anything. It simply caught *your* attention because you were the one being corrected. If you have such a problem with your claims being challenged, I would advise either improve the accuracy of your claims, or don't make claims. The forum isn't your personal sounding board. It is potentially a source of information for many. I prefer that that information be accurate. You are welcome to not care about that.

Also, it originally appeared that you had made a separate post correcting your take on what the OP said. (As opposed to editing). As long as we are being accurate. As I said, I made my post before reading your second correction post. Try to lighten up. You were wrong. Get over it.

KMRUNOUT

 

[KMRUNOUT]

The post I responded to said similar to "release your cue and re-grip it", not "relaxing your grip". Quite a difference I'm sure you'll agree. You can let us know if Efren agrees with it.

Carry on making incorrect assumptions though, they do amuse me so.

It could mean a lot of things. Having analyzed Efren's stroke, and having taken lessons with him in person, I have noticed some things about how he delivers the cue. You can gain information, or you can defend your position. It does not seem like you can do both.

Glad you are amused. A positive side effect for sure. Curious...what assumption did I make? "relax your grip" is very similar to "release your cue." The re-gripping part I did not address. It is essentially irrelevant to the support I was attempting to lend to the "releasing your cue" idea.

There is no requirement that you understand or value what I have to say.

KMRUNOUT

 

[Runner]

Drawing bad

First off, I presume that you know (with a traditional pool-stroke) that it is only possible to draw straight back on a full-ball hit...

There must be some way that you can do it? Ball in hand with OB very close to pocket?

Can you shoot a ball in the side straight in and draw the CB into the opposite side?

This^^.... I remember a Buddy Hall drill, like the above, set up a straight in shot in the side, draw it right back in the other side. Then you progress to a straight in the corner with your OB at center table... draw the rock back in the opposite corner. It ain't easy..

My culprit is almost always my back hand twisting in, like Earl... IDK how he compensates for that. And there is a little 'release and snap' grip thing going on with players who have a great draw. .2cents

 

[KMRUNOUT]

This^^.... I remember a Buddy Hall drill, like the above, set up a straight in shot in the side, draw it right back in the other side. Then you progress to a straight in the corner with your OB at center table... draw the rock back in the opposite corner. It ain't easy..

My culprit is almost always my back hand twisting in, like Earl... IDK how he compensates for that. And there is a little 'release and snap' grip thing going on with players who have a great draw. .2cents

I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the shot where the cueball is 1 diamond over from the left side rail and on the headstring, object ball 1 diamond over from the opposite right side rail on the footstring. So basically straight in diagonally across the table, about 6 feet away on a 9'er. Shoot it in and draw back into the corner near me...nothing but net. Meaning it can't touch the sides of the pocket. That's straight lol. Never been better than maybe 2 or 3 in 15 like that. But trying sure does straighten things out.

The little release and snap grip thing you mention seems like another way of saying what I had mentioned previously about Efren. He does that big time in such a cool way! However I feel like there *isn't* that with someone like Buddy Hall. I must say Hall's style seems more technically correct and reliable, especially for mortals.

KMRUNOUT