Follow or Draw?

Back through the 80s, most pros utilized draw shots quite a bit. Todays pros seem to follow more than draw. I tend to draw more than I should because I'm from that old school era and I tend to just set myself up for draw shots.

I can recall one rack in particular, about 25 years ago...I was on the hill with ball in hand on the 8. The 9 ball was about 4 inches from the side pocket but at an angle. I shot the 8 straight in the other side and needed to draw it back about a foot for a straight in / gimmie shot on the 9. I drew it back about 3 inches and left myself with a sharp cut on the 9. I missed it. Our local "house pro" was watching me and after I lost, he said I was supposed to set myself up an angle to follow that 8 ball and I never come up short. Never. He was right. Draw sometimes (no matter how good we are) doesn't take like we expect or grabs too much. A good angle and follow is more error proof.
 
I can shoot both, but prefer draw... and it depends on the cloth to some degree.
If you have a ball close to a pocket on fast cloth, and hit follow, the CB will skid after hitting the rail.. draw takes off right away.. IMO.

I see a lot of draw in 9 ball.. more follow in One Pocket.
 
Black-Balled said:
Bull caca mama. That is like saying the reason people dont run faster is coz they are afraid to fall down.

People who do things regularly learn the ranges of ____ and in turn, do those things within those ranges.

Miscue doesn't even enter into likely possible outcomes...not to say it never happens, but when it does happen, it is coz the edge of the range has been tested or there is hardware failure.
Click to expand...
Well, I'll have to agree with BB here. Even though he'll prolly chew on my ass for agreeing!
 
Nine ... corner said:
Nonsense! On what are you basing this tenant?
Click to expand...

EDIT: I read the original post backwards. I thought he said accuracy was less with draw.

Don’t we all go through a phase of not hitting low enough on draw shots? So we think we need to hit it harder. We hit it without confidence. Our head pops up. Then our stroke goes to hell. Our back hand clenches. Sometimes we miscue. But more often we miss.

Once we develop a stroke and can draw with finesse that mostly goes away. It perhaps creeps back in on power draw shots, especially at distance or bridging near the rail.

Respectfully, Matt
(I don’t take myself too seriously. I hope you can return the favor.)
 
Last edited:
Michael Andros said:
In most cases, whether follow or draw is needed on any given shot is fairly plain. But, in cases far less often, it can be follow OR draw. Now, given that most of the time, the CB is going to cover more ground with follow than with draw and most of us know, the farther whitey travels the more chances of "Oops!" happening. But, if all things were equal, which would you rather use, follow or draw? It's definitely a personal preference.
Click to expand...

I recently finished up my Aiming Techniques and worked on Speed and
Stroke Control techniques and found different perspectives on which to base a
knowledge of draw and how not to mess it up quite honestly. I don't know of anyone else
that's studied it that close.

I've been providing a free ebook on stroke control to my customers. Just started doing it.

It was a fun book to write and its helped my draw stroke considerably. For the first time
in years I felt like I got control of the draw stroke for the purposes what I need it.
 
ace9ball said:
Accuracy for making object ball is much better with draw
Click to expand...

This is how snooker players look at it...fewer kicks/skids with backspin on the cue ball...
...with over-spin, if there is any hesitation at contact, the cue ball tries to climb up the
object ball and changes the angle.
Back-spin gives you the cleanest hit and trust potting angle.
...this works also if the balls aren't clean.

Plus, the draw stroke is the easiest to deliver...from the elbow.
...IMO, the follow stoke should have the armpit involved also...an extra moving part.

Under tournament conditions, the follow problem is minimized...
...but the heavier or dirtier the cloth, the more draw is favorable.


Welcome to AZ, Ace
 
Beyond all the happy sayings, there are few times (or no times) when "all things are equal."

Gross generalization to follow, so draw your own conclusion:

With top players (based solely on my personal observation and no Atlarge facts :) ) , they rarely follow the "draw for show, follow for dough" saying. Most pros favor draw. It tends to be obvious how players like Alex, Efren, and some other Filipino players tend to follow more than other pros, but Orcullo likes to draw more, for example.

I personally tend to be draw heavy, but whatever the shot calls for, that's what I'll do. Again, I think it's the rare shot that one is equal to the other. There's going to be an advantage whether I'm stretched out, or need speed control off a cushion. Usually to get the cueball to the same place, at least one of the two (draw vs follow) has to go to a cushion, which increases your speed control factor.

Freddie <~~~ needs a new saying
 
I agree with the people that BIH is the more common scenario to think about this. Say I am shooting a ball to the side and want to draw the cueball back a diamond passed the other side pocket because that tracks to my line/pattern.

Often I will consider short side placement instead shooting to the other side pocket and follow the cueball to that position instead because I feel I can control the trajectory and speed more accurately.


Respectfully, Matt
(I don’t take myself too seriously. I hope you can return the favor.)
 
pt109 said:
This is how snooker players look at it...fewer kicks/skids with backspin on the cue ball...
...with over-spin, if there is any hesitation at contact, the cue ball tries to climb up the
object ball and changes the angle.
Back-spin gives you the cleanest hit and trust potting angle.
...this works also if the balls aren't clean.

Plus, the draw stroke is the easiest to deliver...from the elbow.
...IMO, the follow stoke should have the armpit involved also...an extra moving part.

Under tournament conditions, the follow problem is minimized...
...but the heavier or dirtier the cloth, the more draw is favorable.


Welcome to AZ, Ace
Click to expand...

This kind of makes sense, I’ve been putting the hours in lately, the balls were a mess. Up until the point I cleaned them, I was shooting more than usual with draw. Follow just wasn’t as reliable. Plus humidity has been nuts lately
 
Well, if you want to test the distance accuracy test for yourself, set up a shot that is nearly straight into a side pocket with the object ball one ball past the center line of the table. The cue ball has the same distance to travel to the side cushions for draw and follow. In 10 tries for each, how many times can you leave the cue ball within a ball diameter/chalk width/1mm of the cushion?

There is a physical reason draw may seem more accurate for aiming and that's the increased speed needed for draw. In my experience, you have to hit draw shots about twice the speed of follow shots to achieve the same cue ball movement because you lose draw on the way to the object ball. The higher speed may give a cleaner hit (less throw/skid).
 
Cornerman said:
Beyond all the happy sayings, there are few times (or no times) when "all things are equal."

Gross generalization to follow, so draw your own conclusion:

With top players (based solely on my personal observation and no Atlarge facts :) ) , they rarely follow the "draw for show, follow for dough" saying. Most pros favor draw. It tends to be obvious how players like Alex, Efren, and some other Filipino players tend to follow more than other pros, but Orcullo likes to draw more, for example.

I personally tend to be draw heavy, but whatever the shot calls for, that's what I'll do. Again, I think it's the rare shot that one is equal to the other. There's going to be an advantage whether I'm stretched out, or need speed control off a cushion. Usually to get the cueball to the same place, at least one of the two (draw vs follow) has to go to a cushion, which increases your speed control factor.

Freddie <~~~ needs a new saying
Click to expand...

I tend to draw a lot as well. At least, as I practice, I tend to try to leave myself no angle deliberately ( straight in ), so I have to draw to get shape. The key term here is "tend". I don't do it all the time. And before everyone piles on, yes, I am WELL aware leaving one's self an angle is, by and large, requisite in playing position. I don't recommend my practice habits, vis-a-vis leaving myself straight in, even though I only do that a percentage of the time.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Well, if you want to test the distance accuracy test for yourself, set up a shot that is nearly straight into a side pocket with the object ball one ball past the center line of the table. The cue ball has the same distance to travel to the side cushions for draw and follow. In 10 tries for each, how many times can you leave the cue ball within a ball diameter/chalk width/1mm of the cushion?

There is a physical reason draw may seem more accurate for aiming and that's the increased speed needed for draw. In my experience, you have to hit draw shots about twice the speed of follow shots to achieve the same cue ball movement because you lose draw on the way to the object ball. The higher speed may give a cleaner hit (less throw/skid).
Click to expand...

So Bob? Your pref? Draw or follow...? :grin-square:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top