For years I noticed that the top Asian players were using extra long bridges most of the time instead of the old fashioned Mosconi method of 6-7-8 inches, etc.,etc.
The short bridges may(?) have been okay in the hey day of straight pool (a half table game), but now against these 9 ball and 10 ball wizards from Asia it is necessary to drive that cue ball around the table while pocketing accurately to remain at the table. And be assured that if the other guy throws a safety on you, most of the time you will be jammed up on a short rail a "mile away" from the object ball.
I began to wonder WHY the Asians seemed to use the long bridge so much?
Some of the answer has been revealed in Stan Shuffett's Master Encyclopedia of Pocket Billiards titled "CENTER POCKET MUSIC".
Stan spends a lot of time discussing bridge lengths as they relate to pivot aiming (which is almost an axiom now with Asian players and they disguise it SO well). They keep it to themselves also...which is a smart thing to do. Especially around most Americans, who by and large, seem to have a built in sense of moral and intellectual superiority toward residents of other countries.
This discussion of bridge lengths in the book should be studied, digested, and then thoroughly worked with at the practice table.
Longer bridges require less pivot, shorter bridges require greater pivots in order to arrive at the NISL (no imagination shot line). This is good news!
Studying these things will give a lot of answers toward some of the WHY concerning the Asians and some Europeans as to how they seem to be beating the daylights out of everyone they play most of the time.
Learning is a fun thing. When you stop learning, your brain atrophies and you die...both figuratively and literally.
The short bridges may(?) have been okay in the hey day of straight pool (a half table game), but now against these 9 ball and 10 ball wizards from Asia it is necessary to drive that cue ball around the table while pocketing accurately to remain at the table. And be assured that if the other guy throws a safety on you, most of the time you will be jammed up on a short rail a "mile away" from the object ball.
I began to wonder WHY the Asians seemed to use the long bridge so much?
Some of the answer has been revealed in Stan Shuffett's Master Encyclopedia of Pocket Billiards titled "CENTER POCKET MUSIC".
Stan spends a lot of time discussing bridge lengths as they relate to pivot aiming (which is almost an axiom now with Asian players and they disguise it SO well). They keep it to themselves also...which is a smart thing to do. Especially around most Americans, who by and large, seem to have a built in sense of moral and intellectual superiority toward residents of other countries.
This discussion of bridge lengths in the book should be studied, digested, and then thoroughly worked with at the practice table.
Longer bridges require less pivot, shorter bridges require greater pivots in order to arrive at the NISL (no imagination shot line). This is good news!
Studying these things will give a lot of answers toward some of the WHY concerning the Asians and some Europeans as to how they seem to be beating the daylights out of everyone they play most of the time.
Learning is a fun thing. When you stop learning, your brain atrophies and you die...both figuratively and literally.