Sequence of PSR steps

[dquarasr]

I am getting more consistent with my alignment and stance, but sometimes I can make a bunch of my "reference" shot (a straight-in shot CB two diamonds from the head rail, OB 3 or 4 diamonds from the CB on a straight line to the corner pocket). Then I can start missing them, seemingly doing nothing different.

So, here I am at the table this evening. Walked up to the table, made around 10 in a row to groove my stroke, most of them without touching the pocket cushions. Then started missing two, three, four at a time, CB left. WTF?

So, I shook it off, relaxed, shot a few more, straight in. Then I missed one. Asked myself "What did you do different that shot compared to the previous successful shots?"

I noticed the difference, and confirmed it by shooting a number additional shots as I did on my misses, and shooting as I did on the shots I made.

On the shots I was making, I'd do this in my PSR:
1. Visualize the shot, including where I want the CB to go.
2. Place my right foot per my prescribed location I've been working on the last month, literally, the first "step" into getting into my stance.
3. Bring my cue to the shot line.
4. Place my left foot naturally as I got down on the shot.
5. Take notice of where my back hand is on the cue (I have a tendency to be too far forward).
6. Take two practice strokes, eyes back and forth between CB and OB.
7. Focus view on OB.
8. Take one more practice stroke.
9. Slow backstroke.
10. Release the shot.

On the shots I was missing CB left:
1. Visualize the shot, including where I want the CB to go.
2. Place my right foot per my prescribed location I've been working on the last month, literally, the first "step" into getting into my stance.
3. Place my left foot slightly forward and left of the shot line.
4. Bring my cue to the shot line.
5. Get down on the shot.
6. Take notice of where my back hand is on the cue (I have a tendency to be too far forward).
7. Take two practice strokes, eyes back and forth between CB and OB.
8. Focus view on OB.
9. Take one more practice stroke.
10. Slow backstroke.
11. Release the shot.

Notice steps 3 and 4 are reversed, and in the "miss" scenario, placing my left foot is a discrete step.

I sure can understand that placing my left foot before having the cue on the shot line could be more random than doing so after starting to bring my cue down on the shot line, but I also had assumed that if I were careful placing my left foot consistently, I'd be OK. In my brief experimentation, it seems, um, not so much.

Mark Wilson's book says to place the feet first, then bring the cue into alignment with the shot line. (He also states that his book explains the "orthodox" method, and deviation is done at one's peril, but also it's OK to experiment a little.)

Is this really "a thing"? Can the order of my left foot placement and bringing the cue to the shot line be that impactful? I suppose so, but I've played enough in the last year to realize that what might be true today might not be so tomorrow; that's the frustration yet the allure of this mastering this game.

As always, responses much appreciated!

 

[FranCrimi]

In placing your feet, think of them as a single unit working together. Most players will have an optimal left/right placement that puts them in alignment and in balance. Adjustments are usually made to both feet and not one, so 'comfortably' placing your left foot on each shot means that you are arbitrarily placing it in different ways that will change your alignment and balance each time you shoot. That's not a good psr if you're trying to develop consistency.

 

[dquarasr]

In placing your feet, think of them as a single unit working together. Most players will have an optimal left/right placement that puts them in alignment and in balance. Adjustments are usually made to both feet and not one, so 'comfortably' placing your left foot on each shot means that you are arbitrarily placing it in different ways that will change your alignment and balance each time you shoot. That's not a good psr if you're trying to develop consistency.

So is it better to let my cue alignment dictate where I place my left foot (assuming placement of my right foot is optimal based on my assessment of the shot line), or place my left foot before swinging the cue onto the shot line? Based on my empirical evidence, the former seems to work better but I'm open to suggestion.

I do make the assumption that I have found the optimal placement of my right foot, again, based on empirical evidence shooting many hundreds of shots recently. If that is a bad assumption I'm all ears on how to more effectively place my (both of) my feet.

Or are you trying to say place *both* feet after putting the cue on the shot line? I hadn't tried that yet . . . .

 

[FranCrimi]

So is it better to let my cue alignment dictate where I place my left foot (assuming placement of my right foot is optimal based on my assessment of the shot line), or place my left foot before swinging the cue onto the shot line? Based on my empirical evidence, the former seems to work better but I'm open to suggestion.

I do make the assumption that I have found the optimal placement of my right foot, again, based on empirical evidence shooting many hundreds of shots recently. If that is a bad assumption I'm all ears on how to more effectively place my (both of) my feet.

Or are you trying to say place *both* feet after putting the cue on the shot line? I hadn't tried that yet . . . .

First, determine the shot line, which is the line the cb will travel to the ob and the same line where you will eventually place your cue. I recommend envisioning extending that line off the table and stepping on that line with your right foot. The portion of your foot that steps on that line will depend on various factors, including your dominant eye and how much swing room you will need from your hip. Next, plant your left foot based on your right-left/foot optimal balance arrangement. That relationship between your two feet should pretty much stay the same for most of your shots and it comes from trial and error experimentation. With a cross dominant eye, you'll probably have a slightly smaller angle between the line created by your two feet and your pool cue than someone without a cross-dominant eye. Then place your cue over the line of the shot.

So the sequence for a right-handed player is: Right foot, left foot, pool cue. In time, as your left foot placement becomes more automatic, you will be able to place your left foot and cue at nearly the same time as you get down into your shooting stance.

 

[dquarasr]

First, determine the shot line, which is the line the cb will travel to the ob and the same line where you will eventually place your cue. I recommend envisioning extending that line off the table and stepping on that line with your right foot.

Yup, I do that.

The portion of your foot that steps on that line will depend on various factors, including your dominant eye and how much swing room you will need from your hip. Next, plant your left foot based on your right-left/foot optimal balance arrangement.

Yup, got that, too! For my physique and physical limitations, I've found it best to place my right heel on the shot line then rotating my hips slightly to create clearance with my chest. I can do this step pretty reliably and consistently.

That relationship between your two feet should pretty much stay the same for most of your shots and it comes from trial and error experimentation.

Here's where I run into trouble. At the very beginning of a session I'm very careful about where I place my left foot. Then as concentration wanders, or if competition pressures introduce other pressures or distractions, I slowly start to step too far left. Before I know it, unconsciously, my left foot placement is at least six inches left of where I start out a session, much more open than I intend.

In time, as your left foot placement becomes more automatic, you will be able to place your left foot and cue at nearly the same time as you get down into your shooting stance.

This is what I hope to accomplish by swinging the cue onto the shot line as I step into the shot line and get down on the shot. I've noticed it forces me, at least in my limited experimentation so far, to place my left foot much better with respect to the shot line. I don't know why, but it seems to work. I'm sure other problems will creep in over a long session or match, such as, rather than stepping too far left (open), I might step too far forward closing the stance, but so far in my experimentation it hasn't happened yet.

Of course, I am aware than any change to my game must be internalized over many, many hours of playing.

 

[Imac007]

This is what I hope to accomplish by swinging the cue onto the shot line as I step into the shot line and get down on the shot. I've noticed it forces me, at least in my limited experimentation so far, to place my left foot much better with respect to the shot line. I don't know why, but it seems to work. I'm sure other problems will creep in over a long session or match, such as, rather than stepping too far left (open), I might step too far forward closing the stance, but so far in my experimentation it hasn't happened yet.

When I started the journey you are on, I was focussed on getting aligned.
I quickly realized that my head needed to place me visually looking directly down the cue line.
I managed to do that consistently, once I realized my cue was the key.
I needed to see equal amounts of both sides of the shaft while looking directly down it while on the shot line.
So I moved to a stage of grounding my cue, visually aligned.
My focus switched to building a stance, to get me there.
That ended up with me doing the dance with my feet too.
And, it works, until it doesn’t and we deviate.
This brings up a new problem, needing to keep pulling attention off the shot back onto the feet.
So, I pulled back from the whole situation and took a deeper look.
The concept of functional intent emerged.
The intent sticks out, to deliver the cue down the shot line, at the appropriate pace.
The function of everything else was to put my stroke in a place, to do just that.
Suddenly my arm was free to move and so were my feet.
In fact, they need to, since the stroke needs to go down the shot line and my feet can help arrange my body parts, to do that.
I now find the shot line and get my cue moving in my bridge.
When it’s moving straight I put it on the shot line.
My feet join the party and the intent becomes the driving force.
I get down and up, moving the cue, all the while, until I feel like I’m balanced, over into the shot, with the cue destined to go straight, without having to adjust one iota.
My feet get busy but, end up putting my body, in place, so I deliver the cue, in a straight cue without thinking.
Suddenly the issue I had in the past, of rarely getting up and realizing, after the fact, that something was off, was gone.
My new criteria won’t let me stay down unless it all feels right.

 

[dquarasr]

When I started the journey you are on, I was focussed on getting aligned.
I quickly realized that my head needed to place me visually looking directly down the cue line.
I managed to do that consistently, once I realized my cue was the key.
I needed to see equal amounts of both sides of the shaft while looking directly down it while on the shot line.
So I moved to a stage of grounding my cue, visually aligned.
My focus switched to building a stance, to get me there.
That ended up with me doing the dance with my feet too.
And, it works, until it doesn’t and we deviate.
This brings up a new problem, needing to keep pulling attention off the shot back onto the feet.
So, I pulled back from the whole situation and took a deeper look.
The concept of functional intent emerged.
The intent sticks out, to deliver the cue down the shot line, at the appropriate pace.
The function of everything else was to put my stroke in a place, to do just that.
Suddenly my arm was free to move and so were my feet.
In fact, they need to, since the stroke needs to go down the shot line and my feet can help arrange my body parts, to do that.
I now find the shot line and get my cue moving in my bridge.
When it’s moving straight I put it on the shot line.
My feet join the party and the intent becomes the driving force.
I get down and up, moving the cue, all the while, until I feel like I’m balanced, over into the shot, with the cue destined to go straight, without having to adjust one iota.
My feet get busy but, end up putting my body, in place, so I deliver the cue, in a straight cue without thinking.
Suddenly the issue I had in the past, of rarely getting up and realizing, after the fact, that something was off, was gone.
My new criteria won’t let me stay down unless it all feels right.

Do you feel you’ll eventually be able to condense your machinations with the cue and dance with your feet into a smooth see-it-step-into-it-get-in-your-stance-and-down-on-the-shot as one unthinking motion? Much like I see the “fast” pros do? (PLEASE, DO NOT take this question as an affront to your PSR; I merely want to know, should I decide to experiment with your PSR, if this is your end-game or a step on the “journey”).

 

[Imac007]

Do you feel you’ll eventually be able to condense your machinations with the cue and dance with your feet into a smooth see-it-step-into-it-get-in-your-stance-and-down-on-the-shot as one unthinking motion? Much like I see the “fast” pros do? (PLEASE, DO NOT take this question as an affront to your PSR; I merely want to know, should I decide to experiment with your PSR, if this is your end-game or a step on the “journey”).

In the end this is about training your eyes, the way you handle the cue, when you stroke straight and getting it in place on the shot line.
It comes down to getting the upper body and cueing arm slotted and knowing what that is for you.
The lower body has all sorts of issues to deal with but luckily it doesn’t have to deliver the cue.
Wanting to emulate the “fast pros” can put a fluidity in your game, no doubt.
I know the angles, can play the position, but sometimes the unconscious and subconscious which can fix a lot of issues on the fly fail.
The biggest fail I found was not stopping me so I can start over.
Baseball researchers discovered the difference between the good batters and the lesser batters was their ability to lay off a pitch.
In pool I see lots of pros, even the fast ones, get down, then up, some just to start over, others to go check something, like an angle before getting down again.
I think there is a parallel there that is relevant for some players, maybe not all.
Just as there are good hitters who hit a lot of first pitches regardless of pitch location.
If you never stop learning you never stop changing what and how you do things.
Embrace change, it’s the seed from which constant improvement grows.

 

[7stud]

I've found it best to place my right heel on the shot line then rotating my hips slightly to create clearance with my chest. I can do this step pretty reliably and consistently.

If I'm imagining that correctly, isn't your whole foot crossing over the shot line?

Your post caught my attention because I have been practicing my stance and PSR following the dictates in Mark Wilson's book, but alas only on my kitchen table. I have tape on the kitchen floor marking the shot line and where I am to place both my feet. I've been practicing 45-60 PSR's about six times per week for the last 5 months, and I still find it difficult to hit my targets with my feet while looking at the shot line. That first crossover step with my right foot is difficult for me place precisely while looking down the shot line at my target. I've resorted to placing my right foot parallel to the shot line, then pivoting on my right foot as I step with my left foot, so that my right foot turns at a right angle to the shot line. I played around with putting the heel of my right foot against the toe of my left foot to measure where the shot line is, but I eventually abandoned that. The thing that I have learned is how it feels to be lined up correctly, so I have developed somewhat of a sense for when my feet are not on the targets. After I step into my stance and place my bridge hand on the table, I try to estimate in what direction my feet are off, then I look down and adjust my feet so that they are on the targets. I only practice my stroke when my feet are on the targets.

In the past, when I practiced on an actual pool table, like you I always spent a good deal of time practicing straight in shots with the OB equal distant from the corner pocket and the CB--for the longest shot that would allow me to bridge on the table. It is a tough shot! I'm wondering if all my practice on my kitchen table will actually make that shot seem any easier??

Here's something I started doing recently: I cut a small triangle from the blue painters tape that I use for the shot line, and I stuck it to my ferrule. I rotate my cue so that the triangle is on the top of the cue, and I use the triangle to aim at my target. When I looked at the position of my cue on the follow through, I found that I was twisting my cue slightly clockwise. Now, I am trying to eliminate that twist.

In the end this is about training your eyes, the way you handle the cue, when you stroke straight and getting it in place on the shot line. It comes down to getting the upper body and cueing arm slotted and knowing what that is for you.

I hope it works!

 

[bbb]

Mark wilson shoots very side ways
most pros do not
thats why he teaches toes on the line instead of heel/instep
jmho
icbw

 

[Imac007]

I hope it works!

The answers only matter if you ask the right questions.

 

[The_JV]

Although I perfer not to follow this example, here's a vid on the snooker stance that has the back foot parallel to the aim line.

My suggestion is to emulate this then deviate once you gain proficiency.

Pool is not snooker, however the strict mechanics of a snooker PSR and stroke make the process of potting balls on a pool table much easier.