Bridge length, has something changed?

[Patrick Johnson]

...lo-deflect. shafts allow for a much longer bridge and still retain accuracy. Older hi-squirt cues needed shorter bridges.

Sounds like the difference between pivot lengths - the closer your bridge is to your shaft's pivot length, the less effect stroke errors have.

This is actually a drawback of low-squirt shafts for most players - they can't control a very long bridge, and their normal-length bridge is farther from their pivot length than it would be with a high-squirt shaft, so their stroke errors have greater consequences.

pj
chgo

 

[mark187]

I can't say I've noticed this. I have seen lots of snooker players shortening up to about 8 inches or less over the last year or 2. Luca Brecel, John Higgins and Marc Allen spring to mind

 

[ctyhntr]

Been watching a lot of YouTube videos of pool lately. Is it my imagination or has many of these players bridges gotten almost reduclously long.

Judging from a shaft being 29 inches in length some of these guys have bridges anywhere from 18 to 24 inches and playing with open hand most of the time. They commonly bridge off the rail with so much shaft sticking out it looks like they can hardly hit the cueball.

I am not being sarcastic. My wife thinks it is due to so many of the foreign players being also snooker players.

Players were more upright back then, now many adopt a snooker or 4 point contact style stance. Others have pointed out LD shaft moved the pivot point back.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Low deflection shaft equals further pivot point

 

[middleofnowhere]

Let's add this, instructors on here what do you teach? What do you tell beginners?

 

[straightline]

I'm not an instructor although I do teach noobs and the curious. The big problem I see, besides having no clue how to make a bridge, is most who have never seen real pool players don't even hold the stick long enough to keep the front end down. To these people I show them the long bridge and explain the value of gravity. You always get those that know a little and argue about the accuracy. I tell them it's mostly figment. If they can't swallow that, not my problem.

 

[westcoast]

It's not really a new thing. Earl Strickland has used a long bridge for most of his shots going back decades

 

[The_JV]

I'm not an instructor although I do teach noobs and the curious. The big problem I see, besides having no clue how to make a bridge, is most who have never seen real pool players don't even hold the stick long enough to keep the front end down. To these people I show them the long bridge and explain the value of gravity. You always get those that know a little and argue about the accuracy. I tell them it's mostly figment. If they can't swallow that, not my problem.

Well the dynamics of a lever are hardly a figment. Those with a wonky grip hand will find a long bridge magnifies their errors.

 

[straightline]

Well the dynamics of a lever are hardly a figment. Those with a wonky grip hand will find a long bridge magnifies their errors.

Initially their strokes will be wobbly anyway. We're not attempting a Melling stroke either. Two to five inches is long enough to ping the cue ball properly and still maintain accuracy.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Initially their strokes will be wobbly anyway. We're not attempting a Melling stroke either. Two to five inches is long enough to ping the cue ball properly and still maintain accuracy.

You cannot consistently see the center of the cue ball when your knuckles are covering the ball .
The pros usually have long bridges and make that spider bridge . And they almost always address the base of the cue ball with the tip .

 

[ChrisinNC]

I use a 58" Mezz. With the bolt out and my 3" cf extension attached its 61" and weighs exactly 20oz. I never remove it other that to case it. I hate using a mech. bridge so this set-up works great.

Mezz only offers 2”, 4”, and 8” butt extensions. Where did you find a 3” extension?

 

[CJ Wiley]

Been watching a lot of YouTube videos of pool lately. Is it my imagination or has many of these players bridges gotten almost reduclously long.

Judging from a shaft being 29 inches in length some of these guys have bridges anywhere from 18 to 24 inches and playing with open hand most of the time. They commonly bridge off the rail with so much shaft sticking out it looks like they can hardly hit the cueball.

I am not being sarcastic. My wife thinks it is due to so many of the foreign players being also snooker players.

The players with the longer bridges also are standing further from the cueball because they are using longer cues. Remember there's ideally 3 things that must be in sync, where you hold the cue, the distance to the cueball from your right ankle bone and the bridge length.

Shane for instance uses an extension on his cue that increases the length substantially and holds his hand nearly 60 inches back, so he's also standing approximately 6" further back from the cueball as well making his bridge exceptionally long. Even with the longer bridge Shane doesn't pull the cue back that far and his follow-through is usually 3-4 inches unless he'll following the cueball several feet.

The Game is the Teacher

 

[middleofnowhere]

The players with the longer bridges also are standing further from the cueball because they are using longer cues. Remember there's ideally 3 things that must be in sync, where you hold the cue, the distance to the cueball from your right ankle bone and the bridge length.

Shane for instance uses an extension on his cue that increases the length substantially and holds his hand nearly 60 inches back, so he's also standing approximately 6" further back from the cueball as well making his bridge exceptionally long. Even with the longer bridge Shane doesn't pull the cue back that far and his follow-through is usually 3-4 inches unless he'll following the cueball several feet.

The Game is the Teacher

Yeah that's kind of another thing now whatever happened to cue specifics. We've all ordered cues from cue makers and you talk to any cue maker and they'll tell you that a customer can drive them nuts with their specific wants in the dimensions of a cue.

I remember Timmy Scruggs telling me he hated to ever answer his telephone. It was either somebody asking where's my cue or somebody changing their order for the 10th time. Players used to be so sensitive to their cues in terms of feel and dimensions.

Now they screw on extensions and leave them there the cue weigh is who knows what, the cue is who knows how long, the balance point is a total mystery and none of this seems to matter anymore.

I remember players being so angry when they ordered a cue and they put it on a scale and it was a quarter ounce off or they balance it on a a pencil and they wanted an 18-in balance point from the butt and it was 19. Where is all the nuance in the pool cue as an instrument.

I'm not exaggerating at all just ask anybody on here who builds cues what it's like taking an order from a customer and how specific they are about their wants and needs. Is this all over now?

 

[HawaiianEye]

The balance point I like in a cue is somewhere at the 19-20” point on a 58” cue.

This allows the cue balance to feel somewhat “neutral“ when I am over the table and using my normal bridge and grip points on the cue. I bridge 8-10“ from the tip and my grip hand is 3-6” behind the balance point of the cue, which is about 3” down from the top of the wrap on my wrapped cues.

In the photo, below, you can see the balance points on my Becue that I have marked with the sticky rings. There is no wrap on the cue and it allows me to grab the cue at the correct spots without fiddling around. My other cues have wraps or handles that give me a visual reference.

The back sticky ring is the balance point when the 10” extension is on the cue and the other ring is the normal balance point for the cue.

 

[straightline]

You cannot consistently see the center of the cue ball when your knuckles are covering the ball .
The pros usually have long bridges and make that spider bridge . And they almost always address the base of the cue ball with the tip .

Good one!

 

[maha]

the fast cloth and polished balls nowadays negate the need for a powerful stroke. so many choose a stroke/ bridge length that gives them a better feel and better sighting on the cueball.
it does nothing for their game technically.

whatever you are most comfortable with will give you the best results.

 

[middleofnowhere]

whatever you are most comfortable with will give you the best results.

I don't know if that is an accurate statement. Playing pool is not really a natural thing. Hand a cue to a beginner and they can't hit the cueball, much less drive a pointed stick into a round object into another round object then to a target.

A pool shot is like hitting a round baseball with a round bat. It is very difficulty. It is not something you can do naturaly or "whatever makes you most comfortable" as you say. There is a preferred way that gives the best results.

While some players may find success with funkey habits or fundamentals, there needs to be a baseline. I'm asking has those baselines moved. Have the basics changed?

 

[garczar]

Mezz only offers 2”, 4”, and 8” butt extensions. Where did you find a 3” extension?

Rick Roper. He's on FB. Makes really nice stuff. 3" cf ext. cost me 60 bux. He's in Morganton, NC. https://www.facebook.com/rick.roper.7528

 

[nick serdula]

Fast cloth. Bump bump bump

 

[pt109]

Mezz only offers 2”, 4”, and 8” butt extensions. Where did you find a 3” extension?

Buy a 4” and cut it