Question for pool instructors

Willowbrook Wolfy

Willowbrook Wolfy

Going pro
It seems like a lot of beginner/intermediate players punch at the ball a lot. I’ve been playing a long time and still do it sometimes. Probably a lot of players do. Would it actually help with follow through by maybe grabbing like a 25oz break cue to shoot with for a while? Seems like that would force someone to follow through more often.
 
Well I would watch some U-tube of Efrin, and some other big name One pocket player shoot.

Most use a long flowing stroke, they seldom hit hard.

Breaking bad habits is like stopping smoking, or boozing it up.

First step is really wanting to. No talking about it, working on problems.

Will you stop in 30 minutes? 30 days? Depend upon how hard you work on bad habits.

I have been trying to switch 100% to Open Bridge. Path has been tough, last look at bridge hand. Stopping everything, to get down with open bridge.

Practice is a bummer, and pain in behind.
 
a 25 ounce break cue would make your punch stroke harder
to me punch stroking and follow thru are 2 different problems
jmho
icbw
 
bbb said:
a 25 ounce break cue would make your punch stroke harder
to me punch stroking and follow thru are 2 different problems
jmho
icbw
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I consider punching it as stopping cue after cb contact. Thought maybe it might be harder to stop it with a heavier cue moving forward. Kinda like when you gotta pee bad and can’t hold it. A lot easier to just let it go once it starts flowing then try to stop it.
 
Willowbrook Wolfy said:
It seems like a lot of beginner/intermediate players punch at the ball a lot. I’ve been playing a long time and still do it sometimes. Probably a lot of players do. Would it actually help with follow through by maybe grabbing like a 25oz break cue to shoot with for a while? Seems like that would force someone to follow through more often.
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No teacher but it sounds like you have a lot of tension in play here. Rest your cue on the rail and just swing it few times. Feel like your arm is just hanging from the shoulder like a wet noodle. Gotta get the tension out. You want a free, throwing feel. Sling it, don't punch it.
 
simplest way is to stroke to the object ball
it helps you visualize THRU the cue ball
to me you described a "jab" stroke
i can punch at the ball and still follow thru
a "punch" stroke to me is a violent transition
i am not an instructor
 
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Willowbrook Wolfy said:
It seems like a lot of beginner/intermediate players punch at the ball a lot. I’ve been playing a long time and still do it sometimes. Probably a lot of players do. Would it actually help with follow through by maybe grabbing like a 25oz break cue to shoot with for a while? Seems like that would force someone to follow through more often.
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The weight of the cue isn't really going to help, as someone else mentioned if anything else it would probably build more tension. As an added negative with a heavier cue, if they are putting unintended spin on a punchy shot, it's going to magnify. Honestly the best thing you can do with them is compare pool to any other sport where aim is of importance. Basketball? Shooting they follow through. Golf? Accelerate to, and through contact, holding their follow through.

One thing to caution/look out for though is a lot of beginning/novice players also aren't consistent with their entire set-up. I'd make sure when they're addressing the ball/shooting they allow themselves enough room to comfortably follow through the shot. Some set up too far away with their body making that point of contact the furthest they can extend in a natural stroke. Just things to pay attention to.
 
I asked because my partner has no follow through and she can’t hit the cb hard enough to even “do” some shots. I was thinking of getting her maybe around a 20oz cue to try out instead of the 18oz. she uses. She is short and doesn’t have a very long stroke. Thought the heavier cue would get her some extra distance and possibly help with her follow through. She does break better with a heavier cue and that’s what I was thinking about when starting the thread.
 
Willowbrook Wolfy said:
I asked because my partner has no follow through and she can’t hit the cb hard enough to even “do” some shots. I was thinking of getting her maybe around a 20oz cue to try out instead of the 18oz. she uses. She is short and doesn’t have a very long stroke. Thought the heavier cue would get her some extra distance and possibly help with her follow through. She does break better with a heavier cue and that’s what I was thinking about when starting the thread.
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I went to 20oz and love it. Couldn't imagine using anything under 19.5 now.
 
Willowbrook Wolfy said:
I asked because my partner has no follow through and she can’t hit the cb hard enough to even “do” some shots. I was thinking of getting her maybe around a 20oz cue to try out instead of the 18oz. she uses. She is short and doesn’t have a very long stroke. Thought the heavier cue would get her some extra distance and possibly help with her follow through. She does break better with a heavier cue and that’s what I was thinking about when starting the thread.
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If all things were good to go, and punching at the ball weren't a problem...MAYBE a heavier cue would help. That being said I don't think you're going to find any reinforcement for this thought process here. All a heavier cue will do is potentially hide some flaws, and accentuate others. If you want to HELP this person get better, they need to learn properly stroking to, and through the cueball. Heavier cues work well for a lot of people, but it isn't going to be a fix for what's going on.
 
Willowbrook Wolfy said:
I asked because my partner has no follow through and she can’t hit the cb hard enough to even “do” some shots. I was thinking of getting her maybe around a 20oz cue to try out instead of the 18oz. she uses. She is short and doesn’t have a very long stroke. Thought the heavier cue would get her some extra distance and possibly help with her follow through. She does break better with a heavier cue and that’s what I was thinking about when starting the thread.
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You're trying to fix a mechanical issue by using a bigger part. The bigger part won't help if the "engine" is not working right.

Her issue is she is not "hitting her finish". She needs to practice without a cue. Hang her arm down, with shoulder and elbow up (parallel) and practicing moving just her forearm forward.

Then when she sees and feels that, get down in a stance without a cue. Do the same thing, she goes forward until her fist hits her chest or just below the chest area (will be different for most). That's what stops the cue and will allow her to trust going forward. Mentally, she might just be stopping short to stop the cue.

So, a great follow through, also known as the "finish" position is when that hand hits her body. That will stop the cue from going any further and she will resist trying to stop it on her own, which is preventing her from actually fully stroking the ball.

Practice it, without trying to making shots. Just shooting a cue ball into a cushion. I say that, because if she is trying to sink an object ball while working on his stroke technique, she won't be as focused on the mechanics of the stroke, and that's what's important for this exercise.

Then, when she feels comfortable, then use cb and object ball and start shooting some routine shots.
 
djv122385 said:
If all things were good to go, and punching at the ball weren't a problem...MAYBE a heavier cue would help. That being said I don't think you're going to find any reinforcement for this thought process here. All a heavier cue will do is potentially hide some flaws, and accentuate others. If you want to HELP this person get better, they need to learn properly stroking to, and through the cueball. Heavier cues work well for a lot of people, but it isn't going to be a fix for what's going on.
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Yeah she won’t listen to my advice. So I was trying to trick her into it.
 
bbb said:
simplest way is to stroke to the object ball
it helps you visualize THRU the cue ball
to me you described a "jab" stroke
i can punch at the ball and still follow thru
a "punch" stroke to me is a violent transition
i am not an instructor
Click to expand...

A few people I worked with to help them improved immediately when I told them to aim not for the cueball but towards the object ball with the tip. It seems a lot of players that just learn on their own end up doing this shooting at the cueball. Getting rid of the fear of the cueball hitting the tip more than once can take a bit of time, almost everyone that has issued with draw is deathly afraid of the cueball coming back to hit the tip and end up trying to jab at the cueball or hit too far up for an effective draw.
 
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Sounds like she is decelerating her cue. Have her work on the transition of the hit swing by slowing down the final pull back (think drawing an arrow in a bow) to a stop then accelerate to a natural finish. Use a hole reinforcement to mark where her follow through should end on a medium to hard stroke which should extend her stroke to "home". It's up to her if she wants to improve and take advice.
 
As to the original question; experiment. Ages ago I was investigating using a heavier cue for the break. I had lead fishing weight that was like a pencil. So I could wind it around the cue butt.
I prefer coach to instructor. Instructor giving me the vision of someone at a lectern. Coaching is more hands on.😉
Selection of coach can be difficult. I find Barry Stark's YouTube videos to be valuable. Absent a trusted coach/instructor he provides the next best.
IMHO time spent browsing his videos would be more productive than looking for directions in a pool forum. 🤷
Straight Through The Middle is video 148 posted to youtube.
 
dardusm said:
Sounds like she is decelerating her cue. Have her work on the transition of the hit swing by slowing down the final pull back (think drawing an arrow in a bow) to a stop then accelerate to a natural finish. Use a hole reinforcement to mark where her follow through should end on a medium to hard stroke which should extend her stroke to "home". It's up to her if she wants to improve and take advice.
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Agreed, she might need to work on her backswing along with simply following through.
 
gregcantrall said:
As to the original question; experiment. Ages ago I was investigating using a heavier cue for the break. I had lead fishing weight that was like a pencil. So I could wind it around the cue butt.
I prefer coach to instructor. Instructor giving me the vision of someone at a lectern. Coaching is more hands on.😉
Selection of coach can be difficult. I find Barry Stark's YouTube videos to be valuable. Absent a trusted coach/instructor he provides the next best.
IMHO time spent browsing his videos would be more productive than looking for directions in a pool forum. 🤷
Straight Through The Middle is video 148 posted to youtube.
Click to expand...
A second vote for Barry Stark's vids. Some of the best fundies stuff out there IMO.
 
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