A little help with my stroke

Willowbrook Wolfy

Willowbrook Wolfy

Going pro
What am I doing wrong here? Maybe someone can help. Do I need to change my whole stance? Bend at the knees more maybe? My stroke is great until I need to put some gusto on it. Then it gets a bit squirrelly unless I shorten my backstroke a lot. I think my shoulder is too high. Is that the problem? Or am I way off. Am I stretched out too far? Looking for opinions. What am I doing wrong?(im sure it’s a bunch)
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A video would help to see how you get into your stance.
You probably would get better advise in the Instructor Forum.
They'll likely ask for a video.
Very Bottom Topic on the Forum Home Page

Edit:
Shoot, You asked about stroke. No way to comment on that without video.

Based on your front foot? You're walking around very close to the table, then get down from wherever you happen to land.
If the case, it isn't good practice.
 
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what i see. your stroke is elevated and that means all shots will have some masse on them.

two, you hold cue too far back and your arm becomes cocked too far back to make a comfortable stroke.

your tip is too far back from the cueball when lining up for the shot.

just from what the pics show.

do the coke bottle thing where you stroke into it and until you can repeat it without hitting the side of the mouth at all speeds, you dont have a straight stroke.
 
maha said:
what i see. your stroke is elevated and that means all shots will have some masse on them.

two, you hold cue too far back and your arm becomes cocked too far back to make a comfortable stroke.

your tip is too far back from the cueball when lining up for the shot.

just from what the pics show.

do the coke bottle thing where you stroke into it and until you can repeat it without hitting the side of the mouth at all speeds, you dont have a straight stroke.
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I was playing bad the day these pictures were taken. That one pick is on the backswing, but does seem like the cue is too far back from the cb looking at it.

What you say is really insightful right now. I have tried a few things but always go back to holding near the end of my cue. Well the cue in pics is only 57”. I hold a 58” where the butt/wrap meet. If I hold the wrap instead of the butt I’m definitely more accurate. But opposite to what you state it doesn’t feel right or comfortable. If pool was baseball It feels like I am choking up and is hard to let my stroke out. It doesn’t feel natural. As I think about it though I’d have to drop my elbow some if gripping on the wrap, and in turn will automatically have a more level stroke and probably look more relaxed as Measureman mentioned.

The other factor here is I don’t have full range of motion in my right elbow since tearing my bicep tendon. Sometimes this causes my arm/wrist to twist on the forward swing if I’m not paying attention. Maybe I started holding end of cue to account for this. I can’t remember.


I will give everyone’s suggestions a go this week. Thank you!
 
measureman said:
Besides what maha said above in his post you look very tense to me, like you are ready for a fight.
Relax a bit.
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Yes and Yes! One thing about pool that is really not discussed enough is temperament at the table. I agree with maha on your visible mechanical stroke issues. Add to that - temperament while addressing and cueing. Lots of guys look at the table as a battlefield instead of a fine painting canvas. The body works much more fluid when the body is not flooded with adrenaline - fight or flight syndrome - AND, YES, FEAR - fear of missing, fear of negative results from missing, fear of public judgement from missing, etc. etc.

An attitude adjustment in your mind when at the table from viewing the stroke as an aggressive action to viewing it as a fine brush stoke goes a long way to allowing your body to do what a proper mindset and proper mechanics would achieve during a pool stroke.

Not saying I know your mind, just commenting on what others also mention as to what looks like body and facial language suggesting more tension in the mind and stroke than what would be beneficial to a smooth flowing pool stroke.
 
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To add to the 'grip hand too far back point', because your forearm is angled back instead of hanging down vertically, that might explain why when you shoot with gusto you need a short backstroke. The arm doesn't have very much farther to go.
 
It's really tough from a picture but from what i see your legs seems really far apart and your grip seems to far back. You also look far back on the cue ball
 
Get the book "Play Great Pool" by Mark Wilson. He describes the fundamentals of the stroke in great detail and offers practice drills. He also prescribes the eye movement you should be performing during your practice strokes and your shot. There are also chapters on the mental aspects of the game.

You can also get help in the Ask the Instructor forum here.
 
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7stud said:
Get the book "Play Great Pool" by Mark Wilson. He describes the fundamentals of the stroke in great detail and offers practice drills. He also prescribes the eye movement you should be performing during your practice strokes and your shot. There are also chapters on the mental aspects of the game.
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For WW (the original poster):

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I was curious if Willowbrook was a place you were from, and dang it, it seems it is https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/01/04/willowbrook-mental-institution/?chrome=1&A1c=1 :D

I love telling people what they are doing wrong LOL, what area are you in? I travel a bit for work and can tell you so in person :)

I second the idea that a video is better than a picture just seeing the stance may not help things since the basic stance can be taught as "proper" but how a person ends up shooting depends on their body build, height, etc... like your issue with the arm you have. I have a co-worker I was teaching to play, and his form is horrible but some of that is due to the fact he has restricted motion in his back/arm/shoulder so he is just not comfortable standing the "textbook" way.
 
arnaldo said:
Arnaldo ~ Mark's knowledge, teaching abilities and smooth, unique presentational manner are astonishingly effective. His book was a Limited Edition and is currently unavailable. Used ones do turn up occasionally, at sky-high prices.
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According to Mark Wilson's website, the book is available for the same price that he's always charged.
 
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hang-the-9 said:
I was curious if Willowbrook was a place you were from, and dang it, it seems it is https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/01/04/willowbrook-mental-institution/?chrome=1&A1c=1 :D

I love telling people what they are doing wrong LOL, what area are you in? I travel a bit for work and can tell you so in person :)

I second the idea that a video is better than a picture just seeing the stance may not help things since the basic stance can be taught as "proper" but how a person ends up shooting depends on their body build, height, etc... like your issue with the arm you have. I have a co-worker I was teaching to play, and his form is horrible but some of that is due to the fact he has restricted motion in his back/arm/shoulder so he is just not comfortable standing the "textbook" way.
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Well the problem is I have a full video with my match on the same day after where I only missed two times unintended in 6 games. In the match I make a straight in down the rail 6ft dead stop shot along with a few other shots that don’t work with a sloppy stroke.

But the video is after some shots and beers. So I think Measureman and Mike Mosconi have really hit the nail on the head here and there is a little story to go with it.

That’s my break stroke! So about a month ago I kept scratching on the break. Finally I got pissed and started to break aggressively with a shorter bridge and a mindset to “kill the rack”. It was working. Then maybe a week ago I started breaking how I like to again. With an outstretched bridge hand and a bit more upright. Well I think the “aggressive break” kind of rubbed off on my normal stroke.

I’ve never really spent much time at all working on my stroke in all the years of playing. I can’t remember ever needing to. So maybe it just happened and I didn’t notice the actual change, only the fact balls weren’t going in as much. Back in the day I probably just would have said I’m in a funk and it would fix itself after a while. Now I practice much too hard and too long to hit an easily fixable bump in the road-older and wiser…….
 
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