GRIP QUESTION

Can you be both pulling and pushing one object with the same motion at the same time?
I doubt it - got an example in mind?

Also, you say the pulling part is the small part behind the hand. What about the part that's in the hand?
I don’t know. What do you think?

And where is the majority of the weight of the cue?
In front of the hand (obviously). Does weight distribution matter?

Does any of this matter?

pj
chgo
 
In front of the hand (obviously). Does weight distribution matter?

D

pj
chgo
i think you could grip the cue in front of the balance point which would put the majority of the weight behind the hand
icbw
 
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I personally tend to think about the stroke as a stroke.

The cue has its center of mass between my two hands and my back hand is the point where i apply force. So if the back hand is leading the center of mass of the cue that is a pull (backstroke) and if the center of mass is leading the hand that is a push.

In regards to grip I think this maybe is most important when you think about hand path. If you can push the center of gravity of the cue so it is in line with the tip for as long as possible during the stroke all of your applied force would be cue speed instead of an pendulum stroke where you constantly apply torque to the center of mass by moving it vertically in order to change its path.

Why wouldn't it be possible to have lag in a push? And what is an anatomical pull?
Sit on the floor. Reach for a heavy object behind you and bring it forward to your lap. If your torso moves forward with the effort, your hand is gripping the object as you pull it forward.

Some players grip the cue and pull it forward into impact, some do a gentle toss with the hand turned sideways--a typical stroke motion--and even a throw-and-catch forward slip stroke is possible.
 
i think you could grip the cue in front of the balance point which would put the majority of the weight behind the hand
icbw
If you grip in front of the balance point, you're going to have a helluva time trying to keep the shaft on the bridge ;)
 
Does any of this matter?
Nope. lol. Semantics really. Maybe we meet halfway....

Technically, given where force is applied to the object and where its weight is, we have a push of the object. However....
Looking strictly at the body and what it is doing, we have a hand that is behind us which is clearly pulled forward and closer to the force producing muscles that cause it to move. So we have a pull because the hand is being pulled (along with whatever it is holding on to).

Anatomical pull causing a push of an object? Who cares lol.
 
If you grip in front of the balance point, you're going to have a helluva time trying to keep the shaft on the bridge ;)
if you look at players that keep long rear extensions on their cue to play all shots
they dont seem to have trouble keeping the shaft on their bridge hand
i assume for those players their grip hand is in front of the balance point
 
if you look at players that keep long rear extensions on their cue to play all shots
they dont seem to have trouble keeping the shaft on their bridge hand
i assume for those players their grip hand is in front of the balance point
it isnt. i play with one.
easy experiment tho. grab in front of the balance point and address the ball.
what will happen is the cue will want to tip back to where all the weight is and wont stay on your bridge hand.
 
Jack Hines grabbed forward, and I've seen others choke up/on a break shot to get more speed.
 
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I doubt it - got an example in mind?
Yes. A pool cue. Aren't you saying the player is pushing and pulling it at the same time?
I don’t know. What do you think?
Well, I'd say it's definitely a pull in the follow through motion, particularly in the pendulum armswing where the forearm is pulled up against the upper arm, like a dumbbell hammer curl. I don't know about the rest of the stroke motion, though.
In front of the hand (obviously). Does weight distribution matter?

Does any of this matter?
It matters if you are making an assumption (and a statement) that might not be accurate.
 
[pushing vs pulling the cue] matters if you are making an assumption (and a statement) that might not be accurate.
Seems to me we view this from different perspectives: you from the perspective of the player ("when am I pushing/pulling?"), me from the perspective of the "object" ("when am I being pushed/pulled?").

Neither answer matters to how I play - you do you.

pj
chgo

P.S. Regarding your question about "the part that's in the hand": I don't see that as being pushed or pulled. If you were holding anything else within your hand, like a cue ball... would it be pushed or pulled?
 
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Seems to me we view this from different perspectives: you from the perspective of the player ("when am I pushing/pulling?"), me from the perspective of the "object" ("when am I being pushed/pulled?").

Neither answer matters to how I play - you do you.

pj
chgo

P.S. Regarding your question about "the part that's in the hand": I don't see that as being pushed or pulled. If you were holding anything else within your hand, like a cue ball... would it be pushed or pulled?
It matters to me. I think that the portion that is in your hand would have to be treated as if it were part of your anatomy as opposed to being in front or behind. If you didn't care, then you probably shouldn't have weighed-in with a post on this, because I'm not sure your response is all that accurate.

I happen to think that it's really interesting as to how we would define movement of an object in our hand that extends both behind and forward of the hand.
 
I tend to agree with Fran here. The object in the hand is treated as part of the hand. So then whether it is a push or pull comes down to what is happening to the hand. The hand is clearly being pulled closer to the force producers.

But as I said earlier and PJ mentioned as well, we really are using the same word a bit differently and looking at this from different perspectives....object vs body.

Anotomical pull that results in a push of an object is a swell compromise that leaves nobody happy :p. moving on...
 
So if we only focus on the cue and the force the body applies to it, not how the body applies it, its pretty obvious that the cue is being pushed. This is important because any force applied to the cue thats not in line with the mass center will result in a torque around the cues mass center and in order to keep the cue moving straight you would have to compensate this movement with more torque later in the stroke. This sounds like a something you would like to avoid to me.

If we focus on how the body applies it it is clear that the elbow flexion is a pull but I think if you flex the shoulder that would be a push? Anyhow I don't think it's that important to define this as a pull or push. We could just define which movements are being made and which muscles that is being used.

Just looking at the body, only pulls can have lagging boddy segments. With pushesthe weight moves away from the force production. generally we are in braced positions for pushes. hence no possivility of lag.

If I'm trying to tip over something big and heavy you would first push with your body and your arms close to you. As you feel the heavy thing start moving you would start to push with your arms as well. Wouldn't this be a case of the arm movement lagging the body in a push. Or is my definition of lag off somehow? Really off topic here..
 
How would you "treat" it differently one way vs. the other?

pj
chgo
I'm kind of surprised you're asking that question because it implies that you are of the opinion that as long as nothing changes in the outcome, it's okay if the definition is inaccurate.
 
thoughts on the feel/concept of
you pull the cue on your warm up strokes(pull forward pull backward) and backstroke/forward stroke until contact with cue ball
at contact with cue ball you push thru to your finish?
just a thought
 
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