BRIDGE LENGTH Effects and Considerations

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
FYI, I just posted a new video that discusses and demonstrates advantages and disadvantages of both long and short bridge lengths. Check it out:


Contents:
0:00 - Intro
0:17 - Recommended Length
0:46 - Stroking Errors
1:46 - Aiming
2:11 - Stroke Accuracy
---- 3:15 - cue elevation
4:59 - Speed Control
---- 5:30 - quarters
---- 6:53 - power shots
---- 7:51 - finesse safety
9:39 - Natural Pivot Length
---- 10:46 - BHE errors
---- 12:40 - power break
14:04 - Wrap Up

As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments, questions, complaints, and requests.

Enjoy!
I haven’t had a chance to watch the video yet and I’m not sure if you mentioned this, but the bottom line for me is the longer the bridge length beyond the optimal length, the harder I think it is to strike the cue ball exactly where you intend to strike it.
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
… whatever works best for the individual; although, as you know, I recommend people follow the “best practices” that most top players follow:

I purposely threw an incorrect aim point option as a choice on the OB which is contact points or fractions with a BHE pivot. They will NOT work. #1, they can't be seen or identified and always require guesswork, feel, intuition, the ahhha moment (you'll know it when you see it). BULLSNOT! This is exactly what needs to be avoided like the plague. The aiming process and pivot are done
with the tip of the cue and ferrule to one of three areas on the OB. COB, 1/4 OB, and edge of OB. The size of the pivot to appropriate target combines the accurate aim point and spin. Complicated? Nope, simple once practiced and ingrained.

Set a CB on the head spot and aim to hit the middle diamond with CCB and straight cue on the foot rail to bring it straight back as you normally would.
Next, put the CB on the head spot and align the LEFT edge of the TIP dead center on the CB and aligned with the dead center of the middle diamond. Before stroking, pivot the center of the tip/ferrule to the dead center of the CB and stroke the shot.
It should now be slightly angled. Take the shot. The CB should hit the middle diamond dead center but then spin slightly to the left on the way back. Baby steps. If you don't get the results above, I don't know the answer without seeing it. Like I said, Baby steps.
 

dquarasr

Registered
Agreed.

What is pure BHE? What are you referring to, pre-stroke pre-set or dynamically during the stroke? Once again, you are
using and demonstrating huge backhand pivots which will in fact produce negative results. As I said previously, the tip of
your cue on many shots is close to the miscue line.
So it’s not at all plausible that he was exaggerating the pivot so it can easily be seen, right?
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
If you really knew what you were talking about, you wouldn't still be making this mistake. Feel/intuition (not "guessing") is part of just about every pool shot by every player, whether they/you know it or not. It's most of what's learned by practicing.

pj
chgo
No, it isn't. Which is exactly why you're still a hack player after all these years. How is feel/intuition practiced if it's producing incorrect results instead of concrete ones that are visible? This is what top pool instructors are for in any sport, the visuals to look for and trained to see. NOT Feel/Intuition on every single shot that always comes up. Hey, you were the one years ago that was 100% against FEEL. It was when you actually had some sense.
 
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dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
I haven’t had a chance to watch the video yet and I’m not sure if you mentioned this, but the bottom line for me is the longer the bridge length beyond the optimal length, the harder I think it is to strike the cue ball exactly where you intend to strike it.

Yep. The video covers this and a lot more.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
So it’s not at all plausible that he was exaggerating the pivot so it can easily be seen, right?
Assuming your bridge is in the right place (at the "pivot point") and squirt/swerve are taken into account, backhand english works all the way up to the miscue limit.

pj
chgo
 

BasementDweller

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having the cue as level as possible is always better, except for elevated-cue shots like jumps and masses. For more info, see:

Not sure I agree with this.

One shot I was messing around with recently and may have stumbled upon one of Efren's little secrets is where you use a traditional closed bridge with your bridge hand on the rail, instead of leveling out your cue as much as possible and using the top of the cue ball. Obviously you have to elevate if you have to hit down on the cue ball for whatever reason while near a rail but there may be a 2nd reason to choose to play with unnecessary cue elevation -- it's easier to aim. If you need to use a lot of english and the cue ball is near the rail, hitting the ball firm with an elevated cue eliminates the cue ball swerve from the equation. Playing with a level cue, and hitting a high extreme right or high extreme left shot is more difficult to aim.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
This is what top pool instructors are for in any sport, the visuals to look for and trained to see. NOT Feel/Intuition on every single shot that always comes up.
What visuals should I see/align to make, say, a 25-degree cut shot (excluding spin/throw to keep it simple)?

pj
chgo
 
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Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
...there may be a 2nd reason to choose to play with unnecessary cue elevation -- it's easier to aim. If you need to use a lot of english and the cue ball is near the rail, hitting the ball firm with an elevated cue eliminates the cue ball swerve from the equation.
The variables for that shot are length, speed, amount of spin and amount of elevation. If you don't choose the right amount of each for the existing conditions (cloth/balls/humidity/etc.) you won't eliminate swerve.

pj
chgo
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
What visuals should I see/align to make, say, a 25-degree cut shot?

pj
chgo
What is your intuition telling you regarding the visuals? What part of the CB will be aligned to what part of the OB as far as how YOU see balls/shots/pockets? How do you gauge what a 25-degree cut shot is to begin with?
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member

BasementDweller

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The variables for that shot are length, speed, amount of spin and amount of elevation. If you don't choose the right amount of each for the existing conditions (cloth/balls/humidity/etc.) you won't eliminate swerve.

pj
chgo
Maybe but shooting with a level cue and extreme English is like shooting a mini masse shot. My shot isn't super common but after messing around with it for a bit I can see the potential value. I think I'm hitting it firm enough to not give the cue ball enough time to curve back after the initial squirt. Maybe I'm just choosing a different variable to focus on, but it sure seems easier to aim at least.
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
So you got nothin'.


Choose any angle between 1/4 ball and 1/2 ball.

pj <- crickets
chgo
Hey, it's your shot not mine. Plus, you're the 2D drawing genius. What does the 2D tell you. OK, let's take a walk down memory lane when you at least had something to work with in brain cells. Here's what you had to say 26 years ago:

Newsgroups: rec.sport.billiard
From: Patrick Johnson <pjm...@concentric.net>
Date: 1998/12/08
Subject: Re: Aiming Technique
Reply to author | Forward | Print | Individual message | Show original | Report this message | Find messages by this author

Dale W. Baker wrote:

> David,


> If this method works for you, so be it. I don't believe there are too
> many players in this forum that will advocate such a method.


PJ:
This variation on the "ghost ball" method of aiming is discussed fairly
frequently here, and I recall several posters being in favor of it. It
doesn't have a particularly bad reputation that I know of, though it's
not my preferred method because I like to aim more directly at the
object ball contact point.


> The aiming method should be by "feel". You get a sense for the target, and shoot.

PJ:
I don't agree. It's true that many players aim by "feel," but that
doesn't mean that every player "should" aim this way. And how is
anybody supposed to follow these instructions? "Get a sense for the
target and shoot?" What does that mean to anybody but you? Is it like
"You'll know it when you see it?"

I think a player should have an idea of what he's aiming at, and what
he's aiming at it. For instance, I aim the contact point on the cue
ball (which I have to imagine, because it's on the other side of the cue
ball) at the contact point on the object ball. To help me do this
accurately, I aim the cue stick at the point it would be touching on the
"ghost ball" (this is the imaginary ball sitting in the spot the cue
ball will occupy when it hits the object ball) as if I was shooting the
same shot with the two balls frozen together. (Of course, I adjust all
this for the combined effect of squirt, swerve and throw).


By the way, this isn't a complicated calculation of some kind that I do
while I'm aiming. I just try to point something (my stick and the cue
ball) at something (the ghost ball and object ball), rather than just
"feel" it. It sounds like David's trying to do that, too, and I say
it's the right thing to try to do.


Pat Johnson
Chicago

So Genius, what are YOU going to do with an almost 30 degree 1/2 ball shot? Tell me again...how did you determine it
was exactly 25 degrees?
 
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Justaneng

Registered
I love a good Dr Dave thread. Come for the video content, stay for the shitshow the comment thread somehow turns into,

Anybody else think we can raise about $20k to put in the middle for a live streamed Dr Dave vs. Spidey grudge match? 9-ball race to 21, but both players have to do a live commentary on what they are thinking on every shot - and then execute exactly that (within a 1 Diamond margin of error).
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
I love a good Dr Dave thread. Come for the video content, stay for the shitshow the comment thread somehow turns into,

Anybody else think we can raise about $20k to put in the middle for a live streamed Dr Dave vs. Spidey grudge match? 9-ball race to 21, but both players have to do a live commentary on what they are thinking on every shot - and then execute exactly that (within a 1 Diamond margin of error).
How about Dave and I just bury you for 10 grand each? You up for it, Champ? What game?
 

Justaneng

Registered
How about Dave and I just bury you for 10 grand each? You up for it, Champ? What game?

What game? This is a bit of a challenge as I view you and Dr. Dave as having completely different worldviews that extend far beyond pool aiming systems.

For instance I’m merely a B.S. level engineer, I think Dr. Dave is going to smoke me in any math related game. Meanwhile, if we’re playing a game where we are rewarded for the best use of food stamps I’m quite sure you’re winning this one. I just don’t have the requisite experience.

Pool wise, yup I’m a casual player. Pool is a number 3 priority for me behind enjoying my life and securing enough funds that I can continue doing so. You can kill me at a pool table and I’ll still be enjoy it.
 

Coos Cues

Coos Cues
Too many players with stroke flaws try to imitate the pros with extreme bridge length to their detriment.

It's an easy habit to get in to. Can't count the times I'm struggling with aim that just shortening my bridge a bit renders immediate remedy.
 
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