Well, I'll have to say that you used some careful wording yourself! The strongest potters are not necessarily the strongest cueists. I will freely admit a couple things however. One, yes, my post is partially my opinions. I considered the usual disclaimer but figured it was obvious enough to not need a disclaimer.
The other thing, yes I noticed them setting up so the next shot is easy to score on. I didn't have to watch long before seeing that the three cushion people are big on tightly doubling a corner so the ball in action is going to pass very closely to the ball they are trying to strike going into and out of the corner, maybe doing that multiple times in one shot. However, that knowledge and skill displayed strengthens the claims of their skills, not weakens it. When I played pool thousands of hours a year it was pretty common for the significant other of the person I played to come to me protesting with tears in their eyes, "It wasn't fair, you got all the easy shots!" "Yes ma'am, I did." No reason to try to explain speed and angles to them or planning an entire inning before the first shot. Much of the action was on bar tables and people do like juicing the cue ball on them. I'm sure my own play was boring to watch.
While you speak of time of contact which is true enough, distance has to be considered also. General agreement seems to be that the stick goes forward an inch or more while the tip is in contact with the cue ball. If it can go forward an inch, it can surely go sideways a half tip or more(1/4" or more) when people are using heavy sidespin.
I'm a little confused what you are trying to say about twisting the "V" without changing other things. Having made my paycheck as a mechanical designer you will never convince me what is usually a shallow "V" on at least one side is better support than a near full circle, even 3/4 circle or more. I do fully agree that downforce with the grip hand or other contact points can be used to keep the shaft in the "V" bridge. Having to do that because a shaft is wanting to float up is a disadvantage in itself however and may create other issues such as unintentional steering of the stick.
I do agree things change over time, often coming full circle. I have been an advocate of minimal cueball movement for decades, all of a sudden some of the elite players are starting to see the value of that. Even the best in the world get in trouble running around in traffic. I noticed SVB lose two games in a single match a few years back because he tried to go around the table drawing into heavy traffic when follow and one rail would have got him exactly where he needed to be. None of us are so good that it doesn't sometimes cost us when we complicate shots without need.
The two areas of aim was something I discovered over fifty years ago, when my mentor first told me to use the closed bridge. Sometimes when I could only see an inch or two of tip and shaft on the other side of the bridge I needed more to aim with. I discovered then that I had a whole lot more stick on the near side of the bridge. My relationship with guns goes back to when I was just out of three cornered pants. When I was struggling with the cue and seeking an aimpoint front and rear aiming points were pretty natural to put together.
For turning the "V" to have no impact on cue alignment both sides of the "V" would have to be equal and turn on the axis of the "V". The "V"s we make with finger and thumb aren't equal. If in twisting we relocate the bridge on the table, we have indeed compensated for the "V" pointing in a different direction. Mostly the "V" works because of the grip keeping things in alignment and the minor demands for accuracy for many shots. Assuming I was having a decent night with speed and angles, my typical shots were twelve to thirty inches with most of them roughly centered between the two at around eighteen or twenty inches. Shots in that range can often be made with an open bridge.
We should be able to get past twisting the "V" easily enough. Take a couple pencils or something similar and use a rubber band or tape to create a "V". Can you stand your "V" up and twist it back and forth keeping the same aim point on the cue ball without moving either the center of your "V" or your grip hand?
Bias is a tricky word because we all have bias. Nothing wrong with bias if it is based on knowledge and experience. Bias without much of anything to back it up is when there is a problem. I am confident you are writing from your knowledge and experience just as I am. All I can say is that if I have to shoot one tough shot for all the marbles I am almost certain to be taking that shot from a closed bridge. There are a handful of "specialty" shots I have a bias towards too. Simple enough why, they pocket balls. They aren't unknown shots but many don't use them regularly.
Off to the salt mines awhile!
Hu
. Instead I'll just reply.
