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In that case, perhaps you've gone from too loose to loose. The analogy I've heard is to hold it like a baby bird; firm enough that it doesn't get away, but loose enough that you don't crush it. If your loose grip had you on the verge of dropping the cue, it may have been causing you to...

I have played with tighter grips and find that it can be used fairly effectively if you can keep yourself from steering the cue with your grip hand. However, I think that a loose grip provides better results if you can maintain that loose grip throughout your stroke. If you shoot long shots...

It's just a warm-up, not really practice. They usually use that time to get their stroke locked in and to determine how the table plays (rails, speed, etc.). They might hit a couple of slow shots to check for a roll, but there's not much value beyond that.

True, you can outplay your opponent without outshooting them in one pocket sometimes, but it only gets you so far. To consistently win one pocket against good players, you are going to have to come with some tough shots at some point in the game. A lot of the time, the tough part isn't in making...

I don't think this holds true across all skill levels, but is probably correct for the level the OP is talking about. It sounds like he struggles with shot making in 9-ball and his opponents struggle with patience in one pocket.

Terminator 2: Arnold gets his clothes and motorcycle from a biker shooting pool in a bar.

I get what you are saying, but if that's the case, it isn't much of a test for a player that gets out to a substantial lead. Any of these is a test of something, so it just depends what you're going for. I think a series of short sets would be more interesting to watch and would still be a good...

I don't have an idea for a tool, but I do find myself doing this on power shots sometimes. In my case, it's usually the result of going straight from my backstroke to my forward stroke making me feel like I need to grab the cue to pull it forwards. Paying a little extra attention to the pause at...

I have been in many situations where my realistic options are limited to either a tough shot, a weak safety or safety that is just as difficult to execute as the shot. By weak safety I mean stuff like leaving the CB and OB on opposite rails, leaving easy one rail kicks, etc. A decent safety...

I think there are three ways to factor in your opponent in a match. The first is to do what you describe, basically taking it easy against a weaker opponent by relaxing your concentration and taking ill-advised shots. I know it's not a good thing to do, but we all do it and have probably all...

I have a 9' table in a room that's a bit less than 20' x 16' 6" with a half wall (and staircase) on one side. When I first put it in, I had it shifted over to make room for chairs on the full-wall side. It was just close enough to the half wall to make it a nuisance (especially for guests), so I...

:idea: That's part of the reason this is so amusing.

I appreciate the detailed reply. I'll have to pay closer attention to the situations where I am using a bridge and see consider how it would compare along those lines with shooting left-handed. I'm 6' 3", so between that and playing position to shoot with my dominant hand, I don't really use a...

For those of you that prefer to switch to your off hand instead of use the bridge, how does your off-handed play compare to your bridge play? I'll shoot in hangers with my off hand practicing, but when it comes to a tournament game, I have more faith in my ability to make the ball and play...

I'm pretty sure he's talking about freezing 4 balls to the rail and each other and hitting one on the end as hard as you want to make the one on the other end. That's way easier than cutting a ball down the rail (since spin and throw come into play), but shows that it will go.

No everyone does. The bonus ball tables have very little shelf on them. The pocket shelf only comes into play on shots that don't enter the pocket cleanly, i.e. glance off the rail before hitting the inside of the pocket. Deeper shelves limit the speed and distance up the rail a ball can hit and...

I think the numbers give some interesting results, but they are based on the assumption that a player performs the same on average in either situation. I think that there are a lot of players that can truly play above their average skill level for a short period of time (not just happen to get...

Neither can I, but there are a lot of times where you don't get to choose your opponent. These sort of problems seem to be the norm in tournaments and leagues, almost as frequent as handicap disputes. Double hits, nudging the CB during a practice stroke, and determining a good hit on near...

If we're going by WPA rules and regulations, here are the bits that I think would apply: It may be that a tournament is being played with “area” referees who are each responsible for several tables and there is no referee constantly at each table. In this case, the players are still expected to...

Totally agree, but CJ's opinion of a game's difficulty is primarily based on the difficulty of offensive (meaning attempting to pocket a ball without playing defense) shots. Maybe part of being a "pro" is assuming that you are always taking the best shot, so adding more options to each shot...