By choking, I'm assuming you don't mean choking-up. You mean tight grip, right? Well, yes, for different reasons. Take the break for instance: If you stay loose on a break shot, the cue will fly out of your hands. It happened to me in a pro tournament. Landed on the table in front of mine, LOL. Luckily, no one was playing on it at the time. Also, when power breaking there is a slight transfer of power from a tighter grip to the cue. It may not be much, but it's there. But the tight grip doesn't have to be throughout the stroke. It can also be a grab just at impact.
Also, a tight grip helps when shooting shots off the rail with the cb frozen to the rail. With a loose grip, you're at risk of a miscue on those shots.
hi fran, thanks for your reply
I did mean tight/death grip
I've read here about possible power transfer from a tighter grip
as you indicate I would be surprised if it added up to very much
and it seems like there might be a significant tradeoff
as an example
try really tightening up and throwing a punch
when I do it, not only do I not get as much power behind the punch
but my accuracy is decreased
I think when we do the "death grip," our muscles are not allowed to lengthen
and get maximum purchase from our technique
so we actually get less power out of a given stroke
I think it's also less easy to involve the rest of the body when focusing so much
on tightening just the arm, etc.
further depriving us of power/energy
and as an added disadvantage, tip steer becomes more likely
ironically, from not being able to control the cue
I think that a relaxed grip (to the point of not hurling a cue like a javelin, of course ^_^)
and working with the cue/gravity, as opposed to trying to control things too much
is most conducive to shooting energetic and accurate pool
I do agree that there is a range of grip we can and do use
but I think it's often so subtle we're usually not very conscious of it
unless for example cueing off the rail, as you mention
where personally, I like to press down on the cue a bit to keep it in place
I don't think so.
No matter how tight your grip, at impact with the CB the cue is effectively disconnected from the grip because the hand's soft skin gives. This means every shot acts like you threw the cue at the CB with no grip at all.
So changing grip pressure from shot to shot is just another way your stroke can be pulled offline. I suggest finding one grip (if possible) that's the same no matter what the shot speed.
pj
chgo
hi pat and thanks for chiming in
agree eliminating variables is a great way to achieve consistency
of course everybody is different and there are different situations
but if somebody asked me
I would certainly advocate for consistency, if possible