keep hitting shot with right english

Org. Creole

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having a major problem with hitting all my shots with right English. I've tried everything adjusting my stance, arm everything. I can't figure it out. I used a back and fourth drill that Scott Lee had taught me and I can't seem to get it right. Have no clue what to do. I'm playing great but I know this is hindering me from The next level.
If anyone could help me I would really appreciate it. Thanks
 

Neil

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having a major problem with hitting all my shots with right English. I've tried everything adjusting my stance, arm everything. I can't figure it out. I used a back and fourth drill that Scott Lee had taught me and I can't seem to get it right. Have no clue what to do. I'm playing great but I know this is hindering me from The next level.
If anyone could help me I would really appreciate it. Thanks

I'm sure Scott left you with a DVD of your lesson. Go back over it first off. If that doesn't help, maybe try shortening your bridge length and pull back real slow once you have your tip exactly where you want to hit the cb. Then, slight pause, and start going forward slowly for the first inch or two, then pick up speed as necessary for the shot at hand.

You know, you can always pm Scott too, he might not read this.
 

randyg

www.randygpool.com
Silver Member
Having a major problem with hitting all my shots with right English. I've tried everything adjusting my stance, arm everything. I can't figure it out. I used a back and fourth drill that Scott Lee had taught me and I can't seem to get it right. Have no clue what to do. I'm playing great but I know this is hindering me from The next level.
If anyone could help me I would really appreciate it. Thanks

Sounds like a small twist of the wrist during contact. Check your V before and after.

randyg
 

Straw_Hat

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I do the same on certain "uncertain" shots or when having off moments. In my case I tend to play pretty solid so I just play more left and adjust my aim. This way I don't muck up a good stroke. But this was my case and i give no recommendations either way since i am not qualified for that. Just find what works for you best long term without damage.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 

67tbird

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having a major problem with hitting all my shots with right English. I've tried everything adjusting my stance, arm everything. I can't figure it out. I used a back and fourth drill that Scott Lee had taught me and I can't seem to get it right. Have no clue what to do. I'm playing great but I know this is hindering me from The next level.
If anyone could help me I would really appreciate it. Thanks

Practice pushing balls into a pocket with your cue. Get into your stance, let your tip touch the ball, then slowly push it into the pocket while maintaining contact. This will help you find center ball, and help you get through the cue ball better.

I'd do this every day for at least 30 balls until you can do it close to every time.
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
Another suggestion could be to slightly turn your head to the left.

You might be hitting center but from a parallax position.

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Mikjary

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Another suggestion could be to slightly turn your head to the left.

You might be hitting center but from a parallax position.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

This is true. You can also try just moving your head slightly to the left. If this helps, it still might take a few days to get rid of the right english after using it for so long.

I did this, too when I came back after a twenty year layoff. My left eye was over the stick and trying to do the aiming. I moved my head until my right eye was slightly over the stick. By slightly, I mean just at about my tear duct.

It made all the funny spin go away along with all the cross strokes my subconscious was doing to compensate for the incorrect eye alignment. Very frustrating!

Best,
Mike
 

Org. Creole

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Another suggestion could be to slightly turn your head to the left.

You might be hitting center but from a parallax position.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

What do mean by turning my head. Do you mean where the position of the cue is under my eye or turn my head like I'm looking left???
 

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had (and still have a bit) a very similar issue, mine came from not seeing the center of the cueball properly due to how I lined up over it and how may eyes saw the ball and cue alignment. The fact that I basically leanered on my own from books and videos did not help as I had no-one to tell me I was doing something odd.

After 10 years, the swipe to the right kept messing me up, I had a tough time using left spin as I would either end up with NO spin or a lot less than what I want because my cue was moving to the right almost every shot. Another issue was with a straight on hit on the object ball, I would often hit off center and either miss by a tiny bit, or when I was trying to draw straight back, I would go to the left or right of the line and mess up the shot.

I fixed this in two ways, on my own though trial and error. I moved my head about 1/4 to 1/2 inch to the right over my cue and also bent in my wrist a tiny bit more towards my body. Those two things have given me a much straighter stroke. By moving in the wrist, it's realy my knuckles that moved a tiny bit inward more, straighting out the wrist to hand alignment.

This may help you out a bit also, but you also need to really focus on bringing the cue straight foward though the ball, I found I had to do that for a long time before it became more natural. I can now draw straight back when I focus on the shot and make sure I line up in the new way.

Just some things that worked for me to cure the same issue as you seem to have.
 

Org. Creole

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
After trying a few thing I still have no clue what to do. I've got the U.S. Amateurs coming up in September and I need to get this figured out. Anyone have any other suggestions??
 

Neil

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
After trying a few thing I still have no clue what to do. I've got the U.S. Amateurs coming up in September and I need to get this figured out. Anyone have any other suggestions??

Take and address the cue ball, then very slowly go through the motions of your stroke. Are you accurate going very, very slow? If so, gradually start speeding up your stroke, a little at a time. Eventually, you will get to the point where you are now applying unwanted english. What changed at that point? That will be the answer you seek. Could be that you are unconsciously tightening up your grip. But, if you do what I stated, you will find the transition point from accuracy to loss of accuracy on the cb contact point.

Odds are the solution will be very simple, but stroking at normal speed it can be very difficult to find. Could be nothing more than moving your back foot an inch or two to the right. Could be just being tense and gripping too tightly on final stroke.
 
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Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
After trying a few thing I still have no clue what to do. I've got the U.S. Amateurs coming up in September and I need to get this figured out. Anyone have any other suggestions??
As far as the US Am., I think there is more or less no hope of you straightening this out by then.

Can you take a video of yourself shooting from the pocket's-eye view? That is, straight back at you on a perfectly straight shot? Use a stripe as the cue ball with the stripe lined up like a tire towards the object ball.

As for the head in the wrong place advice above.... If your head is not positioned correctly above the cue ball you will not properly see the center of the cue ball. This will cause you to line up off-center on the cue ball even though it looks like you're centered. When you hit the cue ball you will either get side spin on the ball or you will have a swoop to the left or right and manage to land in the center of the cue ball and not spin it.

Here is a way you can check: set up a shot that is straight into the pocket with the cue ball in the center of the table, right between the side pockets. Take a cue stick and put it in position in the right place to shoot the shot but not with you holding it. Put it up on rolled-up towels or some such. From the pocket, look back to see if the cue stick is perfectly in line with the shot. Adjust the cue stick (and the balls, if they're not straight) until the shot looks perfectly straight from the pocket.

Now, without touching the cue stick, get your head into its usual position over the cue stick. Does the shot look straight? Does it look like the tip is pointed at the center of the cue ball?
 

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not an instructor but what helped me with achieving a straighter stroke is to pay very close attention to where the tip lands at finish. This I was taught by Mark Wilson. I've heard it since too.

After a bunch of frustration my goal became making sure the tip landed correctly rather than making the shot. After getting satisfied here I went back to the shot but still paying attention to the landing.

I did find all the issues stated above. Head position, grip issues, wrist, feet,....... I was a mess.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Not an instructor but what helped me with achieving a straighter stroke is to pay very close attention to where the tip lands at finish. This I was taught by Mark Wilson. I've heard it since too.

After a bunch of frustration my goal became making sure the tip landed correctly rather than making the shot. After getting satisfied here I went back to the shot but still paying attention to the landing.

I did find all the issues stated above. Head position, grip issues, wrist, feet,....... I was a mess.

Thanks for your witness. How long did it take to more or less straighten out your problem?
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having a major problem with hitting all my shots with right English. I've tried everything adjusting my stance, arm everything. I can't figure it out. I used a back and fourth drill that Scott Lee had taught me and I can't seem to get it right. Have no clue what to do. I'm playing great but I know this is hindering me from The next level.
If anyone could help me I would really appreciate it. Thanks

First, are you right-handed or left handed?

Second, try this: Set down in your stance, then take a look back at your grip hand and note where the knuckles are. After you finish your shot, stay there and look back at your knuckles again. Are they in the same place as when you started?
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
... Second, try this: Set down in your stance, then take a look back at your grip hand and note where the knuckles are. After you finish your shot, stay there and look back at your knuckles again. Are they in the same place as when you started?
I think it's easier to just put an "up" mark on the ferrule if you're concerned about rotation.
 

Ratta

Hearing the balls.....
Silver Member
Org. Creole:
Several good responses you ve received. But as neil said it will take a bit time. No matter if it s an issue with turning wrist or having your eyes not at the .
to detect the problem is absolutley necessary.
But in both cases it takes a bit time. And tough to fix it alone. Very tough.
I highly recommend to get in personal contact with a really knowledged person (like randy goettlicher )

And dont make yourself crazy. Have fun at your tournament.

Such an issue takes time. And stay away trying out too much on your own. This can end in a disaster.lol.

Have a smooth stroke
Ingo


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CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
Everything connect at some level from your feet to your tip.

Having a major problem with hitting all my shots with right English. I've tried everything adjusting my stance, arm everything. I can't figure it out. I used a back and fourth drill that Scott Lee had taught me and I can't seem to get it right. Have no clue what to do. I'm playing great but I know this is hindering me from The next level.
If anyone could help me I would really appreciate it. Thanks

Everything connects {at some level} from your feet to your pool cue tip/bridge hand (I favor certain sides of the pocket by using my left foot).

I would suggest, if you're right handed to point your left foot parallel to the "Line of the Shot".....shoot straight in shots at first and even point your left foot slightly OPEN to the shot line to calibrate.

Opening up your body slightly from the "Feet/UP" will create some favorable results. I don't like changing upper body angles unless I initiate it with me feet, so it's in synchronicity.
 
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3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for your witness. How long did it take to more or less straighten out your problem?

It took a long time. Actually its not 100% fully locked in, probably because I don't play/practice enough to get truly grooved. What I've noticed is during a long session bad habits start to creep back.

For me the key is head/body position that gives me the sight of true center ball. When I'm there, the swipe goes away. The other thing I did was throw away the idea that a swipe had any signifcant benefit. This last point needs not to be re-hashed.
 
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