How tightly/lightly do you hold your cue?

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MTHEORYSPORTS

MTheoryBilliardsDivision
https://youtu.be/HtvHvj1aoY8
Alex Pagulayan has an extremely loose grip and it got me thinking, how loose can I go and what would be the benefits? Here’s a video letting you know what my personal results were. Have a great day and get to a pool table!
 
BC21

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
MTHEORYSPORTS said:
https://youtu.be/HtvHvj1aoY8
Alex Pagulayan has an extremely loose grip and it got me thinking, how loose can I go and what would be the benefits? Here’s a video letting you know what my personal results were. Have a great day and get to a pool table!
Click to expand...

Can't remember where I read it, but I remember something like.....Grip the cue like it's a baby bird in your hand, just enough of a grip to gently hold the bird still without squeezing it to death.
 
M

MTHEORYSPORTS

MTheoryBilliardsDivision
Great way to put it!

BC21 said:
Can't remember where I read it, but I remember something like.....Grip the cue like it's a baby bird in your hand, just enough of a grip to gently hold the bird still without squeezing it to death.
Click to expand...

Totally makes sense! I saw a video of Jackie Chan breaking blocks while holding an egg in his closed fist, the block would break but the egg was fine. He generated power with his arm motion/swing, not by tightening all of his muscles to death. Same kind of idea. Thanks for sharing!
 
F

franko

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Kid

As a kid in the 60's I held the the cue with just my finger tips and played good.
When I got back into Pool at age 45 I had forgotten this and used a death grip and played like crap. It was not until sitting in VIP seats at the US Open that I realized my grip was too tight.
I went back to a very loose grip and with some practice my game really picked up . The Cue ball was rolling again not sliding .
 
M

MTHEORYSPORTS

MTheoryBilliardsDivision
Great to hear!

franko said:
As a kid in the 60's I held the the cue with just my finger tips and played good.
When I got back into Pool at age 45 I had forgotten this and used a death grip and played like crap. It was not until sitting in VIP seats at the US Open that I realized my grip was too tight.
I went back to a very loose grip and with some practice my game really picked up . The Cue ball was rolling again not sliding .
Click to expand...
Interesting! So we both observed players better than ourselves using looser grips and when we adopted a loose grip our games improved. I like that evidence! Thank you for your insight!
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sometimes...I support the cue with just one finger, from the underside.

Feels weird. Highly entertaining.
 
mikemosconi

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
All sports that involve some sort of ball such as basketball, golf, baseball, bowling, billiards, tennis, etc.; Require RELAXATION of the muscle groups involved, and simultaneously, total focus; at the point of execution ; for championship caliber play. Actually, doing both simultaneously is the hardest thing to master, especially if one is not gifted with some natural ability to do that. So it stands to reason that a relaxed grip hand in billiards is one KEY component to the highest level of play.
 
M

MTHEORYSPORTS

MTheoryBilliardsDivision
Yes and yes

I mention in the video that it really is fun to even try to hit some with only one or two fingers. The weirdness of it is very healthy for your brain. Understanding that you can make shots with many styles of grips is a confidence builder for sure. And elite level play does require excellent touch. I feel it’s easier to develop touch by experimenting in this way(in the video). Thank you for the replies! I enjoy having a large sample size for this experiment so the participation/input is appreciated!
 
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evergruven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
technique is obviously critical to shooting good pool, but we're not robots..
we depend so much on feel in life, and I think in pool too
holding that baby bird, it seems we're able to access more of what's happening,
especially re: cue to ball impact
kind of like an antenna we bend to catch a signal
we get more information, more to consider- but more to learn from, I think
our wrist is a very dynamic and useful joint
when we're able to take advantage of its movement
it allows us, I think, to more closely become "one" with the cue
and this ain't just hippie talk
imagine doing anything physical without use of your joints, let alone with skill..tough
 
Buster8001

Buster8001

Did you say shrubberies?
Silver Member
I appreciate your video. My grip is the facet of my game on which I'm working right now. I feel it is what is holding me back. My grip has always been firm, and my stroke shots are always "hard" - as in muscled. I'm working much harder at making the stroke shots than people just above my current speed - I'm a 7 APA 9 & 8ball. Not talking about pocketing the ball; making the shot to me is what happens after the pot.

I may need/want to pick your brain, MTHEORYSPORTS; if you're okay with some PMs.

Josh
 
JazzyJeff87

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
I often find myself throwing the cue on my medium and harder shots. For me I only grip hard when I'm thinking about things I shouldn't or I just feel completely wrecked and unsure about my shots. A sure sign I'm choking lol.

If you aren't used to a light grip and you start actively trying you will see how much more action you get with so much less work. And more accuracy as well. You have to be careful sometimes. An almost straight in shot to the side pocket, hit the rail and come center table. You hit really loose and might find yourself frozen to the other rail with a soft hit ;') I did it the other day lol.
 
M

MTHEORYSPORTS

MTheoryBilliardsDivision
Well said again!

evergruven said:
technique is obviously critical to shooting good pool, but we're not robots..
we depend so much on feel in life, and I think in pool too
holding that baby bird, it seems we're able to access more of what's happening,
especially re: cue to ball impact
kind of like an antenna we bend to catch a signal
we get more information, more to consider- but more to learn from, I think
our wrist is a very dynamic and useful joint
when we're able to take advantage of its movement
it allows us, I think, to more closely become "one" with the cue
and this ain't just hippie talk
imagine doing anything physical without use of your joints, let alone with skill..tough
Click to expand...
Your input is awesome! I feel like I can sound hippy and spacey sometimes but there is truth to these ideas! It all starts in our minds and from there it’s a matter of finding what ties the meta and physical worlds together. This relationship between mind and body/external world is one that grows stronger with truthful practice. Things align and work for a reason. Complex reasons, but they can be interpreted and used on an individual basis.
 
M

MTHEORYSPORTS

MTheoryBilliardsDivision
PM M Theory anytime!

Buster8001 said:
I appreciate your video. My grip is the facet of my game on which I'm working right now. I feel it is what is holding me back. My grip has always been firm, and my stroke shots are always "hard" - as in muscled. I'm working much harder at making the stroke shots than people just above my current speed - I'm a 7 APA 9 & 8ball. Not talking about pocketing the ball; making the shot to me is what happens after the pot.

I may need/want to pick your brain, MTHEORYSPORTS; if you're okay with some PMs.

Josh
Click to expand...

Very honest self assessment. That is a good sign that you have the ideas in your brain and now it’s just a matter of implementing something to help make the connection to your physical game. Please don’t hesitate to PM. I’m nothing close to an expert, but my passion for the game and amount of table time I get at least give me some insights. I’d love to offer any help/info/inspiration. So please PM!
 
M

MTHEORYSPORTS

MTheoryBilliardsDivision
Balance

JazzyJeff87 said:
I often find myself throwing the cue on my medium and harder shots. For me I only grip hard when I'm thinking about things I shouldn't or I just feel completely wrecked and unsure about my shots. A sure sign I'm choking lol.

If you aren't used to a light grip and you start actively trying you will see how much more action you get with so much less work. And more accuracy as well. You have to be careful sometimes. An almost straight in shot to the side pocket, hit the rail and come center table. You hit really loose and might find yourself frozen to the other rail with a soft hit ;') I did it the other day lol.
Click to expand...
So true! It really is about finding the balance isn’t it? Easier said than done!! I like finding the softest speed and touch I can use because I feel like for me it’s easier to adjust from the softest touch instead of “turning down the power”. If your ears hear silence first, then sound and volume are more easily understood when you gradually turn up the volume. If you start in silence and I turn the radio on full blast, you’re likely to lose some hearing or just think that even half volume would be “quiet” and maybe you wouldn’t even hear the music on low volume because your ears adjusted to extreme vibrations instead of smaller vibrational increments. I explained that kinda poorly but I hope it makes sense. I appreciate you sharing!
 
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MitchAlsup

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For 90%-ish of my shots, I let gravity hold the cue in my cupped fingers with the side of the thumb just touching the side of the cue.

For the other 10%, I increase the pressure of the thumb on the cue but add no tension in the fingers.
 
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