In my experience that is often due to your head being in the wrong position so you do not see the center of the cue ball accurately. It is impossible to say for sure that head alignment is your problem. I suggest you record a video looking straight back along your cue stick. Shoot multiple straight-in stop shots in your normal way and then look at the video.Testing out the digicue blue and find I tend to steer tip to the right at times. What causes this?
Yeah, I need to get my camera setup with a head on view and stroke a few while looking at what the data says for each stroke.
Whether it's a front view or another angle, I think it's most helpful if you can view it live on a screen placed in front of you while you're stroking. That way you can make live adjustments and see how the correct stroke feels in the moment.Yeah, I need to get my camera setup with a head on view and stroke a few while looking at what the data says for each stroke.
I'm interested to hear how the digicue might help with this issue as I suffer from it too.
I would recommend checking your stroke alignment with the line on the rail of the table prior to shooting any balls. From my own experience, especially when starting, I notice that my stroke ends up going more towards the right due to a "squared up" stance. This is in part because the bicep is flexing, pulling my cue "into" my chest leading the tip to the right. Just my $0.02.
do you mean that a square stance creates tension in your upper arm?
It took me awhile to find the elbow position (distance from body) and shoulder position (how parallel with cue) that brought the cue directly under my elbow, shoulder and vision in a way that my stroke naturally stayed on line over a wide range of speeds. For me it was elbow a little farther out and shoulders a little more parallel. It's probably a little different for everybody.I'm not sure if tension is the right term. I feel as though when i'm too squared up, my arm is flexing in more than one direction. When I am facing the cue (moreso than when squared up) it feels as though the elbow is working more as a hinge in only one plane.
I'm not sure if this is actually what's happening, but it is what it feels like and the results seem to reinforce this. When i'm squared up, straight shots veer to the left (cue ball goes right) and when I start with my chest basically facing my cue it tends to be straight.
It took me awhile to find the elbow position (distance from body) and shoulder position (how parallel with cue) that brought the cue directly under my elbow, shoulder and vision in a way that my stroke naturally stayed on line over a wide range of speeds. For me it was elbow a little farther out and shoulders a little more parallel. It's probably a little different for everybody.
It helps me to take a moment after getting down to be aware of those things (stick, grip hand, elbow, shoulder, vision) and their alignment in the shot plane. I try to continue this stance check even (especially) after the stance becomes habitual.
pj
chgo
My stance check is just a mental inventory of the relative positions of my grip hand, elbow, shoulder and vision - do they feel like they're in the same vertical "shot plane"? (if not, tweak elbow and shoulder positions) - is my stick aligned precisely on the line I want it on for the shot? - is my head turned to face the shot squarely? Your checklist might be a little different.Can you expand on this "stance check?" Especially when warming up, what goes through your mind before you execute the stroke, that tells you you're on (or not)?
My stance check is just a mental inventory of the relative positions of my grip hand, elbow, shoulder and vision - do they feel like they're in the same vertical "shot plane"? (if not, tweak elbow and shoulder positions) - is my stick aligned precisely on the line I want it on for the shot? - is my head turned to face the shot squarely? Your checklist might be a little different.
I do this before taking any warmup strokes - if not, I spend warmup strokes doing the same thing less efficiently and accurately.
pj
chgo
Testing out the digicue blue and find I tend to steer tip to the right at times. What causes this?
My straightness and tip steering scores have been greatly lowered by focusing on correct stance but mostly on cradling my cue lighter. I already thought I was holding it as lightly as possible. I focused on using the fourth finger from the thumb and the "V" formed by the thumb and forefinger as the cradle. Another key ingredient to a better stroke is to always think and focus on your stroke fundamentals during practice so that they eventually become automatic. In order to develop a clean, smooth, repeatable stroke, I focus on 1. eyes on object ball at contact, 2. Stroke movement at elbow joint ONLY, 3. Zero head and body movement. 4. Slow backswing and pause at end of backswing. 5. Steady increase of acceleration during delivery. 5. Stay down until ball stops moving.