Hello Leigh...Like my fellow SPF instructor randyg said, you have some "good bones" (read: process) already, and are heading in the right direction. All you need is a little direction, and some better progressive drills, like the SPF Mother Drills, to help you master your process. I like the way you swing your cue...pulling all the way back slowly, with a nice brief pause at the transition from backswing to forward stroke...and a smooth accelerated movement through the CB. Start using just stripes for your drill, and put the stripe exactly upright. Then you can measure how straight your stroke is by making the stripe roll like a tire into the pocket. Then learn to do it at different speeds, from a lag all the way to a break speed stroke.
Your real problem is that you don't know where your personal finish point is (where the tip finishes on the cloth when your cradle hand finishes at your breast (which you should be figuring out how that works for you, since it's different for every woman because of body orientation to the shot, body size and shape...we're all different). Once you can measure your finish, your brain can train your arm to deliver the cuestick in a straight line to the same finish position every time...even on the break, and on a lag! You can't fix what you don't know about (you don't know what you don't know) ...you can't fix something you can't measure...and you can only fix one thing at a time.
Now, here's some accurate video analysis from your videos, which you did a great job with btw! :thumbup: That shows me that you know how to follow directions well! :thumbup: No matter who the teacher is, it's the effort by the student where the rubber meets the road.
First, your cuestick is nowhere near level (it may seem like only a little to you, but just the mild elevation you have will result in an 18% probability of some sort of error (forced or unforced). Lowering your cue will also result in you getting more speed, because you won't be shooting "into the cloth" as much. Here's what you do...rest the cue on the rail, put your bridge hand where you're comfortable away from the CB. With the tip touching the CB, measure the distance between where the stick crosses your hand, right up to the CB. This is your natural bridge length (we all have one, if you know how to measure it). Don't guess...use a ruler or tape measure. Check where you're supposed to hold your cue, when the forearm is perpendicular to the cuestick. In your two 'grip' examples neither one has any relevance to "hitting the ball harder", as that is only related to how fast you move the cue forward, trying to keep muscle tension to a minimum (many players and instructors refer to this as 'throwing the cue').
The glaring error in your grip that jumped out at me was your wrist cock. You want your wrist to hang in a straight line with your forearm, so you can make the quick transition to a power stroke, with no breakdown in routine. The cocked wrist makes it much more difficult to have a smooth transition, especially on faster strokes. Like has been mentioned in other posts, you really want to hit the CB at the bottom of the swing, so that you can build timing into muscle memory, and learn how to move the cue the same way for all speeds. (I teach 10, for example...a 1 is a lag, and a 10 is a break). The key is to be able to do all 10 with the same process/routine... the personal eye pattern (PEP) is a big part of this.
When you finish your stroke to your boob, you can swing the cue at any forward speed, with no tension on the grip, because your body 'catches' the cue, making the finish or follow through the same for every shot. That is also measurable...measure how far the tip goes past the CB, measuring from the front edge, not the backside). It doesn't matter if it's only a couple of inches (barely through the CB) or 8-10". It's what's natural for you with no elbow drop. People who equate following through farther with more power don't know what they're talking about. The CB is gone in 1/1000th of a second, whether you follow through 1 inch or 3 feet! Again, with a pendulum stroke like you already mostly have, you just need to fill in the numbers, so you can create an accurate, repeatable routine that you can train into a monster!
Since we're both stuck at home, if you'd like to talk pool, be at your table, and give me a call! 773-551-7473
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
First I would like to say thank you for your incredible generosity to take the time to reply to this post. A little background: I am 50 years old, just started playing a year ago, I immediately bought a table, and joined a house league at the local pool hall. Everyone at the pool hall has been so helpful and welcoming. In nine ball I’m a four (but I think I get lucky and I’m probably more like a three) and in eight ball I’m a four or five... I think four is more accurate. I’m only five one and cross eye dominant. I work a ton and don’t have a lot of time to practice so now that I’m working from home I’m trying to practice as much as possible. I really want to drill down my fundamentals so I don’t have to think about them when I’m playing a game. I’m making my way through Tor Lowery’s pool drills.
Attached are two videos. One shot from the side, one from the front. All criticism on what I am doing wrong is welcome. I just want to get better.
Here are the two videos. The first one is from the side and the second from the front.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5b6d1U1V0Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuMXclcJhDg
