Do you love the game so much that you would switch playing hands if you had to?

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poolcuekid3275

Banned
Do you love the game so much that you would switch playing hands, and start the learning process all over again, if you had to?

For this example, lets just say you have never even tried to learn how to play with your weak hand.

How long do you think it would take for you to be able to get good enough to run out a rack of 8 ball or 9 ball, for example? How many hours of practice per day? Would you try drills, or how would you go about the learning process?

Is this something that a Pro instructor could help a player learn to do, to speed up the learning process, if needed?

Thanks for any thoughts about this.
 
tenfttall

tenfttall

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would quit. Because I do have a table at home, I would poke around if I was medically unable to shoot with my right hand. But would I work hard to rewire myself? Nope. I’m way to uncoordinated as it is.


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jimmyco

jimmyco

NRA4Life
Silver Member
The fundamentals do not change, nor the equipment.

Hardest part is digging quarters out of my right pocket with my left hand.
 
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longhorns2

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think I could switch and be back to 90% fairly quickly. A good stroke is pretty simple. Once you get a little muscle memory for the stroke and footwork, you'd probably be close to where you left off. I think your vision and "seeing the shot" would be what takes time
 
Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would bang balls around but would never enjoy it anywhere like before so gradually
I would play less and less and eventually just quit playing entirely. I quit playing golf for
the exact same reason. A bum right shoulder made me quit because I lost so much in
swing speed and ability to maintain the club on its intended swing path it stopped being
fun. After my NCGA index kept rising due to higher scoring, It stopped being enjoyable
and that is when you should quit playing. Same applies to pocket billiards, at least for me.
 
pwd72s

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
tenfttall said:
I would quit. Because I do have a table at home, I would poke around if I was medically unable to shoot with my right hand. But would I work hard to rewire myself? Nope. I’m way to uncoordinated as it is.


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Click to expand...

That's probably me too. But John Morra did indeed make the switch to left handed play to accommodate his dominant eye. Shooting righty gave him neck joint pain. Trying to shoot lefty from time to time prompts me to have a ton of respect for Morra for doing that. Don't think he posts here, but if he did he could give us a clue to the amount of dedication and practice it takes. I would imagine one hellofalot!
 
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MattPoland

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I totally would. I know what a good stroke feels like right handed. The idea is so simple. It’s just easy. I look at how spasmatic lower players jerk at the ball and wonder why they can’t just go back and forth smoothly with follow through. Then I try it left handed applying what I already know...and I’m way worse than the lower players.

That’s when I realize how much is baked into muscle strength, muscle coordination and muscle memory. I’ve known an old road player, decent shortstop that hit periods where he might not be able to play for long stretches at a time. He said he would do the coke bottle drill every now and then at his kitchen table during those times and come back to the table without missing a beat. I think back on that and how something as simple as that can maintain the muscle control in your arm.

If I could only play left handed, I’d definitely have the patience to stroke drill my left arm into control. The day may come where I’m too old, tired, blind or shaky to play anymore. I’m not ready to really face that possibility. Pool is a need for me.


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Geosnooker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play billiards both ways. I’m more a natural lefty but play most sports with either hand.

The fundamentals, wisdom, table strategy is the same either way. The only sport position in sport I can only play lefty is goalie in hockey.

This is an interesting and fun video on learning to play opposite hand. Snooker, but applies to all cue sports.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tAtu_B7GHBE
 
David in FL

David in FL

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Unless you’re already cross dominant, the change is going to be even more challenging because you’ll be not only learning to play with your weak side, but will also now have to play that way...

I’d certainly try, but it might just be too much for me to stick with.
 
Maxx

Maxx

AzB Platinum Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I broke my wrist and once I got a shorter cast I started playing, made the hand with the cast my bridge hand. I played that way for over eight months and it felt weird when I finally switched back. After a while I was a bit off my speed, but a lot had to do with the funky bridge I had to use. At first I just had to cut a groove in the cast, but the casts got less restrictive as time went on.

You make do with what you’ve got.
 
softshot

softshot

Simplify
Silver Member
I end my daily practice by breaking 15 racks. After the last one I run the final balls off left handed.. I'm not as good as with my right, but after years of practice I am familiar enough with it to choose opposite hand instead of a mechanical bridge for many easy shots on the far end of the table.. YMMV
 
SpiderWeb

SpiderWeb

iisgone@yahoo.com
Silver Member
You are not starting over because you already know many things. it wont take too long and you will shoot some shots better opposite handed.
 
Mkindsv

Mkindsv

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Absolutely, alot of times when I do drills I switch and do them off handed...wouldnt be too long of a transition....definitely check out Tor Lowry's stroke drill if you do.
 
sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Yes, I'd start from square one if I had to, for not being able to play at all would be far too disheartening to bear.
 
9ball5032

9ball5032

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would still go to pool hall and play at home, but i would not put the time in to get as good as before, i think it would be a struggle and would take some of the fun out of it.
 
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