rhythm of the stroke...your thoughts

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
what do you think the pros and cons of these 2 rhythms are??
the rhythm of pitching pennies/bowling /slow pitch softball
where the rhythm is smooth not jerky..slow back swing with a smooth transition
and smooth forward swing
no marked pause/ hesitation and forward stroke
or
archery
slow backswing with a marked pause and forward stroke (release of the arrow)
i find if i try to make the pause obvious it doesnt feel natural and there is tension in my arm as i "hold" the momentum at the top of the back swing
when i SMOOTHLY come back slow and then accelerate it feels more natural
what do you think?
is a marked pause desirable?
fwiw
if you watch a true pendulum swing back and forth
there doesnt seem to me to be a distinct pause at the top of the back swing
it just goes back and forth smoothly
 
Last edited:

BilliardsAbout

BondFanEvents.com
Silver Member
what do you think the pros and cons of these 2 rhythms are??
the rhythm of pitching pennies/bowling /slow pitch softball
where the rhythm is smooth not jerky..slow back swing with a smooth transition
and smooth forward swing
no marked pause/ hesitation and forward stroke
or
archery
slow backswing with a marked pause and forward stroke (release of the arrow)
i find if i try to make the pause obvious it doesnt feel natural and there is tension in my arm as i "hold" the momentum at the top of the back swing
when i SMOOTHLY come back slow and then accelerate it feels more natural
what do you think?
is a marked pause desirable?
fwiw
if you watch a true pendulum swing back and forth
there doesnt seem to me to be a distinct pause at the top of the back swing
it just goes back and forth smoothly

1) "Different strokes for different folks"

2) Some very fine players who are said to pause at the end of their final backswing barely do--they rather take progressively slower practice strokes before their final stroke

The deciding "vote" here has to do with your comfort level and whether the balls are finding the pockets.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
what do you think the pros and cons of these 2 rhythms are??
the rhythm of pitching pennies/bowling /slow pitch softball
where the rhythm is smooth not jerky..slow back swing with a smooth transition
and smooth forward swing
no marked pause/ hesitation and forward stroke
or
archery
slow backswing with a marked pause and forward stroke (release of the arrow)
i find if i try to make the pause obvious it doesnt feel natural and there is tension in my arm as i "hold" the momentum at the top of the back swing
when i SMOOTHLY come back slow and then accelerate it feels more natural
what do you think?
is a marked pause desirable?
fwiw
if you watch a true pendulum swing back and forth
there doesnt seem to me to be a distinct pause at the top of the back swing
it just goes back and forth smoothly
The pause (when I'm disciplined enough to use it)

- "insulates" the shot stroke from any backstroke imperfections
- promotes a fixed elbow and straighter shot stroke
- sharpens focus, especially on speed control

pj
chgo
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
The pause (when I'm disciplined enough to use it)

- "insulates" the shot stroke from any backstroke imperfections
- promotes a fixed elbow and straighter shot stroke
- sharpens focus, especially on speed control

pj
chgo

pj
i really cant agree with you here
although you are one of the smartest posters on here
my rebuttal
.....
if you are offline in the backstroke you stopped off line
has nothing to do if you drop your elbow on the follow thru
maybe
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
pj
i really cant agree with you here
although you are one of the smartest posters on here
my rebuttal
.....
if you are offline in the backstroke you stopped off line
has nothing to do if you drop your elbow on the follow thru
maybe

If you pull offline, you should stop and reset.
Max Eberle said that. And it takes discipline to do that .
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
pj
i really cant agree with you here
although you are one of the smartest posters on here
my rebuttal
.....
if you are offline in the backstroke you stopped off line
has nothing to do if you drop your elbow on the follow thru
maybe
It does the things I described for me. I sometimes do adjust my position slightly during the pause.

YMMV

pj
chgo
 
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Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
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Silver Member
I think it is very hard to change once you have a learned tempo.

So, the question is, what is the better tempo to teach to a new student who has never played before. I think there are a lot of advantages to the way Allison Fisher does it.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I think it is very hard to change once you have a learned tempo.

So, the question is, what is the better tempo to teach to a new student who has never played before. I think there are a lot of advantages to the way Allison Fisher does it.
So, ya gonna keep us in suspenders, or wat?

pj
chgo
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Belt and suspenders and duck tape.

She has a long pause at the back at which time her eyes move from the cue ball and focus on the object ball. And, then, pow!

I've copied her PSR that includes lining the cue to the same part of the pectoral every time ( if possible ).
I can't get the hang of the long pause at the end of the backstroke though.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I've copied her PSR that includes lining the cue to the same part of the pectoral every time ( if possible ).
I can't get the hang of the long pause at the end of the backstroke though.
I never learned a proper pause but I can fake one if the situation demands it.:wink:
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A fast back stroke will almost always lead to a bad stroke. Sometimes a player can get away with it, but it's usually just a mess by the time the tip hits the cue ball. BUT, a fast back stroke with a decent length pause at the end can salvage the stroke timing and even produce a good result --- Not always the best, but good enough.

So then, why doesn't everybody just slow down their backstrokes? Many have tried but only few have succeeded. It's hard to change your stroke rhythm. In those who can't, they're much better off taking the pause.

When you think of a player who you consider to be a 'natural,' watch his backstroke. It's perfect.
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
A fast back stroke will almost always lead to a bad stroke. Sometimes a player can get away with it, but it's usually just a mess by the time the tip hits the cue ball. BUT, a fast back stroke with a decent length pause at the end can salvage the stroke timing and even produce a good result --- Not always the best, but good enough.

So then, why doesn't everybody just slow down their backstrokes? Many have tried but only few have succeeded. It's hard to change your stroke rhythm. In those who can't, they're much better off taking the pause.

When you think of a player who you consider to be a 'natural,' watch his backstroke. It's perfect.

I have changed.
Pause before the last stroke, slow pull, a slight pause then shoot.
It took hundreds of straight in shots.
Pulling offline is a no-no as well. You can't correct an offline pull by getting back in line with the last forward stroke.
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
thanks to all who have responded so far
i am paying attention......:)
 
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