Short backswing

i am trying a short bridge length with a pause at the top of my basckswimg

I am not much of a player but i seem to br more accurate
without the long pause i was throwing it from the top,like a yip with your putter

i

Interesting topic.

I personally use a full backswing and follow through for ‘just about’’ all shots. Also the same bridge length. This comes from mostly playing Snooker...and in my city in Canada nearly all Pool halls use 9 foot American style tables. The only thing that changes is speed control.

The exception are shots off a rail and those close-quarter safety shots, etc. when tapping an object ball a few inches.

I personally don’t use a short backswing because of ‘just not using it’. I find when I try that I’m just not as consistent in speed. Sinking a three foot shot into an American size pocket should be a no brainer but with a short backswing I’’m overthinking the cueball placement.

Bottom line, I don’t need it. Others use it quite effectively. I find American Pool players often creative in their stoke repertoire where as, in contrast, Snooker players are consistent in stroke and most of the action is in using tip placement... English, draw, etc.,

I come from golf.......worked in a pro shop from age 12 to 18.
I had 14 clubs in the bag...distances vary, also lies. Most shots have unique problems...
...if you don’t adapt you won’t score so good...one-trick ponies don’t cut it.

I took this knowledge to a pool hall when I was 17...it was useful.
I held the cue different places, depending on the shot. For feel or power I might stroke long.
If only accuracy was required, my stroke would tend to be shorter.
Length of follow through varied also...usually for parking whitey.

pt109 said:

I come from golf.......worked in a pro shop from age 12 to 18.
I had 14 clubs in the bag...distances vary, also lies. Most shots have unique problems...
...if you don’t adapt you won’t score so good...one-trick ponies don’t cut it.

I took this knowledge to a pool hall when I was 17...it was useful.
I held the cue different places, depending on the shot. For feel or power I might stroke long.
If only accuracy was required, my stroke would tend to be shorter.
Length of follow through varied also...usually for parking whitey.

Click to expand...

Just curious, but I thought a principal in golf was that the swing should be consistent (except for putting) and only the club used should change, depending on the lie (?).
BTW: Haven’t played in many years, and never did advance past the ‘duffer’ stage.

There is a bit of a trade off using a shorter stroke. It's a bit tougher to generate power. Using Allen Hopkins as an example, he wasn't going to win any draw stroke competitions but he knew his game and created angles that he could use to get position. He was a Hall of Famer, different strokes for different folks.

Here is a suggestion. Keep your bridge hand at about 4 balls way from the cue ball in ordinary situations. You will be at the shorter end of the 8 - 12 inch recommendation scale but still will be far enough away to generate plenty of power. Work on developing a repeatable stroking motion that stays consistent from soft shots to power shots. No extra movement. Practice by placing a stripe on the head spot and shooting down to the end rail. Focus on hitting the cue ball in the center. It should come back to your tip. Practice at different speeds. Your follow through should be consistent unless it's a soft stroke then just follow through where it ends naturally. Remember to always accelerate to the cue ball (on a soft stroke it's a bit tougher but moving your bridge hand closer or abbreviate the stroking motion by not bringing the cue tip all the way to your bridge hand will make it easier)

DynoDan said:

Just curious, but I thought a principal in golf was that the swing should be consistent (except for putting) and only the club used should change, depending on the lie (?).
BTW: Haven’t played in many years, and never did advance past the ‘duffer’ stage.

Click to expand...

If you’re swinging an 8-iron like your 3-iron...you’re missing out.
I was around when they started recommending square stance on everything...
..I felt they were wrong...it was more a teaching method for the average golfer.

By the age of 17, my short irons were close to tour quality...I used a 3/4 backswing...
...and an open stance...I hit them long and accurate.
I was known to drive par 4 greens...I would close my stance and fight a hook grip....
...and hit on the upswing...opposite of the short irons.

But I left the game as a serious contender early...against a lot of encouragement..
..I told my friends that a scratch golfer is just another caddy on the PGA tour.

Lot of different swings of the greatest golfers on history..but their club heads meet the ball
the way they want it to....not unlike great players in the billiard field.

If you watch alex
He may have a short back stroke but he has a full follow thru
I have used that type of stroke with success

bbb said:

If you watch alex
He may have a short back stroke but he has a full follow thru
I have used that type of stroke with success

Click to expand...

And, a quite wristy motion. Contast to someone like Filler who often uses a short backswing but little to no wrist motion on most shots. Both hit fully through resulting in great speed and direction. I marvel at both games. Short backswings are ideal for 14.1; a technique I use often.

I tried and it doesn't work for me.

I changed up my stroke during the last few months of playing solo.

Went from a rather normal stroke in terms of pool, (short-ish in terms of snooker), to the same normal stroke while lining things up but added a longer wind up with a pause pre-striking of the cue ball.

It was a fight early on, but I find it's really smoothed out long pots with action.

Dennis Hatch has had a beautiful stroke since he was mid teens.
But when he just has to make a ball and stop...his back stroke is sometimes only one inch.

BTW...I hate calling it a back swing....that’s for golf....it’s a BACK STROKE...
...a different concept than a swing.

I think I have kinda of a short backstroke. It’s not something I came up with it’s just the way I play. For me long draw shots are really hard. On the other hand I think I’m pretty decent at my ball pocketing ability. It’s hard to have the best of both worlds I guess.

couldnthinkof01 said:

If you would describe your stroke as "pendulum style"
do you have a back swing or a back stroke?

Click to expand...

I use a piston stroke so I don’t think swing....although it morphs to pendulum on draw.
To me, pendulum is thinking with your arm...the cue moves ‘cause you’re holding to it.
Piston is thinking with your cue...and that’s what you hit the ball with.