What is your grip hand technique?

W

WillyCornbread

Break and One
Silver Member
I'm working on the fundamentals of my stroke, and it's going pretty well. One area that I just can't seem to find a repeatable, consistent method is my grip hand.

How do you keep your grip hand loose and prevent it from twisting during the shot? I find that no matter how I try to hold it, be aware of it, etc. my wrist winds up turned slightly towards my body.

When I am hyper-focusing on keeping it straight, I can't maintain a loose grip and feel like I am steering the shot. This is especially frustrating because on the rare occasion when I DO wind up with a nice straight, loose grip I can feel it in the shot immediately.

Any advice is much appreciated, a forums search didn't yield much.

Thanks,

b
 
R

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I cradle the cue in the "V" of my middle knuckles, and the thumb just lays against the tip of my index finger. The cue is for lack of a better phrase, "just sitting in my hand". I dont grip it at all, just cradle it. Ive gone back and forth about taking the pinkie finger off the cue, and I still do it on some soft touch shots, but not always. First thing I go to if I come in playing bad is focus on the grip for a few shots and see if that stroke straightens out. :cool:
 
Apocalypse2017

Apocalypse2017

Welcome to the resistance
Silver Member
I was watching someone from Coratia playing $1000 games of one pocket. I had a close seat and was able to see something when watching him stroke the ball.

It will be available on my DVD coming soon. $59.99 +shipping

The Hustler is the teacher

edit to add: Chuck knows whats up, great post
 
H

Hits 'em Hard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WillyCornbread said:
I'm working on the fundamentals of my stroke, and it's going pretty well. One area that I just can't seem to find a repeatable, consistent method is my grip hand.

How do you keep your grip hand loose and prevent it from twisting during the shot? I find that no matter how I try to hold it, be aware of it, etc. my wrist winds up turned slightly towards my body.

When I am hyper-focusing on keeping it straight, I can't maintain a loose grip and feel like I am steering the shot. This is especially frustrating because on the rare occasion when I DO wind up with a nice straight, loose grip I can feel it in the shot immediately.

Any advice is much appreciated, a forums search didn't yield much.

Thanks,

b
Click to expand...

Your steering issue is an alignment issue not grip. It's probably due to not fully having control of the deflection your shaft has.

As far as a grip goes, have you ever played golf? Think of an interlocking grip then removing the rear hand. Left hand for a righty. When you remove that hand keep your front hand in the same position. Notice how your ring and pinky finger are relaxed and not tight to the handle/grip. If you haven't played golf, I suggest you at least go and buy a cheap club to look at what gripping a golf club is like in compared to what your loose pool cue grip is.
 
Tramp Steamer

Tramp Steamer

One Pocket enthusiast.
Silver Member
It's more, or less, an upside down one of these with the fingers loosely curled around the butt of the cue. It is a natural thing, and will pretty much take care of it's self. :smile:
 

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Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I think one common reason we curl our wrists is to get the grip hand out of the way of the stick as we finish the stroke. An alternative is to cock the grip hand downward at the finish (while keeping the "v" upright) - I think this is probably what CJ Wiley meant when he described his "hammer stroke" concept. I don't believe it did the other things he claimed (like "adding power"), but it can help with the wrist twist problem.

pj
chgo
 
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peteypooldude

peteypooldude

I see Edges
Silver Member
WillyCornbread said:
I'm working on the fundamentals of my stroke, and it's going pretty well. One area that I just can't seem to find a repeatable, consistent method is my grip hand.

How do you keep your grip hand loose and prevent it from twisting during the shot? I find that no matter how I try to hold it, be aware of it, etc. my wrist winds up turned slightly towards my body.

When I am hyper-focusing on keeping it straight, I can't maintain a loose grip and feel like I am steering the shot. This is especially frustrating because on the rare occasion when I DO wind up with a nice straight, loose grip I can feel it in the shot immediately.

Any advice is much appreciated, a forums search didn't yield much.

Thanks,


I use my thumb and index finger. Keep the rest of your hand out of the shot.
At least that's what works best for me
Click to expand...
 
Physiqz

Physiqz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You dont have to have your wrist straight up and down, you have to play what is comfortable to you, a lot of players on the pro events have a "cupped wrist" as well, just make sure your grip is loose and you can repeat your stroke/shots. Best way is to practice straight shots from about 7 ft out, or use the edge of the table to make sure your butt and shaft are going straight at the end of the shot.
 
W

WillyCornbread

Break and One
Silver Member
Thanks for weighing in, as I expected I guess it's a matter of finding what delivers a repeatable straight stroke for me.

I'll play around with the different methods you all pointed out and see if any of the changes feel better for me - the golf grip way of looking at it is an interesting thought, I've played a little.

Scott - Can't wait to see you in September to help me work out the kinks!

Thanks again -

b
 
B

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
I use my thumb and first two fingers in a V shape, and make sure my thumb is pointing down. The also seems to help me keep my wrist loose.
 
Drop The Rock

Drop The Rock

1652nd on AZ Money List
Silver Member
hmmm

As some others have mentioned comfort is key. Really any grip will work as long as you can train your grip/stroke to stroke through the cue ball at the point you intend. It is much easier to let the cue dictate what is most comfortable and effective for you. Some say that thumb perpendicular to the cue is the best. I cradle with my wrist slight curled towards my body because that is what my physicality dictates.
 
Physiqz

Physiqz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If your grip is the way you described, it sounds similar to fransico bustamante's grip
 
3andstop

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
A loose grip allows a truer delivery IMO, but an accelerated stroke through the CB is a very important aspect of the stroke also. Accelerating through the CB allows truer delivery as well. I feel the difference between a slightly decelerating stroke and an accelerating stroke is very subtle and can be overlooked or not even recognized, if it's not in a person's natural technique to deliver the cue that way.

I believe a lot of very good players can't explain when asked how they are so accurate because they don't even realize they naturally accelerate through the shot.

I don't curl my grip, I sort of cradle it. but I often wondered if curling your wrist in helps to counter act tightening your fingers on the butt of the cue.

On lots of shots, especially long straight in shots, I find myself almost letting go of the cue once it starts forward just as it contacts the CB and my hand almost just goes along for the follow through ride of the cue's inertia.
 
Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
3andstop said:
...the difference between a slightly decelerating stroke and an accelerating stroke...
Click to expand...
I hear warnings here fairly often about avoiding deceleration in the stroke, and I have to admit I don't know what that means. How is it done? Why is it done? To produce a slower shot? To correct an over-accelerated stroke?

Why would the stroke be accelerated and then decelerated before striking the CB, rather than simply accelerated a little less to begin with? Is it out of the player's conscious control?

No argument intended, just genuinely curious what's meant by this.

pj
chgo
 
3andstop

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
Patrick Johnson said:
I hear warnings here fairly often about avoiding deceleration in the stroke, and I have to admit I don't know what that means. How is it done? Why is it done? To produce a slower shot? To correct an over-accelerated stroke?

Why would the stroke be accelerated and then decelerated before striking the CB, rather than simply accelerating a little less to begin with? Is it something out of the player's conscious control?

No argument intended, just genuinely curious what's meant by this.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

I think the same thing that makes the difference subtle makes it difficult to explain. Nearly impossible for me to put it into words.

To exaggerate the effect / explanation all I can think of is a door in your house that is ajar.

A shove to close it would be the decelerating stroke, while a gentle contact and complete push through the action would be the accelerating stroke.

I know ... the explanation sucks ... sorry.

The stroke doesn't really decelerate before contacting the CB it sort of is on it's way of finishing rather than energizing through the ball. Ahh ... I give up LOL, I know what I feel, but I can't say it well.

Maybe at the point of CB contact on a decelerating stroke your grip hand is ever so slightly on the forward side of perpendicular while the accelerating stroke has your hand favoring ever so slightly prior to dead perpendicular. Naa ... that sucked too. :)
 
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