hi all,i encountered a problem with having my chin on the cue last night.when i was doing my practice strokes the cue didn't run smoothly against my chin and sometimes especially on the break the cue was making a small vibration from the contact of my chin which hurt my neck after playing for an hour.before i went to play that night i shaved my facial hair very short but didn't completely removed them and my chin is not smooth when i touch it so i think that's definitely the cause of this problem.i've been playing with the chin on the cue for years but this is the first time i run into this problem.has anyone else had this problem & what should i do to be able to play when i shave my facial hair very short?
chin on the cue issues
- Thread starter z0nt0n3r
- Start date
I shoot most shots with my chin on the cue. I don't do it on the break (harder breaking games) do to the force and more movement. I have noticed that the steel joint in my cue will sometimes grab/pull a tiny bit on whiskers in my chin, but its nothing major.
Along the lines of a smooth stroke I dont seem to have any problem with using my chin. At the end of the night though I do have a little dirt mark there LOL.
yeah i had this problem in the past too when i had a lot of facial hair but this only happened with my old cue and it doesn't happen anymore because the joint of my new cue is different.but this is the first time i run into this problem with the vibration and it's starting to worry me
Please do not use your chin as "rest" or "stability enforcement" for your cue.
The chin shall only provide that you have a 100% consistent line / alignment of sight!
As others wrote, never use the chin for breaking! You can use the chin to line up, but the break does not need that much of accuracy afterwards, so stroke freely here.
Please take proper care of your neck now, maybe even seeing a doctor.
Cheers.
M
The chin shall only provide that you have a 100% consistent line / alignment of sight!
As others wrote, never use the chin for breaking! You can use the chin to line up, but the break does not need that much of accuracy afterwards, so stroke freely here.
Please take proper care of your neck now, maybe even seeing a doctor.
Cheers.
M
it makes sighting easier for me.i use snooker fundamentals and i have the cue in contact with my chest also.it works for me.
Do you also use a snooker stance? Are both of your knees bent and stance slightly open. I still don't understand having anything impede the smooth flow of my elbow movement.
I think having a nearly perfectly straight stroke is more useful than a "smooth flow". If more pool players had their chins on cues you would see much straighter strokes. I wish I had figured that out 50 years ago. For pool one problem is that the tables are about 3 inches too short.
Tables are definitely too short!
OP,
If possible, I'd say just lift your head an inch away from the cue itself. I can't cue with my chin on the cue itself because it causes me to have double images in my eyes and I quickly switched to slightly raising my head off the cue. You get the same effect as having your cue on the chin without some of the setbacks of having your cue on the chin (one setback is what you are currently dealing with).
So I have had the same issue with power shots before and have to elevate my chin a little higher in order to rectify the issue. However, if your elbow is dropping or you are lifting up the cue at all after or during the stroke, then this is what is happening. If your stroke is straight and level, you should be able to get through the ball without the cue making more than a grazing contact with your chin. Watch some snooker!
I am a very low head/eye player but never could actually play with my chin on the cue, but on & not on are not the same thing & you can not get the same benefits of having the chin off the cue as you can get with the chin on the cue. With the cue on the chin that is another physical guide or check point. 3 points of contact on the cue are better than 2, as with 2, the cue can go off line & one would have no 'feel' indicator. With the cue on the chin one can actually feel & physically notice if the cue goes off line as it pushes against, twists on, or leaves the chin.
One of the better players in my area actually has 4 connections to the cue as it runs on one side on his chin & the other side of his nose.
I'm 5'9" with a 32 1/2 sleeve & at 62 yrs. old the table is too high for my stroke & too low for my back.
As to the OP's issue perhaps some powder on the cue in the area that contacts your chin may be a solution.
One of the better players in my area actually has 4 connections to the cue as it runs on one side on his chin & the other side of his nose.
I'm 5'9" with a 32 1/2 sleeve & at 62 yrs. old the table is too high for my stroke & too low for my back.
As to the OP's issue perhaps some powder on the cue in the area that contacts your chin may be a solution.
OK so, stubble + chin on cue = discomfort. I've experienced it, and soon learned not to shave too close. The stubble is just the start of what I'm assuming is your problem. Just thank your lucky stars you aren't using an ash shift, the grain snags like a beach.
I'm guessing the stubble is causing you a bit of discomfort, which in turn causes you to flinch ever so slightly. Because of this you kind of force the cue up into the chin as your head tries to move away from it to avoid the discomfort and you end up sort of straining the neck muscles. All movements are very minute but can make the world of difference.
Some players use varying amounts of chin pressure on the cue, and it can change over time as we get lazier we tend to rest the chin on the cue instead of using the chin as a guide. A former world class snooker player called Dott used to put a lot of pressure onto the cue, so much so he would player with a plaster (band aid) on his chin.
I could be way of base with you prediction, it could be something to do with a change in your cue action. If your elbow doesn't drop then as you reach the end of the follow through the cue raises up, and if you try to fight against it with added chin pressure this can also cause neck strain.
My advice? Don't play through any neck pain. Pack up and rest until you feel better. It simply isn't worth hurting yourself.
I'm guessing the stubble is causing you a bit of discomfort, which in turn causes you to flinch ever so slightly. Because of this you kind of force the cue up into the chin as your head tries to move away from it to avoid the discomfort and you end up sort of straining the neck muscles. All movements are very minute but can make the world of difference.
Some players use varying amounts of chin pressure on the cue, and it can change over time as we get lazier we tend to rest the chin on the cue instead of using the chin as a guide. A former world class snooker player called Dott used to put a lot of pressure onto the cue, so much so he would player with a plaster (band aid) on his chin.
I could be way of base with you prediction, it could be something to do with a change in your cue action. If your elbow doesn't drop then as you reach the end of the follow through the cue raises up, and if you try to fight against it with added chin pressure this can also cause neck strain.
My advice? Don't play through any neck pain. Pack up and rest until you feel better. It simply isn't worth hurting yourself.
I break with the chin on the cue. I raise it off halfway through my forward stroke, but yeah.... Breaking the balls with the chin on the cue will cause harm if done poorly.
yes i use a snooker stance but my right foot is straight (i'm right handed) while my left bent and slightly forward of the right.it takes a little time to get used to a snooker stance on a pool table because it is lower than snooker tables and it's more difficult to get down in that position so your body needs time to adapt
As I was practicing before league last night I tried stroking with the shaft running along my chin. I was way down and all it did was mess up my stroke. Like I said, I must be way off base, but how can you play with the shaft running along your chin? Using your bridge ONLY as a guide should be good enough I think. You know: keep it simple.
Move your chin up a 1/4 of an inch and it won't rub against the cue.
Why is this even a question?
Why must you be rubbing your chin against the cue in the first place?
Exactly. Why? What for?