I am curious. Can the Digicue be ordered with a laser pointer to help me see where I'm aiming?
Not presently to my knowledge..could be TOP SECRET RAD
..But maybe an eye doctor can install one in your eye socket..
Preferably the dominate eye..
I am curious. Can the Digicue be ordered with a laser pointer to help me see where I'm aiming?
I am curious. Can the Digicue be ordered with a laser pointer to help me see where I'm aiming?
Thanks Dennis. I've never seen the qmd device, never used it, so I have no basis for opinion, though it does seem like it could potentially help players develop a solid, consistent stroke. And I'm sure, like with the Digicue, earlier models lack some of the user friendliness and benefits that newer models provide.
It's a no-brainer for me. If I needed stroke work I wouldn't drive 3 or 4 hours to pay an instructor to record and analyze my stroke and point out flaws and remedies, not when I could do it myself with either a camera or a stroke analysis tool like the qmd ir digi. I mean, with numerous youtube instructions available, not to mention countless books on basic stroke fundamentals, self-learning is really not a difficult option. And I'm not degrading the value of a good private lesson. I'm just saying not everyone needs to go that route.
Also, I’m pretty sure the developer of the Digicue/Digicue Blue talked on this forum with us many times to state that a piston or pendulum stroke could both produce a laser straight reading on his device. He was super active on here when those devices were being introduced and was a great help in answering everyone’s questions.
Thanks. I think these little devices help us along. We've got to decide whether we want a pendulum stroke as 90% of the pool instructors teach in the USA or a piston stroke where the elbow drops. My teacher has the elbow dropping stroke during all of his competition hustling days and thinks it is a better stroke IF we can keep it straight. You must have this kind of stroke as I've seen the "straightness" of the Digicue pegged at the top and that means you follow through straight instead of hitting the cloth 4" out. Just my guess.
But maybe it is better for people to hear all sides of the story, not just the 'gee whiz' side. OP is obviously taken with technological approaches to improvement. I don't think anyone would criticize just that.
But when it becomes: everyone who takes a different approach just doesn't want to know the truth, or is just too cheap to buy one, then there will be pushback - and OP doesn't like that.
And frankly, his description to bbb of how the device tells you how to fix your stroke is ludicrous. If you detect a problem, band-aiding it rather that finding out and correcting the fundamental flaw causing the problem (which is what I understood bbb to be asking) doesn't seem like a good path to improvement.
I bought the original qmd and did not find it useful. It couldn't even tell me how many times I shot, in a given session.
I don't believe we "decide" what type of stroke we use. At least I didn't. I just picked up a cue and developed a stroke that felt good and natural, not knowing if it was piston or pendulum or wonky.
If nothing feels good and natural then maybe bowling would be a better option. Lol. And I don't mean you...I just mean anybody that can't seem to develop a comfortable stroke.
With the QMD3 you can use the Side view of the stroke graphic to see what kind of stroke you have. A pendulum stroke will show the cue butt lifting above the baseline on the backstroke and returning on the forward stroke. If your cue butt drops below the baseline during a pendulum stroke this indicates a likely elbow drop. For a piston stroke the cue butt will closely follow the baseline. The Vertical Range metric will show you this information in more detail.
It's a no-brainer for me. If I needed stroke work I wouldn't drive 3 or 4 hours to pay an instructor to record and analyze my stroke and point out flaws and remedies, not when I could do it myself with either a camera or a stroke analysis tool like the qmd ir digi. I mean, with numerous youtube instructions available, not to mention countless books on basic stroke fundamentals, self-learning is really not a difficult option. And I'm not degrading the value of a good private lesson. I'm just saying not everyone needs to go that route.
With the QMD3 you can use the Side view of the stroke graphic to see what kind of stroke you have. A pendulum stroke will show the cue butt lifting above the baseline on the backstroke and returning on the forward stroke. If your cue butt drops below the baseline during a pendulum stroke this indicates a likely elbow drop. For a piston stroke the cue butt will closely follow the baseline. The Vertical Range metric will show you this information in more detail.
I just ordered one to use in conjunction with my Digicue Blue, which is a fantastic device.
I use the latter only for drills and have found it very helpful...BUT...
I think it is a mistake to suggest that the cure for a stroke flaw is simplistic. In other words, if it shows a flaw, you can fix it on the next stroke.
I suffered for quite a while with a j-hook to the left, especially when striking the ball hard. I could have adjusted my stroke all day long and never have improved it by myself because it was not caused by my stroke, it was caused by my stance. By going to a PBIA instructor I got it straightened out, and it had nothing to do with how I was moving (stroking) my arm.
After becoming familiar with my stroke after a few sessions he convinced me to open my hips up to the shot line and that problem disappeared for the most part. My stance was too closed and my chest was getting in the way towards the end of my stroke.
Now when doing drills using the Digicue Blue I can spot this happening and correct my stance.
Meanwhile I also struggle with deceleration at times. i look forward to trying the QMD-3 because it shows an acceleration curve. Looking forward to working on that part of my game.
I think a little clarification regarding how shots measured /referenced might help explain the unit. If you could. For me understanding how and what is measured helps me access where and what my issue may be.
If still similar to the old version. Which I bought new and found I could not help myself with it. Understandably any new item goes through changes most often positive.
1) It would show back and forth of warm up strokes included in a shot display.
a) How is base line determined. Not all cue strokes can be held level to start usually always a certain degree butt up.
b) can the video be slowed, old went by rather quickly if I remember correctly.
2) Reference to cue ball center
How is this image determined. Possibly on first pause at address. If so would a
draw shot still indicate center ball if executed at point of address.
I understand the unit is attached to topside of cue so rotation for me is understood and color change in images are pre and post contact with cue ball.
Thanks for any incite.
Got mine the other day. Works amazingly well to display the movement of the stick and the velocity curve is great. I just wish I understood better how to interpret it.
Does anybody know of any tutorials on what the ideal acceleration curve should look like?
My forward stroke tends to be a straight line upwards until contact, whereas examples I have seen on here have more of a constant change in acceleration creating an exponential shaped curve. One problem though is that the forward stroke is compressed on the chart as I have a slow backstroke and long pause. Since it scales to the entire length of the shot the forward stroke is compressed on the chart. Another issue is that the metrics page has shots that I did not take that mess up the averages. note the red circle indicating a shot way away from the center even though all my shots were near the center. I was very careful about not bumping it to cause an inadvertent shot.
Because the curve is so compact in this case it is hard to see the deviation of the curve to determine acceleration. Perhaps a future iteration could include an acceleration curve.
Thanks for the comments.
It'd be hard to get agreement on what the ideal velocity curve should look like, your ideal stroke is an individual thing. Sort of like asking - how long should your backstroke pause be? Smoothness and consistency is what you should be going for. You have such a nice, tight pattern on your Impact Distribution, you're for sure doing something right.
Also, like you noted, a slow back stoke/long pause will make your forward stroke acceleration look very steep on the velocity chart.
If you get inadvertent, phantom shots recorded you can remove them from the session by deleting it on the Practice screen (trash can icon). This will keep your session averages accurate. You can also turn down the Shot Detect Sensitivity on the Settings screen to minimize any phantom shot recordings.
Just received this device about 10 days ago. It is an amazing little device. It contains Bluetooth to the Ipad or your phone. It is different from the Digicue Blue in that it shows your stroke UP TO contact with the cue ball. I use both every morning. This one will show your stroke in side view, top view, roll of the tip, back view, tempo, and contact with the cue ball. Each session you can monitor any number of strokes and go back through each one. Then there are metrics that show the shots and it's average. Here is the website: http://www.cue-md.com/files/user_guide_qmd3.pdf
Please, if your not interested in any stroke devices please find another thread to post in. This thread is for pool players that want to get better and not worried about spending money to make it happen.