Round 3 - Fight!
I'm back and after a week I have a lot more to say about this little gadget.
It's a keeper!
OK, first of all the 1 second pause at the end of the stroke doesn't bother me at all. Not at all. I'm almost positive that since I've started using this device I haven't buzzed once because of jumping up too soon. I think it's important to finish on your shots. But I have to move on.
As you'll recall I was shooting straight in stop shots and buzzing a lot. Well, for the last week I've become borderline obsessed with the Digi, and have put in 5-10 sessions lasting from 30-90 minutes each. I've kind of gone to war with this thing.
My third session I got so I was hitting those half court stop shots without buzzing with a closed bridge. Most of the time. But here's the mystery: EVERY TIME I USED AN OPEN BRIDGE I BUZZED! Closed bridge, no buzz. Open bridge, buzz. Again, and again.
I couldn't figure out what I was doing differently. I tried alternating shots and just let myself become aware of any differences. It didn't seem like there were any.
So then I set up with a closed bridge, but while down on the shot opened up my bridge hand. AHA! This was strange. When I tried to switch to an open bridge the sighting wasn't right. It seems that my open bridge would be too far to the left. Like it was under a different line of sight. Interesting.
I played around with a slightly different shape of open hand bridge that allowed me to keep my line of sight the same. Lo and behold I hit a few shots open handed that didn't buzz. Not many, but a few. I was still alternating between closed bridge and open bridge.
Shot after shot. Hour after hour. I am just listening to music and becoming absorbed in the changes. Some days I catch a little gear and can hit 3-4 in a row with an open bridge without buzzing, then it goes away and I can't duplicate it.
Finally last session I have a break through. I notice a little adjustment to the way I set up that allows me to sight the ball with an open hand bridge and keep my swing free, so everything looks and feels the same as a closed bridge. Shazam! NO BUZZING. It was like it is literally solved. Not even an issue anymore.
At least not on this one shot! When I shoot other types of shots I still buzz. Guess what - this is great! I can iron these wrinkles out one at a time.
Now for the question. Does this actually make you better? Well, it's too early for me to say for sure. But I will tell you what happened AFTER my practice sessions. I felt like I couldn't miss! It reminds me of playing on a 6 x 12 snooker table for a couple of hours. Afterwards the 9 foot pockets look like buckets and you just feel like you can rip anything in the center of the hole. That's how I felt after working with DigiCue. I felt like my stroke was so straight, strong, and powerful, and my timing was down, that basically I felt I had the power reserves to do anything I needed at any time and could kind of run over the table. Sure, sure, I was a little off balance working this into my game, my cue ball position and speed suffered a little as I was playing with some of the things I had drilled on. At first. But yesterday I beat the 10 ball ghost 5-0 (short set, it was late) and I feel very, very comfortable putting this all together.
Now I've got to put the DigiCue down for a couple of weeks. I'm going to the US Open on 10/22 and from now until I get back I'm done tinkering with my game, I just want to run open balls, spar with people for a few sets, get my arm loose. When I get back I'm going back to work on my stroke for sure.
Is the DigiCue for everyone? Of course not. I think you have to be passionate enough about the game to do some hard work. It can't discourage you that you buzz, it has to excite you that you have room to grow. If this is you and you're willing to put in a few hours as I have, well, I would strongly recommend this device. Thanks OB.