A meme has been going around on facebook, with players shooting long straight blues after setting their bridge, looking to the side, handing their cue off to a friend, and then getting it back and making the shot while still looking away.
Here's one example I found on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvFx5Lxrqc8
This method demonstrates that the key aspect of alignment is bridge positioning.
It also demonstrates that looking at the OB on delivery is not as important as striking the CB where one intends to, if bridge is positioned properly.
This method can help train body awareness of staying in the same position relative to the bridge such that the cue can be delivered to CCB, rather than with english.
A little trick for those wanting to try this: If you bridge 1 or 2 inches longer than your pivot point, you will still make some shots even if you mistakenly hit the CB off center.
Let's say you hit 1/4 tip left of CCB. The CB will squirt slightly to the right of the aim line, making the Line of Centers with the OB left of the original aim line, but the Spin Induced Throw will throw the OB back to the right. The more the squirt, the more is the SIT, up to a point, so it is roughly self correcting up to 30% tip offset, so long as the bridge length is spot on for the speed of shot.
So bridge length can play a significant role in reducing the margin for error on this shot, just as it can be a useful method in real play, though it reduces a player's ability to swipe as a secondary aim adjustment on firm shots.
Colin
Note: This only works for straightish shots, 0 to 5 degrees. For finer cuts, it works works ok for Outside English but will over cut shots with Inside English, so you'll need to bridge at the effective pivot point for those shots, not an inch or two longer.
Here's one example I found on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvFx5Lxrqc8
This method demonstrates that the key aspect of alignment is bridge positioning.
It also demonstrates that looking at the OB on delivery is not as important as striking the CB where one intends to, if bridge is positioned properly.
This method can help train body awareness of staying in the same position relative to the bridge such that the cue can be delivered to CCB, rather than with english.
A little trick for those wanting to try this: If you bridge 1 or 2 inches longer than your pivot point, you will still make some shots even if you mistakenly hit the CB off center.
Let's say you hit 1/4 tip left of CCB. The CB will squirt slightly to the right of the aim line, making the Line of Centers with the OB left of the original aim line, but the Spin Induced Throw will throw the OB back to the right. The more the squirt, the more is the SIT, up to a point, so it is roughly self correcting up to 30% tip offset, so long as the bridge length is spot on for the speed of shot.
So bridge length can play a significant role in reducing the margin for error on this shot, just as it can be a useful method in real play, though it reduces a player's ability to swipe as a secondary aim adjustment on firm shots.
Colin
Note: This only works for straightish shots, 0 to 5 degrees. For finer cuts, it works works ok for Outside English but will over cut shots with Inside English, so you'll need to bridge at the effective pivot point for those shots, not an inch or two longer.
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