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I know he is only trying to help as are most with a plan.
This instructor's lesson is only good if ones 'regular stroke' matches HIS 'regular stroke'.
For your stroke it might be 1.5 diamonds or 3/4 of a diamond that works best for you. It's nice when it matches to exactly one diamond.
We're not machines & not cookies cut from the same cutter.
We each should develop our own 'plan' & that is usually done through feel. PJ started a thread, 'Do you have a Fear of Feel'.
Some vary the tip location with the same force of stroke.
Some cue the ball low & vary the force of stroke.
Others like myself blend a bit of both in that they vary both tip location & speed.
We each have to find our own road map. Also, how often is the CB exactly 1, 2, 3 or 4 diamonds from the OB? Not so often. It can be 1.66 diamonds or 3.33 diamonds.
I think it is wrong to try to make ourselves fit a map or a plan.
We are individuals & as such we have different deep rooted internal structures. We all walk at different comfortable paces. Try walking with someone whose pace is the polar opposites than yours. One will have to modify away from their internal structure for the two to stay side by side. When that is done, one is walking naturally & comfortably while the other is changing & conforming to the internal structure of the other.
Lessons like this one can be good, but IMO, we should not spend a bunch of time trying to conform exactly to the lesson. If so, one might find themselves constantly & forever fighting their internal structure, when it would be so much easier & better to understand how the lesson fits oneself & conform the lesson to their own internal structure.
So the thing to do is to find where your 'regular stroke' with a center hit results in a stop shot. It might be 3/4 or 1.5 diamonds.
Best 2 All,
Rick
PS As to the term 'regular stroke', I have no real idea what is meant by that as every shot on a table is different from the next & I usually have a different intention for each shot. So, what exactly is a 'regular stroke'. For me, it's whatever is called for for the shot at hand. I guess this is more philosophical in nature. I just never considered myself to have a 'regular stroke'.
PPS Feel is your Friend, I think developing that friendship is a good thing to do.
I don't agree with most of your comments.
"This instructor's lesson is only good if ones 'regular stroke' matches HIS 'regular stroke'." AND
- If you use this more as a reference and baseline.
As far as the cue ball not being exactly 1 diamond away or 2 diamonds or such... I practice this at the diamond increments, but if the cue ball is close to 1 diamond away I have a very close baseline. I make minor adjustments, say its 1.25 diamonds away so I will go slightly lower than 1 diamond.
When I teach this to students it does take them getting use to at first, but almost all can pick it up pretty quickly and execute regularly. The whole premise of this is to eliminate as many variables as possible.
Example: If you change tip position and cue speed, How likely are you to know the exact speed and tip position to draw the ball back 2 diamonds when you are 4 diamonds away??? You are going to 'feel' it out? but within a few lessons with someone, I can get them to get the cue ball within 1/2 diamond of where they want. After many dedicated practice sessions they will be a lot more comfortable and closer than 1/2 diamond to target landing.
"I think it is wrong to try to make ourselves fit a map or a plan."
you say it is wrong to fit a map or a plan? I don't think the concept is exact on DO THIS or DO THAT, but rather the concept is based on eliminating as many variables as possible.
"PPS Feel is your Friend, I think developing that friendship is a good thing to do."
Feel is part of the game... but you develop feel for every single possible shot on the table and every distance and every possible outcome? What happens on the days you're not 'feeling it'? do you quit and come back the next day?
