Stroke improvement question for instructors and non instructors
- Thread starter tableroll
- Start date
In my view the best kind of drill to improve your stroke is a draw drill. You have to hit off center where you want and you have to develop speed with accuracy. As for which drill, I think a little of everything from Mosconi's ring-around-the-side to improving your maximum distance.
De(e)pends what condition your stroke's in; also depends on what you value about pool.
Practice linearity. That's a constant that won't let you down.
Practice linearity. That's a constant that won't let you down.
Take a look at SET-PAUSE-FINISH.
All players have to do this. How well they do it is your question and answer.
randyg
All players have to do this. How well they do it is your question and answer.
randyg
For me, the two most important things are moving your cue in a straight line and having good timing.
Straight line: Make sure your grip hand is in the same position on your cue in your follow through as when you were in starting position. If your knuckles changed position, then you probably twisted your cue.
Timing: This one is more difficult. Your forward motion should be a continually increasing speed up to the point of contact. The best way to assure this is by taking your cue back slowly and focusing on following through. Even though the follow through takes place after the fact, striving for your follow through while you're stroking will help to insure that you're not slowing down your stroke prior to impact.
Straight line: Make sure your grip hand is in the same position on your cue in your follow through as when you were in starting position. If your knuckles changed position, then you probably twisted your cue.
Timing: This one is more difficult. Your forward motion should be a continually increasing speed up to the point of contact. The best way to assure this is by taking your cue back slowly and focusing on following through. Even though the follow through takes place after the fact, striving for your follow through while you're stroking will help to insure that you're not slowing down your stroke prior to impact.
Randy, would you say that timing is the same as rythm? If not, how is one different from the other? IN my mind "smooth transition" is a combination or a blend of timing and rythm. Am I right or wrong?
Timing: Striking the presice part of the cue ball at optimal speed and level cue (normal).
Like at the bottom of the arc.
Rythm: The same movements the same way all the time.
Smooth Transition: Allowing the cue stick to stop naturally on the backstroke, before the forward energy is applied. I think you are correct.
randyg
Thank you Randy.
Some players have a vertical loop in their stroke, no problem as long as timing is good and the stroke does not deviate to the side.
A quick drill is to stance atop a rail and stroke over the diamonds to look for sideways deviation.
JC
Coos Cues
Set pause finish struggles
I was shown this by Scott Lee a long while ago and never made the commitment to change what I had been doing for decades until now.
Finally I decided I was going to slow my backstroke, pause and finish if it kills me.
It's trying hard.
Been working hard for several weeks during this shut down for a couple hours a day just setting up relatively simple shots and stroking.
The change is coming and much of the time it feels really smooth and natural now but sometimes for reasons I can't pinpoint my timing just gets off and it goes awry. Easy ball missed, game, set match.
Is there something a person can do to better keep the set pause finish sequence in sync or do I just need to hit a million balls. Or is it too late for me at 60 years old?
Thanks
Edit: not trying to hijack this thread I thought about asking in a new thread but it seems my struggle is in line with this one.
I was shown this by Scott Lee a long while ago and never made the commitment to change what I had been doing for decades until now.
Finally I decided I was going to slow my backstroke, pause and finish if it kills me.
It's trying hard.
Been working hard for several weeks during this shut down for a couple hours a day just setting up relatively simple shots and stroking.
The change is coming and much of the time it feels really smooth and natural now but sometimes for reasons I can't pinpoint my timing just gets off and it goes awry. Easy ball missed, game, set match.
Is there something a person can do to better keep the set pause finish sequence in sync or do I just need to hit a million balls. Or is it too late for me at 60 years old?
Thanks
Edit: not trying to hijack this thread I thought about asking in a new thread but it seems my struggle is in line with this one.
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Use a silent phrase in your your head during that last take away, pause, then final forward motion. Mark Wilson suggests, "Lady's and Gentlemen", since this portion of the shot (down on the cb about to send it off) is the performance mode of playing. Oh...the "and" is more or less where the pause is.
The pause at the back end Is to prevent yanking the stick before firing but I rather think a full pause might break the analog of your nervous system/speed sense/ whatever is on your mind. Most people's practice strokes have smooth transitions at the back end so it follows that your shooting delivery should start just before the end of the backswing. Just don't jerk it.
Not every player, including pros and amateurs, uses a full pause. If you want to work toward a full pause, however, on your practice strokes, slow down more and more until it's like you are taking a full pause on your last stroke.
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dquarasr
Registered
I've been drilling, and some days it's good; others it's not so much. Why, oh, why the inconsistency?!?
I set my phone on a rail and took a video of me taking a dead-straight shot over and over. Those I made were, well, pretty good. Those I missed, for no apparent reason while I was down on the shot, had a common error, even though I concentrated on following through straight toward my target.
The video revealed that my elbow was coming out in my follow through. So, I've been concentrating on quieting my elbow.
Point is: be inventive in analyzing. Most of us have smart phones with video capability. No need for expensive equipment.
I set my phone on a rail and took a video of me taking a dead-straight shot over and over. Those I made were, well, pretty good. Those I missed, for no apparent reason while I was down on the shot, had a common error, even though I concentrated on following through straight toward my target.
The video revealed that my elbow was coming out in my follow through. So, I've been concentrating on quieting my elbow.
Point is: be inventive in analyzing. Most of us have smart phones with video capability. No need for expensive equipment.
Sighting. Very minor offsets can create very bad habits. Take a look at Dr Dave's website where he talks about the vision centre. When players get this right, alignment and a straight cueing action soon follows.
Pulling the cue back too far/ not far enough. I see time and time again a really long bridge with a really long pull back, on every shot! A simple drill is to set up straight shots, mark the cue ball, mark your bridge, and place two cubes of chalk half way between your bridge and cue ball. Cue between the cubes of chalk and pull back so the tip is level with the chalk. Just hit stop shots to start trying to make the cue ball stop absolutely dead. Increase cut shots gradually and hit stop shots. Use pieces of A4 paper along the tangent line (or along the tangent line and off a rail or two for position practice) and try to land the cue ball on the paper. You become much more consistent at this and a better judge of cue ball speed when you have a consistent pull back and tempo.
Pulling the cue back too far/ not far enough. I see time and time again a really long bridge with a really long pull back, on every shot! A simple drill is to set up straight shots, mark the cue ball, mark your bridge, and place two cubes of chalk half way between your bridge and cue ball. Cue between the cubes of chalk and pull back so the tip is level with the chalk. Just hit stop shots to start trying to make the cue ball stop absolutely dead. Increase cut shots gradually and hit stop shots. Use pieces of A4 paper along the tangent line (or along the tangent line and off a rail or two for position practice) and try to land the cue ball on the paper. You become much more consistent at this and a better judge of cue ball speed when you have a consistent pull back and tempo.
EVERYBODY pauses Mike. That's what you just don't get. The difference is how long; how smooth the transition is, and how relaxed your trip is. Plus, regardless of how long or short their pauses (and here's the part you probably will never get) they pause purposefully, not randomly.
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour