I'd like to ask the AZB'ers on this forum for a suggestion on how to develop a powerful stroke....now I don't want the obvious answer of "practice, practice, practice..." As an example of what I mean, there have been so many instances when I would need to draw the cueball back to the side rail with english and have it travel to the other end of the table....but what I did was to stroke it really hard and as you might imagine, the cue ball jumps right off the table....in other words, instead of a powerful draw shot, I jumped the cueball....to everybody's laughter and my embarrassment......so obviously it's not about stroking hard, but at some optimum speed to get maximum power?
a powerful stroke
- Thread starter wahcheck
- Start date
wahcheck said:
What you need to do is train yourself to hit the cueball where you aim. Basically what you're doing is hitting the table before the cueball and scooping it. This could be caused by lifting up on the back of the cue or having too long a bridge. I do this sometimes when I'm really trying to juice the ball because I have a tendency to try to "steer" (dip the cue for draw) the ball under those circumstances.
Make sure you are keeping your body still and your head down when you increase the power behind your stroke.
I have seen a lot of people (including myself) lift up off the table while taking a more powerful stroke than normal.
I have seen a lot of people (including myself) lift up off the table while taking a more powerful stroke than normal.
A dead straight stroke gives you a powerful stroke. Work on getting it straight and you will be amazed at what you can do with the cueball.
try changing your bridge hand too, in a closed bridge if you tuck your ring finger under it helps you hit the cue ball level but lower.
This is no lie. I know a guy that swears by this though I have never tried it.
Isometric training. He sets up on his table at home in his stance ready to break. He uses rubber tubes (like the ones they use for tourniquets) attached to a brace around his forearm. This contraption is anchored to the pole in his basement with tension on it.
He then begins a series of break shots looking for perfect cue ball position. This guy sears by it. And I have to admit he hits them like a sledge hammer.
It sounds reasonable, has anyone out there heard of such a thing?
Isometric training. He sets up on his table at home in his stance ready to break. He uses rubber tubes (like the ones they use for tourniquets) attached to a brace around his forearm. This contraption is anchored to the pole in his basement with tension on it.
He then begins a series of break shots looking for perfect cue ball position. This guy sears by it. And I have to admit he hits them like a sledge hammer.
It sounds reasonable, has anyone out there heard of such a thing?
power stroke
Have a loose grip for more english, and put more force into the stroke.
Have a loose grip for more english, and put more force into the stroke.
renard said:
I know a player who swears by something similar. Instead he says to take your stroke back as if you had an imaginary rubber band forcing your stroke forward as you pull it back. Interesting this player is pro rated and I have seen him run 70+ balls in 14.1 opposite handed. Just a great player.
He moves the ball effortlessly around the table.
renard said:
That's funny, I didn't even realize that I corrected you...lol. When I first started reading the post I was thinking isometric but by the end, since you were talking about plyometric training, my brain automatically inserted plyometric and I didn't consciously realize it.
I often scoop the CB if I snap my wrist just before contact.
I don't know where I picked it up, but it's a hard habit to break. Prolly from reading Mosconi's little red book forty years ago, where he describes a "spring action" stroke.
If I keep my wrist still, I stroke straighter, and have a more powerful draw.
Earlier thread about scooping:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=21769
I don't know where I picked it up, but it's a hard habit to break. Prolly from reading Mosconi's little red book forty years ago, where he describes a "spring action" stroke.
If I keep my wrist still, I stroke straighter, and have a more powerful draw.
Earlier thread about scooping:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=21769
wahcheck said:
Power is all about the momentum and speed of the cue. The longer the bridge the more speed you can create. At same time however, the longer the bridge the more difficult it is to control it. A straight stroke will help you develop power because there will be no wasted motion.
Don't think of it as cue power, more like cue speed. People have a tendency to tense up when ever they try and hit something hard. As though flexing your muscles intentionally will help. Keep your entire body relaxed. If you feel like your tensing up in your practice strokes, get back up and relax. The pendulum stroke will help too I think.
Cameron Smith said:
I agree, but you don't need a really long stroke to have a powerful stroke. The straighter you go thru the cueball, the more solid the hit, and the more action you get on the cueball. I think timing is important also, but by far the most important aspect is to have a very straight stroke, IMO.
Let's not forget playing conditions. Damp, dirty, old cloth and balls will greatly diminish cue ball reaction.
If you want to learn a great drill, shoot draw shots up the rail. Do the drill so your bridge arm is on the table, not laying over the rail. Start with the ob 2 diamonds up from the corner pocket, and the cb 1 diamond above the object ball, and both a little off the rail. Make the shot, and draw the cb back to where you started. Then set it up again and draw it 1 diamond PAST where you started, and so on to the head rail. When you can do that Grasshopper, separate the cb, and ob 1 diamond and start over til your shooting down the long rail 5or6 diamonds and drawing the cb back to the head rail.
Concentrate on a smooth crisp stroke, not power!
Gerry
If you want to learn a great drill, shoot draw shots up the rail. Do the drill so your bridge arm is on the table, not laying over the rail. Start with the ob 2 diamonds up from the corner pocket, and the cb 1 diamond above the object ball, and both a little off the rail. Make the shot, and draw the cb back to where you started. Then set it up again and draw it 1 diamond PAST where you started, and so on to the head rail. When you can do that Grasshopper, separate the cb, and ob 1 diamond and start over til your shooting down the long rail 5or6 diamonds and drawing the cb back to the head rail.
Concentrate on a smooth crisp stroke, not power!
Gerry
Arm alignment makes a difference, also. If your arm is out of alignment and you're doing a twisting motion to compensate, you're moving a lot in order to stroke a little. To really develop a great shooting arm cueing action, you'll probably need the assistance of an instructor, or at least a good player who has had instruction themself that they can pass on to you. If you have a well-aligned cueing action, your stroke becomes much more energy-efficient, and you can accelerate to the contact point smoother and harder without feeling like you're stroking as hard. When I went to a BCA instructor who immediately fixed some obvious flaws in my cueing motion, I found I was drawing the ball further than before even though I felt like I was stroking much softer.
If you want more specifics on arm alignment, try to develop a stroke where you can answer yes to all the following:
Is my shoulder joint directly above the cue?
Is my upper arm (from shoulder to elbow) directly in line with the shot?
Is my lower arm (from elbow to wrist) perpendicular to the floor at contact?
Is my wrist hanging naturally (not using any muscle-tension to hold it in a certain position)?
If your stroke fits that, and you may need an outside observer to be able to tell if everything's aligned, you should be able to use a pure tricep backstoke and a pure bicep forward stroke, using your elbow as a simple hinge. If you aren't already doing that, you'll be surprised how much power your stroke gains if you start.
-Andrew
If you want more specifics on arm alignment, try to develop a stroke where you can answer yes to all the following:
Is my shoulder joint directly above the cue?
Is my upper arm (from shoulder to elbow) directly in line with the shot?
Is my lower arm (from elbow to wrist) perpendicular to the floor at contact?
Is my wrist hanging naturally (not using any muscle-tension to hold it in a certain position)?
If your stroke fits that, and you may need an outside observer to be able to tell if everything's aligned, you should be able to use a pure tricep backstoke and a pure bicep forward stroke, using your elbow as a simple hinge. If you aren't already doing that, you'll be surprised how much power your stroke gains if you start.
-Andrew
Andrew Manning said:
Outstanding post, Andrew. Absolutely dead on information.