Adjustments in Mechanics

beleary

beleary

"No Masse!"
What do you do when you get on a table and you miss easy shots over and over? I've played this game for over 35 years and every once in a while I just miss a simple shot. Then I make some and then miss another simple shot. The next night I'm right back in form.

So the thing I look at first is how my cue tip moves as I stroke it. If it shows a bit of a twist coming out, I move my hand further toward the tip and move my butt hand further toward the tip. It feels funny, but it tends to straighten my stroke out.

But it doesn't always work. Sometimes I jump up (like on a critical shot), but my teammates usually have to call it to my attention. Other than that, I'm open to suggestion. Any other ideas?

Thanks!
 
When I miss easy shots it is most often because I was giving too much of my attention to the position for my next shot rather than making the ball. Rather than stay targeted on the contact point and watching the ball go in the hole I turn my attention to where the cue ball is going. Fact is I probably take my eyes off the shot even before I strike the cue ball in some cases. How do I know this is why I miss the easy ones? Simply because most often when I miss an easy shot I didn't see where it missed. The reason I didn't see it is because I was looking elsewhere - to see if the cue ball was going where I wanted it to.

Think about when you most often miss easy shots. Is it when you are also playing difficult or critical position for the next ball?

I've remedied this to a big extent simply by recognizing when I face these situations and pay more attention to figuring out the shape while standing up. As I get down on the shot I glance at the position route to reinforce the speed I need then focus my attention on the contact point. I then make special effort to stay down and focused on the OB and watch it go in the hole. If I'm still thinking shape in the latter stages before pulling the trigger I get up and start over.

Hope this maybe helps. :)
 
Anytime I feel the game slipping from me, I set up a few long straight in shots, which will tell me if I am seeing things wrong right away. I also exaggerate the point of staying down on the ball, so much so that I don't move for a few seconds after my stroke. Third, I make sure I am stoking with purpose, not being tentative. Lastly, I make sure I am following my pre shot routine. Those 4 things usually get me back into stroke, but that means shooting straight shots for a 10 minutes or so, the other 3 are instant fixes.

If after all that I am still playing like sh!t, I curl up in the fetal position on the floor and cry for an hour, go have a drink, and start all over again.
 
I ran across a DVD by Max Eberle. He puts a lot of emphasis and spends a lot of time going into the stance and how stroke and stance are the most important elements in pool. After watching it, I checked out mine and it was a little off. Easy to adjust. That's why Alison Fisher is so great. She justs lines up automatically for each shot with great form. Oh, and by the way, I've been shooting pool for over 60 years now.
 
beleary...If by "twist" you mean your tip moves sideways, your grip is too tight, and you may be dropping your elbow. Video analysis will help you find out, and a lesson with a qualified instructor will show you how to fix it. Not sure where you are in CO, but if you're on the western slope there's a great BCA/SPF instructor in Aspen. He posts here as fd_colorado.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

beleary said:
What do you do when you get on a table and you miss easy shots over and over? I've played this game for over 35 years and every once in a while I just miss a simple shot. Then I make some and then miss another simple shot. The next night I'm right back in form.

So the thing I look at first is how my cue tip moves as I stroke it. If it shows a bit of a twist coming out, I move my hand further toward the tip and move my butt hand further toward the tip. It feels funny, but it tends to straighten my stroke out.

But it doesn't always work. Sometimes I jump up (like on a critical shot), but my teammates usually have to call it to my attention. Other than that, I'm open to suggestion. Any other ideas?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Yep. Holding the cue too tightly is a bad habit that was recently brought to my attention. Trying to keep it loose is a challenge, and I often forget. I'll also watch my elbow. I live in the Denver area, and rarely get up to Aspen (not as often as I'd like!). Great observation.

Scott Lee said:
beleary...If by "twist" you mean your tip moves sideways, your grip is too tight, and you may be dropping your elbow. Video analysis will help you find out, and a lesson with a qualified instructor will show you how to fix it. Not sure where you are in CO, but if you're on the western slope there's a great BCA/SPF instructor in Aspen. He posts here as fd_colorado.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...
 
beleary...Take a peek at the knuckles on your grip hand, when you finish your stroke (with no elbow drop). The knuckles should be tilted up. If they are flat, you're gripping too tightly. I will be coming through Denver, on my way to Vegas, on May 13th. If you're interested, pm me for more information, and maybe we can get together for a video analysis.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

beleary said:
Yep. Holding the cue too tightly is a bad habit that was recently brought to my attention. Trying to keep it loose is a challenge, and I often forget. I'll also watch my elbow. I live in the Denver area, and rarely get up to Aspen (not as often as I'd like!). Great observation.
Click to expand...
 
Scott,

Thanks for the offer, but I'll be traveling that week. I will definitely take your advice though. Makes sense. Good luck in Vegas.

Scott Lee said:
beleary...Take a peek at the knuckles on your grip hand, when you finish your stroke (with no elbow drop). The knuckles should be tilted up. If they are flat, you're gripping too tightly. I will be coming through Denver, on my way to Vegas, on May 13th. If you're interested, pm me for more information, and maybe we can get together for a video analysis.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top