Backhand English Revisited

[ChrisinNC]

I know this topic has been discussed many times on here before particularly by Fred (Cornerman) who I consider an expert on this topic, but believe it or not, experimenting myself tonight trying to determine deflection differences between two shafts - a Mezz EXPro and a Mezz WX900, after 50 years of playing pool I've just made the discovery that I've been using backhand english all along and didn't even know it.

I was using the same method Brandon Gramse of Select Billiards uses when he conducts his deflection tests to determine deflection ratings on various shafts/cues. You place 2 bright colored balls (I used the 3-ball and 5-ball) on the end rail, leaving about 4 inches of clearance between the inside edges of them, with the center rail sight at dead center between the two balls. Then you place the cue ball just behind the foot spot at the opposite end of the table, on the vertical line we have drawn on our tables to insure that you're racking the balls squarely. It helps if that vertical line drawn on the cloth is at least 18"-24" long.

When aiming the CB dead center at the center spot and hitting center ball, the cue stick/shaft remains directly over the vertical line throughout the stroke. However, as soon as I aimed to apply considerable spin on the CB, I subconsciously without even realizing it pivoted the back of my cue opposite the side I'm applying the spin. So if I'm applying extreme right spin on the CB, the butt of my cue was considerably left of the vertical line on the cloth, even though I still feel like l'm aiming at the dead center of the spot at the end of the table, between the two object balls, but obviously I'm not - as the butt of my cue is well left of the line and the tip of my cue is still virtually on the line. Just the opposite when I apply extreme left spin - the butt of the cue shifts well over to the right side of the line.

I've always assumed when I applied spin on the CB that I was doing a parallel shift with my cue and still stroking straight back and through on a line parallel with the center ball aiming line, when actually I have been using backhand english all these years, and didn't even know it. I don't know yet if there is any way I can utilize this revelation to improve my consistency? I'm guessing not, since I've been making this aiming adjustment subconsciously, relatively successfully. Just a very interesting find to discover this after nearly 50 years of utilizing spin on the cue ball.

 

[BRussell]

Interesting. In a sense backhand English is just another way of saying you adjusted your aim to compensate for deflection. If you truly used parallel shift English you’d probably miss a lot more.

 

[jrctherake]

Op:

Back hand english works better at different distance shots, just like front hand english,

Some, like myself use a combination of both on a lot of shots or one or the other on the rest of the shots.

If you want to see what I'm saying, set up a shot with 1 diamond between balls and then set same shot up with 5 diamonds between. Use B.H.E on both and then use F.H.E on both.

Then use a mix of B.H.E. and F.H.E together.

Either way, I'm glad you realized something so simple can make such a big difference. Our brains are amazing.

Rake

 

[336Robin]

Interesting. In a sense backhand English is just another way of saying you adjusted your aim to compensate for deflection. If you truly used parallel shift English you’d probably miss a lot more.

People may think they're using Parallel Shift English but all they are doing is
moving the tip parallel. The butt stays centered so its not really parallel. Its like 1/2 as
much Side adjustment as you need for it to be BHE. You could even call it Bhelight. I favor Budlight.

 

[garczar]

In '07 i went to the DCC. Paid real close attention to a lot of players but mainly all the 'Pino's. What i noticed was that on low-speed spin shots some would use a parallel-shift but on high-speed spinners they used BHE. To watch Busty and Efren load-up whitey and still control it was just nuts.

 

[ChrisinNC]

Op:

Back hand english works better at different distance shots, just like front hand english,

Some, like myself use a combination of both on a lot of shots or one or the other on the rest of the shots.

If you want to see what I'm saying, set up a shot with 1 diamond between balls and then set same shot up with 5 diamonds between. Use B.H.E on both and then use F.H.E on both.

Then use a mix of B.H.E. and F.H.E together.

Either way, I'm glad you realized something so simple can make such a big difference. Our brains are amazing.

Rake

If you wouldn't mind, could you define in as simple terms as possible, what front-hand-english is, and the difference between BHE and FHE? Thanks

 

[336Robin]

If you wouldn't mind, could you define in as simple terms as possible, what front-hand-english is, and the difference between BHE and FHE? Thanks

Dr. Dave has a youtube on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qXJoFOLZZE

but I can summarize to say that in BHE you
have a pivot point. In FHE your pivot point moves with the tip meaning your pivot point
is the butt of the cue. I doubt seriously that many people do this sort of like the Parallel
shift that people think they do. Anyone feel free to check me on this. There was a point
that I thought I was using FHE but it was really BHE kind of like the way you described
that you were making adjustments that worked for you for years. When I was younger I
used to swipe my Spin on and I wasn't nearly as accurate but on some days I did great.

 

[dr_dave]

Dr. Dave has a youtube on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qXJoFOLZZE

FYI, the following video is better and it demonstrates a new method I've developed to calibrate yourself for how much BHE and FHE to use over a wide range of shot speeds and distances:

NV J.9 - "Got English?" – How to Aim Using Sidespin, With Game-Situation Examples

And here's the supporting document with detailed drill instructions and example numbers:

BHE/FHE Calibration Drill document

Enjoy,
Dave

 

[Cornerman]

I know this topic has been discussed many times on here before particularly by Fred (Cornerman) who I consider an expert on this topic, but believe it or not, experimenting myself tonight trying to determine deflection differences between two shafts - a Mezz EXPro and a Mezz WX900, after 50 years of playing pool I've just made the discovery that I've been using backhand english all along and didn't even know it.

I was using the same method Brandon Gramse of Select Billiards uses when he conducts his deflection tests to determine deflection ratings on various shafts/cues. You place 2 bright colored balls (I used the 3-ball and 5-ball) on the end rail, leaving about 4 inches of clearance between the inside edges of them, with the center rail sight at dead center between the two balls. Then you place the cue ball just behind the foot spot at the opposite end of the table, on the vertical line we have drawn on our tables to insure that you're racking the balls squarely. It helps if that vertical line drawn on the cloth is at least 18"-24" long.

When aiming the CB dead center at the center spot and hitting center ball, the cue stick/shaft remains directly over the vertical line throughout the stroke. However, as soon as I aimed to apply considerable spin on the CB, I subconsciously without even realizing it pivoted the back of my cue opposite the side I'm applying the spin. So if I'm applying extreme right spin on the CB, the butt of my cue was considerably left of the vertical line on the cloth, even though I still feel like l'm aiming at the dead center of the spot at the end of the table, between the two object balls, but obviously I'm not - as the butt of my cue is well left of the line and the tip of my cue is still virtually on the line. Just the opposite when I apply extreme left spin - the butt of the cue shifts well over to the right side of the line.

I've always assumed when I applied spin on the CB that I was doing a parallel shift with my cue and still stroking straight back and through on a line parallel with the center ball aiming line, when actually I have been using backhand english all these years, and didn't even know it. I don't know yet if there is any way I can utilize this revelation to improve my consistency? I'm guessing not, since I've been making this aiming adjustment subconsciously, relatively successfully. Just a very interesting find to discover this after nearly 50 years of utilizing spin on the cue ball.

Pretty interesting, Chris. Maybe every “parallel english” users will take note.

On the other hand, I do know that a lot of people did or do use parallel English, especially on certain length shots with certain speed. What I mean to say is that they probably use a certain adjusted speed subconsciouly for all of their English shots (blend of squirt, swerve, and throw) based on their parallel shift.

I find that those people stay away from inside english because the adjustment is rote and black box. Understanding BHE allows some players to understand both inside and outside, and the analytical/comprehensive adjustments for speed.

When I show people how to use backhand English with inside English at any speed from firm to supersoft at full table length, most of those players getting pretty excited.


Freddie <~~~ won’t rehash decades of hashing

 

[garczar]

Pretty interesting, Chris. Maybe every “parallel english” users will take note.

On the other hand, I do know that a lot of people did or do use parallel English, especially on certain length shots with certain speed. What I mean to say is that they probably use a certain adjusted speed subconsciouly for all of their English shots (blend of squirt, swerve, and throw) based on their parallel shift.

I find that those people stay away from inside english because the adjustment is rote and black box. Understanding BHE allows some players to understand both inside and outside, and the analytical/comprehensive adjustments for speed.

When I show people how to use backhand English with inside English at any speed from firm to supersoft at full table length, most of those players getting pretty excited.


Freddie <~~~ won’t rehash decades of hashing

You got that right. For me BHE is the nuts when using inside.

 

[BRussell]

Dr. Dave has a youtube on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qXJoFOLZZE

but I can summarize to say that in BHE you
have a pivot point. In FHE your pivot point moves with the tip meaning your pivot point
is the butt of the cue. I doubt seriously that many people do this sort of like the Parallel
shift that people think they do. Anyone feel free to check me on this. There was a point
that I thought I was using FHE but it was really BHE kind of like the way you described
that you were making adjustments that worked for you for years. When I was younger I
used to swipe my Spin on and I wasn't nearly as accurate but on some days I did great.

I use front hand English almost exclusively. I have a short bridge and an LD cue, and BHE just doesn’t work for me. Too much adjustment and I miss the shot. So I tried FHE and it works much better for me.

 

[ChrisinNC]

Pretty interesting, Chris. Maybe every “parallel english” users will take note.

On the other hand, I do know that a lot of people did or do use parallel English, especially on certain length shots with certain speed. What I mean to say is that they probably use a certain adjusted speed subconsciouly for all of their English shots (blend of squirt, swerve, and throw) based on their parallel shift.

I find that those people stay away from inside english because the adjustment is rote and black box. Understanding BHE allows some players to understand both inside and outside, and the analytical/comprehensive adjustments for speed.

When I show people how to use backhand English with inside English at any speed from firm to supersoft at full table length, most of those players getting pretty excited.


Freddie <~~~ won’t rehash decades of hashing

Fred, for some reason for a long time now I've felt way more comfortable with inside as opposed to outside english, which I believe is quite unusual for most pool players. Whether that is related to the fact that I've always used BHE or not, I don't know.

I assume when I've observed Brandon Gramse deflection test videos, it sure looks like he must be using a parallel shift when applying various spins as opposed to BHE for these tests, as his shaft/tip stay perfectly parallel with that center line - just to the right or left of it, throughout his stroke.

 

[336Robin]

I use front hand English almost exclusively. I have a short bridge and an LD cue, and BHE just doesn’t work for me. Too much adjustment and I miss the shot. So I tried FHE and it works much better for me.

At this point I do what I do without thought and I can't remember the last time
I tried to use FHE on purpose but I did have a shot that was long and needed a big
backcut that I shot differently to make it and it went. I'll revisit that shot and try front
hand. I'm almost positive that was what I did.

 

[336Robin]

Something that isn't completely new but I haven't seen much discussion on
it is the differences that can occur on allowances with Inside English vs. Outside
English.

Outside Spin is forgiving and the cue ball slides across the Object Ball on its path.
Inside grabs instantly so the allowance you make needs to be exact as its very non forgiving.

It makes it seem as if the allowances for the different types of Side Spin are different
and in fact they can be because of what we're used to getting away with while using Outside.

The way I dealt with this in my book The Flight of the Cue Ball was through a
perception technique that I developed for aiming and continued into Side Spin. While
Outside English is rarely the problem the Inside Spin can leave you wondering.

So in my technique you'll know your arrival spot as 1 and you can measure your
allowance based on what you know your cue will deliver by having shot at different
distances that typically range from 1 to 5 diamonds of Cue Ball and Object Ball separation.

You learn them by shooting them and noting your adjusted aim point by number as
there are 3 perceptions on every shot that are numbered and easy to find. If your
contact point is at 1 and you're 4 diamonds away from the Object Ball my 13 mm cue
has me aiming at 3 and I know it every time. Any distance less is less than all the
way down 1 diamond of distance which is about 1 and 1/2 to 1/3 depending on shot pressure.

So in this way if you want to use FHE, BHE or regular comfortable bridge length for
Regular Applied Side Spin there is a way of remembering what your allowances are
and if you don't play as regular as normal, it can give you a way to recover from non playing a little easier.

It sounds more complicated than it is, its a very simple concept that works.

Pretty interesting, Chris. Maybe every “parallel english” users will take note.

On the other hand, I do know that a lot of people did or do use parallel English, especially on certain length shots with certain speed. What I mean to say is that they probably use a certain adjusted speed subconsciouly for all of their English shots (blend of squirt, swerve, and throw) based on their parallel shift.

I find that those people stay away from inside english because the adjustment is rote and black box. Understanding BHE allows some players to understand both inside and outside, and the analytical/comprehensive adjustments for speed.

When I show people how to use backhand English with inside English at any speed from firm to supersoft at full table length, most of those players getting pretty excited.


Freddie <~~~ won’t rehash decades of hashing

 

[DynoDan]

The BHE/butt-swerve occasionally pops up in my play, and I always assumed it was a last-minute subconscious attempt to correct an aiming error (in other words, your subconscious is trying to overcome/dispute your ‘conscious’ decision making)?