Best straightforward (ie non-25 minute youtube video) advice/training on stroke

S

someusername

Well-known member
I'm looking to straighten up my stroke a little. I've dealt with some aiming issues that I had but I think my issues now come down to stroke machinics and it being a little off sometimes.

There's no good training near me sadly. I've tried the online resources, but it's typically someone going on and on for 30 minute son youtube to get more $$ per click. Any advice on devices or simple training techniques to narrow it down.? I'm a 6-7 level player and I'd like to bring that up.

Ps. I'd post this in the aiming forum but it's not aiming.
 
someusername said:
I'm looking to straighten up my stroke a little. I've dealt with some aiming issues that I had but I think my issues now come down to stroke machinics and it being a little off sometimes.

There's no good training near me sadly. I've tried the online resources, but it's typically someone going on and on for 30 minute son youtube to get more $$ per click. Any advice on devices or simple training techniques to narrow it down.? I'm a 6-7 level player and I'd like to bring that up.

Ps. I'd post this in the aiming forum but it's not aiming.
Click to expand...
Take a video of yourself playing then watch it. It’s surprising how helpful that can be. One tip-make sure your bridge length is consistent.
 
someusername said:
I'm looking to straighten up my stroke a little. I've dealt with some aiming issues that I had but I think my issues now come down to stroke machinics and it being a little off sometimes.

There's no good training near me sadly. I've tried the online resources, but it's typically someone going on and on for 30 minute son youtube to get more $$ per click. Any advice on devices or simple training techniques to narrow it down.? I'm a 6-7 level player and I'd like to bring that up.

Ps. I'd post this in the aiming forum but it's not aiming.
Click to expand...
Snooker coaches are best on stroke mechanics. I would search these 3 channels about the subject.
www.youtube.com

Snooker Coaching At The Snooker Gym

Snooker Coaching Lessons is for players who want to unlock the mysteries of the snooker, learn it in the right way, put away your doubts and frustration, self diagnose your mistakes, and understand the game. We exist to 'Train Frustrated Amateurs, To Beat Their Highest Break'... Channel founder...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
www.youtube.com

Barry Stark Snooker Coach

Barry Stark is a highly regarded 'World Snooker' Senior Coach. He has a professional teaching background with a wealth of experience teaching snooker. Barry has done a lot of work at the Academy in Sheffield working with both amateur and professional players. Most notably he has coached 2024...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
www.youtube.com

BartonSnooker

Welcome to BartonSnooker YouTube Channel! I am a qualified WPBSA 1st4Sport World Snooker Coach. I upload at least one new instructional video on the channel every week. If you enjoy the videos and want to see more, then please support the channel by subscribing! If you are interested in...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

The Snooker Gym´s Nic have videos about stroke trainer tool that i would use myself if I could get one. They were pretty expensive and out of stock when i tried to get one. Dunno what is situtation on it now..
It is called cue action trainer and there is playlist of videos about it. I think the oldest are on bottom though..
 
someusername said:
I'm looking to straighten up my stroke a little. I've dealt with some aiming issues that I had but I think my issues now come down to stroke machinics and it being a little off sometimes.

There's no good training near me sadly. I've tried the online resources, but it's typically someone going on and on for 30 minute son youtube to get more $$ per click. Any advice on devices or simple training techniques to narrow it down.? I'm a 6-7 level player and I'd like to bring that up.

Ps. I'd post this in the aiming forum but it's not aiming.
Click to expand...
mfinkelstein3 said:
Where are you located?
Click to expand...
@someusername
@mfinkelstein3 is an excellent instructor
PM him to see if he is near you
its worth your time to have him work with you
i highly recommend mark finklestein
 
I agree about the video. It often shows us things we don't believe are happening. Mark so that you can shoot the same shot over and over and video from front, grip side, and rear. Should show any stroke issue.

Good instructors almost everywhere. I think there was a directory at one time. I had a problem for months, not as easy to video back then and I didn't take my own advice! Somebody fixed my problem in one sentence.

Hu
 
Buy Mark Wilson's Play Great Pool Book- treat the book like you are taking live lessons- meaning that you simply must read each section on stroke mechanics, understand the concepts, then get to a table and video all your practice sessions and review the video prior to each subsequent practice session.
You will need to do this religiously ( minimum 6 hours a week) for several months be effective.
Guaranteed to straighten out your stroke and improve other mechanics related stroke issues if you follow this routine.

Total cost about $100 for the book and a decent tripod for your I phone to do the videos.

Mark points out things like maybe you don't have clearance from your body with your stroking arm. Maybe your body alignment is off and your stroke is compensating, maybe you are not identifying the correct shot line prior to aligning to the shot- etc. etc.
 
someusername said:
I'm looking to straighten up my stroke a little. I've dealt with some aiming issues that I had but I think my issues now come down to stroke machinics and it being a little off sometimes.

There's no good training near me sadly. I've tried the online resources, but it's typically someone going on and on for 30 minute son youtube to get more $$ per click. Any advice on devices or simple training techniques to narrow it down.? I'm a 6-7 level player and I'd like to bring that up.

Ps. I'd post this in the aiming forum but it's not aiming.
Click to expand...
I used to use a mirror sitting on a stand to watch my alignment from my hand to my shoulder.
It's hard to beat the Mighty X for grooving a straight stroke.
For mechanics, I'd still go with a mirror or camera behind you and opposite of you down the shot line looking back.
 
Poolmanis said:
Snooker coaches are best on stroke mechanics. I would search these 3 channels about the subject.
www.youtube.com

Snooker Coaching At The Snooker Gym

Snooker Coaching Lessons is for players who want to unlock the mysteries of the snooker, learn it in the right way, put away your doubts and frustration, self diagnose your mistakes, and understand the game. We exist to 'Train Frustrated Amateurs, To Beat Their Highest Break'... Channel founder...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
www.youtube.com

Barry Stark Snooker Coach

Barry Stark is a highly regarded 'World Snooker' Senior Coach. He has a professional teaching background with a wealth of experience teaching snooker. Barry has done a lot of work at the Academy in Sheffield working with both amateur and professional players. Most notably he has coached 2024...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
www.youtube.com

BartonSnooker

Welcome to BartonSnooker YouTube Channel! I am a qualified WPBSA 1st4Sport World Snooker Coach. I upload at least one new instructional video on the channel every week. If you enjoy the videos and want to see more, then please support the channel by subscribing! If you are interested in...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

The Snooker Gym´s Nic have videos about stroke trainer tool that i would use myself if I could get one. They were pretty expensive and out of stock when i tried to get one. Dunno what is situtation on it now..
It is called cue action trainer and there is playlist of videos about it. I think the oldest are on bottom though..
Click to expand...
I have had one for quite a while and really like it!
 
keeping it simple

1: Get a 32 oz bottle of your favorite soda and either chug it down or dump it out. Clean it, dry it, then lay it down on a pool table, make your typical bridge near the bottle opening and keep stroking until your cue tip is going into the bottle 6 inches or so and withdrawing repeatedly without touching the bottle opening at all. Stand up, reset as much as you feel you need and that's step one. You can always doi a quick check on your stroke straightness in the absence of such a bottle by simple bridging on top of a rail with your shaft aligned directly over where the cloth and formica meet. Once directly over that perfectly straight line start stroking and look to see that your shaft is staying true.

2: You can prove if you are stroking straight by placing a cue ball on the head spot and place two object balls spread out 18" apart at the foot spot then hit whitey through the gate and the plan is to go back and forth where each hit makes it through the gate a total of 4 times. This will reveal how pure you are stroking the ball.

No hours long you tube research here, just practical stroke straightening and confirming advice.

Hope this helps.
 
The best test is air shoot the shot. Stroke the shot line right over the rock and through the object ball. Any skew will be immediately apparent. You have to do this in earnest and make any necessary corrections before proceeding. Pull trigger.
Repeat.
 
Willowbrook Wolfy said:
Well. Do you play any other sports? That could also have an impact on your stroke mechanics. So many things it could be really.
Click to expand...
This is major. Guy I used to spar with in the 70s who normally kept me observing would sometimes come in and be playing my speed. He said it was Golf. Diametrically opposed technique evidently.

I dabble in musical instruments and I can say guitar is the worst. A common habit, which I've adopted, involves the elbow on the picking arm pressing into the body to brace the instrument and also mute unwanted string from ringing out.
This force is perpendicular to a pool stroke - you see how that's gonna work. Guitarists out there might confirm.
 
someusername said:
I'm looking to straighten up my stroke a little. I've dealt with some aiming issues that I had but I think my issues now come down to stroke machinics and it being a little off sometimes.

There's no good training near me sadly. I've tried the online resources, but it's typically someone going on and on for 30 minute son youtube to get more $$ per click. Any advice on devices or simple training techniques to narrow it down.? I'm a 6-7 level player and I'd like to bring that up.

Ps. I'd post this in the aiming forum but it's not aiming.
Click to expand...
You're not gonna like this, but the only way to insure you don't turn out or have a small sway which causes you to miss on follow thru is to hit a hundred of these shots until the balls fuzz and you're ready to pass out!!
Full table stop shots or draws - straight-ins.
Hit these until you can line up and turn your head away and pocket the ball. Also a simple high English follow shot, full table straight-ins where cue ball follows the object ball into the pocket. If the cue ball hits a diamond high (long rail) instead of scratching behind OB, you know you're coming thru left on follow thru. CB hits a diamond low - Short rail, you're coming right on follow thru. Anything more than a diamond off, take up Tiddlywinks!!😂
It's maddening, trust me, but I guarangoddamntee you it'll straighten out your shit!!!
 
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