Bridge analysis/questions.

madhaterm3

madhaterm3

will work for food
Silver Member
I've noticed most of the better players use a triangle-like pinched closed bridge like this:

n622888034_690922_4419.jpg


However.. I much prefer a different bridge :

n622888034_690921_4086.jpg


Mainly for me its a matter of feeling like I'm going to get arthritis using the triangle-like pinched bridge. I feel much more comfortable and casual using the curved bridge. Are there distinct advantages to the triangle one the majority of the top pros use?

Secondly this question has plagued me for some time it has to do with a proper bridge off the rail. Does your thumb touch the shaft at all? Or is contact only with the 2 first fingers?

n622888034_690924_4973.jpg


n622888034_690923_4692.jpg
 
I really think it is all trivial. Do what feels best for you, and if for some reason you feel like another style of bridging is better then go for it.

I feel very much the same way for the whole 'open or closed bridge' debate, I don't really think it matters much, you can get the same effects. Whatever you feel more comfortable with.
 
It's mainly up to you to decide which works best/is most comfortable for you. I don't pay much attention to whether I'm pinched or not with the closed bridge. I use it mainly when the cue ball is close to a cushion and use an open bridge when there is ample room. When I bridge off the cushion, I'll sometimes use an open bridge. I basically just put my hand on the cushion with my fingers together and press my thumb up against my forefinger. The cue will glide along the top of the rail into the slight vee between the end of the thumb and the lower part of the forefinger. I'm mainly using the forefinger to guide the cue and kind of keeping some pressure on the cue in that direction.
 
madhaterm3 said:
I've noticed most of the better players use a triangle-like pinched closed bridge like this: ...
Click to expand...
I think you should work from the goal of the bridge and not by tradition or comfort. The goal is (obviously) to provide a solid, consistent guide for the front of the stick. Find the bridge that does this the best for you. To speed the process, it's good to look at what others have done, but you need to look a little wider than your current horizon.

Comfort is not the goal, unless discomfort makes your bridge floppy or inconsistent. When I first learned to play, I used an open bridge. When I looked around at the players who used a closed bridge, I figured that I could make pretty much any shot they could, so why change to something that was harder to make? Then I got Willie Mosconi's book. Willie was the 83-times world champion, so I paid attention to what he had to say. He said to make a closed bridge. And it was not like any of the bridges you showed. My hand hurt. My hand continued to hurt as if someone had pounded it with a hammer. After two weeks my hand stopped hurting and I had Willie Mosconi's bridge.

Your thumb-tucked-under bridge is also not optimum. The stick should be guided on the left by your thumbnail.
 
@madhaterm3
1) A bridge should been rock stable. The first picture got a more stable bridge than the second. You are putting force from your index finger on your middel finger. That will make your shaft stay in place. I'm not saying that the second bridge is wrong. But it's just the advantage of the first bridge.
2) Yes, you should slide the shaft agains your thumb. When stroking, the shaft should still touch the thumb. It will get the shaft in-line.
 
IF you can do the archer style bridge where you put your index finger over your middle finger, it has the main advantage of keeping your thumb free. which helps to make a more steady hand. also this bridge is useful for bridging over a ball too.

if it is uncomfortable, keep persevering for a while. i could not physically make it a few weeks ago but now i can, although in practice on shots i can't make a ball with it. but i'm gonna stick it out for a while yet and practice plenty of shots with it. if however you can't master it, don't worry about it. i do believe some people's fingers are simply a bit too short to make this bridge effectively, it's just one of those things.

as for bridging off the rail, you wnt the cue to be flat against the back of your thumb in a straight line, parallel. touching.

by the way you didn't mention your open bridge at all. if you need to cue higher on the ball tuck your two middle fingers in under your hand to raise your bridge. it's better than simply moving all four fingers inwards. steadier.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top