Bridge Arm and Shoulder Tension

Bridge Arm and Should Tension


  • Total voters
    7

Okie

Seeker
Silver Member
Looking for instructor opinions on bridge arm and shoulder tension.....

On a scale from 1-10 with 1 being loose as a goose and 10 being locked down tight like a bulldog's bite, what would you think would be optimal for most players?

Any other insights on the subject are welcomed!

Thank you,

Ken
 

Donny Lutz

Ferrule Cat
Silver Member
Loose...

Looking for instructor opinions on bridge arm and shoulder tension.....

On a scale from 1-10 with 1 being loose as a goose and 10 being locked down tight like a bulldog's bite, what would you think would be optimal for most players?

Any other insights on the subject are welcomed!

Thank you,

Ken

Loose is far better than tight, but of course one must have enough control of the swing to keep in consistently in proper alignment throughout delivery.
 

dr9ball

"Lock Doctor"
Silver Member
Loose as a goose is ill defined but let me recalibrate the end point of your scale where a 1 is so light that the impact of the tip hitting the cueball is sufficient to move the cue backwards or otherwise jar the cue in your hand. With that assumption I would say a grip of 2-3 would afford and optimum grip pressure for a majority of shots. Think of cradling the cue not gripping it or another way to look at it is to imagine a baby's grip on your finger, not tight at all but enough pressure to keep it from falling out.
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Looking for instructor opinions on bridge arm and shoulder tension.....

On a scale from 1-10 with 1 being loose as a goose and 10 being locked down tight like a bulldog's bite, what would you think would be optimal for most players?

Any other insights on the subject are welcomed!

Thank you,

Ken

Not easy to answer because if your alignment is off, you could find yourself leaning hard on your bridge arm. So if someone told you that your bridge arm shouldn't be tense, you would find it impossible to loosen it without adjusting your stance.

I will tell you this though... if any player feels an ache in their bridge arm shoulder, they are standing out of alignment and need to adjust their feet.
 

Okie

Seeker
Silver Member
Loose as a goose is ill defined but let me recalibrate the end point of your scale where a 1 is so light that the impact of the tip hitting the cueball is sufficient to move the cue backwards or otherwise jar the cue in your hand. With that assumption I would say a grip of 2-3 would afford and optimum grip pressure for a majority of shots. Think of cradling the cue not gripping it or another way to look at it is to imagine a baby's grip on your finger, not tight at all but enough pressure to keep it from falling out.

I think you are referring to the stroke arm instead of the bridge arm.

Thank you,

Ken
 

Okie

Seeker
Silver Member
Not easy to answer because if your alignment is off, you could find yourself leaning hard on your bridge arm. So if someone told you that your bridge arm shouldn't be tense, you would find it impossible to loosen it without adjusting your stance.

I will tell you this though... if any player feels an ache in their bridge arm shoulder, they are standing out of alignment and need to adjust their feet.

Makes sense Fran. I was thinking more like the 3 point stance of a lineman in football when referencing tension.

Thank you,

Ken
 

3RAILKICK

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That tension may be a result of how much body weight is being supported by the bridge hand, and forearm.

I have heard two schools of thought. One is to have enough weight on it to be very solid, and possibly break your nose if the bridge were to be suddenly removed. This might reduce jumping up on shots, but make it harder to get out of the way quickly if a ball is coming.

Another approach is to be mostly balanced on both legs, with the bridge light on the table, but very solid. We sometimes see players 'sit' on a hip
with a leg fairly straight getting into a stable stance.

Whatever gives best results, isn't painful and doesn't become a tiring factor playing all day might be the right one.

I'm not an instructor and am not qualified to give advice. Just mentioning options.

How is weight distributed in a lineman 3 point stance? When that hand is lifted, does he 'fall' forward, or is he balanced to move in any direction?
 

Okie

Seeker
Silver Member
That tension may be a result of how much body weight is being supported by the bridge hand, and forearm.

I have heard two schools of thought. One is to have enough weight on it to be very solid, and possibly break your nose if the bridge were to be suddenly removed. This might reduce jumping up on shots, but make it harder to get out of the way quickly if a ball is coming.

Another approach is to be mostly balanced on both legs, with the bridge light on the table, but very solid. We sometimes see players 'sit' on a hip
with a leg fairly straight getting into a stable stance.

Whatever gives best results, isn't painful and doesn't become a tiring factor playing all day might be the right one.

I'm not an instructor and am not qualified to give advice. Just mentioning options.

How is weight distributed in a lineman 3 point stance? When that hand is lifted, does he 'fall' forward, or is he balanced to move in any direction?

The point you make which I highlighted in red is exactly where my mind went when I get to thinking about this. I am sure it is an item which falls into personal preference.

I appreciate the input. Thank you!

Ken
 
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