bridge length...
- Thread starter poolshrk
- Start date
Bridge length is generally proportinate to the shot at hand. Some top pros have very LONG bridge lengths, others have a confortable 9'' or so bridge length for most shots, its personal, BUT the more shaft sticking out the more you have going on, and small errors are accentuated along with cue ball spin and other factors.
For instance, breaking the balls. Have you ever seen someone have only a 3'' bridge distance? Now on the other hand I have MANY times seen an unknowlegable player shooting at an object ball straight in the hole with the cue ball only 4'' away from the object ball and utilize a 12'' bridge, that's wrong on a straight in shot. I would be like taking a full swing at a base ball to bunt, or taking a two foot back swing to putt a ball only 12' to the cup. Now if your NOT straight in, the increase bridge distance is utilized to increase cue ball speed and travel and or obj. ball speed or travel depending on the severity of the cut.
Hope this helps....
For instance, breaking the balls. Have you ever seen someone have only a 3'' bridge distance? Now on the other hand I have MANY times seen an unknowlegable player shooting at an object ball straight in the hole with the cue ball only 4'' away from the object ball and utilize a 12'' bridge, that's wrong on a straight in shot. I would be like taking a full swing at a base ball to bunt, or taking a two foot back swing to putt a ball only 12' to the cup. Now if your NOT straight in, the increase bridge distance is utilized to increase cue ball speed and travel and or obj. ball speed or travel depending on the severity of the cut.
Hope this helps....
Last edited:
longer.............
I like using a longer bridge. But just because you use a longer bridge you don't need to use a longer stroke.
If you watch many of the pros they only use a small potion of that long bridge that is out there.
15 inch bridge with a 6 inch stroke. If you need more of less you got it.
I like using a longer bridge. But just because you use a longer bridge you don't need to use a longer stroke.
If you watch many of the pros they only use a small potion of that long bridge that is out there.
15 inch bridge with a 6 inch stroke. If you need more of less you got it.
True, but the longer the bridge length the more shoulder drop and the more the tip rises as it strikes whitey. For a beginner I would NEVER endorse a LONG bridge lenght till full understanding of the game & its principles were intact.
Scott Lee & Randy G have some great info. on this.......Hope they weigh in.
I use the long bridge and focus on controlling the vertical plane and let the bridge help minimize the issues on the horizontal....
A long bridge may be superior on shots using sidespin as it can be more forgiving to errors in the horizontal plane if used properly..... As pointed out there is room for more rise in the tip which can cause problems on the vertical plane..
Basically I use back hand english almost exclusively... My cue has about an 11 inch pivot so I tend to bridge there. 11 Inches would fall under long to most people. I aim center and pivot to add sidespin... If my centerball aim was correct and my pivot/bridge is correct any sway on the horizontal not caused by a loose bridge will still pocket the ball. I will only get a little more or less sidespin than I setup for. I will pay close attention to hitting the cueball at exactly the height I setup for... Small errors high or low will usually cause worse position errors than small errors left or right...
For shots along the center axis a short bridge may be superior as it will allow for more precision on striking the cueball however if your stop shots tend to leak left and right or have rotation after contact you may do well to lengthen the bridge slightly.....
On draw shots if you have issues with dexterity you may have problems getting your bridge hand flat enough to hit very low on the cueball without elevating the back of the cue when using a short bridge length... This is also an instance where a longer bridge may be of help. A flatter cue will usually make up for any precision advantage the shorter bridge length had.....
Think of the bridge as a fulcrum and the cue as a lever.... You can manipulate the bridge length based on what you are trying to do to change this levering aspect in the horizontal or vertical plane.....
One caveat... It is only stroking errors that cause the cue to become a lever... A smooth level stroke will eliminate this aspect almost completely... I just think to play well is to hedge on the side of getting the best results when something happens to break down in the execution of the stroke....... I tend to break down in the horizontal so I use bridge lengths that seem to be more forgiving to my particular consistent inconsistencies......
I am like most of us on the mythical search for the perfect stroke but until then I will work with what I have....
A long bridge may be superior on shots using sidespin as it can be more forgiving to errors in the horizontal plane if used properly..... As pointed out there is room for more rise in the tip which can cause problems on the vertical plane..
Basically I use back hand english almost exclusively... My cue has about an 11 inch pivot so I tend to bridge there. 11 Inches would fall under long to most people. I aim center and pivot to add sidespin... If my centerball aim was correct and my pivot/bridge is correct any sway on the horizontal not caused by a loose bridge will still pocket the ball. I will only get a little more or less sidespin than I setup for. I will pay close attention to hitting the cueball at exactly the height I setup for... Small errors high or low will usually cause worse position errors than small errors left or right...
For shots along the center axis a short bridge may be superior as it will allow for more precision on striking the cueball however if your stop shots tend to leak left and right or have rotation after contact you may do well to lengthen the bridge slightly.....
On draw shots if you have issues with dexterity you may have problems getting your bridge hand flat enough to hit very low on the cueball without elevating the back of the cue when using a short bridge length... This is also an instance where a longer bridge may be of help. A flatter cue will usually make up for any precision advantage the shorter bridge length had.....
Think of the bridge as a fulcrum and the cue as a lever.... You can manipulate the bridge length based on what you are trying to do to change this levering aspect in the horizontal or vertical plane.....
One caveat... It is only stroking errors that cause the cue to become a lever... A smooth level stroke will eliminate this aspect almost completely... I just think to play well is to hedge on the side of getting the best results when something happens to break down in the execution of the stroke....... I tend to break down in the horizontal so I use bridge lengths that seem to be more forgiving to my particular consistent inconsistencies......
I am like most of us on the mythical search for the perfect stroke but until then I will work with what I have....
Last edited:
Bridge lenghts to use
Use a short bridge length for short shots and a longer bridge length for long shots, as a whole this works out very well, like most bar table players use short bridges and big table players use longer bridges.
David Harcrow
Use a short bridge length for short shots and a longer bridge length for long shots, as a whole this works out very well, like most bar table players use short bridges and big table players use longer bridges.
David Harcrow
Happy to s'portplayer! I teach someone how to find their own individual "natural" bridge length...everyone has one, that they will use for the majority of what we call SOP shots (normal, nothing in the way of your hand, not jacked up, shooting over a ball or frozen to the rail, and enough room between CB and OB). It's part of each person's personal shooting template. You can measure this with a ruler, from the thumb knuckle on your bridge hand, right up to the CB (with the tip against the ball). Now hold the cue in the back, where your cradle hand falls directly underneath your elbow (90 degrees...again with the tip at the CB). Now, whatever that length is, you can easily let the weight of the cue, and timing, create the stroke speed...and you will be very accurate in striking the CB (as long as you use a pendulum swing). Your grip hand will finish against your chest, somewhere near your armpit, and your tip will either be level or near the cloth...this will result in the tip finishing in the same place, past the CB, regardless of where you aim on the CB or how hard/soft you shoot (for normal shots...not super soft). When you change bridge length for various shots/reasons, if you adjust your grip the same amount you change the bridge, you will still keep the same finish distance. It's not how far you followthrough, but how well you finish your stroke. This allows the brain to train the arm to let the cue do the work. All of this is well detailed in our instructional video, Play Better Pool, Mastering the Basics...and of course is taught in all SPF lessons and pool schools. It sure simplifies the process! 
There are some exotic bridge lengths (long and VERY short) that are used in specific shooting circumstances.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
There are some exotic bridge lengths (long and VERY short) that are used in specific shooting circumstances.Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
FYI, the following instructional article covers this topic fairly well:
There is also some useful info in the following video:
Check them out,
Dave
Be very very careful who you listen too.
There is some bad advice in some of these post.
Like 12" inch bridge is" like taking a full swing" There is no swing like in pool. It is a stroke that you control the speed of and not bridge length controls. This also means you control how far you follow through.
You did mentioned and no one asked about your stance, but it is assumed that it is low and not high. Not a good thing to assume. The stance has a great impact on your stroke.
Just some plain bad advice.
Use whatever works for you. You play long and enough and not just 9 ball, you will find that there is no one bridge length that works.
What is really important is the distance between you bridge and grip hand.
The pendulum swing is not the only way to accurately stroke the CB. If you are striking the CB , you are hitting way too hard.
The cue does not do the work. It is not like a framing hammer hammer where you let the weight of the hammer do most the work.
The cue is where you meet the shot. You use the cue to do what you want with the CB more like how a bow is used on a fiddle, not a bat or golf club.
Good luck and remember it is your style that manners.
There is some bad advice in some of these post.
Like 12" inch bridge is" like taking a full swing" There is no swing like in pool. It is a stroke that you control the speed of and not bridge length controls. This also means you control how far you follow through.
You did mentioned and no one asked about your stance, but it is assumed that it is low and not high. Not a good thing to assume. The stance has a great impact on your stroke.
Just some plain bad advice.
Use whatever works for you. You play long and enough and not just 9 ball, you will find that there is no one bridge length that works.
What is really important is the distance between you bridge and grip hand.
The pendulum swing is not the only way to accurately stroke the CB. If you are striking the CB , you are hitting way too hard.
The cue does not do the work. It is not like a framing hammer hammer where you let the weight of the hammer do most the work.
The cue is where you meet the shot. You use the cue to do what you want with the CB more like how a bow is used on a fiddle, not a bat or golf club.
Good luck and remember it is your style that manners.
Long bridges in general
I think bridge distances in allot of pros nowadays have increased because in rotation play there is allot more cue ball movement. In the latter days with 14.1 it was to ones disadvantage to lengthen out, because the more variables one brings into the shot, your pocketing and position percentages fall off proportionately.
I think bridge distances in allot of pros nowadays have increased because in rotation play there is allot more cue ball movement. In the latter days with 14.1 it was to ones disadvantage to lengthen out, because the more variables one brings into the shot, your pocketing and position percentages fall off proportionately.
Terry...Then there are some posts really full of "bad information"...like this one. The only relevant statements here are bolded. There are easy ways to accomplish goals, and there are stubborn ways. Both ways work...in the long run. Do you really wish to spend 10-20 years trying to accomplish your goal?
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Neil...That's hilarious. I had not even seen your post before I made mine. GMTA! :thumbup:
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
I agree. That's why I didn't quote the rest of yours.
Listen to the Posts When Taking Advice
Poolshrk, get a lesson from a Top Pro Player.
Rafael Martinez, Grady, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, Mike Massey, Ronnie Allen, Max Eberle, Fran Crimi, Allison Fisher and many other Top Pro’s will give you a lesson.
Once they get to know you, your money will have well been spent.
Poolshrk, get a lesson from a Top Pro Player.
Rafael Martinez, Grady, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, Mike Massey, Ronnie Allen, Max Eberle, Fran Crimi, Allison Fisher and many other Top Pro’s will give you a lesson.
Once they get to know you, your money will have well been spent.
