Can't stop dropping elbow

randallt6

randallt6

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have been trying to fix this dirty habit because I have a tendency to sometimes drop it before contact with the cueball.

Any tips to fix this? No matter how hard I focus on it, I can't stop from dropping it. I've even had a friend hold the tip of his cue on my elbow while I shoot to try and focus on keeping it stable and I still can't stop it from dropping.
 
elbow drop

Try starting without your cue... get down in your stance, let your arm swing under your elbow like your doing the Robot.

Some people I teach say that they need to drop their elbow to follow through, but you do not have to. If you are approximately 6 inches from the cue ball, you swing your arm back about 6 inches and forward about 6 inches.


Try to stay completely relaxed and just let your arm swing freely. When you do this with your cue, let the weight of the cue do the work.
 
Relaxed

The cue ended up in the air when you followed through, this means your gripping the cue too tight or changing the grip pressure to tighter during the shot.

Hold the cue as loose as you can and stay that loose all the way through the shot. Your tip should be touching the table when you follow through.
 
Contact me for a paid lesson or some free help. There's more to this story, grip pressure, stance, your understanding of a good stroke, etc.
 
Your stance looks painful. Do you experience pain in your left shoulder?

How often do you whack your knuckles against the table as you follow through?
 
FranCrimi said:
Your stance looks painful. Do you experience pain in your left shoulder?

How often do you whack your knuckles against the table as you follow through?
Click to expand...


Never really experience pain and no but my cue will sometimes hit the rail after a follow shot.
 
randallt6 said:
I have been trying to fix this dirty habit because I have a tendency to sometimes drop it before contact with the cueball.

Any tips to fix this? No matter how hard I focus on it, I can't stop from dropping it. I've even had a friend hold the tip of his cue on my elbow while I shoot to try and focus on keeping it stable and I still can't stop it from dropping.
Click to expand...

I set up a mirror next to my table at home and watched my elbow until I got really used to the feeling of only contracting my bicep while shooting. It took a while...

I watch a replay of at least 10 of my shots when I practice to make sure I'm still doing it right.
 
I don't see anything wrong with the amount of elbow drop by itself, but it looks even in the pics like it's happening very close to or at the point of contact. Your head is also lifting as is your shaft.

My own personal drop was always more of a reaction to following through longer instead of stopping more naturally after the stroke. Wasn't a big deal, may pros shoot like that, but I found occasionally I was doing it too close to contact. Eliminated that by making sure my grip was not too far forward. I also shortened my stroke on most normal shots, I only take the cue back 4", maybe 6" at most, have all the power/spin I need and more compact motion, easier to keep everything in line day to day without needing to practice to much.

If you are committed to eliminating the drop, it can be hard just because it feels so unnatural, especially if you play half way decent and have been playing for a while. But you can do it, and you can minimize or delay it for sure with a little work. Shoot easy shots while training, anything with power is going go bring that natural drop back. Shoot just the cue ball off the spot into the far corner pocket, record yourself or have someone monitor your drop. Feel it with no pressure, object ball contact, etc. Then start out shooting easier shots and gradually move to longer or harder shots.

One thing might help - have a friend push down on your upper arm while taking your practice stroke. That little bit of downward pressure will fool you into pushing up with your arm/elbow and might help you get the feeling of keep that part stationary and letting your grip hand come to a natural stop. Just holding something there doesn't always work, I know it didn't for me either.

Good luck!
Scott
 
In Mark Wilson's book he has a cheap device. Tie a slip knot around some delicate body parts then over your shoulder and knot it to your elbow so the string is taught. That ought to cure it.
 
3kushn said:
In Mark Wilson's book he has a cheap device. Tie a slip knot around some delicate body parts then over your shoulder and knot it to your elbow so the string is taught. That ought to cure it.
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I have his book, what page is that on.
 
randallt6 said:
I have his book, what page is that on.
Click to expand...

I've misplaced the book after clearing out the house to be painted.
There's no photos if I remember correctly. You'll have to figure it out.

Maybe have a real close friend help with the design and installation.
 
randallt6 said:
Never really experience pain and no but my cue will sometimes hit the rail after a follow shot.
Click to expand...

Ok. It looks as if you're trying to shoot with a level cue. That's tough to do when the rail is a factor. Check out some top players, particularly how high above the rail they hold their cues.

The adjustment of your cue rubbing against the rail can be made by either lifting your shoulder up about an inch or two or standing a bit taller by adjusting the distance between both legs. That might help you in your attempts to not drop your elbow as well. However, it's hard to tell if your elbow drop is a negative factor from the stills.

Sometimes you have to adjust two or three things to fix one issue. The other issue is your stance. I'd like to see you not straining to look over your left shoulder so much to shoot. That comes from placing your legs parallel to your cue as opposed to facing the table a bit more.
 
randallt6 said:
I have his book, what page is that on.
Click to expand...

I've misplaced the book after clearing out the house to be painted.
There's no photos if I remember correctly. You'll have to figure it out.

Maybe have a real close friend help with the design and installation.
 
Maybe you have to focus more on 2 things: Slower backswing and keep your head in the lower position because on one foto it seem you rise your head when you stroke has not yet finished 100 %.


Als Einstein Examina abnahm, fragte ihn einmal ein Student: "Sie stellen in diesem Semester ja genau die gleichen Fragen wie beim letzten Mal." Darauf Einstein: "Das ist wahr. Nur die Antworten sind diesmal anders."
 
There's nothing "wrong", per se, with what you're doing. It's called a piston stroke. With a piston stroke you engage the shoulder, and hyperflex the biceps, which tightens the grip. It may or may not be a straight line, it has no consistent finish point, and since it involves 5 groups of muscles (vs one in a pendulum stroke), it's more complex, and it is subject to more small errors in execution. Doesn't mean you can't make it work for you, with enough trial and error (years basicly)

You just haven't been taught what a pendulum swing is...what it looks like, what it feels like...to swing just the cuestick (minimal grip pressure), using speed and timing...vs driving it through the CB with shoulder and arm muscles. Not everyone knows how to describe a true pendulum stroke, let alone teach it to somebody. A pendulum stroke is much simpler, and can generate as much kinetic energy as anybody needs, up to and including the break shot. All this argument needs is the basic understanding that the piston stroke doesn't add anything to the outcome of the shot, that cannot be duplicated with a pendulum stroke. Therefore it's a choice, rather than a necessity, to play at a higher level. If you really wish to train yourself out of this possible stroke flaw, seek instruction with a PBIA/SPF instructor. We can help you train yourself out of that swing in less than a day.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

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