Although pros largely stick to the fundamentals of pool in regards to stance and basic stroke mechanics, stroke action is a highly personal matter. Two examplars of polar opposites are Earl Strickland and Efren Reyes. Watching Efren, he has an extremely loose stroke, tantamount to throwing the cue. In fact, on many shots the cue slides forward several inches in his grip hand after making contact with the cueball. He essentially lines up his body to deliver an accurate toss. Earl has an extremely powerful stroke that is careful and controlled, involving more muscle then Efren. Rather than "throwing" the cue, he "pushes" it straight through the cueball and far beyond, capable of producing tremendous spin on the ball. Many players have a stroke that falls in between these two extremes in regards to the amount of muscle control exerted during the stroke.
The two pros are also on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of cues. Earl's is extremely light (under 17 oz) and Efren's is unusually heavy (around 22 oz). I believe these choices complement their respective strokes. I own two cues, one significantly lighter than the other. I've gone through periods of using one or the other, and I'm capable of shooting well with both. However, my stroke action is different depending on my choice, with the heavier cue being conducive to a "tossing" stroke and the lighter cue allowing easier control for a more "muscled" controlled stroke.
Getting in stroke for me means attuning my stroking action very closely to my cue's weight and balance, and finding the right mix between letting the cue do the work and maintaining fine control. I also occasionally use the disparity between my cues to coax my game out of a rut. If I find myself freely swinging the cue with perhaps too little control, some time spent with the lighter cue forces me to reattune my muscles to stroking straight. The opposite is true as well, if I find myself muscling my stroke too much, I switch to a heavier cue and it forces me to allow the cue to swing in a straight line with less muscular input.
The two pros are also on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of cues. Earl's is extremely light (under 17 oz) and Efren's is unusually heavy (around 22 oz). I believe these choices complement their respective strokes. I own two cues, one significantly lighter than the other. I've gone through periods of using one or the other, and I'm capable of shooting well with both. However, my stroke action is different depending on my choice, with the heavier cue being conducive to a "tossing" stroke and the lighter cue allowing easier control for a more "muscled" controlled stroke.
Getting in stroke for me means attuning my stroking action very closely to my cue's weight and balance, and finding the right mix between letting the cue do the work and maintaining fine control. I also occasionally use the disparity between my cues to coax my game out of a rut. If I find myself freely swinging the cue with perhaps too little control, some time spent with the lighter cue forces me to reattune my muscles to stroking straight. The opposite is true as well, if I find myself muscling my stroke too much, I switch to a heavier cue and it forces me to allow the cue to swing in a straight line with less muscular input.
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