Cue Ball goes BOING!
- Thread starter Miss Q
- Start date
I agree with one of the last posters, keep a very light grip if you want more spin (draw in this example), but to go along with that, you have to have an accelerating stroke, not decelerating or constant velocity. Accelerating stroke is extremely important in any high spin shots, or any shot for that matter
You are miscuing either because you are hitting the cue ball too far off center or you have not chalked the tip properly. Let's cover the second point first. Not all chalk is created equal. Make sure you have Master or Triangle (or some other brands that others may want to mention). ALWAYS check your tip before you try a serious draw shot. This means that you have to look at your tip. You have to make sure that the whole thing -- not just one side -- is covered with a smooth coat of chalk. If it's caked up, you either need a different chalk or a different chalking technique.Miss Q said:I'm sure that this is a simple question for you AZ pool gurus, but I am having a problem. For whatever reason, when I shoot what (in my humble opinion) used to be a good draw shot, my cue ball catches air! I don't think that I am scooping...or poking. Why is this happening? Is it because the butt of my cue is elevated?
Thanks for your help.
Maybe you are hitting the cue ball too far below center. If you hit the cloth and the ball at the same time, you are guaranteed to miscue. Of course, it's impossible for anyone here to actually tell you whether you're hitting the ball too low, but here is a way you can tell for yourself. Use a stripe as the cue ball. Adjust the stripe so it is like a belt -- horizontal around the ball. Make sure the ball is clean. Play one of your draw shots -- have you chalked? -- and if you get a miscue, look to see where on the ball you actually hit. There will be a visible spot.
You can get good draw with a tight grip. You can get good draw with a loose grip. You can get good draw with a flat stick. You can get good draw with considerable elevation. You can get good draw with an inch of follow through or a foot of follow through. To get good draw you have to hit the cue ball well below center and harder than for most other shots. You need to have chalked.
Have you ever checked your tip after a miscue?
Bob Jewett said:
Mr. Jewett,
Thanks for your input. I have gotten into the habit of chalking between every shot. But perhaps I am not chalking correctly. If you don't mind spending more time on my issues (!), what is a proper technique for chalking? I usually chalk from the outside edge to the center, rotating my cue so that the whole surface of the tip is covered. Does that sound correct?
The right way to chalk is the way that gets an even, thin coating of chalk on your tip. How you do that is up to you, but if you look at the tip to check your work, you will pretty soon hit on a good method. But here's a hint that might help: if you drill a hole in the chalk -- like the chalk you seen in most pool halls that is used by beginners -- you probably aren't covering your tip well.Miss Q said:
i've little waves on my chalk! looks like an elevated cross on the chalk with the 4 corners gone.
re what Mr Jewett mentioned, i agree that there're many ways to get a good draw. i'd tried elevating at 60 degrees approx and got a table length draw before.
key is a straight swipe into the CB at the correct spot, IMHO. whether there's follow through is a different thing. there's 2 different types of draws that i've experienced so far.
have u been snapping ur wrist recently?
re what Mr Jewett mentioned, i agree that there're many ways to get a good draw. i'd tried elevating at 60 degrees approx and got a table length draw before.
key is a straight swipe into the CB at the correct spot, IMHO. whether there's follow through is a different thing. there's 2 different types of draws that i've experienced so far.
have u been snapping ur wrist recently?
I have to disagree with some posters, if you have been playing 16 years chances are pretty good that that person is capable of chalking their tip reasonably well. as far as chalk being the problem: I can draw the full length of my table with centennial balls after not chalking my cue for 15 or 20 shots in a row, using a good cue with proper shaped tip. And I'm not a pro player or even close. It is all in the stroke, and a light grip, and a decent cue and tip. Did you ever watch a pro and see a full length shot with a slight draw and they don't have to hit it very hard? IT IS THE STROKE! Not the chalk or chalking technique. Practice those type of shots, 8 feet, straight in, object ball 1 diamond from corner pocket, try to draw back 1 to 2 diamonds, but try to hit the shot softer and softer while still drawing back the same amount. That will teach you to hit fairly low on cue with a smooth accelerating stroke. I used to practice sometimes with a crappy cue with a rock rock hard tip that was fairly flat, the cue no one would ever use, you could almost miscue on a center ball shot, but I would practice draw shots with that cue until I could consistently draw with it, teaching me to stroke as smoothly as possible, then go back to a moori medium and it is easy.....
Miss Q said:Wow - thanks for all of the advise and conversation everyone! In case this helps, here is some information on "Miss Q" that might be helpful:
(1) I have been playing pool for about 16-years, on and off.
(2) I will be 33 years old in a couple of months.
(3) I wear contact lenses.
(4) I am 5'-9" tall, and weigh 149 pounds, and enjoy long walks on the beach.
(5) I do in fact play with a Meucci, but it is about 19.5 to 20 oz. (I got it as a gift, so I do not know the exact weight).
(6) When the cue ball goes "boing", it usually jumps right over the object ball, and if I'm really lucky, right off the table. This gives me the opportunity to meet the folks playing on the table next to me.
(7) I dare say that I have never "tucked" or "rolled", at least not on purpose. I have read that thread and in my opinion, it seemed like a bad idea.
So...I'm thinking that I'm hitting the cue ball too low?
Are you single? Are you hot? Where exactly do you live?
Hey, it's hard finding a good pool playing woman in Cali.....
There are lots of people who have been playing for that long who have no idea how to chalk. I've seen plenty of them. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that most people who have been playing for 16 years -- remember, MissQ said "off and on" -- chalk badly.Micktmason said:
Here's a hint for those 16-year players who might be getting some self doubts: If you drill a hole down the middle of the chalk, just like all the beginners, you are almost certainly chalking wrong. If you get a blue ring around your ferrule, you are chalking wrong. If you need proof, go to a pro tournament and look at how the chalk is worn.
Miss Q
If you have any hessitation in your stroke while drawing the ball, you are certain to pop the ball off the table. Go back to basics. Everytime my game regresses, I go back to basics. I start by lining the shot up, get down on the shot, 3 practice strokes. With the 3rd stroke still extended, I pull the trigger. The 4th stroke being just as smooth as the first 3 practice. Most problems start with stance, stroke, or focus. If one of those is off, you will have a domino affect of problems.
If you have any hessitation in your stroke while drawing the ball, you are certain to pop the ball off the table. Go back to basics. Everytime my game regresses, I go back to basics. I start by lining the shot up, get down on the shot, 3 practice strokes. With the 3rd stroke still extended, I pull the trigger. The 4th stroke being just as smooth as the first 3 practice. Most problems start with stance, stroke, or focus. If one of those is off, you will have a domino affect of problems.
Another error you will see see -- or hear -- even some champions make is squeeking the chalk.RichardCranium said: