Cue gently touching/ gliding on chest when stroking

[skiergd011013]

Thoughts on this? I recently video'd myself shooting and noticed a wobbly stroke. I had a lesson with an instructor near boston and he said my stroke arm is cocked inward. He told me to hold my stroke arm further from my body, but this results in a "floating" cue, where it is not touching my body at all. I tried doing this, and the cue feels completely wobbly and out of control. I have been playing for 18 years, am the second highest rated player on my league, can stroke deep into a water bottle without touching anything etc. So, I am not new to the game. I know many players ride the cue with their chin. I cannot get that low on the cue, as it throws my perception off. My head sits 2 or 3 inches above the cue. So, i have been in the habit of cocking my arm inward to keep the cue against my body. I decided to try focusing on keeping my arm properly alligned, and then adjusting my stance to get the cue to where i am comfortable, rather than my stroke arm. Any input on letting the cue graze your body as you stroke? It eliminates all feeling of wobbles and makes me feel steady. This video pretty much sums up what i do, and what happens if i dont, at about 1:28. I am not pressing the cue into my side. It just glides on it gently. The contact is so gentle, that i dont even like wearing a hooded sweatshirt while playing, as the thicker shirt makes too much contact.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Is your final forward stroke straight? Does it remain straight at speed? If so, I would not try to change 18-year-old habits of arm position.

 

[skiergd011013]

Is your final forward stroke straight? Does it remain straight at speed? If so, I would not try to change 18-year-old habits of arm position.

i believe so. I have no problem pocketing, or using english. I can easily stroke into a water bottle neck without touching. I have also set the cue directly above the seam on the rail where the cloth meets the rail. You make sure the cue is fully covering the seam, and take strokes. If you are stroking straight, the seam should remain hidden under the cue, out of sight, as shown here by mike sigel.

 

[Bob Jewett]

i believe so. I have no problem pocketing, or using english. I can easily stroke into a water bottle neck without touching. I have also set the cue directly above the seam on the rail where the cloth meets the rail. You make sure the cue is fully covering the seam, and take strokes. If you are stroking straight, the seam should remain hidden under the cue, out of sight, as shown here by mike sigel.

I think you need to do a video of yourself shooting perfectly straight draw shots at all different speeds. The bottle neck and the table seam are not shooting pool.

 

[FranCrimi]

My guess is the reason your cue feels wobbly when it's not touching your body is because you're standing off balance and probably a little out of alignment too. Being in balance doesn't mean weight equally distributed between both legs. It means countering your torso lean forward with a below the waist lean back. But that has to be coordinated with the position of your feet.

If you remain where you are with your arm at an angle, you may be restricting your stroke. It can show up when you're stroking the big shots.