"Cue Spinners"

[StrokeofLuck]

Just curious, as I've watched probably thousands of players in my life and it seems like about 30% (maybe more) spin their cue in their hand while stroking before pulling the trigger. It's something I've never done, never will do, but I'm wondering if it's just habit, finding the sweet spot on your shaft, avoiding dings in your shaft or what????????? Or maybe these people don't even know they're doing it? Maybe you're a "cue spinner" and can tell me why.

 

[Johnson]

for me it's a gravitational thing, i adjust my cue according to the moons alignment to the earth
________

 

[sixpack]

Just curious, as I've watched probably thousands of players in my life and it seems like about 30% (maybe more) spin their cue in their hand while stroking before pulling the trigger. It's something I've never done, never will do, but I'm wondering if it's just habit, finding the sweet spot on your shaft, avoiding dings in your shaft or what????????? Or maybe these people don't even know they're doing it? Maybe you're a "cue spinner" and can tell me why.

I point the bend in the direction I want the English to go in

Cheers,
RC

 

[PaulL]

I do it, but I'm chalking it up to OCD.

Don't know why or when I started doing it, but it's there. Doesn't seem to hurt my game any, though.

 

[ridewiththewind]

I know that I do it occasionally....sometimes it's a trick of the light over the table that gives me the perception that there is a warp in the shaft, when I know full well there isn't...so I rotate it and when my brain 'thinks' it looks okay, I go ahead and shoot. I know better , as I constantly check the cue before play, but it's a little thing you do not want in your head while you're trying to stay focused on the shot. Silly, I guess....but it does not seem to hinder things.

Lisa

 

[easy-e]

I also do it sometimes. For me it is either to avoid the dings in my shaft or if I have a chalk spot on my ferrule that is bugging me.

 

[Scottster]

I do it to either avoid a ding or if there is chalk on the tip making it appear my tip's mushroomed to get it out of my line of sight.

 

[Johnnyt]

It's better than twirling your cue. I can't tell you how many jerks I saw hit them selves in the head and face with their cue right after the Color Of Money was out a few weeks. Johnnyt

 

[Scottster]

It's better than twirling your cue. I can't tell you how many jerks I saw hit them selves in the head and face with their cue right after the Color Of Money was out a few weeks. Johnnyt

When I first read the topic I was gearing up to let my opinion be known on how I feel about the baton twirlers. Then after reading I found out it was referring to something I do on occasion

 

[Tokyo-dave]

I have to stick my neck on the line and voice my opinion that the rotating for some players may actually be a 'sweet spot' or 'sweet grip' thing. Although I doubt that players, (including myself) do this in order to find sweet playing spot, it's more or less finding that sweet feel spot. Last night I watched a play doing this, and I watched him rotate the cue on every shot, and each time, without appearing to be looking, he came up every time with the same rotation when he would finally pull the trigger. This was easy to see because there was a highly visible scuff mark on his butt cap, and every time he pulled the trigger, the mark was in in the same position.
As for me, I replaced my ferrule with a buckhorn ferrule about a week ago. My ferrule has a distinct dark side and light side. Last night as I played, I remember seeing the dark side of the ferrule as I was about the pull the trigger. Now I remember specifically that on that particular shot, I felt almost as if I had pulled the trigger too quickly, and that something was wrong with my stance, alignment or something, and come to think of it......................as far as I can tell, that is the first time I can remember seeing the dark side of my ferrule as I stroked????
I've always believed that muscle memory has a very high level of potential and consistency, and I think that for some, the rotating of the cue during warm up strokes is the way of settling into that grip that only the body can know and 'feel'. And based on what I saw last night, that grip for many players is generally on the same radial axis.
dave

 

[John Barton]

I don't know why they do it but I played this guy in Germany in a tournament who had me absolutely mesmerized by it. He spun the cue so much it looked like it was on a lathe. I couldn't make a ball for thinking about it.

 

[BillPorter]

reason for cue spinning

I do it to remind myself to keep my grip light on the cue. Just fell into the habit as part of a pre-shot routine.

 

[Craig Fales]

I'm a habitual cue spinner...I do it when I'm sizing up a shot and doing warmup strokes while standing over the shot....

 

[PaulL]

Y'know, now that you mention that, I spin it a lot while I'm walking around the table looking at a shot, too....

Glad to see I'm not the only one.

 

[HomeBrewer]

I spin my cue because I once saw Sang Lee do it in a video.

 

[PeteW]

I spin my cue occasionally. Sometimes it is to avoid a nick on the shaft, but usually I spin the cue when something feels 'off'.

There are a few shots in a game where I line up and get down over the shot only to feel not right. I straighten up a little bit, sub conciously rotate my cue to find the sweet spot, lean down and execute.

I didn't even realize I spun the cue during that routine until I read your post asking about it. I do know, however, that I always end up with the nicks on the shaft falling on the exact same spot on my bridge hand almost every shot. I wonder how I am able to feel the top and bottom of a completely round spear. Intriguing.

 

[poolcuemaster]

One of the room owners here in NC will drive you nuts watching his week long preshot motions on every shot up and down, up and down spinning the stick the whole time. He was a Racket ball champion and twirls the cue like he twirled his racket, It must be misery to play someone that slow who is still a five in APA eightball.--Leonard