Cue Stick elevation?

EZMoney

EZMoney

Could this be your money?
Silver Member
I have several friends that are very talented with their abilities at the pool table. Without exceptions they all bridge their cues with bridges that are very esthetic. The other comman denominator of these talented players is that they seem to have elevation on their cuestick, maybe no more that 15 to 20 degrees on an average. Longer shots less, closer shots more.

I experimented with my cue somewhat elevated and found that it does add to the control of whity. I thought with an elevated cue I would add deflection, not the case. Is there any school of thought that advocates this method? I haven't had the opprotunity to experiment with this too much but I think it will be a good item to incorperate in to my game. What do you think?
 
EZMoney said:
I have several friends that are very talented with their abilities at the pool table. Without exceptions they all bridge their cues with bridges that are very esthetic. The other comman denominator of these talented players is that they seem to have elevation on their cuestick, maybe no more that 15 to 20 degrees on an average. Longer shots less, closer shots more.

I experimented with my cue somewhat elevated and found that it does add to the control of whity. I thought with an elevated cue I would add deflection, not the case. Is there any school of thought that advocates this method? I haven't had the opprotunity to experiment with this too much but I think it will be a good item to incorperate in to my game. What do you think?
Click to expand...

Good thread question Rick. While we hang around talent like Earl and Adam with their bridge style and long stroke (the palm doesn't touch cloth) you can't help but ask "should I do that and why?"

BTW, I see you're back from the coast. I trust you brought a ton of great fresh seafood and the feast is at your place this weekend! :thumbup:

CYA at Breakers this afternoon, In God We Trust ;). Maybe our visitor - AZ's Rick S. will pop in again today (we played Tues til 1 am).
 
An elevated cue is asking for cue ball problems. Your good playing friends may do just that. Let's take a look at what Pro's do. I don't see any of them elevating their cues on normal shots.

Elevate you cue and you will live up to your sign in name....SPF=randyg
 
randyg said:
An elevated cue is asking for cue ball problems. Your good playing friends may do just that. Let's take a look at what Pro's do. I don't see any of them elevating their cues on normal shots.

Elevate you cue and you will live up to your sign in name....SPF=randyg
Click to expand...

How @ Earl??? EZMoney is not talking about a 30 degree jack, instead, just a hair. And if I'm relaying it right, the shaft is coming through the bridge a little higher off the table because he doesn't "ground" with his palm. Here's a shot I took of him recently.

20090609_0963.jpg
 
2-3 degrees of elevation is normal. EZ mentioned 15-20 degrees, thats trouble...SPF=randyg
 
randyg said:
2-3 degrees of elevation is normal. EZ mentioned 15-20 degrees, thats trouble...SPF=randyg
Click to expand...

Earl's butt is elevated roughly 10+ degrees in that picture (a 1-foot rise over a 5-foot run = ~11 degrees). Minimum butt elevation would be enough to comfortably clear the rail, or a little less than half of that (unless you're bridging high like Earl, in which case you have to elevate your butt more to hit the CB where you want to).

Of course anybody would be more consistent and accurate with a more level cue, assuming it's equally comfortable for them. It's simple logic that everybody, even Earl, will hit offcenter sometimes, and it's simple physics that there will be some unwanted swerve when that happens - and maybe a missed shot if there's enough butt elevation.

I don't know how jacking up would help with cue ball control.

But if your stroke isn't very consistent there is some logic to the idea that jacking up a little could help with accuracy. Jacking up increases swerve, which might help to counteract the squirt caused by accidental offcenter hits (especially with a high-squirt cue). Obviously this is a bandaid over a stroke problem that should be fixed, and jacking up is the wrong way to go about it.

pj
chgo
 
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earl-2005usopen.jpg


WLDPOOL-DY3-STRICKLAND17-1.jpg


Looks like he elevates enough, so his hand won't hit the rail, but not much more. Pretty low elevation.

It also looks to be the end of the stroke, so the grip hand would be higher in a pendulum stroke.
 
Maybe I'm confusing cb control with accuracy. I've just practiced this and noted that everyone plays with a elevative cue. I would say that 15 degrees of elevation is standard. I think that there is a correlation between your elevation and the way the cueball skids into the object ball, thus the less likely the cb is to deviate from its intended line, thus better accuracy.
 
I would say that 15 degrees of elevation is standard.
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That would put the butt a foot and a half higher than the table surface. That's not standard. I think less than 10 degrees (butt less than 10 inches over the table surface) is much more common.

pj
chgo
 
If you have to put your hand anywhere on the table within the first foot or two off the rail or in front of another ball, its uncomfortable to bridge flat with your
palm touching. I think players just adjust for that and get used to shooting bridged up balancing on their fingers instead of the flat w/ the palm touching...
 
EZMoney said:
Maybe I'm confusing cb control with accuracy. I've just practiced this and noted that everyone plays with a elevative cue. I would say that 15 degrees of elevation is standard. I think that there is a correlation between your elevation and the way the cueball skids into the object ball, thus the less likely the cb is to deviate from its intended line, thus better accuracy.
Click to expand...

elevating the butt of the cue more than necessary will decrease the accuracy of the shot. While some elevation is necessary to clear the rail, any excessive elevation simply has you shooting down toward the table, and not across the surface toward your intended target.
Steve
 
look at the pictures

We have all been persuaded to shoot with the most level cue physically possible. When I look at the images of old time pool players shooting they do have more angle than needed to clear the table. Ray Martin advocates a level cue in 99 shots. He also has pictures with his cue elevated when there is no reason to do it. Not talking a ton of elevation here, probably four to six inches in the length of the cue for most shots.

I shoot with a level cue but I do wonder if I am giving up some things to go to extremes shooting with the cue level. The level cue might be one reason today's shooters have to get their chins on the stick to see where they are aiming. I don't get as low to the table as I once did and I have long wondered if that five degrees or so of elevation would really make most shots that much harder or if it would make it easier to see cue alignment without much real world effect on cue ball path.

Hu
 
Elevation of Stroke

randyg said:
2-3 degrees of elevation is normal. EZ mentioned 15-20 degrees, thats trouble...SPF=randyg
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I'm with randyg, ....I've played pool like a snooker player all my life, since I had a snooker player up bringing, I've played pool real (Flat) close to the table or shot, (gives you a better view of the table, lay out), and in all my years of playing and Watching the Best Players, They play Flat to the table.........at least the best ones do..........!



David Harcrow
 
ShootingArts said:
We have all been persuaded to shoot with the most level cue physically possible. When I look at the images of old time pool players shooting they do have more angle than needed to clear the table. Ray Martin advocates a level cue in 99 shots. He also has pictures with his cue elevated when there is no reason to do it. Not talking a ton of elevation here, probably four to six inches in the length of the cue for most shots.

I shoot with a level cue but I do wonder if I am giving up some things to go to extremes shooting with the cue level. The level cue might be one reason today's shooters have to get their chins on the stick to see where they are aiming. I don't get as low to the table as I once did and I have long wondered if that five degrees or so of elevation would really make most shots that much harder or if it would make it easier to see cue alignment without much real world effect on cue ball path.

Hu
Click to expand...

This is an interesting question. If you don't get your chin down to the cue, is it a net benefit to bring the cue up to your chin (does the aiming improvement more than make up for the increased swerve and stroke sensitivity)? I wouldn't do it, but maybe that's because my stroke is too untrustworty.

pj
chgo
 
FYI, I have a summary of advantages and disadvantages of jacking up, along with links to additional resources on this topic, here:


Regards,
Dave

EZMoney said:
I have several friends that are very talented with their abilities at the pool table. Without exceptions they all bridge their cues with bridges that are very esthetic. The other comman denominator of these talented players is that they seem to have elevation on their cuestick, maybe no more that 15 to 20 degrees on an average. Longer shots less, closer shots more.

I experimented with my cue somewhat elevated and found that it does add to the control of whity. I thought with an elevated cue I would add deflection, not the case. Is there any school of thought that advocates this method? I haven't had the opprotunity to experiment with this too much but I think it will be a good item to incorperate in to my game. What do you think?
Click to expand...
 
dr_dave said:
FYI, I have a summary of advantages and disadvantages of jacking up, along with links to additional resources on this topic, here: ...
Click to expand...
There are some other possible reasons for elevation:
1. Easier on the back.
2. Can't make a flat bridge for draw.
3. Elevation is required on some shots due to obstacles or the cushion. If you choose a substantial, fixed elevation of maybe 12 degrees, you can use that elevation for nearly all shots and you do not need to learn (subconsciously) the adjustments required for lower elevations.

"Surfer Rod" Curry, a bar player from Colorado, used to be the poster player for elevating on all shots.
 
Scott Frost is another who elevates for most shots a little more than I would...but he makes it work. So who am I to judge.
 
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