Cue to chin

[Scott Lee]

Bottom line is this...you can stand however you see fit. Getting down lower on the cue does NOT mean automatically that you'll be more accurate. It's all in the accuracy of your stroke, which is more related to how your arm works with your body, than how high or low you stand over the cue. If you use a pendulum stroke it doesn't matter how high or low you stand over the cue. If somebody "likes" putting their chin on the cue, then fine, do it. But somebody telling you that you have to do that to play well is just baloney. For the 1000th time...there is no one correct stance for everybody. Stance is individual.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

When I asked a pro who was doing a demo at a state tournament if he had to get so low. He said " When you shoot a gun you look down the barrel so why no why not when you shoot pool" . Just passing it on. For the record Im 6ft 250 and I get pretty low but I bend my knees

 

[buddha162]

Bottom line is this...you can stand however you see fit...Stance is individual.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Right. And that's why 99% of pro pool players and 100% of pro snooker players have their chin within an inch above their cues. They all just happen to prefer shooting from that awkward position.

-roger

 

[CJ Wiley]

Dallas West (who played championship speed well into his 60s)

After friends tried to convince me of how advantageous having your chin on the cue was, I proceeded to rationalize my response as to why I couldn't. Watching so many players at the DCC, all ages, body types, etc., shoot with their chin on the cue (some actually below), I definitely have a new goal. How close is your chin to the cue on average. Was it natural or learned ?

If I had to put my cue to my chin I'd quit pool and save myself the frustration. To play your best pool game you must be comfortable.

If you look at Buddy Hall, Wade Crane, Luther Lassiter, Dallas West (who played championship speed well into his 60s),

Ray Martin, Steve Mizerack, you will see it's not necessary. The important thing is to set your eyes properly. It also puts less stress on your body if you don't bend down quite so low.

"Different strokes for different folks," just make sure you develop your own style, copying anyone else's style is like wearing their shoes.....it may be ok for awhile, but it will end up "cramping your style." 'The Game is Changing'

 

[seven_7days]

Bottom line is this...you can stand however you see fit...Stance is individual.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Right. And that's why 99% of pro pool players and 100% of pro snooker players have their chin within an inch above their cues. They all just happen to prefer shooting from that awkward position.

-roger

Are you serious?

Sorry,I can't tell.

 

[brophog]

A few things to note:

While the trend is clearly for players to take a lower stance, some players are not really at 'chin on cue' degrees of lowness but rather actually have their chins a few inches above their cue. Others appear to have their chin on their cue, but have actually brought their cue up to their chin, rather than their chin down to the cue.

He said " When you shoot a gun you look down the barrel so why no why not when you shoot pool" .

Food for thought: When you're standing behind the cue ball to do your aiming, do you bring the cue up to your face like a rifle?

 

[SKJoss72]

when first learning I was told by a knowledgeable older guy, to treat the cue as much like a gun as i could for aiming purposes,(chin on cue) it aids in staying down on the shot also.... the problem now is when you get older and need glasses. I cant look out the top of them and still focus properly. so I find that I have to shoot without glasses, and my game has suffered drastically

 

[DelaWho???]

Makes a good sharking topic during a match, much like the inhale/exhale question...

Everyone has that body position that allows for accurate line of sight, delivery and comfort. Longer shots create a different sight line than close in work. You have to see what your doing to be accurate. Sometimes this means standing up over a shot.

 

[SakuJack]

There is no evidence of a correlation between this stance and potting accuracy.

Every snooker player does it?

 

[buddha162]

If you look at Buddy Hall, Wade Crane, Luther Lassiter, Dallas West (who played championship speed well into his 60s), Ray Martin, Steve Mizerack, you will see it's not necessary.

And none of these players are playing today.

I can think of 3 players who stand upright and shoot at the upper echelon level, internationally. This Taiwanese guy who shoots with a glove, Lee Van Corteza, and maybe Warren Kiamco. Someone might be able to come up with a couple more names, but that's about it.

Now list every other pro who has won any international tournaments in the last 15 years: their chins are within an inch of their cue.

And again, 100% of snooker players have their chin ON the cue.

-roger

 

[Rio19]

I have tried this method and it did not work well for me. I am a big guy (6'1 255 pounds) and I sight with my left eye while shooting right handed( yeah weird).

When I had me chin on the cue it was hard for me to see the angles and it made my stroke awkward. I now have my chin over the cue but my head is raised 6 to 8 inches higher and I have become deadly accurate with making balls and my stroke is a lot smoother.

In the end it is really all about what feels good to you. I know a older gentleman that stands straight up and can run balls all day with out every bending so much as his head.

 

[edd]

when first learning I was told by a knowledgeable older guy, to treat the cue as much like a gun as i could for aiming purposes,(chin on cue) it aids in staying down on the shot also.... the problem now is when you get older and need glasses. I cant look out the top of them and still focus properly. so I find that I have to shoot without glasses, and my game has suffered drastically

I had the same challenge. I heartily recommend you get custom glasses made. You can either speak with a local optometrist, or google billiard glasses and there is a Canadian optometrist who makes them.

 

[Donny Lutz]

Yes, better look.

I learned it early on. Naturally we all want to stand up and not stoop over, it's uncomfortable sometimes but necessary. I used to lightly brush my chin and occasionally I'd whack myself on a power stroke.

I dunno if there's scientific evidence it's better, but it's common sense.

It's easier to see how thickly you're cutting the object ball, and where you're placing the cue tip, when you're nice and low on the shot. On a longer shot, you can get the tip, the cue ball, the object ball all, and the pocket all in one 'shot picture'. But if you stand upright you may find the OB/pocket are way at the top of the picture, while the tip and cue ball are way at the bottom. You can't keep them all in view at the same time when standing upright.

In old westerns you might see guys firing from the hip, but watch competitive archery or pistol shooting, they get their eyes where the barrel/arrow is.

PS: 1ab has a point about old-time players standing upright, but there's usually a reason if modern players do something differently than the old-timers... in ALL sports. In this case it's probably because in the old days people played straight pool, and if played well the game rarely has a lot of long 'testers' whereas you might shoot a long shot every single game of a race to ten in 10-ball.

Good on you for letting go of your ego and being receptive to instruction and checking things out for yourself. IMO this is part of your fundamentals and you cannot choose to put it on the back burner.

I tend to agree. I feel that I get a better look at my targets on both CB and OB that way. I can't help but notice that when I'm playing my best, I'm getting closer to the cue. I WISH I could get as close as I used to but since my 70th birthday...

 

[motic]

I tend to agree. I feel that I get a better look at my targets on both CB and OB that way. I can't help but notice that when I'm playing my best, I'm getting closer to the cue. I WISH I could get as close as I used to but since my 70th birthday...

Jeeeeeeze, I have no excuse now, I'm only 27.

 

[genomachino]

Advantages and disadvantages..........

After friends tried to convince me of how advantageous having your chin on the cue was, I proceeded to rationalize my response as to why I couldn't. Watching so many players at the DCC, all ages, body types, etc., shoot with their chin on the cue (some actually below), I definitely have a new goal. How close is your chin to the cue on average. Was it natural or learned ?

Some players just can't get their chin on the cue because of physical problems. By the time they get down there the body is too contorted to stroke freely and naturally.

On a second note there are many shots on the table that getting down too low on the shot hinders your vision. It makes you go cross eyed especially on shots where the cue ball is closer to the object ball.

Everyone is capable of playing up a little higher but not everyone is capable of playing lower.

18 weeks after shoulder surgery it was impossible for me to get down low on the shot. I kept my head up at least one foot from the cue.

I played in a pro tourny in Wisconsin and made the TV final in the 9 ball losing hill hill and hill hill to get second.

I made the final of the 8 ball also. I won the final match 5-0.

This was on 9 ft diamonds.

But getting down lower on the cue does help a player naturally get their eyes in the correct position side to side. This is the biggest problem that players must overcome to envision the shot correctly.

It doesn't get them there Perfectly but closer.

This is why many players do play down lower. It was more successful sooner and they just kept on doing it.

Once a player understands how to get these eyes in the most perfect position it makes no difference if you are high or low on the shot.

I prefer a little higher. I try to stay down too low and I get a sore everything.

 

[genomachino]

Advantages and disadvantages..........

After friends tried to convince me of how advantageous having your chin on the cue was, I proceeded to rationalize my response as to why I couldn't. Watching so many players at the DCC, all ages, body types, etc., shoot with their chin on the cue (some actually below), I definitely have a new goal. How close is your chin to the cue on average. Was it natural or learned ?

Some players just can't get their chin on the cue because of physical problems. By the time they get down there the body is too contorted to stroke freely and naturally.

On a second note there are many shots on the table that getting down too low on the shot hinders your vision. It makes you go cross eyed especially on shots where the cue ball is closer to the object ball.

Everyone is capable of playing up a little higher but not everyone is capable of playing lower.

18 weeks after shoulder surgery it was impossible for me to get down low on the shot. I kept my head up at least one foot from the cue.

I played in a pro tourny in Wisconsin and made the TV final in the 9 ball losing hill hill and hill hill to get second.

I made the final of the 8 ball also. I won the final match 5-0.

This was on 9 ft diamonds.

But getting down lower on the cue does help a player naturally get their eyes in the correct position side to side. This is the biggest problem that players must overcome to envision the shot correctly.

It doesn't get them there Perfectly but closer.

This is why many players do play down lower. It was more successful sooner and they just kept on doing it.

Once a player understands how to get these eyes in the most perfect position it makes no difference if you are high or low on the shot.

I prefer a little higher. I try to stay down too low and I get a sore everything.

Once i teach a player how to envision the shot better many players do shoot up higher and with great results.

Either way is fine.

 

[predator]

Many club level guys who play off the chin almost never have the head at consistent height, they're all over the place. That's why I think cue on chin may help many, but then again if not done correctly it can also ruin one's game. Not all players need such help though. All champion level players have very consistent head positions, that's what is most important. Ralf Souquet is quite a bit above the cue but notice that his head is at exactly the same height on nearly all the shots. Corey Deuel is also like that.
It is true however that nowadays the trend among most pool pro's is towards much lower head positions than decades ago.

Snooker on the other hand has very tight tolerances so you need all the consistency you can possibly get and then some more. But there are always exceptions. One champion level player did not slide the cue on chin and also did not stay still on the shot...Alex "Hurricane" Higgins of course. Yes, I know this was 30 years ago or so, but worth a look...the guy was just insanely talented:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaaW9DhWBSo

 

[prad]

he didn't move...

To me it looks like he stayed very solid when down on the ball. I think any moment he did was after the cue has hit the ball. Regarding the chin thing, I think its a personal preference on how low a player wants / can go. Most of the snooker players have their cues close to chin cuz of their diff. stance as compared to pool players which comes as a result of playing in a 12 ft table.

Many club level guys who play off the chin almost never have the head at consistent height, they're all over the place. That's why I think cue on chin may help many, but then again if not done correctly it can also ruin one's game. Not all players need such help though. All champion level players have very consistent head positions, that's what is most important. Ralf Souquet is quite a bit above the cue but notice that his head is at exactly the same height on nearly all the shots. Corey Deuel is also like that.
It is true however that nowadays the trend among most pool pro's is towards much lower head positions than decades ago.

Snooker on the other hand has very tight tolerances so you need all the consistency you can possibly get and then some more. But there are always exceptions. One champion level player did not slide the cue on chin and also did not stay still on the shot...Alex "Hurricane" Higgins of course. Yes, I know this was 30 years ago or so, but worth a look...the guy was just insanely talented:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaaW9DhWBSo

 

[predator]

I think he did move a bit sometimes...

To me it looks like he stayed very solid when down on the ball. I think any moment he did was after the cue has hit the ball.

Not entirely sure about that one. Regardless, he was not nearly as disciplined nor textbook as most other snooker champion level players, especially modern ones. May have been one of the reasons why the crowd loved him so much...some people said that unlike many other players, Alex didn't resemble a robot at the table...

 

[Spider1]

I can tell I am in stroke when my chin just naturally gets on the cue. If I have to concentrate/think about it I know I am off.

I used to have a large goatee that I had forked into two tails, split right at the chin. Back then I could 'dust' the cue when I was on and strokin good.

 

[adamsdm]

I actually started resting my chin against my cue after first session and get as low as i can for the most part, I notice I am far more accurate, but I see guys that shoot way better and dont use there chin.