1) I didn't need to say "short bridge" because what I wrote is correct, full backstrokes help with smooth acceleration at any bridge length. The worst that would happen if the OP is using too long a bridge is he would send the cue ball too far instead of short, and then figure out how to adjust bridge length but not stroke length (all the way back to the fingers) providing an automatic speed tool for many shots.
2) You said "To say that it's necessary to go all the way back to your bridge hand in order to execute a proper pool stroke is absurd," which is not what I said, I was simply suggesting a tip for smooth acceleration. I find the emphasis on acceleration combined with short backstrokes is a recipe for a stroke that is too muscled/jabbing for many shots.
3) Your comment regarding a hard open break stroke and comments in this recent post shows that you surely do recognize that full backstrokes provide speed/power/acceleration. You understand different strokes and suggested, correctly, that one would recommend all the way back to the fingers when attempting to smoothly accelerate for a Ten Ball break.
4) Yes, it is possible that our OP didn't decelerate and the spin and angle provided an illusion. I appreciate that post.
5) I understand that in your experience, commitment and belief are required for smooth acceleration. In my experience, numerous students who jabbed and poked at the ball with overlong bridges instantly achieved smooth acceleration with shorter bridges as I encouraged them and gave them feedback on full backstrokes. I find with students that it takes under two minutes to smooth our their stroke in this way, where belief and commitment can take a long time, for simple reasons:
a) It sounds like you have "touch", that is, you can vary your length of backstroke while keeping control of the cb, but many amateurs cannot.
b) It's easier for most students to be like robots by presetting their bridge length then smoothly stroking all the way back, than it is to preset a speed or force amount in their mind and backstroke more randomly. When I watch amateurs play, I see them take overlong IMHO bridges and then backstroke halfway, a quarter of the way, sometimes all the way back--I see this in most students to be honest. Watching even a 7 or 8 APA player take three strokes in a row in league, it's likely that they use the same length bridge every time but a different length backstroke, forcing them to guess going forward, and it gets ugly. Again, it sounds like you have mastery here and don't have this problem--remember, not all students are strong, a lot come for lessons with serious problems!
c) The bridge of the hand is the natural fulcrum to apply leverage through the stroke, I feel it is compromised with inconsistent lengths of backstroke. Again, you may be more disciplined--it sounds like you are--and you can see pros take really, really long bridges, stroke back an inch or two and come through beautifully, but . . .
Therefore, I recommend you try this experiment, after which I will recognize and welcome further criticism from you on this--that is, do these strokes then tell me I'm wrong (or right), and we can discuss more if you wish:
1) Set up shots with different length bridges, say, 3 inches, 5, 7, 9 and 11-inch bridges.
2) Commit to taking smooth, relaxed backstrokes, to bring the ferrule all the way back to your loop or fingers, including on any and all practice strokes. Be consistent. Have a friend watch and you'll likely see you take shorter backstrokes than you think.
3) See how the acceleration is smooth and provides outstanding cb action, particularly with a gentle, relaxed cue grip and a full backstroke.
4) Finally, using these same lengthy backstrokes, decelerate on your forward strokes, than report back as to how much effort, mental and physical, was required.
In other words, as I wrote originally, it's challenging to decelerate with a full relaxed backstroke to the fingers--at any bridge length. I'd rather hit a safety with a one-bridge and full backstroke than lay down some 16-inch backstroke and apply touch--the bridge hand is the stable platform for speed control--indeed, try some of those also:
1) Set up a nurse safety, you know the kind, where the cue ball is a fraction of an inch off an 8- or 9-ball which is itself sitting a fraction of an inch off the rail or on the rail itself.
2) Shoot the shot three times with a really long bridge and a really short backstroke, applying feel and touch from the stroke hand. Hard to work that little ferrule and tip so far out, yes?
3) Shoot the shot three times with a one-inch or even a half-inch bridge, and a smooth, NOT slow, backstroke all the way back. Indeed, one can take a fast backstroke half an inch back and will still come through softly.
4) Consider which of those bridges helped leave the cue ball dead safe, basically where it was when you were the incoming shooter.
I apologize for my length here, but this is a sort of thing I teach in lessons, and I feel more explanations are sometimes needed when someone coaches from their experience and skill--as you did--I'm fine with that--however, my experience comes from walking over 100 students through exactly these scenarios and shots.
There's more tips I'd like to give here for free after you try these shots.
Thanks!
