Developing a smooth stroke.

[Patso44]

I have seen very few amateurs and professionals with a ridiculous fluid stroke. Granted I have not seen a lot of players but have heard that the players of the past have shown effortless skill.

I want to know any information that can be useful into turning my stroke into silk. With a crazy fluid stroke, angles and position plays that seem impossible are easy to execute.



Best example I could come up with right now is this shot. A sharp angle like this on the 4 ball means I have to draw out and with the chance of scratching, my stroke has to have a perfect delivery.

Please Help!!!!

 

[Scott Lee]

Best advice?...take a lesson from a qualified instructor. In the shot you diagrammed, draw is not necessary (although it's an option). You could just hit the CB with HR spin, which would thin hit the 9-ball, and go two rails for easy shape on the 6 in the side.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[Patso44]

Best advice?...take a lesson from a qualified instructor. In the shot you diagrammed, draw is not necessary (although it's an option). You could just hit the CB with HR spin, which would thin hit the 9-ball, and go two rails for easy shape on the 6 in the side.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

I know there are other options to that shot but I chose the option to draw to depict a fluid stroke that shot would need to execute it.

Thx for the reply

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

I'm not an instructor so normally I wouldn't be offering advice here, but I do have a suggestion that I think Scott Lee would agree with so here goes: To groove a smooth stroke on the shot you diagrammed I would recommend lots of practice with the bridge.

 

[Patso44]

I'm not an instructor so normally I wouldn't be offering advice here, but I do have a suggestion that I think Scott Lee would agree with so here goes: To groove a smooth stroke on the shot you diagrammed I would recommend lots of practice with the bridge.

Ive done that before...thats a good idea....

 

[Scott Lee]

DogsPlayingPool...I certainly do agree! Another reason to use follow on this shot is that it's a lot easier to follow the CB, using a bridge, than it is to get a nice smooth draw stroke.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

I'm not an instructor so normally I wouldn't be offering advice here, but I do have a suggestion that I think Scott Lee would agree with so here goes: To groove a smooth stroke on the shot you diagrammed I would recommend lots of practice with the bridge.

 

[Cameron Smith]

Smooth strokes are all about timing. You're essentially trying to contact the cue ball at peak velocity. A lot of players are decelerating by the time they hit the cue ball for one reason or another (too many to list right now). As a result they need to work harder to achieve the appropriate cue speed for the shot. It's difficult to instruct this kind of thing over the internet (for me at least), but by and large it really comes down to finishing you're stroke and accelerating rather than jerking forward. When I'm having stroke problems, I've been focusing on finishing my stroke and hitting the ball softer. I get way more action this way.

FWIW I find SPF is quite helpful in developing a smooth stroke. Reduces jerking motions.

 

[randyg]

I have seen very few amateurs and professionals with a ridiculous fluid stroke. Granted I have not seen a lot of players but have heard that the players of the past have shown effortless skill.

I want to know any information that can be useful into turning my stroke into silk. With a crazy fluid stroke, angles and position plays that seem impossible are easy to execute.



Best example I could come up with right now is this shot. A sharp angle like this on the 4 ball means I have to draw out and with the chance of scratching, my stroke has to have a perfect delivery.

Please Help!!!!

View attachment 193703

Look up an SPF Instructor. Stroke is their specialty.
randyg

 

[RWOJO]

Stroke

I agree with everything said so far. It is completely about timing and acceleration.

Find a certified instructor and they can help analyse your current stroke, timing and follow-through.



But a couple pointers I give my students is:
-Stay completely relaxed all the way through the shot.
-It should look and feel effortless.
-Practicing SPF without a cue ball and focusing on the smooth stroke and not thinking of hitting any balls.
-Practice shooting with your eyes closed. Line everything up and do your practice strokes, then close your eyes and do the SPF. This forces you to stay down, trust everything and deliver a stroke.
-Don't think while your down, you do all the thinking before you get down.

Another thing I was told: when no one's around try humming during the preshot routine and during the shot. If you tense up the pitch changes. You will see its easy to maintain the pitch during the practice strokes but we tend to tense up during the final stroke. If you can maintain the pitch you are on your way to a smoother stroke.

 

[quadrary]

stroke

I am not an instructor either but with shot angle you have drawn no matter how smooth your stroke is the cue ball will not take a straight line like you have drawn off of the object ball. it may be possible and probably is to pull it short of the other corner pocket but not on the line shown it will continue forward along the tangent line then curve to the draw line. Any shot like that would be a high risk shot with other better alternatives for position. In order to go straight across table would require bottom inside which would spin the wrong direction off the rail. To go the direction you want to go off the rail requires bottom outside and that will not start directly across the table with much more than 1/8 or slightly greater cut but almost certainly no thinner than 1/4 nall hit off of center.

 

[The Renfro]

I am not an instructor either but with shot angle you have drawn no matter how smooth your stroke is the cue ball will not take a straight line like you have drawn off of the object ball. it may be possible and probably is to pull it short of the other corner pocket but not on the line shown it will continue forward along the tangent line then curve to the draw line. Any shot like that would be a high risk shot with other better alternatives for position. In order to go straight across table would require bottom inside which would spin the wrong direction off the rail. To go the direction you want to go off the rail requires bottom outside and that will not start directly across the table with much more than 1/8 or slightly greater cut but almost certainly no thinner than 1/4 nall hit off of center.

The shot he has drawn will indeed follow the path as illustrated... This shot however is not about a smooth stroke but about understanding attack angle... This is what DrDave refers to as quick draw... Cueing angle can alter how the cueball reacts off the object ball... Hitting the shot as illustrated with a level stroke may be unable to make the resultant path follow the line he drew but raising the butt and hitting down into the cloth will change the dynamics of the horizontal speed to spin ratio...

I can actually hit this shot using quick draw as drdave illustrates or I can hit up thru the cueball at contact and remove the table bed drag..... either way will work as illustrated........

 

[The Renfro]

And before anyone gets up in arms... A level stroke is ALWAYS SOP... If you can accomplish the shot without introducing added variables you have an edge in consistency... As the balls lay in the diagram I would not wish to risk moving the 8-9 ever..... In this instance I will introduce elevation or advanced stroke technique.... Otherwise it's SOP and I am coming thru the cueball on a level path.....

 

[quadrary]

The shot he has drawn will indeed follow the path as illustrated... This shot however is not about a smooth stroke but about understanding attack angle... This is what DrDave refers to as quick draw... Cueing angle can alter how the cueball reacts off the object ball... Hitting the shot as illustrated with a level stroke may be unable to make the resultant path follow the line he drew but raising the butt and hitting down into the cloth will change the dynamics of the horizontal speed to spin ratio...

I can actually hit this shot using quick draw as drdave illustrates or I can hit up thru the cueball at contact and remove the table bed drag..... either way will work as illustrated........

I would have to see that done on a cut that thin i use that position shot frequently but on a cut more than 1/4 off center i would have to see it to believe it and since he needs outside for the position off the rail shooting down into the cue ball would not be an option i would ever choose.

 

[3andstop]

analyzing the particulars of the shot the OP showed has little to do with what he was trying to ask. This type shot, whether it can or cannot be accomplished with the angle shown, requires a good touch and smooth execution. I do believe this is all he is trying to ask about.

It has everything to do with feeling the shot mentally from experience and then getting down on it and executing. The key word is experience and the road to that is practice. Sound fundimentals with enough experience to not have to consciously think about execution. Muscle memory, feel, touch, call it what you will, this game just isn't easy and it takes time. Finding an instructor who can actually perform these shots for you as well as explain them will shorten the learning curve.


One more thing. Practicing straight pool will help GREATLY with these touch shots. Getting through racks requires executing these type shots often. Forget that slam em around game for a while.

 

[quadrary]

analyzing the particulars of the shot the OP showed has little to do with what he was trying to ask. This type shot, whether it can or cannot be accomplished with the angle shown, requires a good touch and smooth execution. I do believe this is all he is trying to ask about.

It has everything to do with feeling the shot mentally from experience and then getting down on it and executing. The key word is experience and the road to that is practice. Sound fundimentals with enough experience to not have to consciously think about execution. Muscle memory, feel, touch, call it what you will, this game just isn't easy and it takes time. Finding an instructor who can actually perform these shots for you as well as explain them will shorten the learning curve.


One more thing. Practicing straight pool will help GREATLY with these touch shots. Getting through racks requires executing these type shots often. Forget that slam em around game for a while.

I guess you are correct and i should amend my statement. The draw shot you are referring to requires a very smooth accelerating stroke with no jerkiness and a lot of bottom outside english with a very good follow through. It does not have to be hit hard but does require a very good stroke. I think my main point in my first post is that the shot you are describing has a time and place to be used and this isnt it.