Different Strokes

[jsp]

Watcha talkin' bout Willis?

So I just started to play pool again (semi-regularly), and I noticed that I'm most successful incorporating two completely different strokes and setups in my pool game.

For the majority of the shots where pinpoint potting accuracy is not as crucial as cue ball control (70%-80% of all shots), I use a stroke that is most natural for me. I describe this stroke as a more comfortable and fluid stroke. It's not the most textbook or mechanically-sound since it has a slight pumping action. But it's the stroke that provides me the most feel and cue ball control, not to mention it certainly is the most comfortable for me.

However, when there comes a shot where potting accuracy is paramount (such as a table-length straight-in shot), my natural stroke doesn't quite cut it in terms of accuracy. For these high-precision shots, I go into complete snooker mode. I square up my hips and torso fully to the shot, get my chin right down on the cue, and concentrate on a completely straight backswing and follow through while attempting to keep my elbow perfectly still. Although my potting accuracy improves with this more textbook stroke and setup, I feel my touch and cue ball control suffer. It also doesn't feel very natural and comfortable for me, and I find it difficult to get into any sort of rhythm incorporating this snooker-style stroke on all my shots.

Does anyone else use two (or even more) completely different strokes in your game? Also, do you think it's a bad thing not to have a completely uniform setup and stroke for all shots? If not, should I incorporate the more accurate, snooker-style stroke into every shot and try to develop more feel and more cue ball control with that setup? Or should I instead concentrate on improving the accuracy of the stroke that is more most natural and comfortable for me? Or should I just keep the two different strokes?

 

[Cornerman]

Watcha talkin' bout Willis?

So I just started to play pool again (semi-regularly), and I noticed that I'm most successful incorporating two completely different strokes and setups in my pool game.

For the majority of the shots where pinpoint potting accuracy is not as crucial as cue ball control (70%-80% of all shots), I use a stroke that is most natural for me. I describe this stroke as a more comfortable and fluid stroke. It's not the most textbook or mechanically-sound since it has a slight pumping action. But it's the stroke that provides me the most feel and cue ball control, not to mention it certainly is the most comfortable for me.

However, when there comes a shot where potting accuracy is paramount (such as a table-length straight-in shot), my natural stroke doesn't quite cut it in terms of accuracy. For these high-precision shots, I go into complete snooker mode.

Ditto, although I'd rather say "SPF mode" instead of snooker mode.

And for me, I'd say it's table/tournament specific.

Fred

 

[jsp]

Ditto, although I'd rather say "SPF mode" instead of snooker mode.

And more me, I'd say it's table/tournament specific.

Fred

Glad I'm not alone.

I'm just worried that as I continue to play more regularly, this jekyll-and-hyde stroke philosophy might hamper my progress.

I find that for some in-between shots, such as slightly longer shots that involve significant cue ball movement, I find myself pondering which of the two strokes to unleash. If I use my precision stroke, my percentages of potting the shot goes up, but my chances for getting CB position go down. If I use my more natural stroke, the opposite is more likely.

 

[Andrew Manning]

Glad I'm not alone.

I'm just worried that as I continue to play more regularly, this jekyll-and-hyde stroke philosophy might hamper my progress.

I find that for some in-between shots, such as slightly longer shots that involve significant cue ball movement, I find myself pondering which of the two strokes to unleash. If I use my precision stroke, my percentages of potting the shot goes up, but my chances for getting CB position go down. If I use my more natural stroke, the opposite is more likely.

In my opinion, based on my own experience and what I've learned from others, your pool game will improve greatly if you practice with the "precision stroke" and develop better control and touch with it. Then you can use it for more of those in-between shots, and I think you'll be very pleased with the improvement you see in them, because there's a reason you call it the precision stroke: it's more precise! As you get back into playing, and your runs get longer and include more complete outs, any lack of precision in your stroke will start to show in your position play. I predict you'll find the advantages of the "natural stroke" will disappear as the precision shortcoming rears its head.

A stroke that gives inconsistent control is less valuable in the long run than a consistent stroke that you don't have the best control of yet. You learned control with your natural stroke, and it got you to a certain level, now you have the opportunity to learn control with a superior stroke, and that level will go way up. Getting back into the game is the perfect time to relearn position play, this time with the advantage of a precise consistent stroke.

-Andrew

 

[ShootingArts]

stance and stroke

I wouldn't lose any sleep about having a few stances and strokes in your bag of tricks. How often do you have to modify both when you are stretched out across a table? Back a hundred years ago before I ever saw Allison on TV or heard of anyone doing it I got pretty much flat on the table for long thin cuts at the other end of the table. I kept getting lower and lower until my stick nestled into my jaw right below my dominant eye. Having a beard the stick slid smoothly and I don't know if I ever even thought about the benefits of that extra anchor point. Regardless, when I got down like that my partner would cover all bets on the rail regardless of the shot.

Hu

Watcha talkin' bout Willis?

So I just started to play pool again (semi-regularly), and I noticed that I'm most successful incorporating two completely different strokes and setups in my pool game.

For the majority of the shots where pinpoint potting accuracy is not as crucial as cue ball control (70%-80% of all shots), I use a stroke that is most natural for me. I describe this stroke as a more comfortable and fluid stroke. It's not the most textbook or mechanically-sound since it has a slight pumping action. But it's the stroke that provides me the most feel and cue ball control, not to mention it certainly is the most comfortable for me.

However, when there comes a shot where potting accuracy is paramount (such as a table-length straight-in shot), my natural stroke doesn't quite cut it in terms of accuracy. For these high-precision shots, I go into complete snooker mode. I square up my hips and torso fully to the shot, get my chin right down on the cue, and concentrate on a completely straight backswing and follow through while attempting to keep my elbow perfectly still. Although my potting accuracy improves with this more textbook stroke and setup, I feel my touch and cue ball control suffer. It also doesn't feel very natural and comfortable for me, and I find it difficult to get into any sort of rhythm incorporating this snooker-style stroke on all my shots.

Does anyone else use two (or even more) completely different strokes in your game? Also, do you think it's a bad thing not to have a completely uniform setup and stroke for all shots? If not, should I incorporate the more accurate, snooker-style stroke into every shot and try to develop more feel and more cue ball control with that setup? Or should I instead concentrate on improving the accuracy of the stroke that is more most natural and comfortable for me? Or should I just keep the two different strokes?

 

[scottycoyote]

i do something similar as well..........1 have 3 strokes i use. My basic stroke i use probably 90% of the time. On rail shots, especially long straight in ones i greatly reduce my backstroke and i tighten up my backhand. On shots where i need alot of english, i loosen up my backhand and i only grip with my middle finger, which gives my stroke more of the up and down motion you were talking about but it lets me whip thru the cueball.

 

[jsp]

In my opinion, based on my own experience and what I've learned from others, your pool game will improve greatly if you practice with the "precision stroke" and develop better control and touch with it. Then you can use it for more of those in-between shots, and I think you'll be very pleased with the improvement you see in them, because there's a reason you call it the precision stroke: it's more precise! As you get back into playing, and your runs get longer and include more complete outs, any lack of precision in your stroke will start to show in your position play. I predict you'll find the advantages of the "natural stroke" will disappear as the precision shortcoming rears its head.

A stroke that gives inconsistent control is less valuable in the long run than a consistent stroke that you don't have the best control of yet. You learned control with your natural stroke, and it got you to a certain level, now you have the opportunity to learn control with a superior stroke, and that level will go way up. Getting back into the game is the perfect time to relearn position play, this time with the advantage of a precise consistent stroke.

-Andrew

Good advice. I was thinking on the same lines as you. I'm beginning to think that I should make myself more comfortable and improve my control/feel with the more precise stroke to move my game to the next level.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I'm beginning to think that I should make myself more comfortable and improve my control/feel with the more precise stroke to move my game to the next level.

I agree with Andrew that this is the wise choice. You definitely don't want two of the most fundamental skills (shotmaking and position play) "allocated" to two different strokes so that you're always compromising one or the other, so the only real choice is between developing shotmaking skills with your "position play" stroke or developing position play skills with your "shotmaking stroke".

I think shotmaking precision is fundamental to good position play, but not vice verse, so my choice, like Andrew's, would be to try to develop your "shotmaking stroke" to include better position play.

pj
chgo

 

[arsenius]

Just an idea, but maybe you could spend some (more) time analyzing exactly what the differences are between those two setups. If you understand better how they are different, you might be able to make an adjustment to bring the two together. If you have a video camera (camera phone might work) you could use that to help you. Or a mirror. Or even better, an instructor who really knows the difference between your two strokes.;-)

For example (just an example), you might find that your arms are in basically the same position, but the snooker stance gives more stabilitiy. So you find a compromise between the two stances that you can make consistently and get a rhythm using.

Obviously there is something right with both of your methods. Try to identify what it is in each and keep those parts. (Hopefully you will do this while at the practice table, and not during games!)

Good luck!