Difficulties with draw shots

worriedbeef said:
there's just two element to a draw shot - how hard you hit it and how low you go.

the reason a monster draw shot is so hard is because the faster you move the cue to hit it harder, it becomes more difficult to hit really low on the cue ball accurately. that's why you see soemtimes people try to draw back loads and hit it really hard and just end up stopping the cue ball. they hit it so hard they lose all accuracy.

so start off by focussing on tip placement, making sure you hit it really low but keeping your stroke reasonably soft. when you've got the hang of that, increase how hard you hit it in small increments.
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I would have to disagree about only being two elements to a draw shot. I can smack the hell out of the cueball and hit low and get only marginal draw. The most important element when drawing the rock is a smooth accelerating follow through. As the distance between object ball and cue ball increases then you must hit the ball harder, however you still must accelerate through the cue ball. In other words, your cue should be traveling faster after contact with the cue ball.

-Phillip
 
Neil said:
There really is no reason for the jumping unless you actually are hitting it to low. Maybe have someone stand right next to the shot to see exactly where you are hitting the cb. You have to be hitting lower than you think you are.
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Hitting the cue ball very low has worked for me. I've been experimenting with very low and very high english (Thank You Kelly Fisher) and aiming too this or that is not the mistake. The mistake is in the force of the stroke... imho
 
I'm a serious beginner, so I'll share my experiences on learning to draw.

I went out and actually bought a Jim Rempe Training Ball. You can do a google search if you want to see what it looks like.

Using a striped ball is just as good. Line up the ball so the stripe is horizontal and level with the table, and use it as your cue ball. Make sure you chalk up after every shot so you can see where you are actually hitting. I was suprised to see chalk marks at center when I thought I was hitting low. You should be making contact with the bottom end of the stripe. Shoot a couple of racks.

On soft shots, I aim for hitting the cloth a few inches past the ball. I was told by a pool instructor its okay for the tip to make sliding contact with the cloth.

Smooth stroke and stoke sensitivity
Using the stripe ball again, I practiced shooting it slower or harder until I could control when the ball skid turns into a roll.

I still have trouble with long shots. So far long shots turns into a stun or stop shot, which means I still need to work on smooth stroking.
 
No more "death grip"!

Fastest way to ensure you won't draw the ball is to hold your grip too tightly.

Whenever I get little or no draw, it's because my grip hand got a case of the dreaded "death grip".

Keep it loose and controlled. You'll be drawing the rock in no time.
 
The mind can play with your ability to draw like no other. We have all launched balls in practice. Have patience. I've never met a person that couldn't figure it out. Take baby steps. One tip low. Relatively loose grip. Level stroke. Follow through! REMEMBER STROKE, DON'T POKE! Best of luck.

tim
 
I agree!!

I think big perm and gregoryg hit it right on the head. There are many factors that lead to a good draw stroke. I had this same problem for a ridiculous amount of time. It seemed that no matter what I tried I couldn't figure it out. For me the two hardest elements were first the grip and second trying to hit the ball hard thinking that power was needed to get it to draw from a distance. In fact, you don't need massive power. Watch the best in the world, and you'll see they never need massive power to draw the ball 18 diamonds. What helped me was to start with drills very close to the object ball and slowly begin to move the cueball back (slowly, it is a long process). If you jump the cueball, move it back up and start again. I don't know if this helps, but it is so far working for me.

-Brandon
 
Androu said:
Hey everyone, I am a fairly new pool player and have watched many videos and been taught by many ppl how to perform a proper draw shot but half the time i try to draw the cue ball it ends up jumping on me.
What am I doing wrong and how can i fix it?
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you should pm scott lee and schedule a lesson. he'll work that out for you.

it sounds like either you're not chalking enough or you're dipping your cue at the last second. work on making your stroke more repeatable and this won't happen as much.
 
Experiment with the distance your bridge is from the cue ball. For example if you bridge 3" from the cue and draw the ball it may draw 6" the exact same speed and stroke when you are bridged 10" away from the cue ball may draw 40". I didn't read the entire thread because I am Lazy so forgive me if I repeat, one of the things that I did read is level stroke and stroke through the ball. You will also find that it is easier to draw the cue when the object ball is 6" away then it is when the object ball is 4' away. I would suggest setting the cue on the table and the object ball 6" or 8" away keep in mind the advice you have been given here then shoot the shot until you are executing it as well as you think you need to be then increase the distance between the cue and the object ball and start the whole process over again. I suppose that I am making sound like a long arduous process but it really is not that bad and you will figure it out pretty fast. Draw is a product of friction and energy absorption. When the cue leaves the stick it has draw spin on it, the felt is reducing the energy through friction the entire way once the cue ball strikes the object ball it is slowed down while it expends energy to move the object ball and assuming it has enough energy remaining the draw spin and the friction get the ball moving in the opposite direction which is to say you need to apply more energy to the cue ball for draw then you do for many other shots due to friction. The felt makes a big difference as to how much draw you get in time you will be able to draw a ball through mud but it takes some time and practice. Someone said look at the best in the world they don't hit the cue ball hard and they get draw and this is true, however, they are playing on Simonis felt with Arimith (clean) balls which is ideal conditions so a draw shot in this enviorment is much easier to execute and takes less energy to execute. If you are on a table that has cheap or dirty felt and badly weighted or dirty balls then you may have to apply more energy to the cue for it to get done what you want. A dirty ball spinning on dirty cheap felt is seeing considerably more friction and adverse effects to draw then what you see in an ideal situation. Typically when you see a match on TV everything is new and high quality, Typically in a pool hall there is one table reserved for upper level match play to help maintain it as an ideal enviornment the rest are as good as their maintenance. In a bar you will seldom see ideal conditions and often see poor conditions.
 
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One way to check cue tip placement is to practice shots while looking at the cue ball rather than the object ball. Don't be concerned about pocketing the shot, as this is a stroke drill rather than a potting or position drill. Instead focus more on making sure where you are actually contacting the cue ball, watching for the level stroke and follow-through. Once you've got it, you can put your attention back on the object ball.

Hope this helps.

DPP
 
Androu said:
Hey everyone, I am a fairly new pool player and have watched many videos and been taught by many ppl how to perform a proper draw shot but half the time i try to draw the cue ball it ends up jumping on me.
What am I doing wrong and how can i fix it?
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Along with chalking the tip which should happen prior to EVERY shot a badly shaped tip can cause problems like mis cues or jumping the balls, another thing that I see in many players at all levels is if they are shooting a shot that they are not confident in executing they will pick their head up during the execution of the shot since you mentioned that you were in the early learning stages of the game then instances where you lack confidence will be common and a draw shot is obviously one of these concentrate on staying in the shooting position (down) until the object ball is in the hole. Doing that will help a great deal I know that I don't even realize it if I do it and if I seem to be playing below the level I normally play it is typically due to standing up on a shot.
 
pip9ball said:
I can smack the hell out of the cueball and hit low and get only marginal draw.
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No, you can't.

The most important element when drawing the rock is a smooth accelerating follow through.
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No, it's not.

...your cue should be traveling faster after contact with the cue ball.
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No, it shouldn't. In fact, that's impossible - your cue is slowed down to about half its speed when it hits the cue ball. "Accelerating through the ball" is a myth.

As worriebeef said, stick speed and tip placement are the only two things that matter for any pool shot, including draw, follow or anything else. The most important thing to learn (the only thing to learn) is how to hit the CB where you want to at any speed, every time.

pj
chgo
 
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