Do you have to put chen on cue to aim ?

[Fatboy]

Snooker players put their chin on the cue on purpose. I’ve known a couple strong pool players who do the same.

It’s not uncommon in snooker, it’s rare in pool

 

[Jaden]

I think I will now create a cue called Chen and I will inlay C-h-e-n on the forearm... Because I wouldn't want to not be able to aim

Then everywhere I go, people will ask me if my name is Chen and/or who IS Chen...and I'll be able to say, He's there so I can aim silly....

Jaden

 

[straightline]

If you could get your eyes on the cue, then you could sight it like a rifle, which would be the most accurate way. Getting your eyes as close to the cue as comfortably possible is the compromise. But (as MajorMiscue said above) you may not want the cue directly in the middle of the chin, depending on how you see things.

pj
chgo

I go right past the parallax problem to double vision. Now you have no confusion and left/right symmetry to look at.

 

[hang-the-9]

Oh... Chin... I mean chin

Even then, what's the saying? "He has more chins than chinatown".

There are almost no modern players that use an upright stance or more than a few inches from the cue, in fact some of them actually end up rubbing the chin on the cue. I know Alison Fisher said that she would have to reapply makeup due to the cue rubbing it off.

 

[boogieman]

I go right past the parallax problem to double vision. Now you have no confusion and left/right symmetry to look at.

If you can play around with the double vision it's easy to find centers. On some shots, I'll get super low and play with double OBs to the target area and switch focus from target (say pocket) to the OB. Converging a double vision is a sure fire way to find the real contact point. Not for every shot obviously but at times it's a deadly thing to know.

 

[The_JV]

There are many very strong players that have their chin below the cue

If your vision center offsets you enough from the cue so you can reap the reward of getting lower then it's in your best interest to do so.

I play with my chin centered and pressed down on the cue. However I am right eye dominate. How can I possibly get away with ignoring a problem some fixate on...? Nothing but HAMB. It's what's for breakfast

 

[measureman]

Oh... Chin... I mean chin

great now we have three
Chin
Chen
Zen
Making me want some Chinese food tonight.

 

[Guy Manges]

I learned that way as a kid. Everyone at the time that (80s rural Iowa) I knew stood up straight while playing. I now am much lower, but it unfortunately depends on how my back is that day. If it's not too bad I get real low, like an inch above the cue, sometimes chin touching on certain shots. If my back is toast I might be 12" above the cue. It's not ideal and a terrible idea to switch fundamentals but you adapt. I have two sets of fundamentals depending on my back. I have to focus more on keeping the elbow right while standing higher.

As good as it sounds to have one set of fundamentals, being lower is much more accurate for me with less moving parts so I'll do that whenever I'm able.

I was trying to picture Shac O'Neil with chin on shaft and the room it would take , what mabe 12' ...

 

[Guy Manges]

I think I will now create a cue called Chen and I will inlay C-h-e-n on the forearm... Because I wouldn't want to not be able to aim

Then everywhere I go, people will ask me if my name is Chen and/or who IS Chen...and I'll be able to say, He's there so I can aim silly....

Jaden

Siming...

 

[Guy Manges]

I think we can go back in the sixties ( years of, and see Taiwanese players with their chin on cues, down very low , I thought this was because of being short in height an to be able to aim properly, like the sighting on a barrel or rifle... O well , On and on ... Guy

 

[7stud]

There are many very strong players that have their chin below the cue

Interesting.

I play with my chin centered and pressed down on the cue.

I assume you employ a piston stroke, i.e. the cue tip moves on a straighline during your stroke. I have a pendulum stroke, and if I put my chin on the cue, the butt of the cue will whack me in the chin on my follow through because my cue holding hand hits me in the chest while the tip drops and hits the cloth. Would it be better to get my chin on the cue and change to a pendulum stroke?

Your third picture shows a lefty with his head reaching over the cue so that the cue is outside his right eye. That has got to be hard on the neck.

 

[Guy Manges]

Snooker players put their chin on the cue on purpose. I’ve known a couple strong pool players who do the same.

It’s not uncommon in snooker, it’s rare in pool

Eric, it takes all of us to make a pile... Guy

 

[pwd72s]

Don't show any Keith Mcready strokes...it'll confuse the poor guy even more.

 

[hang-the-9]

I think I will now create a cue called Chen and I will inlay C-h-e-n on the forearm... Because I wouldn't want to not be able to aim

Then everywhere I go, people will ask me if my name is Chen and/or who IS Chen...and I'll be able to say, He's there so I can aim silly....

Jaden

Similar to the little Spanish guy they stick in boxes to help people learn how a product works, Manuel.

 

[measureman]

Similar to the little Spanish guy they stick in boxes to help people learn how a product works, Manuel.

Manual is a Mexican branded stick shift transmission.

 

[MurrayNevada]

Some of the old timers like fats played standing nearly straight up. Massey stands pretty high up as well. Watch some of the old videos.

Did those old timers always play so upright, or did they resort to that as they grew old and less limber?

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Did those old timers always play so upright, or did they resort to that as they grew old and less limber?

I don’t know but do know one guy that used to play upright. Raul loved his old school Cuetec. Worked at the pool hall above Walgreens in Naperville. Been gone a long time. Can’t recall the name of it. Solid 580 or so. Only guy I’ve ever met that played upright. Haven’t seen him around since about ‘05. We had some good matches before Denny’s at 6am.

Never seen a fren playing with chen on a cue before though!

 

[boogieman]

Did those old timers always play so upright, or did they resort to that as they grew old and less limber?

14:1 was the game of the day. When playing over balls or in shots that you must see well, a higher vantage point has it's benefits. Finesse shots can be easier when up higher. I'm not saying every old timer played upright, but when you see old broadcasts or old pictures, the players often seem to be more upright. People playing upright in the past was way less odd looking as it is now. I'd say you can play to a high level upright but it's usually older players, might be mobility issues?

Larger pockets may have also made comfort more important back then. I'd like to hear someone who knows, I'm just speculating on better players.

 

[Woodshaft]

I play in a more upright position for the most part. For long, thin cuts I get a little lower, but only then.
I'm one of the best bankers in the region, and I feel my stance has something to do with it (see the angles better).

 

[The_JV]

I assume you employ a piston stroke, i.e. the cue tip moves on a straighline during your stroke.

That is the goal... When I'm really dialed in, I typically also have the cue rubbing on my chest and my head pressed into the shoulder. I find these additional points of contact aid greatly in stablizing my cue. None of it changes if I crank up the cue speed for whatever reason.

I have a pendulum stroke, and if I put my chin on the cue, the butt of the cue will whack me in the chin on my follow through because my cue holding hand hits me in the chest while the tip drops and hits the cloth.

My grip hand also punches the side of my chest when I shoot. It's the limiting factor in my follow through. That said, the only time my cue tip hits the cloth is when it's travelling on that vector for necessary application of draw.

I know a few players that have a exaggerated pendulum stroke on the vertical axis. This boils down to another element of timing during an attempted shot. Frankly it seems unneeded but I guess it's flashy to those entertained with per shot wind ups. The players I'm speaking of tend to suffer from hot/cold steaks in play. Although I've never done a study or anything of the like. I would blame the unnecessary element of timing they're reliant on for a successful strike.

Would it be better to get my chin on the cue and change to a pendulum stroke?

My standard response to those inquirying about the best approach to striking the ball has always been to look at how snooker players do it. However I'll get a little more specific in this case and say to watch a few vids of Ronnie O'Sullivan cue action break downs. He's known for having a slight pendulum stroke but typically hs has chin on the cue as well.