Does a Firmer Grip Maximize or Diminish Feel and Touch for the Cueball?

[CJ Wiley]

I believe the grip and bridge needs to be a personal connection to the cue, like holding a fork, spoon, or knife, we all use a slightly different technique and grip pressure, but it serves the same purpose. I'd recommend experimenting with your grip and pressure to see what really works well for you, if you just "always held the cue lightly" you may be missing out, because many top professionals hold the cue firmly (many times they don't appear to be, like Shane and Dennis O)

When under pressure we tend to "tighten up", so I recommend holding the cue firmer in critical situations. I ask Earl Strickland what his grip pressure is like when he's playing his best and he said "Death Grip"......he was kidding, but you can tell there's nothing loose or dainty about Earl's top game!

There must also be a "groove" established in your bridge so you can feel the cue going absolutely straight. When you get to the point you KNOW your cue is delivered straight and pure through the cue ball you're ready to jump up some levels. I teach how to align your body on each shot to either a Center\Center or Center\Edge reference, this gives your subconscious mind the same beginning position every time and this is VERY important. (The secret is the feet position)

I"ve talked to several champions players about their grip pressure and what they strive for to get the most connection to the game.....what about you, have you tried various grips and grip pressures?

 

[HawaiianEye]

I tend to hold my cue firmer than a lot of people. It gives me better control.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I use a (somewhat) firmer grip on all shots so I don't feel the need to tighten it for firmer shots. Consistency.

pj
chgo

 

[evergruven]

mostly by nature, I like a relatively loose grip.
I like the vibe of it, literally, I like feeling everything from the tip down
and in fact, when I'm feeling good on the table, I think my grip loosens even more
I don't need to struggle for control, it's already there- I'm not playing the cue, the cue is playing me!
let her work...

 

[boogieman]

mostly by nature, I like a relatively loose grip.
I like the vibe of it, literally, I like feeling everything from the tip down
and in fact, when I'm feeling good on the table, I think my grip loosens even more
I don't need to struggle for control, it's already there- I'm not playing the cue, the cue is playing me!
let her work...

Exactly! Let the cue do the work. If I'm in dead stroke I loosen my grip up and get that sweet xylophone sound. Remember the cartoons with skeletons when you were a kid, the xylophone rib bone sound? I wish my cue sounded like that!

I find that when I grip hard, I'm trying to force physics to work. Much easier letting the cue do the work for you instead of forcing an issue.

 

[middleofnowhere]

Your grip changes thought out the stroke. Durring the waggel you hold the cue pretty loose but tighten up right about the time you deliver the cue. I think that is pretty universal even if the player doesn't realize it.

 

[MattPoland]

I would say I intentionally avoid clenching. Also I don’t want to be so loose that I’m not giving the shot my absolute intention and effort. But ultimately it’s at a level where everything is stable but relaxed. Ideally it is something that never enters my conscious mind. It’s a thing I can trust and focus elsewhere.

Kind of like being in a long-aggressive ride with any handlebar vehicle. I don’t want to be so tense that I get cramps early on. I don’t want to be so loose that I might crash from unexpected adversity.

 

[CJ Wiley]

Your grip changes thought out the stroke. Durring the waggel you hold the cue pretty loose but tighten up right about the time you deliver the cue. I think that is pretty universal even if the player doesn't realize it.

I like that you called it a "Waggle" like in golf, the waggle rehearses the actual stroke.

This is how we, as professional pool players or professional golfers, naturally let our subconscious create the exact grip pressure for that specific shot. Every shot has an ideal speed, an ideal spin, an ideal grip pressure, an ideal body position, and an ideal mental state.....in every instance there is what I call "Referential Index"......I have references for every aspect of my game, once someone knows these aspects they are ready to progress to the next level....if they Dare!

Thanks for your input, more players should consider the waggle and how it effects their overall game.

 

[CJ Wiley]

I tend to hold my cue firmer than a lot of people. It gives me better control.

Yes, it's like if you were making a robot that plays world class pool would you have it grip the cue firm or loose? Imagine the sound if the cue was loose, lol, it would "clank".......to transfer energy to the cueball the grip is firmer at impact, like bunting a baseball on a cold day, do you hold the bat loose or firm (at impact).

Hope you're doing well my friend, how's Hawaii, I hear they are in "agenda 2030 mode" with you guys.....bizarre times we are seeing!

 

[gregcantrall]

Barry Stark helped me with my grip. 64- Cue Action the hand that delivers it. Gives a good perspective on the grip.
Here’s the first of three.
07. The Grip part 1
Then
16. The Grip part 2
And then
86. The Grip Part 3 the important element is what helped me the most. The third finger as the trigger.
Barry’s videos are pure gold and there’s a tremendous amount of knowledge in the 143 he has made available on YouTube.
One more on the grip.
116. The Grip Part 4 - Playing the shot

 

[Patrick Johnson]

...to transfer energy to the cueball the grip is firmer at impact

The grip’s firmness has little or no effect on the transfer of energy to the cue ball - throwing the cue at the cue ball would transfer about the same amount as a death grip at the same speed. This is because your hand’s soft skin “gives” during impact, effectively “decoupling” the hand and arm from the collision dynamics.

The best thing your grip pressure can do for the shot is not change (clench) midstroke, pulling your stroke offline.

pj
chgo

 

[gregcantrall]

Ok for the gold prospectors:
My Goldmaster had corse and fine tuning to eliminate false signals and background noise.
Disclaimer:
Making the corse tune is building the platform. Perfect fine tuning can’t be effective without the platform.
The commitment finger/ring finger is my fine tuning knob.

 

[Geosnookery]

I follow the Shaun Murphy philosophy. Past world Snooker champion and this year’s finalist.

It’s basically just hold the cue however feels natural and don’t think about it. He concentrates more on stance, a stable bridge hand, cue allignment, follow through.

I also don’t think about grip. However, I grip on the light side. I use some type of spin on 90% of shots...maybe 70% on a Pool table.

I once kept a few fun notes and stats on poor shots whether I undercut or over cut balls and if I hit balls too hard or too soft. Usually under cut and hit too hard. However, this was nothing to do with knowledge or technique but rather concentration. Anyways, grip, spin, etc. wasn’t the issue...it was getting into the right mind mode.

I miss shots and that’s ok. Everyone does. The shots that aren’t ok are those that I regret as soon as the cueball leaves the cue tip...’why did I do that?’

 

[garczar]

Grip of the'Rocket:

 

[8intheside]

I’ve always held the cue pretty loose. It’s hard to put into words how I hold it, I guess almost like a toothbrush.

 

[smoochie]

Short answer "No."

I believe firm grip is even better than light grip, I don't care for filippino's style that much, but most of successful players are firm or even tight grip, CJ Wiley yourself used to be a firm grip if not tight as seen in the 90's videos. and it worked nicely for you.

 

[MitchAlsup]

For around 1/2 of my shots, I let gravity hold the cue to my curled fingers, with the thumb barely touching the cue.

 

[smoochie]

I’ve always held the cue pretty loose.

Try to change that.

 

[8intheside]

Try to change that.

It works for me.

 

[8intheside]

I think pool is all about feel, you watch 10
players, and you’d be lucky to see two players holding, standing exactly the same.