Draw at Address?

N

nrhoades

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've seen some top pool players always address the cue ball with the tip almost touching the table, as if they were going to draw the ball on every shot. It seems that during their stoke they adjust for follow.

Why did they develop this habbit? What gives?
 
My best guess would be that players who do this have a "windmill"-like stroke (Bustamante for example) and it's just the way they picked up the game.
In addition, it is easier to sight the shot when you address the cue ball low like you mentioned.
 
weird. I just practiced addressing low for about half hour and my control and pocketing seemed to improve. Should I avoid this or embrace it?
 
The downside is it makes it harder to strike the cue ball exactly where you want on the through stroke because you are having to adjust from the low point where you had set up. The top players have the hand/eye and experience to do this. Guys like me, not so much. Hey, but whatever gets the job done.
 
It also serves as your most reliable point to make sure you're hitting the vertical center of the ball
 
nrhoades said:
I've seen some top pool players always address the cue ball with the tip almost touching the table, as if they were going to draw the ball on every shot. It seems that during their stoke they adjust for follow.

Why did they develop this habbit? What gives?
Click to expand...



This is similar to "grounding the cueball" that we teach in pool school, though after verifying alignment and vertical center of cueball we move the tip back to center.
 
I do this at almost every shot. I don't know where I picked it up. Probably Bustamante, but it seems to help me keep my stroke straight and my preshot alignment with the intended shot.

I hardly ever aim directly where I intend to hit the cue ball. It works for me, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're not already prestroking this way.
 
Tonight I also practiced my way into learning what it REALLY means to stay down after the stroke. That was the piece I've been missing for years! I'm making about 50% more shots and my confidence has increased.

All in a matter of a few hours.

It happens just like that.

I don't expect anyone to care; I just hope that posting this publicly will help ozmosify my discoveries into my brain.
 
nrhoades said:
weird. I just practiced addressing low for about half hour and my control and pocketing seemed to improve. Should I avoid this or embrace it?
Click to expand...
I think the operative word is "practiced." Everyone plays better with focused practice. If a new fillip makes you pay attention, then it's good. If it causes other problems in your game (maybe only later), then it's not so good.
 
Bob Jewett? Bob Jewett is on this forum? That's great! Aren't you affiliated with Dr. Dave, the mech E professor? I'm an electrical engineer and I've emailed Dave with some mathematical analysis questions. Infact, looking at a youtube video, I can see you playing on his table in his castle-like basement!

I'll have to see who else uses this forum. Hopefully Mike Duchaine and Joe Tucker do, since I live in Rhode Island.

Cool beans.
 
nrhoades said:
I'll have to see who else uses this forum. Hopefully Mike Duchaine and Joe Tucker do, since I live in Rhode Island.
Click to expand...

I believe that they are both members here.:) I think Mike's username is 'Main Player', if I remember correctly.
 
The exact center of the cue ball is where it rests on the table. They are finding center ball. They then just need to move the tip up on the ball's vertical axis to where they want to hit the ball. If they move the stick up to the exact center they are hitting a stop shot. If they move the stick further up the stick they get follow.
Player's perception of center ball can be off. Stand in front of several people and ask them to put the stick in the exact center of the cue ball. You will be surprised to see that just about every person is off. Putting your stick at where the cue ball is resting on the table will give you the exact center and avoid unintentional english.
 
The exact center of the cue ball is where it rests on the table.
Click to expand...

Aah, that makes sense.

Though, if one gets in the habit of placing the tip low, he may be thrown off when he's forced to shoot top from the rail.

But I don't know. I think staying down is the most important thing I've learned. Do that and your mental connection between the cue and the OB will materialize.
 
nrhoades said:
weird. I just practiced addressing low for about half hour and my control and pocketing seemed to improve. Should I avoid this or embrace it?
Click to expand...

An immediate improvement is probably temporary and indicates that previously you were probably not paying enough attention to where you were hitting the c.b.

Even if you look at the o.b. when you actually deliver the cue, it can still help to maintain an awareness of tip placement at that point.

But IMO even better is to aim the tip where you want to hit the c.b. and develop a stroke that results in hitting the c.b. exactly where you aimed during the rehearsal strokes. (This then dispenses with the requirement for a split concentration at delivery.)

It is certainly possible to 'aim off' during rehearsal - some very good players do it. But it takes a lot more practice to get a technique like this working consistently - and even then it will always be source of potential error.
 
Reassurance of sighting to aiming / locking in

Try this and see what works for you.
Set up a shot for 10:00 or 11:00 high left or right english. Put the tip there and take preliminary strokes but don't shoot. Stay in your ready position and have someone remove your cue from your hands. If you don't have anyone to assist you just go down on the shot without the cue stick. That is what you should be seeing, not the cue in your line of aim moving back and forth like a piston causing eye distraction, although many can play well this way.

Now try this.
Setting up the same shot place the tip at the base of the cue ball( bottom left or right not center ) and hold for a second or two. Now bring the stick up to where you want to hit, take your preliminary strokes and let it go. After you stroke thru let the stick drop softly on the table ( Dust Stroke ) This is the easiest way to see where you started and ended, also shows you if you went off line.

The Logic behind this taught to me when I was a kid from a few world champions who I would donate to on a regular basis.

When you stand over the shot you are looking down and sighting in.
When you go down your eyes are at a different angle/level.
You have to reassure what your eyes have seen when you were upright.
By dropping the stick at the base of the CB and holding you are reassuring your sighting ( It only takes a second )your stick is already be 99 - 100% in line when you dropped down. Near zero eye distraction
When you bring your stick up you are now aiming.
It's so easy to do, very simple and quick.

Sorry for the long rant or any confusion, I can teach this in 5 minutes.
Anyone I have ever taught this has said OMG it's so easy

It's not the holy grail of anything it is just so easy and quick, as you see many players do it, a very natural way to sight and aim, fluid and smooth.
There is more than one way to skin a cat, see what works for you.
 
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Not to be picky, but since the cueball is a sphere, wouldn't its exact center be in the middle of the cueball(equidistant from the edges) and not touching the table at all? I agree that where a ball touches the cloth would point to the vertical axis that runs through the center of the ball.

kaznj said:
The exact center of the cue ball is where it rests on the table. They are finding center ball. They then just need to move the tip up on the ball's vertical axis to where they want to hit the ball. If they move the stick up to the exact center they are hitting a stop shot. If they move the stick further up the stick they get follow.
Player's perception of center ball can be off. Stand in front of several people and ask them to put the stick in the exact center of the cue ball. You will be surprised to see that just about every person is off. Putting your stick at where the cue ball is resting on the table will give you the exact center and avoid unintentional english.
Click to expand...
 
An immediate improvement is probably temporary and indicates that previously you were probably not paying enough attention to where you were hitting the c.b.
Click to expand...

I do only one main drill; the long and straight shot (see attachment). For some reason the rhythm of this settles my mind into something consistent. I'll shoot all 15 balls, then play a game of something, then go back to the drill. I kind of think of it as that I need to do the drill to earn the right to play something more fun. I always end the night with the drill again.

When I'm on, I can hit all 15 balls center pocket. I need to work on transferring this rhythm to competition with distractions.

My body has already dismissed the low CB aiming method, and automatically prefers aiming exactly along the CB contact point.

I'll just keep aiming the obvious way for me, and I won't fight it. It was worth exploring though, because it taught me how to stay down after the shot.
 

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