Dropping your elbow

[Ralph Kramden]

If your elbow drops your shoulder moves...
Keep the shoulder up and hinge the elbow.

Hit with your forearm. Don't push with the shoulder.
One hinge point... One straight stroke. Again IMO

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[Spimp13]

If your elbow drops your shoulder moves...
Keep the shoulder up and hinge the elbow.

Hit with your forearm. Don't push with the shoulder.
One hinge point... One straight stroke. Again IMO

.

IMO... :grin:

 

[iusedtoberich]

I like to spin my torso like a ballerina on every shot :grin::grin::grin::grin:

 

[Tramp Steamer]

If your elbow droops does that cause poor shot making? I've always wondered about that.
When I was a baby my Mother took me to a matinee at the local Bijou to see a Cary Grant movie. While there, she leaned too far over the balcony rail, to say hi to someone she knew, and I slipped out of my blanket. Luckily, a fat woman in an aisle seat broke my fall, but I've had a drooping elbow ever since.
What should I do?
Signed: Tramp Steamer

 

[DrCue'sProtege]

Unless they have a snooker background almost all pros will drop their elbow some. Just watch them. This is another myth, that you cant drop your elbow. Just like having to look at the OB last if you want to be a good player. Myths both of them.

r/DCP

 

[Icon of Sin]

If your elbow drops your shoulder moves...
Keep the shoulder up and hinge the elbow.

Hit with your forearm. Don't push with the shoulder.
One hinge point... One straight stroke. Again IMO

.

no...........

 

[Icon of Sin]

Unless they have a snooker background almost all pros will drop their elbow some. Just watch them. This is another myth, that you cant drop your elbow. Just like having to look at the OB last if you want to be a good player. Myths both of them.

r/DCP

One of the few things that I agree with you on.

 

[ctyhntr]

If you sneeze, does it mean you have the automatically have the flu, or ebola? There are other symptoms to check before a diagnosis can be made. Same with the elbow drop. It's not necessary a bad thing, unless accompanied by other bad habits and symptoms.

When you drop your elbow on a pendulum swing, it means the shoulder joint is engaged. When you engage your shoulder, you're adding lateral motion. Elbow dropping only matters if it consistently happens before hitting the cue ball.

 

[Neil]

Unless they have a snooker background almost all pros will drop their elbow some. Just watch them. This is another myth, that you cant drop your elbow. Just like having to look at the OB last if you want to be a good player. Myths both of them.

r/DCP

Then why are you perpetuating a myth? NO ONE has EVER said that one can not play pool with an elbow drop. So, why do you and others keep saying that some people say that?

Amazing that after so many lessons, and so much written about the elbow drop, that you and some others still have no clue about why instructors teach to not drop the elbow.

 

[dr_dave]

If your elbow drops your shoulder moves...
Keep the shoulder up and hinge the elbow.

Hit with your forearm. Don't push with the shoulder.
One hinge point... One straight stroke. Again IMO.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to elbow dropping during the stroke for different people.

For those interested, this topic is covered in great detail on the stroke elbow-drop resource page.

Enjoy,
Dave

 

[Icon of Sin]

Amazing that after so many lessons, and so much written about the elbow drop, that you and some others still have no clue about why instructors teach to not drop the elbow.

Ive never been to an instructor... can you tell me why they teach not to drop the elbow.

 

[JohnnyP]

Watch this little 12 year old drop his elbow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcRYYTdkX2I

He follows through up to his armpit. Or thereabouts.

 

[iusedtoberich]

Then why are you perpetuating a myth? NO ONE has EVER said that one can not play pool with an elbow drop. So, why do you and others keep saying that some people say that?

Amazing that after so many lessons, and so much written about the elbow drop, that you and some others still have no clue about why instructors teach to not drop the elbow.

Not trying to get in an argument... but I have a theory on your question. Teaching the fixed elbow is probably the easiest to show a student, and explain to a student, from the standpoint of the teacher. In other words, it makes the teacher's job easier. I don't know in the countless elbow drop threads if that has been discussed before. Now, whether or not that's the "right" way to play has been debated since the beginning of pool forums

Please don't take this as a dig on teachers. Certainly, making their job easier may translate into more effective learning by the student.

 

[bdorman]

Unless they have a snooker background almost all pros will drop their elbow some. Just watch them. This is another myth, that you cant drop your elbow. Just like having to look at the OB last if you want to be a good player. Myths both of them.

r/DCP

It is a myth...if you have the stroke and talent of Francisco Bustamante. But if you're a normal human being, it's good advice.

 

[Wybrook]

You need to drop your elbow.. This ensures the cue follows through level..
If you do not drop your elbow, the cue digs straight down into the table and you get a 2" follow through..

Basically, you are supposed to drop it during the actual stroke, not during the warm up strokes..

Think about a pendulum... the weight makes an arc. This is your hand.. if you do not drop your elbow (shoulder), the cue must go into the table since you have a fixed point at the butt..

Its easy to do but I can see why some instructors teach no elbow drop..Its sometimes difficult to make the motion fluid so just eliminate it, until someone who knows better down the line shows them..

 

[fastone371]

You need to drop your elbow.. This ensures the cue follows through level..
If you do not drop your elbow, the cue digs straight down into the table and you get a 2" follow through..

Basically, you are supposed to drop it during the actual stroke, not during the warm up strokes..

Think about a pendulum... the weight makes an arc. This is your hand.. if you do not drop your elbow (shoulder), the cue must go into the table since you have a fixed point at the butt..

Its easy to do but I can see why some instructors teach no elbow drop..Its sometimes difficult to make the motion fluid so just eliminate it, until someone who knows better down the line shows them..

^^^^^ Exactly what he said.
Is it not true that for most people the elbow drop happens after contact with the cue ball? As long as that is true I would think elbow drop is not an issue.

 

[hang-the-9]

Unless they have a snooker background almost all pros will drop their elbow some. Just watch them. This is another myth, that you cant drop your elbow. Just like having to look at the OB last if you want to be a good player. Myths both of them.

r/DCP

Looking at the object ball last is not close to a myth, I have yet to read anywhere where a good player looks at the cue ball during the last stoke. Only time may be during a break or a masse/jump shot

 

[Ralph Kramden]

^^^^^ Exactly what he said.
Is it not true that for most people the elbow drop happens after contact with the cue ball? As long as that is true I would think elbow drop is not an issue.

I think it's ok after tip contact... not before.

.

 

[ENGLISH!]

I agree with several of the previous posts.

The secret is to not even think about it one way or the other. If you are thinking about keeping it still or thinking about purposely dropping it then you have a problem in either case.

Just focus on moving the cue straight to & 'through' the cue ball. If the elbow drops, so what, as long as the cue tip hits the target & is moved straight through during contact.

One's connection to the cue will have the most influence on what happens with the rest of the arm, wrists, elbow, & shoulder. The connection to the cue has to fit how one uses the arm & vice versa. Get a comfortable connection to the cue, one that will allow one to move it straight back & forth & LET the arm do what it will to accommodate that movement.

The cue stick is straight & we are using the tip end of it & not a side of it like a baseball bat or a tennis racket. It should be used straight as in a stroke & not arcing all over the place like in a swing as swinging a croquet mallet. A croquet mallet head is rather short compared to a pool cue & perhaps even a croquet mallet should be stroked rather than swung especially if one is standing on the side & not doing that straddle between the legs thing.

Naturally all of the above are just my opinions. Each individual should make their own determinations as to what THEY think is best for them.

Best 2 All,
Rick

 

[peppersauce]

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