Earl Strickland stance
- Thread starter marikian
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I do, and I did it since I've ever started playing pool, it's just more natural and it saves your back from a herniated disk, think squats, if you don't bend both legs then your back suffers, similarly in playing pool for a lifetime. If you bend both legs, you will have more ease for your back.
By the way, not only Earl and Shane do it, so many other pro's do as well, Efren also does bend both of his knees but it isn't pronounced he just does it a little bit, check his 90 videos, and a lot more pro's do it too.
Nor very stable
Other sports have been built around a locked knee, they got away from it long ago. You don't have to put a visible bend in your knees, just unlock the joint. I showed somebody locking elbows as they had been trained that unlocking both elbows worked far better. Same thing with knees, let the muscles and connective tissues do their work. As others have noted it takes a lot of strain off of the whole body.
It seems like a locked joint should be more stable but it isn't.
Hu
Other sports have been built around a locked knee, they got away from it long ago. You don't have to put a visible bend in your knees, just unlock the joint. I showed somebody locking elbows as they had been trained that unlocking both elbows worked far better. Same thing with knees, let the muscles and connective tissues do their work. As others have noted it takes a lot of strain off of the whole body.
It seems like a locked joint should be more stable but it isn't.
Hu
Still had to check after all the years I've spent doing it. I'll add I keep my back arched and belly tensioned with downward pressure (think lifting belt). What the belly move does is stabilize your core and hence your stroke.
My back leg is straight on most normal shots (not break shots or stretched out shots, etc). Not saying it's right, just what I do. I'm a short guy, not sure if that makes a difference. I step my front leg forward, then kind of lean back onto my back leg which tends to be fairly vertical.
I always thought that a straight back leg is a good thing as it helps to prevent jumping up on the shot. But for me, it definitely feels more stable. Especially when I’ve been drinking and partaking all night. If I bend both knees, especially after playing for numerous hours straight it tends to feel kinda wobbly.
I can make long straight-ins on 9’ diamond standing on one foot 10 for 10 ( one foot in the air ). Alignment is important but stance is overrated.
Being 5’7 I don’t need any bend in my back leg to get down very comfortably. I bend my left leg and push my hips back and drop right on the line.
I was actually just studying earl’s stance, Ive been watching some old matches of his the past few nights. He was an absolute murderer with a cue stick. Other people could run racks but earl seemed to physically attack his opponent with every shot. Great stuff to watch.
And how about that Color of money match betwixt earl and the Reyes... my gawd.
I was actually just studying earl’s stance, Ive been watching some old matches of his the past few nights. He was an absolute murderer with a cue stick. Other people could run racks but earl seemed to physically attack his opponent with every shot. Great stuff to watch.
And how about that Color of money match betwixt earl and the Reyes... my gawd.
How you stand should be comfortable for you, each of us are different. Tall, short, slim, fat, then you got personal medical conditions, like bad feet, back, knees that effect you.
Find your comfortable way to stand, and make it work for your. If we were all the same Nike & all shoe brands would only make one size.
Find your comfortable way to stand, and make it work for your. If we were all the same Nike & all shoe brands would only make one size.
May have something to do with height and age. I am 6'-1", used to play with a straight back leg, now in my 60's I usually bend both legs, takes pressure off a worn out lower back. My legs really don't get tired and doesn't seem to affect my shooting.
I’m six feet with a 6.3 wing span....I tend to keep my back leg straight.
...except on the break...I bend both knees and straighten as I hit the cue ball.
I’ve noticed a lot of people who bend both knees tend to crowd the cue ball....
...if I crowd the cue ball, I lose some accuracy...(loss of perspective)
..if you keep a strong bridge arm, it eases the strain on your back.
Like Hu mentioned, I keep the back leg straight, but not stiff...I could play long sessions.
...except on the break...I bend both knees and straighten as I hit the cue ball.
I’ve noticed a lot of people who bend both knees tend to crowd the cue ball....
...if I crowd the cue ball, I lose some accuracy...(loss of perspective)
..if you keep a strong bridge arm, it eases the strain on your back.
Like Hu mentioned, I keep the back leg straight, but not stiff...I could play long sessions.
I don't care to much for the double leg bend personally, back leg locked puts everything more inline, at least for me (although apparently that doesn't matter),
Both these chaps are taller than Earl...
At the end of the day its's all about comfort.
Both these chaps are taller than Earl...
At the end of the day its's all about comfort.
I don't care to much for the double leg bend personally, back leg locked puts everything more inline, at least for me (although apparently that doesn't matter),
Both these chaps are taller than Earl...
At the end of the day its's all about comfort.
You evet played snooker? Snooker tables are higher than pool tables. Its easier for a tall guy to keep the leg straight on a snooker table.
Yes, quite a bit, hence the username.
So how much taller are snooker tables than pool tables exactly, didn't think it was more than inch difference, though I never pulled out the tape measure.
Figured you being a snooker player you would know.
Yea a player, not a table mechanic, but you seem to know, so why not just share instead of a making a snide comment?
Anyways...
The internet says its as little as a 1/2 inch difference in height from a regulation snooker table to a regulation pool table, and up to 3 1/4"inches, pretty miniscule in my opinion, although I'm sure some of you think that's massive.
Ask your wives, they will likely disagree though.
The internet says its as little as a 1/2 inch difference in height from a regulation snooker table to a regulation pool table, and up to 3 1/4"inches, pretty miniscule in my opinion, although I'm sure some of you think that's massive.
Ask your wives, they will likely disagree though.