Eliminating head movement: Calling all instructors.

mnorwood

mnorwood

Moon
Silver Member
Head movement is one of the worst things a pool player can do. I had someone pose an interesting question to me. Are there any exercises, drills or training methods that you can do to reduce or eliminate head movement?

Thanks,
marcus
 
I have recently discovered that this was a huge detriment to my game. I have been working pretty hard at eliminating head movement.

I would think it really has to do with when the person is moving their head. For me, I was moving (and probably still am) during switching my sight back and forth between cue ball and object ball.

tell them to get into a comfortable position over the ball where they can sight both the cb and the ob without moving their head, and then have someone hold a hand above them while shooting.

Good Luck, and I look forward to other responses about this as its a relatively new concept to me.
 
Wait till ya get old and your focus from near to far happens slower than your eyes move. Talk about head movement, ya wanna climb up on the table to look at the OB better. :)

Seriously, I believe getting comfortable as low as you can and practicing saying down until the OB hits the pocket is helpful. When you get very low, your head is already in a back tilted position and its hard to move it in that direction any more. I call it playing on the same horizontal plane as the balls.
 
School of Unorthodox Methods

mnorwood said:
Head movement is one of the worst things a pool player can do. I had someone pose an interesting question to me. Are there any exercises, drills or training methods that you can do to reduce or eliminate head movement?

Thanks,
marcus
Click to expand...

At night while sleeping, get a really uncomfortable pillow. Then try to move your body around with only your head. This should give you a really good crick in your neck. Believe me, you won't move your head ALL day.

You will play great!

Ray
(I am available for lessons cheap)
 
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Bigtruck said:
At night while sleeping, get a really uncomfortable pillow. Then try to move your body around with only your head. This should give you a really good crick in your neck. Believe me, you won't move your head ALL day.

You will play great!

Ray
(I am available for lessons cheap)
Click to expand...
Another idea might be to drink a fifth of wild turkey the night before a big tournament. Any head movement will be obvious the following day. You would shoot lights out. But then again depending on the rating of your liver it might really be lights out for you.:grin:
 
Both

mnorwood said:
Another idea might be to drink a fifth of wild turkey the night before a big tournament. Any head movement will be obvious the following day. You would shoot lights out. But then again depending on the rating of your liver it might really be lights out for you.:grin:
Click to expand...

If you do your idea, you may do mine by accident! ;)

Ray
(no charge, thanks)
 
if you're one whos head consistently rises just a tad, what i may do is try shooting with my head a tad higher in the first place.

as far as im concerned, this concept is important more so when you are hitting the cb VERY hard and need a very accurate hit, and perhaps on long, difficult shots. concentrating on not moving always works for me though, then after a while it just kinda becomes habit.
 
its really easy look at the object ball until it been hit,try to see it getting started in the right direction
 
mnorwood said:
Head movement is one of the worst things a pool player can do. I had someone pose an interesting question to me. Are there any exercises, drills or training methods that you can do to reduce or eliminate head movement?

Thanks,
marcus
Click to expand...

I am not an instructor, so please forgive me for responding.

Getting down low helps keep a lid on the head movement.

But I shoot more upright. I have shot for hours with only one thing in my mind - keep the head still. It works somewhat but moving the head creeps back in.

I have found that you must learn to TRUST YOUR STROKE. If you can untense your muscles and be completely relaxed and not try to guide your stroke, your head will naturally stay down.

Here is what works best for me. First, I get a rhythm 1-2-3 pause - back - pause -pop.

Then by REALLY FOCUSING on the ghost ball just before the final stroke, and throughout the backstroke and the follow throw, your head will not move if you just throw the cue using a pendulum movement. To get really confident on your backstroke, feel your grip hand going straight back and try mentally to try to keep the cue in line. Shoot blindfolded to test yourself. And good luck.
 
Putting a book or magazine on top of the head. Walking around with it on your head also improves your posture, lol.
 
Get some fishing line and a treble hook , close barbs ... Tie line to hook and then around your neck , put hook behind your nuts ... If you raise up it will only be once , that's why you close barbs ... Easiest way is to get in front of a mirror and perfect your technique ... Enough said ...:eek:
 
Head movement is frequently accompanied by some other exteraneous movement. (shoulder, back, legs, upper arm, twisting the body, etc) When the rest of the body (other than the forearm) is still, the head usually remains still as well.
Steve
 
Eric Wynne said:
Get some fishing line and a treble hook , close barbs ... Tie line to hook and then around your neck , put hook behind your nuts ... If you raise up it will only be once , that's why you close barbs ... Easiest way is to get in front of a mirror and perfect your technique ... Enough said ...:eek:
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Should you use a trebble hook or an owner worm hook? Which nut is more effective left or right? It really sounds like your on to something. You might even be able to sale that on ebay.
 
Re-defines

Eric Wynne said:
Get some fishing line and a treble hook , close barbs ... Tie line to hook and then around your neck , put hook behind your nuts ... If you raise up it will only be once , that's why you close barbs ... Easiest way is to get in front of a mirror and perfect your technique ... Enough said ...:eek:
Click to expand...

This adds a whole new meaning to "nutting up"! IMO

Ray
(Nuts up a lot, that's how I know)
 
pooltchr said:
Head movement is frequently accompanied by some other exteraneous movement. (shoulder, back, legs, upper arm, twisting the body, etc) When the rest of the body (other than the forearm) is still, the head usually remains still as well.
Steve
Click to expand...
Years ago I had a problem raising up on some shots, I don't know if my body caused my head to raise, or if it followed my head up. A good friend said don't worry about keeping your head down, "just cocentrate on moving nothing but your arm." everything sort of came together after I got used to that.
PS; I'm certinaly not a instructor but this has worked well for me.
 
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androd said:
Years ago I had a problem raising up on some shots, I don't know if my body caused my head to raise, or if it followed my head up. A good friend said don't worry about keeping your head down, "just cocentrate on moving nothing but your arm." everything sort of came together after I got used to that.
PS; I'm certinaly not a instructor but this has worked well for me.
Click to expand...

My explanation is just a more wordy version of Randyg's answer.
Properly using SPF will cure a lot of ills!

Steve
 
deanoc said:
its really easy look at the object ball until it been hit,try to see it getting started in the right direction
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Quite right! (IMHO)

The key is not to think that the shot is over once you have hit the cue ball. The pre-shot routine, the rehearsal and striking of the cue ball are only part of the shot. The whole shot lasts for longer: Keep focused during the whole shot - your head will naturally stay still. :smile:
 
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