Feedback on My Stroke & Mechanics – Looking to Improve Fundamentals

Bob Jewett said:
The largest mistake -- in my view -- that a lot of players make when futzing with their grip to keep it loose is that they allow daylight around the stick. Your hand should be touching the stick all the way around. An error would be letting the cue drop down away from the web between thumb and index finger.

If there is daylight through the grip, the shape of your hand will change during the stroke because at some point your hand will close, either to get speed into the cue or to keep the cue from flying down the table after it hits the cue ball. Changing the shape of your hand during the stroke is a complication that I think you should avoid.
Click to expand...
Yep. Used to watch Buddy play a lot and he held it like a hammer, no air to see as you mention.
 
Renderu said:
One of my biggest struggle is the grip. I keep trying all kinds of grips. Read all I could here on the grip. I seem to like to hold it tight but I know this is not recommended. I've tried a loose grip, one finger, two fingers, full hand..... etc.
Click to expand...
Maybe you could think more along the lines of ''throwing'' the cue...
 
Renderu said:
Thanks. Takes me about 10 tries to run a rack.
Click to expand...
Like another member mentioned, it would be a good idea to show us your mistakes as well.Record yourself, say 20min, or so and post the unedited clip, that way we can maybe detect some issues.

But again: Your execution is quite good, be that with a loose or tight grip, and thats what it's all about.
 
Last edited:
Bob Jewett said:
The largest mistake -- in my view -- that a lot of players make when futzing with their grip to keep it loose is that they allow daylight around the stick. Your hand should be touching the stick all the way around. An error would be letting the cue drop down away from the web between thumb and index finger.

If there is daylight through the grip, the shape of your hand will change during the stroke because at some point your hand will close, either to get speed into the cue or to keep the cue from flying down the table after it hits the cue ball. Changing the shape of your hand during the stroke is a complication that I think you should avoid.
Click to expand...
Bob knows what he is talking about both from the perspective of a high level player and an instructor, however other famous instructors, like Mark Wilson, teach that your finger tips should be curled into a cradle and the cue should rest on that cradle, which means there will be lots of daylight between the top of the cue and your palm depending on the cue's butt size and the size of your hand. They believe the thumb should point down and the thumb should only be used to keep the cue in the cradle of your fingertips. There are plenty of pros that have daylight between the top of the cue and their palm. I try to employ a loose grip with lots of daylight between the top of the butt and my palm. On the backstroke when I take a full length stroke, the angle between my hand and cue butt changes, and I feel the cue contact the webbing between my thumb and forefinger, and on the follow through when my hand hits my chest the angle of my hand relative to the butt also changes which provides the friction necessary to keep the cue from flying down the table.

It seems that instructors (and pros) are all over the map with their technique, so really any technique you adopt will have an advocate somewhere. If the reasoning for using a given technique makes sense to you, then try it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top