Foot Position

["T"]

I was in a post DCC slump and among other things, I realized that I was getting out of sequence with my foot position. Often, I was setting down my feet before finalizing my aim. Now I've been wrestling with the next question.

Is it better to stand close to the table and set your right foot back (if you're right handed) or to stand back and put your left foot forward.

Or maybe this is just a silly thing to be overly concerned about.

Any stupid thoughts are welcome.

 

[Klopek]

0000000000

 

[TheBook]

A lot of good advice here

http://www.ozonebilliards.com/tomross.html

 

[3kushn]

♠Footwork is one of the most valuable things I ever learned in the game. Always step into the shot. Do not put your foot in the bucket. Every sport you can name we always step into the shot, throw,kick, swing,.... if possible.

The best way is 2 steps into the shot. Now your body is aligned perfect. Kicking your foot back is inconsistant therefore your body will always be in a different place.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

It doesn't much matter which foot you move first or last. It's much more important that you have some routine and stick to it. Foot position is more important than most players realize - your whole stance is built on it.

pj
chgo

 

[JimS]

Chin on the shot line is my most important stance/body check. Sometimes the feet get moved as the body has to be shifted to reach some shots or I may shift the bridge backwards or forwards to get more comfortable and the feet may follow... or not.

I try to have the butt of the cue over the back foot toes... under normal conditions.

 

[Island Drive]

I was in a post DCC slump and among other things, I realized that I was getting out of sequence with my foot position. Often, I was setting down my feet before finalizing my aim. Now I've been wrestling with the next question.

Is it better to stand close to the table and set your right foot back (if you're right handed) or to stand back and put your left foot forward.

Or maybe this is just a silly thing to be overly concerned about.

Any stupid thoughts are welcome.

I'm sure Randy G will be able to give you some good advice here as I find this difficult to explain on a key board. I'd find this much easier to explain at a table.
When you walk up to the table and lay your bridge hand down your body should be in balance and your body properly aimed at the shot, meaning, if I was to push your body with my hand from the front/rear/left or right side it would be difficult to move you allot. If you feel like your balanced, your weight would be equal on both feet and you upper body (torso) weight would be between your feet moreso with a closed stance, and equa distant from each foot (toros weight outward) as you opened up your stance to a more tripodal/traditional style.
When I walk up to the table and set my bridge hand down I'm in balance, if I'm not in balance I ask myself, where is my torso weight at in relation to my feet? Do I need to open or close my stance to correct my balance, or do I need get down on the shot sooner or later on my approach. This is why when players are not able to create a traditional type of stance and have to stretch way out on the table....shots are more often missed, because their torso weight is WAY out in front.

 

[3kushn]

Patrick,

I'll agree in theory that it doesn't matter. But it's very difficult to kick the rear foot back in the same way and in the same position, without moving your body position over the shot. If body moves just even the tinyest bit from out of alignment we not only lose the shot angle but we don't see the CB as we should. When the body moves our head moves also. When standing close to the table and then move the rear foot back as we get down there's much more body movement than stepping in. If the rear foot lands "indiscriminately" (as I feel it will and does) it's also a source or improper balance. The rear foot is the anchor to our stance and produces consistant and proper alignment.

I think of it this way. How well can we walk a straight line walking backwards vs forward? It can be done backwards, but which is easier?

Does this sound like a bunch of BS or not. Like to know some opinions. Maybe I'm just full of it. I do notice some pros kicking back.

 

[Neil]

............

 

[randyg]

Bill I think you covered it very well.

In School we teach this order; eyes-cue-body. No doubt each stance will be a little different depending of the position at the table BUT your routine should remain the same. We also teach a what I refer to as "mid-point aiming". This is done in the transition part of getting the body solid....SPF=randyg

 

[Sam Waltz]

Stupid thoughts...

Well, since everything I might have said has allready been said, here's my stupid thought for the day...

Why is it that all of the good ones are taken...

BECAUSE THEY'RE THE GOOD ONES!

Sorry, now back to the thread topic! :thumbup:

Listen to RandyG, he's got mucho knowlege man!

 

[bigshooter]

It matters.

Try this: you don't even need a table to check this out, set up in your stance like your going to shoot, now move your font foot a little and watch your cue tip, not much happens.

Now on your back foot keep your heel in place but move the front of your foot an inch right or left and watch your cue tip not much happens.

Now on your back foot, keep the front of your foot in place but move your heel a little to the left or right and watch your cue tip, A LOT HAPPENS, it moves right or left depending on the placement of your heel on your back foot.

If you ever start missing shots left or right sometimes adjusting the heel of you back foot a fraction will correct the problem.

 

[Island Drive]

It matters.

Try this: you don't even need a table to check this out, set up in your stance like your going to shoot, now move your font foot a little and watch your cue tip, not much happens.

Now on your back foot keep your heel in place but move the front of your foot an inch right or left and watch your cue tip not much happens.

Now on your back foot, keep the front of your foot in place but move your heel a little to the left or right and watch your cue tip, A LOT HAPPENS, it moves right or left depending on the placement of your heel on your back foot.

If you ever start missing shots left or right sometimes adjusting the heel of you back foot a fraction will correct the problem.

On a comparable thought process stand up and put both your feet side by side & parallel to each other and spread em about 1-2' or whatever is comfortable. If you move one of you feet (doesn't matter which one) any direction away from parallel you'll fall over. Now if you just spread you legs further out (like Jim Rempe) your torso weight will follow the foot thats moving outward to keep you in balance, where the condrum comes into play is....here you are approaching the table to shoot your shot, when do U stop, when do you go further forward and stop, or when you stopped did you stop in the correct spot? As U bend over notice that your torso weight moves forward, BUT if you stick you ass out rearward it offsets this imbalance and keeps you balanced. So if your too close to the table you'll have too much weight rearward and vise versa.

 

[sneaky_russian]

i'm not sure...
if you look at the PRO not all of them have perfect stands!
i know one thing: the more you work at your stands at the beginning the better you'll play in future!
what I always do is I try to make one perfect line :
1. the object ball(the spot where you aim)
2. your bridge "V"
3. your elbow
4. your right leg
And it really helps.

Two things that will definetly help you to improve your stands:
1. mirror
2. videocamera

 

[Gatz]

Play with a Cuetec thanks :thumbup:

Stop overthinking things.

 

[woody_968]

To me, your question involves more than just placing your feet.

You mentioned that you are at times taking your stance before you are done finding your aim, so you know you should get lined up before you get into your stance.

Stepping into the shot with your forward foot instead of stepping back allows you to stand a little farther from the table, which IMO gives you a better view for lining up the shot.

If you want to line two or more things up, do you try to get really close to one of them or do you try to get back a ways to get a better view?

Im not saying you want to stand 8 ft from the table and have to take 3 steps up to get to a shot, but with a little practice I think you will find you drop on the shot in line and more naturally if your back a little from the cueball and move forward into the shot.

JMO

Woody

 

[CreeDo]

Foot positioning should be automatic and unconscious. Move them to wherever they will let you bend down over the cue comfortably and line up your shot. The only exception I'd make to that crazy statement is if you somehow find a stance that is comfortable but unstable. You should be in no danger of tipping over.

The order of the placement doesn't matter a whit. Walk up, get set without thinking, and get over the shot. Be willing to move whichever leg is working against the goal of being 100% comfortable and stable. If you're already there, great.

I'd also say that you don't need to worry about doing it the same way every time. Doing it the same way every time won't make the stance comfortable and effective. Rather, if you find a comfortable and effective stance you will probably subconsciously fall into it the same way every time without conscious effort to do so.