Good/Bad Idea

[mattiefingaz]

Good day all,

In my quest to get back to "playing shape" after a LONG time I've been trying as many methods as I can. Drills, drills and more drills. I feel pretty good but I'm at an impasse. I'm ready for lessons and have reached out to a very well respected instructor and hope to have him in my area soon. In the meantime, I've decided to shoot footage of myself playing today to see if I can see any noticeable flaws. I believe Robert Byrne called it "giftie gie us" in his book.

I didn't see any major flaws....decent stance, metranome swing at the elbow, eyes down and over the cue, sighting like a rifle. At least that's what I thought. I'm probably a bit biased of my own performance.

Herein lies the subject of the post. What would your thoughts be of providing an area in the forum that reads something like "Critique my stroke"? Where members can post links to videos of themselves playing and allow others to give their opinions on their play. This could be stroke, pace, shot choices etc.

I know not everyone has access to great equipment or the understanding of camera angles and lighting but could this be effective? Or I guess more importantly, would this be something people would want to see?

Thanks for your feedback...no matter what it is, it's appreciated.

Mattie

 

[SkinHeadRasta]

Good day all,

In my quest to get back to "playing shape" after a LONG time I've been trying as many methods as I can. Drills, drills and more drills. I feel pretty good but I'm at an impasse. I'm ready for lessons and have reached out to a very well respected instructor and hope to have him in my area soon. In the meantime, I've decided to shoot footage of myself playing today to see if I can see any noticeable flaws. I believe Robert Byrne called it "giftie gie us" in his book.

I didn't see any major flaws....decent stance, metranome swing at the elbow, eyes down and over the cue, sighting like a rifle. At least that's what I thought. I'm probably a bit biased of my own performance.

Herein lies the subject of the post. What would your thoughts be of providing an area in the forum that reads something like "Critique my stroke"? Where members can post links to videos of themselves playing and allow others to give their opinions on their play. This could be stroke, pace, shot choices etc.

I know not everyone has access to great equipment or the understanding of camera angles and lighting but could this be effective? Or I guess more importantly, would this be something people would want to see?

Thanks for your feedback...no matter what it is, it's appreciated.

Mattie

I vote for Good Idea, but the disk space and monthly bandwidth impact it will have on AZB's web servers will be quite dramatic I would guess.

 

[JDB]

Good day all,

In my quest to get back to "playing shape" after a LONG time I've been trying as many methods as I can. Drills, drills and more drills. I feel pretty good but I'm at an impasse. I'm ready for lessons and have reached out to a very well respected instructor and hope to have him in my area soon. In the meantime, I've decided to shoot footage of myself playing today to see if I can see any noticeable flaws. I believe Robert Byrne called it "giftie gie us" in his book.

I didn't see any major flaws....decent stance, metranome swing at the elbow, eyes down and over the cue, sighting like a rifle. At least that's what I thought. I'm probably a bit biased of my own performance.

Herein lies the subject of the post. What would your thoughts be of providing an area in the forum that reads something like "Critique my stroke"? Where members can post links to videos of themselves playing and allow others to give their opinions on their play. This could be stroke, pace, shot choices etc.

I know not everyone has access to great equipment or the understanding of camera angles and lighting but could this be effective? Or I guess more importantly, would this be something people would want to see?

Thanks for your feedback...no matter what it is, it's appreciated.

Mattie

A lot of people post themselves playing on youtube and I have noticed that they generally get critiqued quite a bit, whether they wanted to be or not.

Therefore, I would suggest trying that. I am sure you will get a lot of opinions, particularly if you ask for them and post a link to the video.

 

[mattiefingaz]

Where members can post links to videos of themselves playing and allow others to give their opinions on their play.

I guess I should have clarified this....utilize the exsisting video upload sites, (YouTube, Veoh, Dailymotion, Yahoo, Google etc) upload your video to one of these or any number of other sites and put the link to said video here in the forum.

Thanks for the yes nod SkinHeadRasta

 

[Scott Lee]

Mattie...Try to shoot video that shows your stroking arm, from a side view. We need to see the entire side view, from the waist up. You should be balanced, relaxed, and shoot shots at different speeds, from very slow (lag) to very fast (power draw). Also good to shoot from directly behind you, and directly at yourself. These angles provide the best "views", from which others can comment and make suggestions. Hope to see you soon!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[SkinHeadRasta]

I guess I should have clarified this....utilize the exsisting video upload sites, (YouTube, Veoh, Dailymotion, Yahoo, Google etc) upload your video to one of these or any number of other sites and put the link to said video here in the forum.

Thanks for the yes nod SkinHeadRasta

You're Welcome.
:thumbup2:

 

[mattiefingaz]

A lot of people post themselves playing on youtube and I have noticed that they generally get critiqued quite a bit, whether they wanted to be or not.

Therefore, I would suggest trying that. I am sure you will get a lot of opinions, particularly if you ask for them and post a link to the video.

I know that is out there and it happens. I just respect the opinion of the folks in this forum much more than some random person. I would rather ask the for the direct feedback of the folks here than the 14 year old boy that got a Dufferin for his birthday.

There are a ton of pros, shortstops and A/B players on here that are great at providing their insite on things.

Would those folks be interested in providing that feedback?
Would the masses be interested in putting themselves out there for the feedback?

I guess that's where my head was at when I posted.

As I said, thank you for all the comments, no matter what they are.

Mattie

 

[JDB]

I know that is out there and it happens. I just respect the opinion of the folks in this forum much more than some random person. I would rather ask the for the direct feedback of the folks here than the 14 year old boy that got a Dufferin for his birthday.

There are a ton of pros, shortstops and A/B players on here that are great at providing their insite on things.

Would those folks be interested in providing that feedback?
Would the masses be interested in putting themselves out there for the feedback?

I guess that's where my head was at when I posted.

As I said, thank you for all the comments, no matter what they are.

Mattie

I am sorry I wasn't clear. I meant that you post the link here and ask for opinions, not the opinions from people on youtube, although they may be good too.

Generally, when people have done in the past, people from AZB have provided feedback.

 

[mattiefingaz]

I'm rendering what I filmed earlier and will be uploading my footage to youtube within the next 15 minutes or so...

Mr. Lee, I'm glad you jumped into this thread, I had your thoughts in mind while I was shooting.

If I'm going to give an accurate representation of my shot I need to represent speed, angle and stance from as many angles as I can from a stationary camera position.

We'll see how this turns out I guess.

Thanks for all the feedback so quickly.

Mattie

 

[mattiefingaz]

OK...here's a big leap of faith for me...opening up my game for all to see and speak about...

I shot this earlier tonight with the initial intention of me seeing if I can find flaws in my game..

Then, I had the thought about if this would be good for the other members to do..I guess we'll find out.

The beginning part was just me working on depth of field in a video shoot for some of the other things I'm working on...I thought it looked kinda' cool...focus on the 9...focus on the ace...focus on the 9...etc..until you shoot.

First, there was a thunderstorm going on so my dog was kinda' needy. Second, I had "Who Want's to be a Millionaire" on the TV, maybe someone can learn something from it.

Anyway, any critique you can provide for my game would be greatly appreciated. And again, do you think this would be worthwhile for others to do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBX5FlkopIo

Thanks all!!

Mattie

 

[Scott Lee]

Mattie...Nice job for a first effort! I see lots of good things, and a few things that, when corrected, will help you achieve the consistency you're looking for. You certainly don't have much problem with pocketing balls! :thumbup: I do see some issues, mostly related to your grip and grip pressure. Sometimes when you're jacked up, or close to the CB, you poke the CB, rather than stroke through it. On many of your open bridge shots, the cue goes up in the air...it should stay down on your bridge hand (this is a grip pressure issue...and something common that many players share). I also saw some wrist twisting on some shots, which is a grip pressure issue. I also saw a couple of shots where you stood up as you were shooting...but only a couple! Some elbow movement, on some shots...but mostly a pretty good pendulum swing!

Overall, you look pretty good, but to me it seems like your process is somewhat inconsistent (you set up and deliver the cue differently, with different shots...as opposed to the exact same setup every time). Nothing there that cannot be improved, and as I said when I spoke with you, I look forward to helping you get to where you want to be!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[mattiefingaz]

I watched the video back at least 10 times after I posted it...and I must say...I see everything you've mentioned Scott (the reverence and respect may take some time before "Scott" becomes comfortable)

My Uncle Rob was a running partner of Jimmy Matz back in the day so I guess that "run and gun" is still in me.

I'm very much looking forward to you helping me with my pre-shot routine and consistency.

I mentioned in earlier posts that I'm helping my wife and daughter learn the fundamentals of the game and I've literally preached to them about lifting the cue with an open bridge knowing it's wrong....It's actually great to know that I still have some work in that area and I was right in my "teachings".

For everyone...Scott Lee was the "very well respected instructor" I mentioned in my initial post. I just got off the phone with him and am more excited than ever to have the opportunity to work with him. I haven't had lesson one yet and would recommend him to anyone that asks.

Don't let that stop everyone from providing tips...that's what a forum is all about.

Thanks again to all,

Mattie

 

[Scott Lee]

I watched the video back at least 10 times after I posted it...and I must say...I see everything you've mentioned Scott (the reverence and respect may take some time before "Scott" becomes comfortable)

Mr. Lee was my Dad!

I'm very much looking forward to you helping me with my pre-shot routine and consistency.

You'll be amazed at how easy it is, to correct these things, once you get to know YOURSELF, in terms of your process!

I mentioned in earlier posts that I'm helping my wife and daughter learn the fundamentals of the game and I've literally preached to them about lifting the cue with an open bridge knowing it's wrong....It's actually great to know that I still have some work in that area and I was right in my "teachings".

The nice thing, is that you'll be able to share everything we do, with them, through the dvds, and the workbook!

For everyone...Scott Lee was the "very well respected instructor" I mentioned in my initial post. I just got off the phone with him and am more excited than ever to have the opportunity to work with him. I haven't had lesson one yet and would recommend him to anyone that asks.

Don't let that stop everyone from providing tips...that's what a forum is all about.

Thanks again to all,

Mattie

I hope you get lots of comments from others too. This is a great resource, with a lot of knowledgeable posters! :thumbup:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[dr9ball]

Following up on the good comments Scott has made. It seems that you set your cue a couple of inches behind the cueball instead of right up on it where you want to hit. This could magnify any errors you may have in your stroke by your not hitting the cue ball exactly where you wanted to. I also noticed for some shots that you took a very short backswing but did not change where you were holding the cue leading to as Scott said a poke instead of a stroke through the cue ball. I noticed this on your slower paced shots.

I am certain that Scott can give you some tools to work with. Enjoy your lessons with him.

 

[mattiefingaz]

It seems that you set your cue a couple of inches behind the cueball instead of right up on it where you want to hit. This could magnify any errors you may have in your stroke by your not hitting the cue ball exactly where you wanted to.

dr9ball....this is what I'm talking about...getting the feedback from what everyone sees..

Would you be able to point out a time frame in the video for me to look at? That's something that I never noticed in my stroke that could prove to be influential in my progress.

This is awesome...thanks guys (only guys up until now...ladies feel free to weigh in...no sexist stuff here)

Mattie

 

[dr9ball]

dr9ball....this is what I'm talking about...getting the feedback from what everyone sees..

Would you be able to point out a time frame in the video for me to look at? That's something that I never noticed in my stroke that could prove to be influential in my progress.

This is awesome...thanks guys (only guys up until now...ladies feel free to weigh in...no sexist stuff here)

Mattie

Mattie,

Check out your shot on the 5 ball at time = 1:47 and I think you'll see what i'm talking about.

 

[Robert Raiford]

Hi Mattie,

Firstly, you have a good foundation to work from! You're obviously running balls, so I hate to perturb a mostly-working system, but you asked for feedback so...

First a question: when you shoot long straight-in stun shots with no sidespin, do you see the cue ball spin in place due to unintentional sidespin? You can still make the ball and see this, but when you miss them do they miss mostly on one side or the other? I'd bet based on the video that you find it difficult to make long straight-ins with a perfectly flat (i.e. no sidespin) cue ball.

It's hard to get the perfect angle in the video for seeing why I ask, but this shot is pretty close:

shot down the rail at 4:55

You're hand is much closer to your body than your elbow, and that inward angle of your forearm means your bicep will not be contracting in line with your cue. That can cause two possible problems:

(1) When your hand goes forward - especially on faster shots - the back of your stick will move to the left with pure bicep motion, and that will cause the tip to move to the right because of the fulcrum at your bridge. That can cause unwanted right sidespin and will deflect the cue ball to the left (how much depends on your shaft.) If it only deflects a little, the right spin can offset the alignment error with throw and you'll still make the shot with the cue ball spinning in place. If it deflects too much to balance the throw from the right spin, you'll miss on the right of the pocket.

(2) You introduce a more complicated swipe to the right with your back hand in order to (unconsciously) compensate for this, and that ends up applying accidental left spin with a similar corresponding deflection-induced miss on the left.

It looks like you're doing (2) based on what appears to be missing the 3(?) ball on the left in the clip. See how your back hand at 5:00 swipes across? I'm sure that's happening on many shots. To test it closely, set up perfectly straight-in shots across the long diagonal with the object halfway between the cue ball and the pocket to reduce the margin of error.

I think your cueing this way might be related to your relatively open-facing stance. It can be uncomfortable to bend your arm back enough in that position. If you turned slightly to the side more you could have your upper arm be more parallel with the cue and simplify all those moving parts a bit!

Also, on a separate matter, I recommend building a rhythm by taking about the same amount of time on each shot. You frequently stay down and just move over to shoot the next ball rather than standing up and chalking each time. A good repeatable pre-shot routine is important mentally and physically for improving consistency. Don't be lazy and make the excuse that it's just casual goofing off and you'll be more serious in a serious match. Stressful situations are exactly the times when you have less conscious control and your built-in habits take over...make sure they're good ones you are always reinforcing!

Robert

 

[Roy Steffensen]

I didn't watch the full video, but what I especially noticed is your position play because I struggle with doing the same "mistake" as you. It seems like you are just pocketing balls and hoping that you will get an ok position on the next ball.

How about walking around the table before you shoot, and point with your cue-tip exactly where you want the cueball to end after your shot? This will help you focus even more on position.

It's a good thing to get into your preshot-routine. Try it, you might like it.

 

[Robroy]

I know that is out there and it happens. I just respect the opinion of the folks in this forum much more than some random person. I would rather ask the for the direct feedback of the folks here than the 14 year old boy that got a Dufferin for his birthday.

There are a ton of pros, shortstops and A/B players on here that are great at providing their insite on things.

Would those folks be interested in providing that feedback?
Would the masses be interested in putting themselves out there for the feedback?

I guess that's where my head was at when I posted.

As I said, thank you for all the comments, no matter what they are.

Mattie

I would give you my feedback I love throwing my 2cents around
I just went back to watch the video.
First you're ready to go to the next level (not just shooting balls)
Your stroke will improve if you play 9 ball (right now it just looked the same...shake it up...practice 6 ball at first, it will help with not so many balls on the table)
Practice spot shots...let your stroke out.
Practice shooting shots and moving the cue ball two rails ....again this is to get your stroke moving.

Now for my 2 cents...
I really did not like your wrist and hand position on the cue (it is wrong check it and fix it)... you only have so much stroke when you only use your wrist.
Hopefully with the spot shots you can catch yourself because you do need more follow through. Also, going two rails with the cue ball forces you to stroke the ball. If your only using your wrist you won't get there.
One other thing...you didn't do it often but watch your strokes...try and keep them the same length each time, when you short stroke (half stroke) a shot (looks like the poke shot) it will kill a long shot. Be sure to excute with a good extended stroke.
As for position you will have to do a video on playing 6 ball or nine ball so we can see what you are supposed to be doing.
And one last thing, I didn't see well enough for my 2 cents but I was a little concerned with how your cue, arm and body were able to go through the ball...it kind of looked like your body was blocking you... I would need to see more to confirm.
Most of all Keep Shootin' and have fun!

 

[Siz]

Hi Mattie

Just seen your youtube video. Looks good but sometimes you give the impression of being a little rushed. A couple of points that might help a little in this regard:

You could try staying down after contact and watching the c.b. (a 'longish second' should be all it takes).

You might also try to make sure that you approach each shot from behind the line, rather than 'crabbing' sideways into position, although I see that you do not have a lot of space around the table so perhaps this is a problem.

Hope this helps.

PS could try experimenting with a slower backswing

PPS nice dog