I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the grip on the butt end. In my league I am between a 6 and a 7 handicap. My problem is I am always messing with my grip. From loose to tight,from one finger and the thumb to all four and so on. I am looking for some opinions on what might be a more consistant grip for english and accuracy. Take care guys and God bless our troops.
grip question
- Thread starter Rick
- Start date
Rick said:
Everyone I've asked that question to says to use whatever is comfortable, and keep it loose. Don't confuse a loose grip with a loose wrist, however. Watch as many tapes of professional players as you can. You will find that ALL players, with the exception of Bustamante and perhaps one or two others, have a steady wrist. 99% of them keep their wrists perfectly still and do not "snap" it on power shots. Efren has a very loose grip but his wrist remains still.
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Rick said:
Play a lot and eventually your grip will adjust accordingly. There are different grip tensions based on what shot you are trying to achieve. Obviously there is a more common grip that most shots will demand.
Everyone's hands and arm are different, and most gripping is too tight in the beginning. Your back hand controls the line of your cue and because we are different, one person will vary from another person. So if you want to be less mechanical and more natural (longer lasting), simply play often.
The bottom line is that your hands will eventually find their way over time that is best for you. Next time you are shooting well and your position is premier, pay attention to your grip because it is now perfect for you. You will develop soft hands over time.
I assume you play on 9 foot tables, if you don't then you may never find the right grip because the smaller tables are not as demanding on a stroke. If this is the case, find a very strong player in your area and ask for help or start playing more often on 9' tables.
Just do not grip to tight, kinda like if you were holding a bird in your hand. Hold it tight enough so that it can not get away and loose enough so that you do not hurt it.
On grips, I can tell my own "story". For at least a decade of playing I tried to use the textbook grip. Meaning either the loop grip of index finger and thumb or the cradle grip of all fingers. And for years and years I had trouble with my wrist, I kept on having unwanted wrist action which enventually ruined my stroke in intense tournament matches. Then by experimenting I found my own way of gripping the cue, very unorthodox with my index fingertip supporting the cue and finger pushing the cue towards the thumb finger joint near the fleshy skin area (don't know how to describe it). After some practising I noticed that for some reason I got rid of all my unwanted wrist action with this change and never had any since (well occasionally but very rarely).
My point is that you can experiment with your grip hand, but realize that you cannot judge your new grip only after a couple of succesfull sessions. I thought many times that I had found a grip which would always work, but next time it didn't work at all. Eventually I somehow came up with that grip and used it ever since.
Just my two cents on subject.
EDIT: Thought about it, it's difficult to keep the wrist unmoving through the entire stroke. If your grip is too tight, you get not enough stroke action. If your grip is too loose, you might have some unwanted wrist action as well. IMHO it's not the looseness of your grip (though it helps), it's the looseness of your shooting arm. If you have a stiff arm, but loose wrist/grip, you're going to have quite an unaccurate stroke.
My point is that you can experiment with your grip hand, but realize that you cannot judge your new grip only after a couple of succesfull sessions. I thought many times that I had found a grip which would always work, but next time it didn't work at all. Eventually I somehow came up with that grip and used it ever since.
Just my two cents on subject.
EDIT: Thought about it, it's difficult to keep the wrist unmoving through the entire stroke. If your grip is too tight, you get not enough stroke action. If your grip is too loose, you might have some unwanted wrist action as well. IMHO it's not the looseness of your grip (though it helps), it's the looseness of your shooting arm. If you have a stiff arm, but loose wrist/grip, you're going to have quite an unaccurate stroke.
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