First off, happy holidays Louis. I was wondering what kind of grip you use when playing such as firmness of grip etc. I was practicing a few games tonight and I noticed on draw shot and center ball pound shots my grip was loose and I was losing power. Sometimes on the draw the cue ball even slid a little. Once I noticed this, I tightened up my grip and lo and behold I got the cue action I wanted. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts
Grip question
- Thread starter ledrums
- Start date
Louis Ulrich
New member
Happy holidays ledrums,ledrums said:
I personally like to hold the cue just tight enough that it doesn't slip during my stroke. The actual tension may change depending on how hard or soft I'll be hitting the ball. For example, if I'm going to shoot a 2 foot stop shot, the amount of tension needed to keep the cue from slipping would be a lot less than if I needed to hit the ball hard enough to draw the cue ball back 6 feet. I think that's along the lines of what you're talking about. The tension should be relative to the shot.
How tight you hold the cue is a matter of personal preference in my opinion. Play around with it and see what you like for yourself. I feel that the least amount of tension possible is best, but if you get a better and more consistent reaction by gripping the cue tighter then you should go with it.
I would recommend however that you only use 2 fingers and your thumb when gripping the cue. I prefer my middle and ring fingers for gripping. I have no tension on the cue with my index and little fingers.
sharpshooter
Registered
Great to have you on these boards Louis!
My question, do you feel by using your middle and ring finger only on the grip that it creates a "straighter", looser stroke and also eliminates any unwanted clenching that can occur with the index finger touching. Very interesting as I may change the way I grip and see how this feels. It makes sense seeing that I sometimes steer or twist my cue unintentionally and this may be caused by gripping to tight at the moment of contact with the index finger and creating unwanted tension.
Did you always grip like this or did it evolve as you noticed better and more fluid results?
My question, do you feel by using your middle and ring finger only on the grip that it creates a "straighter", looser stroke and also eliminates any unwanted clenching that can occur with the index finger touching. Very interesting as I may change the way I grip and see how this feels. It makes sense seeing that I sometimes steer or twist my cue unintentionally and this may be caused by gripping to tight at the moment of contact with the index finger and creating unwanted tension.
Did you always grip like this or did it evolve as you noticed better and more fluid results?
Last edited:
Louis Ulrich
New member
sharpshooter said:
I used to play with my index and middle fingers but I changed it up after playing around with different techniques. I find that I can stay more relaxed by using the middle fingers and I clench up less often with that grip.
I think it's just a matter of preference but you never know when a little thing like that makes a noticable improvement in your game. Give it a try. If you don't like it you can always go back to the old routine.
I've also noticed that several good players use this technique, but it is hardly noticeable unless you're really studying their grip. You can particularly notice it if you're watching their grip in the follow through (how the index is actually making little to no contact with the cue, even though it appears wrapped around the cue). Great advice!
I went up to Kentucky to Stan Shuffetts. During his evaluation of my game he noticed that my index finger was causing a problem. Whenever I would shot a medium to hard stroke the cue would go to the left about 1/2 of a cue tip. That was enough to put unwanted spin on the cue ball. This was causing me to miss several shots. Think about how many times you barely missed a ball. It helped me. I now use the technique that Louis recommends as well.Matt_24 said: