grip

Four fingers....some would add the pinkie on shots with very little swing speed. Its a side to side pinch, kinda like how Varner described it yrs ago with Briesath, like ''holding a can of soda'', not grabbing a can.

Like this? Without the side arm.

Willies Grip.jpg

Bill Remember the extreme example of side pressure the way Dennis (Tex) finger tip gripped his cue. Not to mention the wrist flick.
 
Personally, I use a two-finger grip. Once in a while, I'll use a snooker grip, which uses the rear fingers of the hand, and the index finger is loose, pointing somewhat straight down. A good example of this "rear-fingered grip" can be seen used by Ronnie O'Sullivan:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W2Ye61WiLMk#t=485


-Sean

Hi Sean, i tried that type of grip sometime ago but I couldn't find any advantage on using it. What are the supposed advantages?
 
Rear-fingered grip is like a sabot

Hi Sean, i tried that type of grip sometime ago but I couldn't find any advantage on using it. What are the supposed advantages?

Slh:

The advantages are that it lessens certain parts of your hand from "getting in the way" during the time that your hand cantilevers through the stroke.

In a typical two-finger grip (index + middle + thumb), you have to solve the problem of the rear/unused fingers (and the heel of the hand as well) from getting in the way / rubbing on the cue / imparting sideways pressure. Some folks will flay those fingers outward; others will fold the pinkie inwards and rest the side of the cue against that pinkie's fingernail as sort of a "spacer/governer." Still others will arch their hand slightly outwards.

A rear-fingered grip solves all of these problems by making the rear of the hand itself be the pivot/hinge point. There's nothing "back there" to bump or rub against the cue (and thus inducing a steer or yaw), because the cue is pivoting or hinging back there to begin with.

A good analogy would be throwing a dart. One holds the dart in front of his/her face, pinched between the thumb, and either just the index finger, or perhaps the index and middle fingers. The rear of the hand (ring and pinkie fingers) are in the front, ahead of the fingers actually holding the dart. They are essentially unused. But when you throw the dart, those unused fingers "fly outwards and away" much like a sabot on a bullet. In the same way, a rear-fingered grip on a cue leaves the front fingers (index + middle fingers) unused, and when delivering the cue, these front fingers fly outwards and away, in sabot fashion.

I hope that description helps!
-Sean
 
Slh:

The advantages are that it lessens certain parts of your hand from "getting in the way" during the time that your hand cantilevers through the stroke.

In a typical two-finger grip (index + middle + thumb), you have to solve the problem of the rear/unused fingers (and the heel of the hand as well) from getting in the way / rubbing on the cue / imparting sideways pressure. Some folks will flay those fingers outward; others will fold the pinkie inwards and rest the side of the cue against that pinkie's fingernail as sort of a "spacer/governer." Still others will arch their hand slightly outwards.

A rear-fingered grip solves all of these problems by making the rear of the hand itself be the pivot/hinge point. There's nothing "back there" to bump or rub against the cue (and thus inducing a steer or yaw), because the cue is pivoting or hinging back there to begin with.

A good analogy would be throwing a dart. One holds the dart in front of his/her face, pinched between the thumb, and either just the index finger, or perhaps the index and middle fingers. The rear of the hand (ring and pinkie fingers) are in the front, ahead of the fingers actually holding the dart. They are essentially unused. But when you throw the dart, those unused fingers "fly outwards and away" much like a sabot on a bullet. In the same way, a rear-fingered grip on a cue leaves the front fingers (index + middle fingers) unused, and when delivering the cue, these front fingers fly outwards and away, in sabot fashion.

I hope that description helps!
-Sean

thank you for your post. And what is the purpose on keeping your index loose and not holding the cue?
I never had any problem with the grip and I always used all the fingers. I use the same grip Steve Davis is using in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKtSM7aISc0
 
Last edited:
thank you for your post. And what is the purpose on keeping your index loose and not holding the cue?
I never had any problem with the grip and I always used all the fingers. I use the same grip Steve Davis is using in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKtSM7aISc0

Slh:

I already explained that. In a rear-fingered grip, the front fingers (index + middle fingers) "fly outwards and away" like a sabot during the cue delivery. You can see that in Ronnie O'Sullivan's cue delivery in that video. The rear-fingered grip is actually common in snooker, because of the belief that the cue should be delivered in a piston-like fashion, rather than the pendulum as commonly taught in pool. The cue "pivots" (like a hinge) between the ring and pinkie fingers. (Or, between the middle and ring fingers, in the case where only the index finger is loose/unused.)

It definitely takes some getting used to, for sure. At first, it feels very foreign. But once you get used to it, the cue delivery is very straight and true, with those previously-mentioned parts of the hand (i.e. heel of the hand) not bumping or getting in the way.

Again, everyone's hands are different, so there's no "one size fits all" grip -- it really boils down to what's comfortable and works for you. It doesn't hurt to try different grips, though -- that's part of the process of "finding what works for you."

-Sean
 
Like this? Without the side arm.

View attachment 201673

Bill Remember the extreme example of side pressure the way Dennis (Tex) finger tip gripped his cue. Not to mention the wrist flick.

Actually I don't remember what Gieske did, as I had NO clue what fundamentals, stance etc. were, right or wrong, hell I didn't even know what squirt and deflection were, yet I could run in the 80's all the time, and beat Gold and Spencer every time they showed up, they could only run 50 at the time. Sure wish I had Dennis's ph. number or whereabouts, since he left TX?CJ's pool room and was working for the airlines, he's disappeared, great man.
 
I used to grip the cue with only my thumb and forefinger touching the cue. I have been trying to change it to where all of my fingers are on the cue. Since doing this I have noticed that towards the end of my backswing the friction from my pinky sliding up the cue causes it to rotate a little. And when my cue comes forward it reverses rotational direction. Is this normal.
FYI, there is some good grip advice in the following video:

Check it out,
Dave
 
Actually I don't remember what Gieske did, as I had NO clue what fundamentals, stance etc. were, right or wrong, hell I didn't even know what squirt and deflection were, yet I could run in the 80's all the time, and beat Gold and Spencer every time they showed up, they could only run 50 at the time. Sure wish I had Dennis's ph. number or whereabouts, since he left TX?CJ's pool room and was working for the airlines, he's disappeared, great man.
Ya I wish I could find out how he's doing at least. I keep thinking someone other than you or me remembers the guy. Talked to Jeff Carter a couple of years ago and he was clueless too. That was fun watching those too battle. I think Jeff got crushed by the music @ Crazy Horse.

I've never seen anyone stroke a ball like Dennis did. As I remember it the cue was more or less in his finger tips and thumb. When he stroked the ball his hand quickly closed but not much forearm just some wrist. Warm ups before he hit the ball were opening and closing his hand. Somehow it worked and the CB had eyes most of the time.

Those were fun times. Too much fun.

Anyway hope he's doing well.
 
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