head position and length of bridge

D

deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
as often happens in the pool room the question came up about fundamentals

a fella says all the filipino players use a very long bridge and have their chin almost touching the cue

could anyone post pictures of the great players showing these 2 features

mosconi,greenleaf,ronnie,keith,buddy,effryn,ed kelly and others

also if someone knows what the advantages etc are,it would be nice to see the reasons

personally i just look and shoot,but then again i never was very good,i did try the long bridge yesterday and it made me stand more errect.i made a few shots with greater ease and put much more english or stroke on the ball

but it felt different and when it came time to play for a little money i reverted to my old familiar way,the story of my pool life

thank you for your help
dean
 
From what I've seen Efren uses what I would call a long bridge.
As to head position, his is pretty much like everybody else's, right there in the middle of the shoulders.
Whether the former is an ethnic predisposition, I do not know. As to the latter, I'm almost certain that it's genealogical. :smile:
 
Head position (left or right) has to do with your dominant eye. You want your head in the right spot
so you can see the shot best. There may be certain shots where turning it a smidge can help.
Many players just subconsciously get the cue under the eye that does most of the work.

Head position up or down is a matter of preference, supposedly. I'm 95% convinced lower is better,
as long as it doesn't throw out your back or something. It may be your brain learns to recognize
"upright" visual patterns (like where to aim a certain cut) the same way it recognizes those shots
when you stay low all the time. In which case it shouldn't matter. But I believe it's easier to see
the contact point and the entire shot (CB, OB, pocket) from a low perspective. And we usually correct
amateur players who don't get down low enough.

Bridge length should vary depending on the shot, a little bit. There are plenty of fantastic
pro players with long bridges and plenty with short bridges. This one I think is more personal
and I don't think it's essential to do one or the other. Longer bridges seem harder to control but
it also means you have more room to swing. So you can generate more force without straining
your muscles. A short bridge player will need to strain a little more to execute a very firm stroke
and strain can also make the cue harder to control.

I think most filipinos employ a nice 'in-between' distance. I wouldn't call it long or short.
Alex P. and Orcullo have similar bridge lengths and even bridge 'style'.
Efren's is a little longer but not excessive.
 
I would say that in general, a lower head position usually leads to a longer bridge, which is one of the reasons why, IMO, so many of today's professional players not only get pretty low down in their stance, but also employ bridges that are longer than what the classic instructional books used to recommend.

A previous poster noted that one of the reasons for the longer bridges in today's game is the fact that power can usually be generated with less effort. The other reasons, IMO, have to do with the shift from straight pool to 9-ball that has occurred over the last five decades. The older players tended to stand upright and have shorter bridges, which is consistent with the demands of straight pool, as it usually involves shorter shots and minimal cue ball movement. On the other hand, nine-ball requires many more long-distance shots and often requires the cue ball to roll nine feet or more for position. A longer bridge not only assists in providing more power, but it also makes it easier for the player to sight along the shaft while using a closed bridge.
 
...however, a longer bridge also is not as accurate and requires more practice and precise timing. Your cue is on a pivot (your bridge) so any tiny movement left or right in the back in accentuated at the tip. The guys you see who are proficient at this method are also great players who have used this method for 25 years...

Everything in pool is going to require immense training so find what works for you and have at it.. I would recommend though, that beginning players keep their bridge and stroke as short as possible and work on efficiency. (I don't mean a 3" bridge but something around 5-6") This will result in better ball pocketing as well as easier transitioning into harder "english" shots.

A lower head position also does not allow you to see the table as well. You have to almost guess at your position versus sort of seeing it peripherally. A lot of the guys who are super low are also Filipino and shorter than your average bear. :)
 
Wybrook said:
...however, a longer bridge also is not as accurate and requires more practice and precise timing. Your cue is on a pivot (your bridge) so any tiny movement left or right in the back in accentuated at the tip. The guys you see who are proficient at this method are also great players who have used this method for 25 years...

Everything in pool is going to require immense training so find what works for you and have at it.. I would recommend though, that beginning players keep their bridge and stroke as short as possible and work on efficiency. (I don't mean a 3" bridge but something around 5-6") This will result in better ball pocketing as well as easier transitioning into harder "english" shots.

A lower head position also does not allow you to see the table as well. You have to almost guess at your position versus sort of seeing it peripherally. A lot of the guys who are super low are also Filipino and shorter than your average bear. :)
Click to expand...

True dat! When speaking about some of the longer bridges in professional pool the following caveat should accompany it: "Performed by great player: do not try this at home unless you are blessed with significant talent and are willing to hit a few thousand balls a week!" :D


What's up, Adam? Knock 'em dead this weekend!!!
 
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