Help Please!!

PROG8R

PROG8R

Gator Nation
Silver Member
Something happened! For the last 6 months or more, I have been steering my stroke. I can't seem to get comfy over the shot and nothing seems to feel natural (all forced feeling). I am freaking out! I can still break and run every 10th rack or so (No Not PRO), but I make up for inadequacies with strong safety play and my game is going down quickly. Sometimes it feels like a train wreck (litterally) during a run. I used to have such a free flowing long stroke and now... :( GONE, FORCED, SUX!! How can I fix this?
My missed ball or two during a rack is only by a freaking hair if that (all tits rattle and out, or worse HANGING DUCK).
Will listen with a open mind!!
Thanks,
 
PROG8R said:
Something happened! For the last 6 months or more, I have been steering my stroke. I can't seem to get comfy over the shot and nothing seems to feel natural (all forced feeling). I am freaking out! I can still break and run every 10th rack or so (No Not PRO), but I make up for inadequacies with strong safety play and my game is going down quickly. Sometimes it feels like a train wreck (litterally) during a run. I used to have such a free flowing long stroke and now... :( GONE, FORCED, SUX!! How can I fix this?
My missed ball or two during a rack is only by a freaking hair if that (all tits rattle and out, or worse HANGING DUCK).
Will listen with a open mind!!
Thanks,
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need one or all of the following:

- a time off pool
- a coach
- lessons
- devine intervention.
 
1. Calm down
2. Find a good instructor
3. Maybe your grip is too tight, loosen it up you'll get more spin and it will feel more natural
4. Check your balance. Make sure your stance is nicely balanced, have someone try to tip you over.
5. Calm down

remember this acronym cfmcc
 
Get Tucker's 3rd eye, and practice.

Stop trying to get your practice by racking balls and trying to run out, and start working on shots.
 
If you are suffering from tittles and rattles it sounds like you might be consistenly undercutting your shots. Instead of aiming at the pocket, or roughly the center of a pocket, pick a more specific spot, imagining a tiny pin-point area.

For example, if you are aiming down the long rail into the corner pocket, an OB that's undercut will glance off the long rail and rattle. If you plan to aim for the outside shoulder of the pocket, the ball wil hit it and drop in clean.

Also, a long flowing stroke is perfectly fine, (I use one myself), but you have to expect that it will go south on you if you don't pay close attention to your form. Each and every shot pay close attention to youe body alignment and what your backhand and grip feel like. There are drills to make sure you are stepping into your stance correctly. If you are steering your shots it may mean your body is right/left of proper alignment or your head isn't square over the center line of the cue. :)
 
Last edited:
Rings a bell...

PROG8R said:
Something happened! For the last 6 months or more, I have been steering my stroke. I can't seem to get comfy over the shot and nothing seems to feel natural (all forced feeling). I am freaking out! I can still break and run every 10th rack or so (No Not PRO), but I make up for inadequacies with strong safety play and my game is going down quickly. Sometimes it feels like a train wreck (litterally) during a run. I used to have such a free flowing long stroke and now... :( GONE, FORCED, SUX!! How can I fix this?
My missed ball or two during a rack is only by a freaking hair if that (all tits rattle and out, or worse HANGING DUCK).
Will listen with a open mind!!
Thanks,
Click to expand...

I am very aware of players' stance and strokes (evaluation habit developed
prior to any gambling with them ... lol). Most of the times when I see someone trying to steer or push the cue ball instead of stroking it, is because their grip hand is NOT perpendicular to the floor. It is, in fact,
too far forward, which results you hitting the cue ball TOO far forward
in your stroke. Make sure your grip hand is 90 degrees from the floor,
that your wrist is straight, and that you are gripping the cue properly with your fingers. 90 percent of Pool problems are from stance or stroke problems, i.e. deviations from the recommended proper stance or stroke.
 
Cameron Smith said:
1. Calm down
2. Find a good instructor
3. Maybe your grip is too tight, loosen it up you'll get more spin and it will feel more natural
4. Check your balance. Make sure your stance is nicely balanced, have someone try to tip you over.
5. Calm down

remember this acronym cfmcc
Click to expand...
Makes a better Abbreviation than an Acronym I think.

I tried to pronounce it as an Acronym and nearly bit my tongue off :eek: ..:p
 
PROG8R said:
Something happened! For the last 6 months or more, I have been steering my stroke. I can't seem to get comfy over the shot and nothing seems to feel natural (all forced feeling). I am freaking out! I can still break and run every 10th rack or so (No Not PRO), but I make up for inadequacies with strong safety play and my game is going down quickly. Sometimes it feels like a train wreck (litterally) during a run. I used to have such a free flowing long stroke and now... :( GONE, FORCED, SUX!! How can I fix this?
My missed ball or two during a rack is only by a freaking hair if that (all tits rattle and out, or worse HANGING DUCK).
Will listen with a open mind!!
Thanks,
Click to expand...

I think the normal cause for this is inattention to alignment.

That you have probably been getting in the habit of aligning approximately, rather than exactly and then sweeping the cue left or right to make the shot.

Then when you have a critical shot and try to cue straight through, it doesn't feel right.

Try playing a few shots looking at the CB instead of the OB ball and cuing through straight. You'll soon see if you are mis-aligning. This will give you the feedback you need to correct your initial alignment.

It will be hard to break the habit. You may even prefer to keep a smooth sweep in your game if you find it easier to align and execute this way as many players do. But you should be aware of where you are actually aligned to, and know the nature of your cuing so that you can reproduce it under pressure.

Good luck,

Colin
 
Send me a PM with your phone number and a convenient time to call. Perhaps we can set something up. This is a very common thing to go through as a player. My rates are very reasonable as far as instruction goes (table time, lunch, and an open mind) let me know.
 
I´ve been working with the one handed straight stroke drill which I found in Sarah Rousey´s part of the forum. Works great for me! Won´t help with every kind of stroke problem off course.

gr. Dave
 
Colin Colenso said:
Makes a better Abbreviation than an Acronym I think.

I tried to pronounce it as an Acronym and nearly bit my tongue off :eek: ..:p
Click to expand...

I dont care if its not pronouncable, I like it! :D
 
you're steering because you're not confident/committed to the shot. just tell yourself to stroke straight through - if you miss you miss. lotta things can go wrong with a long stroke (I have one)

PROG8R said:
Something happened! For the last 6 months or more, I have been steering my stroke. I can't seem to get comfy over the shot and nothing seems to feel natural (all forced feeling). I am freaking out! I can still break and run every 10th rack or so (No Not PRO), but I make up for inadequacies with strong safety play and my game is going down quickly. Sometimes it feels like a train wreck (litterally) during a run. I used to have such a free flowing long stroke and now... :( GONE, FORCED, SUX!! How can I fix this?
My missed ball or two during a rack is only by a freaking hair if that (all tits rattle and out, or worse HANGING DUCK).
Will listen with a open mind!!
Thanks,
Click to expand...
 
Colin Colenso said:
I think the normal cause for this is inattention to alignment.

That you have probably been getting in the habit of aligning approximately, rather than exactly and then sweeping the cue left or right to make the shot.

Then when you have a critical shot and try to cue straight through, it doesn't feel right.

Try playing a few shots looking at the CB instead of the OB ball and cuing through straight. You'll soon see if you are mis-aligning. This will give you the feedback you need to correct your initial alignment.

It will be hard to break the habit. You may even prefer to keep a smooth sweep in your game if you find it easier to align and execute this way as many players do. But you should be aware of where you are actually aligned to, and know the nature of your cuing so that you can reproduce it under pressure.

Good luck,

Colin
Click to expand...

Thats good thought. I remember alignment was one of my problems a while ago. Then I was taught to align my right leg (left leg if your left handed) with the shot. Once I got used to this is, it did alot of good.
 
Egg McDogit said:
you're steering because you're not confident/committed to the shot. just tell yourself to stroke straight through - if you miss you miss. lotta things can go wrong with a long stroke (I have one)
Click to expand...
I agree 100% I think steering (when I start doing it) usually comes from lack of commitment to the shot due to lack of confidence or lack of concentration. You haven't fully committed to what you want to do, so you're trying to adjust your shot as you're shooting. Play some games where there is absolutely no pressure on you to win. Just play for fun, enjoy the act of shooting, and don't worry about whether it goes in. If you play a few games this way, I'll bet that you start making a pretty decent percentage of your shots.
 
steering

PROG8R said:
Something happened! For the last 6 months or more, I have been steering my stroke. I can't seem to get comfy over the shot and nothing seems to feel natural (all forced feeling). I am freaking out! I can still break and run every 10th rack or so (No Not PRO), but I make up for inadequacies with strong safety play and my game is going down quickly. Sometimes it feels like a train wreck (litterally) during a run. I used to have such a free flowing long stroke and now... :( GONE, FORCED, SUX!! How can I fix this?
My missed ball or two during a rack is only by a freaking hair if that (all tits rattle and out, or worse HANGING DUCK).
Will listen with a open mind!!
Thanks,
Click to expand...

I had this same "steering" problem. I did this rack the balls and break them, take ball in hand, every time you "steer" a shot. Re-shoot it 3-5 times with a dead straight stroke untill you pocket it a few times then move to the next shot. Do this every time you start sterring. Helped me out.

Mack
 
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