How bad of a habit is it?

generally you use a closed bridge unless there is a reson to use something else.

however nowadays there are alot of really good players that shoot with an open bridge alot.

beginners should use an open bridge for awhile till they get the hand of the game as the closed bridge will hamper their shots till they learn how to use it.
 
Twist said:
Actually, he's a retired BCA pool player that the college hired only to teach billiards classes so he isn't really a kinesiology prof. aside from that class. Now whether he knows his stuff or not is not for me to decide but he seems to be a pretty good player. I understand that its not proper to use the closed bridge as much as I do, and I don't always use it. I just tend to be more accurate with it than an open bridge currently. Something about it throws of my natural aim. I suppose I just need to keep practicing an open bridge to get it right, its just frustrating using that when I know I could make the exact same shot if I had used my closed bridge. Thanks for the thoughts, very helpful still.
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Are you taking the class for a grade? Or are you taking the class to learn to play pool? If its for the BUSINESS of a grade then you might want to use the open bridge more:sorry: If its to play pool then you will need to decide what works best for you.:smile:
 
Most if not all Snooker players use an open bridge and we know how well they pocket/pot balls. A. Fisher, K. Fisher, K. Corr, and the list goes on and on for snooker to pool converts.There must be something to the open bridge for shot making. I probably use the open bridge more than the closed. I really don't know or care. After 50+ years the right bridge seems to appear on every shot. Johnnyt
 
It's not a flaw unless there's a drawback. Does it make your bridge any less stable? Is it impossible to get your bridge as low with your finger tucked?

pj
chgo
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Thanks PJ for responding. My bridge hand is 100% stable with this technique. It is marginally higher than the flat bridge, but IMO the height increase is insignificant. I wonder if others use it or if I have rights to the Matt's "finger tuck" bridge, lol. I'm going to play now, will examine the matt-er closer.
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You can actually get lower with the finger tucked if you also put your thumb flat on the cloth, but that might not feel like a solid enough "v" for open bridging. The lowest bridge I know of is the fist bridge (a closed bridge with all three fingers tucked). With the fist bridge you can get really low and level for extreme draw shots because the only thing under the shaft is the thumb flat on the cloth.

pj
chgo
 
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open/closed.....makes no difference....no, I don't want to fight with anyone! :)

After watching those snooker champs....an open bridge can MORE THAN GET IT DONE!@

I break with an open bridge.....and shoot about 80% of my shots open!

it just feels right to me.

there are times when I REALLY need to crank on the draw.....and that needs a closed bridge, but!.....its a rare occurance!



G>
 
Twist said:
I'm currently taking a billiards class as a kinesiology class for college and one of the first things the prof. said was that it was a bad habit to play with a closed bridge and that we all needed to get comfortable using an open bridge for 90% of our shots. I don't actually have a problem making an open bridge and it feels fairly natural, however, I just don't aim as well with one. I developed the habit of using a closed bridge from a young age and I'm so comfortable using it but I just can't get the same accuracy with an open bridge. I was just wondering how big a deal this is to most people. I always thought that if it isn't broken, don't fix it, but I'm no pro either.
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do whatever the teacher says. Forget right/wrong/good/bad/comfortable/uncomfortable. Get your "A" and THEN worry about it.
 
One of the biggest problems with pool is that everyone and their brother has an opinion on what is best and none of their opinions are worth the page it's written on. I don't give a flying shit if it's Scott Lee, Willie Mosconi, or Bob the milk delivery guy. The best bridge is the one you're comfortable with in for that particular shot. I know Scott Lee agrees with this but he said something in his first post that I disagree with. Closed bridges are not necessary for power shots. I can break and do power draw shots with an open bridge. I agree it's safer to use a closed bridge but it's not necessary. Just that little conflict of terms really.

Basically, do whatever feels best to you.
MULLY
and ultimately my opinion means shit too
 
td873 said:
do whatever the teacher says. Forget right/wrong/good/bad/comfortable/uncomfortable. Get your "A" and THEN worry about it.
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Actually, this is the best advice so far.
MULLY
 
Patrick Johnson said:
You can actually get lower with the finger tucked if you also put your thumb flat on the cloth, but that might not feel like a solid enough "v" for open bridging. The lowest bridge I know of is the fist bridge (a closed bridge with all three fingers tucked). With the fist bridge you can get really low and level for extreme draw shots because the only thing under the shaft is the thumb flat on the cloth.

pj
chgo
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I did practice it and play it tonite - the open bridge with index finger tucked under, allowing a guide made by the first joint of the index finger. I liked it and didn't feel elevated or unstable. It seems to offer me a longer "miter guide". Maybe my stoke isn't pure enuf and it needs it, and I'm sacrificing something... Maybe not. I can't be the first to do this with success (in my mind, lol).
 
I play with an open bridge on the majority of shots primarily because I play with a lower stance similar to that of the picture of Danny Harriman on the AZ main page. It is easier to line up the shot with an open bridge and for me it is more accurate. I don't have a problem drawing the ball or breaking with an open bridge.

But, I have a double jointed pool thumb...kind of freaky
 
KoolKat9Lives said:
I did practice it and play it tonite - the open bridge with index finger tucked under, allowing a guide made by the first joint of the index finger. I liked it and didn't feel elevated or unstable. It seems to offer me a longer "miter guide". Maybe my stoke isn't pure enuf and it needs it, and I'm sacrificing something... Maybe not. I can't be the first to do this with success (in my mind, lol).
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It feels a little wobbly when I do it, but I guess our hands are different. If it's really stable and you're comfortable with it I don't see anything but pluses.

pj
chgo
 
Patrick Johnson said:
You can shoot any shot just as successfully with either kind of bridge, including break shots, extreme spin shots, etc. - it's all a matter of familiarity and psychological comfort. There is at least one advantage to the open bridge, however: it lets you see the entire length of the shaft, which can be helpful with aiming.

pj
chgo
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i don't think it is effective to break while using a open bridge (this is if you are breaking hard enough).... the cue fly's of the vee of your bridge. Personally it diminishes my power and accuracy. just look at all the pros, i can't think of one who uses a open bridge to break. I would think they know what they are doing since they played the game for so long...
 
Matt...Nope, nothing wrong with folding your index finger under. The bridge, no matter what, or which kind, is still just a "guide" for moving the cue in a straight line...which is done with the grip hand, and forearm. As long as one doesn't grip the cue too tightly (so that it lifts off your bridge hand), one can use about any kind of bridge that they want to. Many good players (like sixpack indicated) are quite unaware of what they do, because they are so comfortable with any kind of bridge. That would likely relate to a better stroke, for most people.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

KoolKat9Lives said:
Not to hijack the thread, just a quickie (for maybe Scott?)

On my open bridge I fold my index finger under. It gives my @ a 3 inch straight guide for my cue to slide against there. Is this flawed? I never thought about it until now... Thanks in advance, Matt
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Twist said:
I'm currently taking a billiards class as a kinesiology class for college and one of the first things the prof. said was that it was a bad habit to play with a closed bridge and that we all needed to get comfortable using an open bridge for 90% of our shots. I don't actually have a problem making an open bridge and it feels fairly natural, however, I just don't aim as well with one. I developed the habit of using a closed bridge from a young age and I'm so comfortable using it but I just can't get the same accuracy with an open bridge. I was just wondering how big a deal this is to most people. I always thought that if it isn't broken, don't fix it, but I'm no pro either.
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Your prof. does not know what the hell he/she is talking about.
 
Over the years, two things have happened. First, I've gotten better. Second, my eyes have gotten worse, though not so bad yet that I need glasses or contacts to play.

I'm not sure which of those two reasons is at play, but at the same time I've gradually shifted over to using an open bridge on more and more shots. Now, I might shoot 70% of my shots open, but 10 years ago it was 70% closed. When I think about why I picked an open bridge on a particular shot, it's usually because I could sight it up better.

I also have switched to mostly playing 1-pocket over those years, which may also be at play. More shots with a lot of spin, precise grazing of balls (in theory), etc... may put a premium on an unobstructed sight line.

Long story short: what every one else said. Both are fine, comfort and your stroke are probably more important than your bridge.

Cory
 
A closed bridge worked fairly well for Willie Mosconi :) Seriously, I've seen great players use both. I'm not a great player but I was taught to use a closed bridge as a little kid and just got used to it and it works for me but I use an open bridge on some shots. I'm not comfortable hitting the ball hard with an open bridge but that's just me. Use whatever bridge you want if it's comfortable and solid, you can sight the shot and shoot the ball straight. There's a lot of options out there including the wierd bridge that Luther Lassiter used to shoot left handed.
 
Thanks Twist

good thread you started. Thanks for all the feedback - most notibly to our resident pro teachers Scott Lee & Patrick Johnson for responding to my question! Rep coming upon reload. :thumbup:
 
I appreciate all the feedback guys. I do try to work on all of the bridges, and I do use them all for different shots. It was just something about the prof's statement seemed wrong to me, and I'm glad to have confirmed it with some people more knowledgeable than me in the sport. I will say that despite everything, I've learned a few useful drills in the class that are improving my playing and I've really come to enjoy it more.
 
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