How do I teach a draw shot?

[Bob Jewett]

... I told them to follow through, hit the ball low, and keep their cue level. But they just could not do it. Every shot was a stop shot, or maybe a one inch draw....

I have had nearly 100% success with everyone who can hit the ball firmly enough by having them use a fist bridge. Place the cue ball on the center spot and the object ball half way to a side pocket. Then, move the cue ball two inches sideways. Their bridge will have to be fairly short. Their stick should be off the table by the diameter of their thumb. This is a very precise set-up which takes care of a lot of issues. You need to understand the why of each instruction above.

And anyone who knows what he's talking about would advise a 15-inch follow-through for a beginner on draw shots only if he wanted to seriously pull your leg. Check your leg. This also applies to a 10-inch follow-through.

Your 2's and 3's are probably not chalking right. Do you check their tips before you let them shoot?

 

[GADawg]

I have had nearly 100% success with everyone who can hit the ball firmly enough by having them use a fist bridge. Place the cue ball on the center spot and the object ball half way to a side pocket. Then, move the cue ball two inches sideways. Their bridge will have to be fairly short. Their stick should be off the table by the diameter of their thumb. This is a very precise set-up which takes care of a lot of issues. You need to understand the why of each instruction above.

And anyone who knows what he's talking about would advise a 15-inch follow-through for a beginner on draw shots only if he wanted to seriously pull your leg. Check your leg. This also applies to a 10-inch follow-through.

Your 2's and 3's are probably not chalking right. Do you check their tips before you let them shoot?

Bob - can you explain the comment in bold above? I can"t visualize what you mean.

Thanks

 

[randyg]

I have had nearly 100% success with everyone who can hit the ball firmly enough by having them use a fist bridge. Place the cue ball on the center spot and the object ball half way to a side pocket. Then, move the cue ball two inches sideways. Their bridge will have to be fairly short. Their stick should be off the table by the diameter of their thumb. This is a very precise set-up which takes care of a lot of issues. You need to understand the why of each instruction above.

And anyone who knows what he's talking about would advise a 15-inch follow-through for a beginner on draw shots only if he wanted to seriously pull your leg. Check your leg. This also applies to a 10-inch follow-through.

Your 2's and 3's are probably not chalking right. Do you check their tips before you let them shoot?

Bob: Does that apply to the 13.678 inch bridge also?????

The first thing we teach a beginner is the Bob Jewett "fist bridge".. Works like a charm.....SPF=randyg (randy is serious)

 

[Deadon]

I'm seeing Scott in Sac. later.

Mike

 

[Bob Jewett]

Bob - can you explain the comment in bold above? I can"t visualize what you mean.

Thanks

At the beginning of the setup, the shot is straight into the side. If the beginner shoots like that, he will have to worry about getting his hand/stick out of the way in time. If you change the shot slightly, so it is a 7/8-full shot, the cue ball will go to the side a little before drawing back, and the student can keep his hand and stick in place after contact.

Further, if the shot is straight in and straight across between the side pockets, the stick will be over the pocket liner, and many tables, such as Gold Crowns, have really lousy, gummy pocket liners that screw up the stick.

A main point from all of the details of this shot is that you can make a demo much better if you get all the details right. Some instructors are careless about the details.

 

[Island Drive]

At the beginning of the setup, the shot is straight into the side. If the beginner shoots like that, he will have to worry about getting his hand/stick out of the way in time. If you change the shot slightly, so it is a 7/8-full shot, the cue ball will go to the side a little before drawing back, and the student can keep his hand and stick in place after contact.

Further, if the shot is straight in and straight across between the side pockets, the stick will be over the pocket liner, and many tables, such as Gold Crowns, have really lousy, gummy pocket liners that screw up the stick.

A main point from all of the details of this shot is that you can make a demo much better if you get all the details right. Some instructors are careless about the details.

One of the better concepts that Sigel mentioned years ago was to finish with the tip of the cue hitting the cloth during follow through, also if the object ball is somewhat close to the the cue ball a quick "snap back" of the cue stick is very effective, almost like reaching out, touching a red hot iron then pulling your hand back quickly.

 

[cuetechasaurus]

At the beginning of the setup, the shot is straight into the side. If the beginner shoots like that, he will have to worry about getting his hand/stick out of the way in time. If you change the shot slightly, so it is a 7/8-full shot, the cue ball will go to the side a little before drawing back, and the student can keep his hand and stick in place after contact.

Further, if the shot is straight in and straight across between the side pockets, the stick will be over the pocket liner, and many tables, such as Gold Crowns, have really lousy, gummy pocket liners that screw up the stick.

A main point from all of the details of this shot is that you can make a demo much better if you get all the details right. Some instructors are careless about the details.

This is far and away the best advice so far.

 

[Cameron Smith]

My take on this is that the student can't strike the cueball where they want to. Even if they are aiming low their stroke rise instead creating a stop shot.

The best way, in my opinion, to train a player to hit the cue ball where they want to, is to look at the cue ball during the final delivery.

 

[RBLilly]

Stoke

When they develop a good stroke the draw will automatically be there. I didn't know how easy it was to draw the ball until I developed my stroke.

 

[Bob Jewett]

My take on this is that the student can't strike the cueball where they want to. Even if they are aiming low their stroke rise instead creating a stop shot...

The shot I proposed does not allow them to bring the tip up. As long as they keep their bridge hand on the table, they must hit the cue ball low. I think that once they see that they can draw the ball, they may stop bringing the tip towards the center of the cue ball on all shots.

The underlying problem is that most beginners never learned to chalk, so they learned that it is embarrassing to hit the cue ball off center. Or rather I should say that their arm learned that since they don't consciously bring the tip towards the center; it just happens. That the vast majority of beginners don't know how to chalk is evident from the wear pattern seen on most chalk in most pool halls and the blue-ringed ferrules on most house sticks.

 

[Bob Jewett]

One of the better concepts that Sigel mentioned years ago was to finish with the tip of the cue hitting the cloth during follow through,

while I think that advice is fine ....

also if the object ball is somewhat close to the the cue ball a quick "snap back" of the cue stick is very effective, almost like reaching out, touching a red hot iron then pulling your hand back quickly.

I think that this advice is lousy unless there is a problem with the cue ball running into the tip when drawing back.

 

[ironman]

No, I think it should be a 15 inch follow through for great draw.

I agree with Randy. Exaggerate the follow through and stay smooth. The draw shot is not always a power shot as many young players believe.
Allison had a good explanation for follow through too. Follow through at least as far as your back swing.

FWIW, any young player who seriously wants to work at this game and improve, should take Randy very seriously. So many aspects of this game are hard to articulate or communicate to young players. Randy has made this a part of his technique. When he is done, you understand what he is trying to teach. IMO>

 

[Flex]

while I think that advice is fine ....

I think that this advice is lousy unless there is a problem with the cue ball running into the tip when drawing back.

That's exactly the time to snap back. Unless this is practiced when the time comes to pull the shot off there will likely be a double hit on the cue ball. Knowing when to snap back and when not to is obviously very important. Snapping back on every draw shot is definitely not the way to go.

Flex

 

[Colin Colenso]

Another thing that can help:

Some players struggle to draw because they swoop the tip upward during the last part of the stroke. Stroking through to a point on the cloth can help this, as can stroking in and out the end of a bottle, hence teaching the player how to keep a more level stroke.

Then they should be able to hit closer to where they aim.

Colin

 

[pooltchr]

I agree with Randy. Exaggerate the follow through and stay smooth. The draw shot is not always a power shot as many young players believe.
Allison had a good explanation for follow through too. Follow through at least as far as your back swing.

FWIW, any young player who seriously wants to work at this game and improve, should take Randy very seriously. So many aspects of this game are hard to articulate or communicate to young players. Randy has made this a part of his technique. When he is done, you understand what he is trying to teach. IMO>

I agree that Randy is a fine instructor and a pretty darn good player as well. I have matched up with him, and I have never seen him with a 15 inch follow-through. I believe he may have been applying his sometimes dry sense of humor to make a point. There is no fixed distance that will produce draw. His natural follow-through distance is probably around 8 inches, whether he is shooting stop, follow, or draw. It may be shorter or longer depending on the specific shot, and the results he wants.
Steve

 

[Hidy Ho]

One of the better concepts that Sigel mentioned years ago was to finish with the tip of the cue hitting the cloth during follow through, also if the object ball is somewhat close to the the cue ball a quick "snap back" of the cue stick is very effective, almost like reaching out, touching a red hot iron then pulling your hand back quickly.

When I first started playing pool, Bob Jewett showed me "The Fist" and this worked great to conceptually prove how to draw the ball.

On my normal bridge, I generally don't use "The Fist" and sometimes I had issues with long draw show.

The other day, I was watching Bobby Hunter play and he was putting some serious low English action on the ball and I noticed that his tip never leaves the cloth on the follow through.

I have been more aware of this and started to make sure my tip stays down on the stroke (probably mean less elbow drop mentioned by Randy G) and getting result.

 

[Andrew Manning]

When I first started playing pool, Bob Jewett showed me "The Fist" and this worked great to conceptually prove how to draw the ball.

Okay, so what is this "fist" thing so many have referenced? Can someone describe it, or better yet does anyone have a picture or video?

-Andrew

 

[Island Drive]

Okay, so what is this "fist" thing so many have referenced? Can someone describe it, or better yet does anyone have a picture or video?

-Andrew

The way I explain it, make a fist (bridge hand) and then set you palm and knuckles on the felt. Open up the thumb and index finger, this is actually the most stable of bridges. I use it especially when the cue ball is very close to the object ball and I want to draw straight back (some other situations too). By not having the bridge hand fingers stick out, you're able to get much closer to the cue ball, Lassiter used this allot I think he called it a nip draw. I've always taught this bridge in lessons, it helps explain when the cue ball is 2 inches from the object ball and you want to draw straight back it allows the bridge distance and the warm up swings to be no greater than the distance between the two balls. When you want to draw a ball straight back, why take a 4 inch swing at a ball 2 inches away. Comparing it to a golf putt, why take a full back swing when the cup is only a foot away, save the longer swing for the longer shots. Ever try to break a nine ball rack with your bridge hand only 4 inches from whitey?

 

[Aaron_S]

Sounds like they might be dropping their elbow right before contact. That raises the tip of their cue in their stroke.

When I've been asked for help with draw, this has been the culprit more often than not. They set up for draw, take a couple of practice strokes that look ok, but then, on the final delivery, they drop the elbow, the cue pivots at the bridge, and the tip hits far above where they were aiming. It took me a while to figure it out the first time I saw it (the chalk/stripe thing is a good suggestion for finding out where they're actually hitting the cb, btw), but since then I've been able to apply the same solution to almost everyone I've encountered who can't draw the ball, with immediate and positive results.

I'm sure there are also a lot of people out there who are scared of the bottom of the ball due to prior miscues (I think most people go through a phase like that), but, in my experience, there are more who are simply not hitting the cb where they are aiming. These people aren't afraid of miscuing on a draw shot; hell, they never even hit low enough to draw the ball, much less miscue.

As Bob stated, though, there are many people who don't know how to chalk, which could be a contributing factor. It's a good thing we have "bad chalkers" out there, though, because people who do know how to chalk really make a mess of a cube of Masters. Bad chalkers just bore those nice clean holes right though the center . Maybe Budweiser can do one of their "Real men of genius" songs about bad chalkers, lol.

 

[MrLucky]

Keep them chalking and smooth stroking!

I am a APA 6 in eight ball and am doing the same exact thing with my 3 rate players ! I find that they tend to jab at the cue when trying to draw instead of smoothly stroking through the ball also they will try to put too much power into their shot which negates the back spin