How do I train myself to avoid dropping my elbow
- Thread starter lvlss42190
- Start date
Yes. That is sometimes called the "J" stroke.
During the lock downs I decided to work on developing a discernible pause before delivery.
In order to get there, I pulled back and stopped for painful amount of time before delivery. Like 5 seconds!!
I felt that was the quickest way to develop a 1/2 or 1/4 second pause.
This practice apparently removed my elbow drop. At least most of it, it seems.
Elbow drop was normally never an issue with me. Two qualified Instructors verified with video that it came after striking the CB.
Yes it's more complicated and yes there were times when the drop came too early. Of course all those things could creep in.
My rationale is, if done properly (drop after contact) allowing it to happen, there's less tendency to decelerate, and for me it feels (felt) like I'm
penetrating the ball rather than punching or slapping it. I can't find the words but "free and loose" comes to mind with the drop.
Today BTW the punching/slapping feeling is gone.
I'm going to stick with what I'm doing for now, then at some point go back to the drop and compare. I've never not dropped so it's only been a year swinging close to a pendulum. I say close, since I haven't had anyone take a look, but I do know its mostly gone.
Is there something the drop can deliver that a pendulum can't? No Idea.
Let you know in 6-12 months what I think.
If I remember.
Still fun to explore
Ok that was just an anomaly and what I'm actually doing is winding up to 10, 20 degrees past vertical then coming back to 10, 20 degrees past vertical. This is just prior to my elbow running out of hinge and locking up. It's also just about where I strike the ball - none of this vertical strike for me. Right about there is where I let the arm move from the shoulder. The actual ranges vary by shot requirement - mostly speed.
@ lvlss42190, I brought this up to point out that as long as the stroke into the ball is linear, dropping is not only ok, it might, as B Jewett pointed out be vital to do.
Last edited:
The drop should deliver injury avoidance.
There is a training aid available for purchase at Pooldawg I believe that will prevent your arm/elbow from dropping.
Believe Tom Simpson may have designed it, maybe not. May be worth looking into it.
You can also use different devices available around the house that can support arm. This may help if there aren’t any obstructions that may prevent your natural stroking motion.
I have a piece of furniture that works well for me. I can set it up by my table, get down in my stance, and stroke the cue next to the rail. I use the rail as a straight edge. My arm is supported which prevents any dropping. Alternating with my arm supported and not supported teaches me what not dropping feels like and vice versa.
When I’m not being lazy I will do 20 on and 20 off, slowly at first then upwards to 50% of my typical stoke speed. About 10 to 15 minutes helps.
Believe Tom Simpson may have designed it, maybe not. May be worth looking into it.
You can also use different devices available around the house that can support arm. This may help if there aren’t any obstructions that may prevent your natural stroking motion.
I have a piece of furniture that works well for me. I can set it up by my table, get down in my stance, and stroke the cue next to the rail. I use the rail as a straight edge. My arm is supported which prevents any dropping. Alternating with my arm supported and not supported teaches me what not dropping feels like and vice versa.
When I’m not being lazy I will do 20 on and 20 off, slowly at first then upwards to 50% of my typical stoke speed. About 10 to 15 minutes helps.
By dropping your elbow you avoiding over torquing your elbow. This, especially on high velocity strokes like the break and others like super draw, follow, and spin. Even in normal stroking, dropping helps create a linear follow through rather than squeezing the tip into the cloth which can happen without the drop.
Last edited:
Scott stood a coke bottle filled with sand above my elbow, and had me shoot keeping the bottle on my arm.
Remember your “template”
and the spot that you’re supposed to be finishing to on every shot.
Hope this helps
Last edited:
I see a lot of posts here saying it's okay to drop your elbow. It's not okay if it's the cause of problems, which is what the OP is saying here. Would you tell someone to keep doing the thing that's hurting their game? I've trained myself to drop my elbow on certain shots and some players do it naturally on every shot. But it's not for everyone.
If you're going to respond to a post and give advice, then please pay attention to what the person is asking.
If you're going to respond to a post and give advice, then please pay attention to what the person is asking.
I'm of the opinion that technique should address physical wear as well as execution. I believe, <no elbow drop>, is not only superfluous, fanatical adherence to this notion (of <no elbow drop>) can lead to injury. Not dropping may even cause stroke errors that require further compensation. It is with those concerns in mind, I post in first person rather than admonish the OP.
Here's a clip of somebody demonstrating draw shots in the snooker genre. I'm presuming the shots are done with the standard degree of <no drop>. What's interesting is the shockwave manifesting in the camera stability. The amplitude of this vibration isn't so much the concern - it doesn't take much to jiggle a video - but rather, that it was probably generated by the demonstrator's elbow and shoulder mechanism slamming to a stop. Further, anticipation of this abruptness can creep into the alignment of the pre-strike swing; requiring further correction.
Here's a clip of somebody demonstrating draw shots in the snooker genre. I'm presuming the shots are done with the standard degree of <no drop>. What's interesting is the shockwave manifesting in the camera stability. The amplitude of this vibration isn't so much the concern - it doesn't take much to jiggle a video - but rather, that it was probably generated by the demonstrator's elbow and shoulder mechanism slamming to a stop. Further, anticipation of this abruptness can creep into the alignment of the pre-strike swing; requiring further correction.
I wonder how I'm not injured after all these years....What am I doing wrong??
So the camera is shaking pretty badly but the cue remains perfectly smooth and straight. Do you think maybe he's got a little head jerk thing going on? The stroke seems fine to me.
The stroke is fine. The shock is post strike but a shock nonetheless. Dquarasr posted a side shot of his newly developed no drop and you can see the tension explode through his shoulder and neck. IMO dropping is the best way to dissipate the inertia.
As for your success, I attribute that to your long arms and dropping on the side of comfort/safety - something you said you do.
What kind of injuries are you referring to? Can you give some examples? Do you know of any players who have had those injuries?
Banging on the joints is never a good things. You can get tendonitis or open the door for pain later in life. Even without those concerns, it's so much easier to let the stick run through and slow it with the triceps.
There are too many variables in your argument to give it any merit. You didn't present proof of anyone with joint problems as a result of not dropping their elbow. You didn't present any comparison videos. We never saw the stance of that person shooting. Is he tucking his cue deep inside of his torso? Is his chin touching the cue? Of course it will have an effect on the camera movement if the camera is attached to his head with his chin on the cue.
People are asking for advice here. You're just arbitrarily throwing out a bombshell opinion with no basis in fact. Don't you think that's a little irresponsible?
Not in the least. Much of learning is common sense.