How Do You Grip The Cue?

[mosconiac]

I've noticed some definite trends in how players hold the rear of their cue. There are weak, strong, and neutral grips...but no indication of which is the best. The pro's (men & women) illustrate ALL of them so that isn't a clue as to what is best. I'm convinced it comes down to personal preference and feel. What do you think?

I am more "tucked under" with the cue cradled by the forward 2-3 fingers and thumb...but I noticed that when I'm playing my best I tend to cradle the cue with all 4 fingers (a slightly "tipped forward" hand position).

Some use a (weaker) slightly "tucked under" wrist like Efren, Nick, or Jon Kucharo

Some use a (stronger) "tipped out" wrist like Luat (he is the extreme) or Lee.

While others fall in the middle with a neutral wrist like Allison, Buddy, & Corey.

 

[scottycoyote]

i often tend to have problems with this very topic because of a broken finger i sufferred as a child. I was paying close attention to all the players back hands at this past us open and i noticed hardly anyone seemed to do it the same...........Luat of course has that weird loose sidearm grip............gabe owens seems to only hold his cue with his middle finger, some leave the pinky off, some leave the index finger off.......etc etc etc
Ive found what seems to let me deliver the straightest stroke is to let the cue lay in my hand (feel the weight of the cue pulling your hand down), to make sure my wrist is straight and neutral. Then I wrap my middle and ring fingers primarily around the cue, and just kind of let my index and pinky fingers hang off. Gripping with my index finger seems to not let my wrist break forward for a complete follow thru.......gripping with my pinky finger makes me torque the cue side ways on follow thru. I also alter my grip depending on the shot now......a long shot off the rail, i will grip the cue with my entire hand, very little pullback or follow thru. If i need alot of english, i will grip mostly with my middle finger and kind of let my other fingers ride on the cue for more wrist snap. Just keep notes on what you do and what works best for you, thats what i did.

 

[pooltchr]

Two words..."Relaxed" and "Comfortable"
Steve

 

[Bob Jewett]

I've noticed some definite trends in how players hold the rear of their cue. There are weak, strong, and neutral grips...but no indication of which is the best. ...

One thing I see in all the pictures that you posted is that there is no daylight between the stick and the thumb-index-finger web. In a different string, someone was claiming that many players did have clearance in there, and an (anonymous?) instructional article was referenced in which such a grip was promoted.

 

[BRKNRUN]

One thing I see in all the pictures that you posted is that there is no daylight between the stick and the thumb-index-finger web. In a different string, someone was claiming that many players did have clearance in there, and an (anonymous?) instructional article was referenced in which such a grip was promoted.

Actually...I have seen pictures where Cory has just a little gap between the top of the cue and his palm...I don't think this picture is very clear in showing that.

Allison & Buddy..definatley use the "Fist Grip" though.

 

[catscradle]

Two words..."Relaxed" and "Comfortable"
Steve

Me too. Very loose.

 

[Barbara]

Linda Haywood-Shea changed my grip with the following observation, which is the truth.

Your thumb and forefinger are the only two digits that can steer an object in your hand. Therefore, to help facilitate a straighter stroke with a straight wrist, grip the cue with your thumb and middle finger, the ring finger and pinky being optional according to your comfort.

This really helps me when I'm breaking, too.

Barbara

 

[TATE]

I've firmed up my grip a lot and it helped me get more control. I keep it more in the palm now than in the fingers with no gap. I used to have a very loose, light grip "finger cradle" grip and it definitely hurt my game.

Now I would say my grip is still light to medium, rel;axed and comfortable but someone could not easily pull the cue out of my hand.

Chris

 

[TATE]

Actually...I have seen pictures where Cory has just a little gap between the top of the cue and his palm...I don't think this picture is very clear in showing that.

Allison & Buddy..definatley use the "Fist Grip" though.

Corey is one of the few top players who has the gap. I've watched him in person and looked for it - he definitely has (or had) what I call a "finger cradle" grip but you see it better from behind him.

Chris

 

[Island Drive]

Grip, is a word that makes one think of grab, hold. I percieve the word
"grip" more along the lines of holding the cue butt with your fingers, giving it a side to side pinch (in the wrap area) between the thumb and the fore fingers cradled at the bottom as the fingers come to a stop point as they meet the thumb.

 

[Snapshot9]

It is amazing ...

how many times I go back to the 3 Pool books I read as teenager BEFORE concentrating my efforts into trying to play good Pool for information.

It said you should grip the cue with 2 fingers and a thumb keeping your wrist straight with your forearm, much the same way as approaching a person and taking their upper arm in a grasp with 2 fingers and a thumb. This allows for the cue to maintain a straight line of stroke at the end of your stroke.
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My comments:
There is a variation where the cue is gripped with the back 2 fingers relaxing the front 2 fingers that allows the cue to pivot and maintain a straight stroke.

BUT IN ALL CASES OF GRIP, it is advocated to keep your wrist straigiht with your forearm, and not bent.

 

[Inzombiac]

I cradle the cue with my frist 3 fingers, as comfortable as I can, with my pinkie finger just there for comfort. When I started playing I had a problem with twisting my wrist as my hand came forward and it would often make me miscue. So the loose, comfotable grip helps me to mentally picture my wrist being straight and STAYING straight throughout the shot. Although... it does stop me from shooting very hard.

 

[mosconiac]

I've firmed up my grip a lot and it helped me get more control. I keep it more in the palm now than in the fingers with no gap. I used to have a very loose, light grip "finger cradle" grip and it definitely hurt my game.

I had that low "finger cradle" grip at first too...but I realized that I had to suddenly snatch the cue up when shooting firmly.

When I saw someone else do it, I immediately stopped because it looked haphazard and I was convinced that sudden movement of the butt of the cue MUST cause variability in the hit.

I now have little to no light between my hand and the wrap...but the grip is still light.

 

[jsp]

I want to bump this year-old thread to the top. I was about to start another thread, but I decided to do a quick search before doing so. Thanks mosconiac for starting this thread. This is what I would have posted...



The past couple of days, I've been experimenting with different backhand grips, and I have been amazed at how much your grip alone can influence exactly how you stroke through the CB.

Here are the different types of grips I have been fiddling with...

*back of hand completely vertical (perpendicular to floor)
*back of hand slightly bowed toward your body
*back of hand slightly bent away from body
*pointing thumb straight down to floor
*three-fingered grip (thumb, index, middle fingers)
*knuckles pointing slightly toward the shot (instead of pointing straight down)

Lately, I have been struggling with unintended left-side spin (I stroke right-handed) on center ball shots. On table-length stop shots, I frequently observe some left spin on my measles CB. Apparently, my cue isn't going perfectly straight through center ball on some shots.

I noticed that when I changeed my backhand grip, such that I pointed my knuckles toward the shot (the cue cuts through my hand at an angle, similar to a golf grip), my center ball hits have improved substantially. My unintended left-spin goes away, and I really do feel I'm shooting straight through the CB. (If you ever look at CJ Wiley's grip, he has an extreme version of this grip. I believe Earl has this grip as well.)

I also notice that if I bow the back of my hand toward my body (a little bit like Efren) instead of keeping it perfectly perpendicular to the floor, it also seems to help me stroke straighter through the CB. Though, this grip feels a bit more unnatural for me.

All the while, I attempt to maintain the same setup, alignment, and stroke (I try to change one variable at a time when experimenting). Though, it seems that the type of backhand grip I use has direct impact on the straightness of my stroke.

Does anyone else notice this?

 

[jsp]

My comments:
There is a variation where the cue is gripped with the back 2 fingers relaxing the front 2 fingers that allows the cue to pivot and maintain a straight stroke...

Actually, I think this grip is similar to what I just said about pointing your knuckles toward the shot. You grip more with your last two fingers than your first two, which helps you maintain a straighter stroke (at least for me).

 

[cubc]

I prefer the chicken wing. Ok I dont prefer it.. it just is how I shoot.

 

[goettlicher]

I've noticed some definite trends in how players hold the rear of their cue. There are weak, strong, and neutral grips...but no indication of which is the best. The pro's (men & women) illustrate ALL of them so that isn't a clue as to what is best. I'm convinced it comes down to personal preference and feel. What do you think?

I am more "tucked under" with the cue cradled by the forward 2-3 fingers and thumb...but I noticed that when I'm playing my best I tend to cradle the cue with all 4 fingers (a slightly "tipped forward" hand position).

Some use a (weaker) slightly "tucked under" wrist like Efren, Nick, or Jon Kucharo

Some use a (stronger) "tipped out" wrist like Luat (he is the extreme) or Lee.

While others fall in the middle with a neutral wrist like Allison, Buddy, & Corey.

All of the pix that you show, with the exception of one:

Show the players in a cueing position other than at contact with the cueball. The only time a "grip" counts is at contact with the cueball. At that time the "grip" should be as light as possible and not changing muscle groups. This could help deliver a controled stroke every time.....consistancy.

Mr. Mosconi is quoted as saying,

"Light is best, lighter is better".

Great thread......SPF=randyg

 

[daniel]

Heres a link to a very good article on the grip. http://www.fcsnooker.co.uk/basics/the_grip/the_grip.htm

 

[seymore15074]

Just from looking at the pictures, do you think there may be a relationship between shoulder position and wrist position? I personally have noted some nights that I shot well in the middle range, but I typically turn mine in.

Also, do these players always do it the same? Can anyone find pictures showing the same player shooting two different ways an two different times?

 

[bsmutz]

I changed my grip a few months ago now from using my full hand to using just my thumb and fore/middle fingers. I curl my lazy and little fingers up above the cue. My thumb usually only contacts the cue on the end above the knuckle. The reason I did this was because on long, hard shots, I felt I was curling my wrist which caused my stroke to go off course instead of straight through. It didn't fix everything for me, but I'm definitely more consistent with it. One added benefit was that it kind of automatically made my whole game more deliberate and reminds me to shoot softer more often (which is a good thing).