How High Or Low Do You Cue For Maximum Spin And Had Dr. Dave Ever Studied This?

Nature Boy said:
Should one be finishing with the tip on the table for maximum, or even moderate follow?
Click to expand...
The cue ball has no idea whether your tip finished on the table or parallel to the table or pointing at the ceiling. All the cue ball knows is where the tip hit the ball at the moment of impact. That means if you hit the cue ball above center, you will get follow no matter where your tip ends up.

When I hit follow, my cue tip finishes on the cloth or just above the cloth. Why is that? Because I strive to hit the cue ball with a pendulum stroke, which means my stroke finishes with my butt hand hitting my chest. Now, if my butt hand hits my chest, which is higher than my bridge hand, and the cue stays on my bridge hand the entire stroke, where does my tip HAVE to end up (remember that my cue is a straight line)?

If a player hits the cue ball with a piston stroke, then the cue tip will not finish on the cloth when the player hits follow. Why? Because with a piston stroke, the cue tip travels along a straight line during the whole stroke. If the cue happens to be perfectly level with the cloth for a particular follow shot, then the cue tip will finish the exact same distance above the cloth as the cue tip was at the moment of impact with the cue ball.
 
Last edited:
7stud said:
The cue ball has no idea whether your tip finished on the table or parallel to the table or pointing at the ceiling. All the cue ball knows is where the tip hit the ball at the moment of impact. That means if you hit the cue ball above center, you will get follow no matter where you tip ends up.

When I hit follow, my cue tip finishes on the cloth or just above the cloth. Why is that? Because I strive to hit the cue ball with a pendulum stroke, which means my stroke finishes with my butt hand hitting my chest. Now, if my butt hand hits my chest, which is higher than my bridge hand, and the cue stays on my bridge hand the entire stroke, where does my tip HAVE to end up (remember that my cue is a straight line)?

If a player hits the cue ball with a piston stroke, then the cue tip will not finish on the cloth when the player hits follow. Why? Because with a piston stroke, the cue tip travels along a straight line during the whole stroke. If the cue happens to be perfectly level with the cloth for a particular follow shot, then the cue tip will finish the exact same distance above the cloth as the cue tip was at the moment of impact with the cue ball.
Click to expand...
Same with your backhand. I believe with the strict pendulum delivery, the tip landing is a function of shaft taper and/or bridge length.
 
for a simple answer to those that are in still the beginning stages of learning about pool. put a stripped ball on the table and the top of the strip is very close to max high and bottom of it max low.

next, the ball doesn't know what happens after it is hit or cares. its gone.

and your stroking is not a factor in what the ball does.
 
A few comments along the lines of stroke doesn't matter. The 3 things that matter are where you hit the cue ball, what speed the cue was travelling at when it hit the cue ball and the shape of the tip. The first 2 things are all affected by stroke. If your stroke is poor you might not be hitting the ball where you think or able to do it reliably as you think. If your stroke is poor you might be trying to hit it hard, but if you accelerate too late or decelerate too quickly then you aren't actually hitting it as hard as you think, ideally you should be contacting the cue ball when your cue tip is at it's peak velocity.

Stroke absolutely matters, I know some very good players who can get lots of draw effortlesly hitting only slightly below centre ball (not something I could personally ever do).
 
I was going to say that a cueball can't possibly "know" anything, it just reacts to your tip. However after some more thought I suspect that in my case, the cueball seems to know how to find almost impossible angles to scratch and give my opponent ball in hand.
 
stroke doesnt matter to the cue ball. that is what is being said, and is correct.

stroke may or may not matter to you in your shot. same as if you had a ham sandwich or not.
 
uk_9_ball_convert said:
... Stroke absolutely matters, I know some very good players who can get lots of draw effortlesly hitting only slightly below centre ball (not something I could personally ever do).
Click to expand...
They may line up only slightly below center but that's not where they're contacting the cue ball. If they are getting lively draw, they are hitting well below center.
 
uk_9_ball_convert said:
Stroke absolutely matters, I know some very good players who can get lots of draw effortlesly hitting only slightly below centre ball (not something I could personally ever do).
Click to expand...
no they cant, you just think the can. they are merely aiming there and hitting lower.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top