If you cue anything close to how I do, it is very important. It's a dull subject to 99% of readers, I'm sure... But it can really change how well you hit the ball. I cue with a relatively still elbow. It does lower slightly as I pull the cue back but it is nothing too drastic. Then as I hit the back pause it is again fairly stationary then a slight elbow drop as I follow through. So, if you don't drop your elbow before contact here are a few tips that can really help your accuracy on the white... More so horizontally that vertically.
First is get the tip as close as possible to the cue ball when addressing it. This will really help if you struggle with draw. I've seen players address the cue ball with their tip aimed at the very bottom of the white but miscue by hitting too high all because they addressed the cue ball 6 inches away. That's a drastic case but a more common problem is hitting the white 5mm or so higher than intended making that power draw roll back only a foot.
Secondly is having the forearm vertical. A common problem is players grip the cue too far back and they drop the elbow to compensate or they address the white much lower than where they intend. A friend of mine does this. He addresses the white. At the very bottom for long stun shots... He thinks the spin turns into slide over the distance which it does... But he hits it hard... And hits it just below centre, he won't have it and thinks he hits where he was addressing. Some people are beyond help.
It is hard to get the feeling of if the forearm is vertical when down and even looking back to check it is hard to tell. Video or take a photo to check. Put tape around your grip of you hold it too far back or foreward to where to grip for a vertical forearm with a natural bridge length... Then just practice getting down with it without having to adjust the grip position whilst down. You will start to notice how soft you have to hit the ball to get lots of draw on the cue ball because you are starting to hit it accurately.
First is get the tip as close as possible to the cue ball when addressing it. This will really help if you struggle with draw. I've seen players address the cue ball with their tip aimed at the very bottom of the white but miscue by hitting too high all because they addressed the cue ball 6 inches away. That's a drastic case but a more common problem is hitting the white 5mm or so higher than intended making that power draw roll back only a foot.
Secondly is having the forearm vertical. A common problem is players grip the cue too far back and they drop the elbow to compensate or they address the white much lower than where they intend. A friend of mine does this. He addresses the white. At the very bottom for long stun shots... He thinks the spin turns into slide over the distance which it does... But he hits it hard... And hits it just below centre, he won't have it and thinks he hits where he was addressing. Some people are beyond help.
It is hard to get the feeling of if the forearm is vertical when down and even looking back to check it is hard to tell. Video or take a photo to check. Put tape around your grip of you hold it too far back or foreward to where to grip for a vertical forearm with a natural bridge length... Then just practice getting down with it without having to adjust the grip position whilst down. You will start to notice how soft you have to hit the ball to get lots of draw on the cue ball because you are starting to hit it accurately.
