how level should I be

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bigbopper502000

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Most of the guys in my pool room on most shots have the butt of their cue jacked up on most shots. Some better players are more level. You see Allison with the cue on her chin and her cue looks jacked up on every shot. Others say rub the rail with the cue on some shots. How can you do both?
 
Your cue stick should be as level as possible. If you are jacked up, and you hit the cue ball off center (left or right), the cue ball will masse. This masse may be very slight, but it will happen. Players who are jacked up all the time have a hard time with long shots becuase that is where the slight masse will affect it the most. Of course if you have shot jacked up your whole life, you may be so used to it that you can still play well. If you are not one of those players, I would recommend that you keep a level cue.

There are some exceptions. If you are shooting off the rail, you need to elevate a little. Also, if you need extreme draw, you need to elevate a little (very slightly). I'm not talking about drawing the cue ball back 1 table length. I'm talking about drawing the cue ball back 2 or more lengths. Maybe shooting the cue ball 1 table length to the OB and then drawing back a full table, off the short rail, and up a little. A slight elevation will help get this kind of action, but you will need to have an almost perfect stroke or you may miscue.

Allison certainly plays great. Her mechanics were learned in Europe. They position their legs differently, and they get way down low so that their chin almost touches (or in some cases does touch - see Steve Davis) the cue. That is just the way they are taught over there. One way is not better than the other in my opinion. You just do what feels natural. Personally, I can't get down that low and aim consistently. My body needs to be a little higher up. On some shots (extreme stroke shots), I stand even higher than on a normal shot.

Good Luck

Andy Segal
 
Allison has her chin on her cue because she's used to a long-time-snooker-stroke. Not all European players put their chin on their cue, especially not the players who started playing pool instead of changing from snooker to pool.

To avoid any unwanted draw or deflection on your shot you should keep your cue as level as possible, but this does not mean your chin needs to be on your cue.

Take a lot of worldclass carom players, they stand more than a feet above their cue and still are able to keep their cue level....
 
bigbopper502000 said:
Most of the guys in my pool room on most shots have the butt of their cue jacked up on most shots. Some better players are more level. You see Allison with the cue on her chin and her cue looks jacked up on every shot. Others say rub the rail with the cue on some shots. How can you do both?
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Fast Larry,

Low and level is usually the best way to go. The longer the shot, the more a jacked up, off center hit will be magnified.


Brian
 
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