How straight or consistent is your stroke if...

[ICUE]

on a 9 foot table the OB is at the 2nd diamond essentially at the head string line about 2 balls off the long rail and the cue ball is straight back 4 diamonds away at the foot string line and your shot is to pocket the ball and draw it back to at least your starting spot or further. Now you do this 10 times in a row. ( (I cann't yet) How would you rate someones stroke that could do this? Could you rule out that most misses from this player would not be stroke related?

 

[Masayoshi]

the OB is at the 2nd diamond essentially at the head string line about 2 balls off the long rail and the cue ball is straight back 4 diamonds away at the foot string line and your shot is to pocket the ball and draw it back to at least your starting spot or further. Now you do this 10 times in a row. ( (I cann't yet) How would you rate someones stroke that could do this? Could you rule out that most misses from this player would not be stroke related?

All A players and some B players should be able to do it 10 times in a row given a reasonable number of tries. They probably couldn't do 10 in a row on command, but their percentage should be greater than 80% especially once they get in a groove.

You can't rule out stroke related misses just because a player can shoot this shot consistently. There are many shots, mostly cuts and jacked up shots, that require an even greater degree of accuracy. Also, this shot does not take into acount power shots because that much draw can be attained with medium speed and a straight stroke.

 

[TheBook]

on a 9 foot table the OB is at the 2nd diamond essentially at the head string line about 2 balls off the long rail and the cue ball is straight back 4 diamonds away at the foot string line and your shot is to pocket the ball and draw it back to at least your starting spot or further. Now you do this 10 times in a row. ( (I cann't yet) How would you rate someones stroke that could do this? Could you rule out that most misses from this player would not be stroke related?

Get the Mighty X by Bert Kinister. This is what he teaches as a stroke training technique. Another is his 60 Minute Workout.

 

[MitchAlsup]

From 4 diamonds away I can draw the length of the table (using a rail as needed), but I still don't consider my stroke "straight". I can do this about 7-8 times out of 10.

Now, put the OB 2" from a corner pocket and the CB at the first diamond (6.9 diamonds away) and draw it back to mid-table (using no rail). I can only do this about 3-4 out of 10.
-------------
But I think the question you raise implies a further question: Given the position you dictated, how many times in a row can you back the CB up 4 diamonds and stop it within 2" of where you stated? your question addresses the power aspect, this question addresses the precision aspect.

 

[ICUE]

I quess what i was trying to get at was this, we all miss shot for basically two reasons, poor stroke or bad aim or alignment. I feel that you can work on your stroke mechanics to get it straight and I was looking for some sort of a way to measure my stroke to be able to eliminate that as a cause of most of my misses.

 

[henho]

If you want to straighten your stroke you have the right idea. If you get to the point at which you are pulling long draw or follow shots comfortably then you are hitting the ball accurately.


Another question is, how hard are you hitting the ball? If you are able to get really nice draw with a medium-speed or even slow stroke then you know you are hitting the ball accurately.

 

[BWTadpole]

I know what he's getting at with a question like that.

62% straight, 64% consistent.

/thread

 

[West Point 1987]

From 4 diamonds away I can draw the length of the table (using a rail as needed), but I still don't consider my stroke "straight". I can do this about 7-8 times out of 10.

Now, put the OB 2" from a corner pocket and the CB at the first diamond (6.9 diamonds away) and draw it back to mid-table (using no rail). I can only do this about 3-4 out of 10.
-------------
But I think the question you raise implies a further question: Given the position you dictated, how many times in a row can you back the CB up 4 diamonds and stop it within 2" of where you stated? your question addresses the power aspect, this question addresses the precision aspect.

This reminds me of my first mentor in the game...When I was first starting out (Leesville, LA), an old retired Sergeant Major named Ron taught me a very cool drill. He'd break open a rack of 8 Ball, then pick a shot...then he'd have me put a dime anywhere on the table I wanted to and he'd leave the cue ball within 6 inches (usually closer) EVERY TIME. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't put that dime in a tough enough spot that he couldn't lay up to. He developed that skill by blindly flipping a dime himself after he chose the shot, then force himself to find a way to get the leave. I've never seen anyone at any level who could control a cue ball as good as him!

 

[JB Cases]

on a 9 foot table the OB is at the 2nd diamond essentially at the head string line about 2 balls off the long rail and the cue ball is straight back 4 diamonds away at the foot string line and your shot is to pocket the ball and draw it back to at least your starting spot or further. Now you do this 10 times in a row. ( (I cann't yet) How would you rate someones stroke that could do this? Could you rule out that most misses from this player would not be stroke related?

This?

CueTable Help

Having a good stroke and being accurate are two different things. Lots of people can draw the ball full table. Not a lot of them can do it while hitting the cue ball in the spot they intend to consistently.

There is an easy trick to making this shot consistently though. If you are dead straight in then just shoot the cue ball into the pocket. This way to address the straight in shots really works.

I would suggest a different test if you want to know how well you are stroking the ball and how accurate you are.

CueTable Help

 

[JB Cases]

This reminds me of my first mentor in the game...When I was first starting out (Leesville, LA), an old retired Sergeant Major named Ron taught me a very cool drill. He'd break open a rack of 8 Ball, then pick a shot...then he'd have me put a dime anywhere on the table I wanted to and he'd leave the cue ball within 6 inches (usually closer) EVERY TIME. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't put that dime in a tough enough spot that he couldn't lay up to. He developed that skill by blindly flipping a dime himself after he chose the shot, then force himself to find a way to get the leave. I've never seen anyone at any level who could control a cue ball as good as him!

I bet you could find a spot now that he can't get to. This is a good drill though. We used to do it with a piece of paper. Start out with a regular letter sized piece and keep getting smaller.

I used to take one shot and move that paper every where on the table until I knew every way possible to get to it.

When I was starting out I used to get to practice with James Walden once in a while. He break the balls and get ball in hand and I would be allowed to make one cluster where ever I wanted and if he ran out then I paid a dollar and if he didn't get out he paid. I always ended up 10-15 dollars down trying to trap him.

 

[ICUE]

Thanks everyone for your posts. John on your alternate shot, how many times in a row or out of 10 or 20 attempts would you feel needs to be made in order to qualify as consistant enought that you would basically be confident that when you did miss a standard shot that the reason was probably not your stroke mechanics? Thanks

 

[Jason Robichaud]

When you get a good smooth stroke, this shot will be no harder than a stop shot. 4 diamonds spin isn't much. 10 - 10 for good players.

 

[dareads]

If your objective is to check the accuracy/straightness of your stroke there is a very simple way. Put the cue ball on the head string center table and shoot directly over the foot spot. Use a slow to medium stroke at first and use normal follow through and leave your tip resting at the maximum follow through point. If you hit the ball center and straight, the cue ball should come back and hit your tip. To up the challenge, hit progressively harder and then move on to putting an object ball on the foot spot and see if you can still get the cue ball to come back to your tip.
Not sure if that's what you were asking about, but hopefully that helped.

 

[MitchAlsup]

If your objective is to check the accuracy/straightness of your stroke there is a very simple way. Put the cue ball on the head string center table and shoot directly over the foot spot. Use a slow to medium stroke at first and use normal follow through and leave your tip resting at the maximum follow through point. If you hit the ball center and straight, the cue ball should come back and hit your tip.

To up the challenge, hit progressively harder and then move on to putting an object ball on the foot spot and see if you can still get the cue ball to come back to your tip.

After getting my stroke in gear, I put the OB at center spot, CB at head spot. CB->OB->rail:: OB from rail->CD->tip held at follow through. This one is about 8X harder than the CB only version.

This one is also super at getting rid of unintentional sidespin on the CB.

 

[Masayoshi]

Thanks everyone for your posts. John on your alternate shot, how many times in a row or out of 10 or 20 attempts would you feel needs to be made in order to qualify as consistant enought that you would basically be confident that when you did miss a standard shot that the reason was probably not your stroke mechanics? Thanks

There is no such thing as consistent enough for humans. Even the top pros have stroke related misses from time to time on normal shots. The best thing to do would be to just keep trying to improve your record. When you make 1000 in a row, try to make 2000.

 

[JB Cases]

Thanks everyone for your posts. John on your alternate shot, how many times in a row or out of 10 or 20 attempts would you feel needs to be made in order to qualify as consistant enought that you would basically be confident that when you did miss a standard shot that the reason was probably not your stroke mechanics? Thanks

Personally I feel that I should make this shot at least 7 of 10 times. Your question is kind of a trick question though.

The only reasons to miss a shot are wrong aim or poor mechanics. I think that if a good player misses a relatively easy shot then it's probably due to a lack of concentration that amounts to either a aiming error or a stroke error.

So for me if I am making my test shot 7 out of 10 and then I miss an easy shot I feel that it's because of a lack of concentration and taking it for granted rather than a consistent flaw in my stroke or accuracy.

As Willie Mosconi reportedly said 'there is no such thing as an easy shot'.

I think that drills like your straight in shot and my shot are good testers. In pool when such shots come up we often say that "it's a tester". Learning to play these shots consistently will make your game stronger. It's important though to never let up on your focus because that's what will allow you lapse on your mechanics or your approach.

Efren Reyes, when asked what he thought was most important in pool, said "concentration".

 

[Masayoshi]

Speaking of lack of concentration, I was playing a set yesterday and was on a run of 2 racks and on the 7 ball to make it a 3 pack. The shot on the 7 ball was, you guessed it, a straight in draw shot about 4 diamonds away from the object ball. I lined up like normal and just as I was about to stroke, I thought "hey this was the shot in that thread on AZB" and proceeded to jar the shot and end my run. lol.

 

[manwon]

on a 9 foot table the OB is at the 2nd diamond essentially at the head string line about 2 balls off the long rail and the cue ball is straight back 4 diamonds away at the foot string line and your shot is to pocket the ball and draw it back to at least your starting spot or further. Now you do this 10 times in a row. ( (I cann't yet) How would you rate someones stroke that could do this? Could you rule out that most misses from this player would not be stroke related?

I just did it 19 times in a row without a miss, and I am a C+ player!!!

 

[JB Cases]

I just did it 19 times in a row without a miss, and I am a C+ player!!!

I am going to have to pull an Eric Hu on you and say that I don't believe this fish story until I see the video.

I am not a "C" player and I just did it 6 out of 10 attempts.

Either you're not a C player or you have set it up incorrectly. IMO.

 

[ICUE]

Which shot are you referring to mine or Johns. But which ever if you made it 19 times in a row then you are a very good C+ player and you are the only C+ player that can beat the nine ball ghost. I would suspect that you are probably a C+ pro.