I am having stroke issues!

[BradenK]

My game has been improving lately, but it led me to the realization that my stroke has never been very straight. I was shooting by feel instead of precise aiming. Once I started aiming precisely, I realized most of my misses were caused by a bad stroke. I have been able to help it some, but I still tend to steer, usually to the right. Probably because I am right handed. I need to learn how to train myself into a straight, repeatable stroke. I realize it will take a lot of practice, and that is great. I want it to be like it used to be, where I was not thinking about my stroke at all. Every shot I take anymore I am thinking about my stroke the whole time. I need some drills to straighten it, and to form the muscle memory for a straight stroke. If anyone can help, please do. I really want to keep improving.


Braden

 

[bbb]

i am not a certified instructor
but here is my advice
place the object ball
2 diamonds up and one diamond over from the corner pocket
now place the cue ball ball in hand in a straight line to the pocket from around 2 diamonds from the diagonal pocket

ie you shouild be lined up in a straight line
make ther ball and stop the cue dead
no slide slip
no foward or back
ABSOLUTELY DEAD STOP
do that 18/20
you are on your way to a straight stroke


curious if the instructors sgree

 

[Ratta]

Hi Braden,

well- there are several reasons why a stroke could be not straight. To detect if it s about alignment, stance, bridge-distance etc etc. i recommend to search for one nice session with a qualified guy who will do a video analysis with you.
A cam doesn t lie-and from my expirience it works wonder if players seeing themselves ).

Keep shooting, don t be too disappointed-the beginning is always a hard journey. But you have now a goal, to get a repeatable straight stroke.
gogo,

Ingo

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

As a fellow student of the game when I find my stroke is veering i.e. I'm putting unwanted spin on the ball, I go to the cue ball drill where you put it on the head spot and hit center ball to the center diamond on the foot rail trying to make it come straight back to your cue tip. If the CB veers left or right off the cushion I know I'm not stroking straight through. I start out slow and gradually add speed.

 

[bbb]

As a fellow student of the game when I find my stroke is veering i.e. I'm putting unwanted spin on the ball, I go to the cue ball drill where you put it on the head spot and hit center ball to the center diamond on the foot rail trying to make it come straight back to your cue tip. If the CB veers left or right off the cushion I know I'm not stroking straight through. I start out slow and gradually add speed.

this is a great drill but you could have a straight stroke and just be off center also
jmho
icbw

 

[The Renfro]

Get to an instructor or get it on here in video form asap....

The number 1 cause is your stance.... usually you are open or closed limiting the way the arm can work... Over time you will develop unneeded motions to correct the flaw on your own and then you have an even harder fight to get straightened out.........

IF you have to DIY, Lee Brett's setup description is pretty solid especially if you have to start from the ground up... He may chime in or his book is on Kindle now....

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

this is a great drill but you could have a straight stroke and just be off center also
jmho
icbw

Good point and absolutely correct. I should have mentioned I use a measles ball for this drill for exactly that reason, to be sure of where center ball is located, not just where I think it is.

 

[bbb]

Good point and absolutely correct. I should have mentioned I use a measles ball for this drill for exactly that reason, to be sure of where center ball is located, not just where I think it is.

measle ball is good
so is using a stripe with the stripe vertical
did you ever try joe tuckers training device that looks likea football goal stand(upright)??

 

[woody_968]

Put your bridge hand on the rail where the cloth meets the wood. Now stroke as if your shooting down the rail and see if your cue stays over that line.

Set up a coke bottle and stroke in and out of the bottle. Any movement left right up or down and you will know it.

Set the cue ball on the foot spot and another ball down table straight into a pocket. Shoot the shot and freeze your follow through. Look to see if your shaft is directly over the spot or if it has wandered to one side or the other.

Spending time shooting off the foot spot and checking yourself can really help identify where you are stroking. Finding the cause in your alignment or stroke can sometimes take a trained eye. That's where the instructor comes in handy.

Woody

 

[BradenK]

I thank you all tremendously. Those are all great ideas. I am going to try to get someone to record me, and then post it. Where I live, it would be extremely hard to get to an instructor. I do plan on giving Geno a call for his phone lesson as well. I realize that is aiming, but I am sure I could use help in that area as well.

I am a solid player, but I feel like I have plateaued. With work, and my kids, and all of the other obligations, I do not get to shoot nearly as much as I would like. But, as my kids get older, it will be easier for me to travel to the larger events. I would like to put some time in between then and now to improve as much as I can.

Again, thank you all very much. I greatly appreciate it!


Braden

 

[pooltchr]

I thank you all tremendously. Those are all great ideas. I am going to try to get someone to record me, and then post it. Where I live, it would be extremely hard to get to an instructor. I do plan on giving Geno a call for his phone lesson as well. I realize that is aiming, but I am sure I could use help in that area as well.

I am a solid player, but I feel like I have plateaued. With work, and my kids, and all of the other obligations, I do not get to shoot nearly as much as I would like. But, as my kids get older, it will be easier for me to travel to the larger events. I would like to put some time in between then and now to improve as much as I can.

Again, thank you all very much. I greatly appreciate it!


Braden

Contact Scott Lee. He will come to you, and is one of the top rated instructors in the country. Well worth it if you are serious about improving your game.
Steve

 

[Tony_in_MD]

Where I live, it would be extremely hard to get to an instructor.
Braden

So where do you play up there next to the Allegheny forest?

My wife is originally from Oil City PA, we go up there from time to time to visit her family. Shoot me PM with my phone number and next time I am up there, we can find a place to work with you if you want.

AJM

 

[Mark Avlon]

Set up a coke bottle and stroke in and out of the bottle. Any movement left right up or down and you will know it.

This drill is to practice a stroke where the cue is held level at all times. It's complicated, difficult to learn, and error prone. Don't waste your time.

Learn the pendulum stroke. It's one joint and two muscles, which makes for a stroke that is simple to learn, and is accurate and consistent.

 

[Mark Avlon]

Put your bridge hand on the rail where the cloth meets the wood. Now stroke as if your shooting down the rail and see if your cue stays over that line.

This is a good drill, but as others have said, you would be better off spending an hour with a qualified instructor who will check everything, and will help you correct what's getting in your way of a straight stroke. Find one that uses video so you can see for yourself what the instructor sees.