back in 1964 and earlier, stars such as mary tyler moore and dick van dyke did television commercials for cigerettes. they said "they are good for relaxing, and taste great, try them today" back in 1969 if you lived in the united states and needed a new car you bought an american car, because we were told, "americans make the very best products in the world, and that goes for cars as well, hey, if you want the very best quality cars buy a pontiac" the truth be told, japenese cars are superior to american cars, take toyota for example, much higher quality, and cigeretes, they are bad for you and can kill you,well, what am i getting at? i am getting at something very, very important if you want to improve your pool game in a short amount of time.never us the closed bridge again, and watch your game improve in a week!!! here is what i'm saying, all the books written on how to play pool between 1970 and 2000 are WRONG when it comes to the best bridge. when people wrote books on how to play pool they were WRONG!!!!! they claimed, and check me out on this, "the open bridge was designed for the beginner, you must learn how to form the looped bridge, or the hand bridge, or more commonly refered to as the closed bridge. the closed bridge children is superior to all the other bridges, and if you can't make a closed bridge your game will be eternely DOOMED!!! hey, i was 8 in 1968 in america, and i learned how to make a so called "proper" closed bridge because anything else was considered crude. almost like when in the 1930's whoever was born left handed, was considered "wrong" and teachers forced those "wrong" left handers to switch to righty's, thus causing them headaches, and to eventually stutter. now fast forward to 2005. let's see hmmmmm, the greatest players on planet earth use the OPEN i repeat the OPEN bridge 99.9% of the time!!!! marlon manalo, thorston homann and allison fisher, all big fans of the OPEN bridge, in fact i believe they do not use the closed bridge at all, notice when homann's game is on he will ONLY use the open bridge, and when he is struggeling he will switch back and forth from open to closed. so what does this all mean?? it means that because we see here in america a wide range of nationalitys playing the game of pool, from england germany, india, and else where, us americans were ~~~ WRONG! we were undeniably WRONG! the OPEN bridge is superior to the closed bridge, and i urge all authors writing their new books in the future on "how to play pool" to have in the beginging of the book "the closed bridge is old hat, and if you plan on playing 3-cushion billiards, then you'll need to know how to make one, however, this is a book on pool, and in pool there is one superior bridge and it is the open bridge, the open bridge provides maximum touch and feel, clear view of both balls, and superior draw action, now, then here is how you make the open bridge" i for one have dropped the old fashioned outdated closed bridge in the last 5 months, and my accuracy,touch and feel have improved a lot.
Important Info The Books Are Wrong!!
- Thread starter 8-ball bernie
- Start date
BUt can you run faster in your new shoes?
Bernie, I agree with you on there being things in books that are WRONG! I've even read recently published books that are so full of myth that it's scary. Now, I'm not saying that all books are wrong, and as a matter of fact, I've found good information in "almost" every book I've read. But, I've found BAD information in almost every book I've read.
As for bridges, I teach both to my students. I think it's important that you know both open and closed bridges, and variations of both, because there may be a situation on a table where any of the bridges may be necessary, but when I play competitively, I use almost exclusively an open bridge, and that includes everything from force follow to power draw shots. The main disadvantage, IMO, to a closed bridge is that it will readily disguise any stroke or grip mistakes. One example: the cue will never fly up in a closed bridge without the bridge hand or arm going with it... in an open bridge, if you tighten up your grip during your stroke, it will look like the player is sword fighting instead of shooting pool.
Just my 2C,
Bob
As for bridges, I teach both to my students. I think it's important that you know both open and closed bridges, and variations of both, because there may be a situation on a table where any of the bridges may be necessary, but when I play competitively, I use almost exclusively an open bridge, and that includes everything from force follow to power draw shots. The main disadvantage, IMO, to a closed bridge is that it will readily disguise any stroke or grip mistakes. One example: the cue will never fly up in a closed bridge without the bridge hand or arm going with it... in an open bridge, if you tighten up your grip during your stroke, it will look like the player is sword fighting instead of shooting pool.
Just my 2C,
Bob
Not all books!
I use a combination of open/closed bridge because of a book that I read that came out in 1990 or so which stated that top snooker players all used an open bridge and their accuracy was the best, so the open bridge is probably better when a great deal of accuracy is required.
I use closed bridge if I need to use a lot of english and an open bridge most of the rest of the time.
Cheers,
RC
8-ball bernie said:
I use a combination of open/closed bridge because of a book that I read that came out in 1990 or so which stated that top snooker players all used an open bridge and their accuracy was the best, so the open bridge is probably better when a great deal of accuracy is required.
I use closed bridge if I need to use a lot of english and an open bridge most of the rest of the time.
Cheers,
RC
Most Taiwanese use an open bridge too.
I use open bridge for all shots except the elevated masse. Unless you count the finger over shaft rail shot as a closed bridge. This one is a necessity to keep the shaft parallel on certain shots.
I use open bridge for all shots except the elevated masse. Unless you count the finger over shaft rail shot as a closed bridge. This one is a necessity to keep the shaft parallel on certain shots.
8-ball bernie said:
The closed bridge isn't wrong. It's a bridge. How you use it, when you use it, how you perfect is, that's the importance. Most beginners will start with an open bridge, go to a closed bridge, then reincorporate the open bridge. That's natural progression for pool players.
You've misguidedly associated the nationalities with types of bridge. It's the game, not the nationalities. If you included all the Europeans who mainly play 3-C Billiards, you'd notice the number of closed bridge great players (as well as higher stance players) use. Think Blomdahl, Ceuelemans, Sang Lee, Jaspers, etc.. The game dictates certain stances and bridges. It's that simple.
If you grew up playing snooker, your game is going to be dominated with low stances and open bridges. If you grew up playing 3C, your game will have more closed bridges and a higher stance. If you grew up playing pool, depending on which discipline, your stance may be high (14.1, one-pocket) or low (9-ball) and you should have a myriad of open and closed bridges as well. The power strokes of billiards and pool will lead many to use closed bridges at early stage of their career.
And apparently, you don't watch Hohmann or Allison much. Both use plenty of closed bridges when they're playing pool.
Fred <~~~ open bridge heavy
Last edited:
I can only partly agree with this. Yes, there are great players who shoot almost exclusively with an open bridge like Hohmann, Manalo and Fisher, but that's because of their background growing up and learning at a time when Snooker was the predominant professional game in their countries. They use an open bridge for exact same reason that you learned to use a closed bridge, because it is what they see all the players they are exposed to using.
Now, with many more books, videos and the whole world (more or less) available via the Internet there is a lot more cross-pollination of ideas and concepts. However I do not think that either bridge is automatically superior. Just look at all the incredible players who use a closed bridge, we can start with Efren Reyes and Earl Strickland and work our way down the list of Pros. Clearly it is perfectly possible to be a world-class player with a closed bridge if you have the talent. Truly great players learn both methods and the differences between them and apply this knowledge to each and every shot.
The best advice I ever read (And I don't remember the book or author, just a slim volume I was leafing through on how to play Pool) said never force yourself to use any kind of bridge, stance or mechanic that you found unconfortable or unnatural unless you were prepared to practice that way at least 1 hour a day. If you don't you'll never learn to adjust to it and it will always get in the way of your playing rather than helping it.
Now, with many more books, videos and the whole world (more or less) available via the Internet there is a lot more cross-pollination of ideas and concepts. However I do not think that either bridge is automatically superior. Just look at all the incredible players who use a closed bridge, we can start with Efren Reyes and Earl Strickland and work our way down the list of Pros. Clearly it is perfectly possible to be a world-class player with a closed bridge if you have the talent. Truly great players learn both methods and the differences between them and apply this knowledge to each and every shot.
The best advice I ever read (And I don't remember the book or author, just a slim volume I was leafing through on how to play Pool) said never force yourself to use any kind of bridge, stance or mechanic that you found unconfortable or unnatural unless you were prepared to practice that way at least 1 hour a day. If you don't you'll never learn to adjust to it and it will always get in the way of your playing rather than helping it.
hemicudas said:
Hemi-,
AKA "The Silencer" for those that remember (evidently Mike doesn't).
I've seen many of the older players using closed bridges all the time and runnung hundreds of balls. On the other hand, your right about the modern player, open bridges most of the time. I think both bridges are very important to feel comfortable with. Power stroke requires a closed bridge by all means and normal shots an open bridge works just fine. Also, I use a closed bridge on a 14.1 break shot that needs to be played a little firmer.
The real question is it better to start a new player with an open or closed? I think there is a good argument for both. The closed could be better to begin with because I think it is less natural for a new player and then introduce an open one later because it is much easier to adapt to. Open to closed would in my opinion be somewhat more difficult. Kinda like a right handed player shooting a shot left handed.
Bottom line, I use an open for most my shots with a closed on very key shots that require a little more stroke. Good points you made though.
The real question is it better to start a new player with an open or closed? I think there is a good argument for both. The closed could be better to begin with because I think it is less natural for a new player and then introduce an open one later because it is much easier to adapt to. Open to closed would in my opinion be somewhat more difficult. Kinda like a right handed player shooting a shot left handed.
Bottom line, I use an open for most my shots with a closed on very key shots that require a little more stroke. Good points you made though.
In my opinion, the real difference between two bridges is purely mental. Many players simply feel more confident with a closed bridge. Let's say you have trouble with moving your head up or maybe with tightening up or even worse twisting the grip on power draw shots. The loop over the shaft cannot possibly repair that defect in the stroke. Or can it?
Let's imagine that all top pro pool players were suddenly told that they are not allowed to use closed bridges anymore. How many do you think would be handicapped? I believe none at all.
Let's imagine that all top pro pool players were suddenly told that they are not allowed to use closed bridges anymore. How many do you think would be handicapped? I believe none at all.
predator said:
I agree with you except I think some pros would rather have the option 'cause some shots are just more demanding. Some shots require you to dig into the cue ball and an open bridge does not allow this because you bridge is part of this kind of shot.
You are dead wrong - it's only mustard on fries. If you try something else and like it, your taste buds are fooling you. I also like to eat tuna fish straight out of the can (drained, of course) with Taco Bell "fire" sauce. If you disagree with that, you're probably one of those "closed bridge" people.Busman said:
...and probably don't even appreciate chocolate sauce on raw broccoli.
Several older players are kind enough to volunteer tips to me, and I soak up what I can. One older friend who I have a lot of respect for told me I'll never improve until I get a bridge. I told him I have an "open bridge" and he said "no, you don't have a bridge at all". I've changed a lot of things about my game, but kept the open bridge. Maybe I'm more stubborn than I think?pete lafond said:
runscott said:
I also play most of my shots with an open bridge but certain shots demand a closed one for me. I taught my 9 yr old son to always use a closed bridge and I can tell by his stroke that he is now comfortable with it. I now tell him on open shots to try an open one once and a while. Seems to work quite well with him.
As a general rule, I use an open bridge if I am making contact above the horizontal center of the cue ball and a closed bridge when contacting it below center....but the bottom line after many years of playing....use the bridge that feels right for the shot you are making.
Steve
Steve
8-ball bernie said:
I think your argument has some merit, but also some flaws. Also, have you considered that your closed bridge was defective and that you should relearn it? There are many variations of the closed bridge, howver, most pro's use a tightly closed 'closed bridge' where the index finger locks onto the top of the middle finger to form the loop and the thumb is a support - rather than a 'loose closed bridge' where the index finger is attached to the thumb to form a loop, and the loop is then connected to the middle finger by the thumb.
My thoughts:
[1] It appears that you are using the same logic as those you accuse of "wrongly" teaching the closed bridge. You are championing something as "the right alternative," when in fact, it is just that, an alternative.
[2] You have more surface area to "touch and feel" the cue with a closed bridge, not an open bridge.
[3] You may have a clearer view of the cue ball in some situations, but with either bridge, you will almost always have a clear view of the object ball.
[4] "Superior draw action" is achieved through the quality of your stroke and not the type of bridge you use. Most great players can get "superior draw action" with an open or closed bridge, and even a rail bridge or using the rake. (Snooker players can draw the ball the length of the table (6X12) using the rest)
[5] You can prove anything with statistics, just pick a sample that supports your position. For example, I am now shooting with a 18" bridge because the Filipino players do it. Just watch Bustamante and Reyes, and you'll see, the 6-12" bridge is just WRONG.
[2] You have more surface area to "touch and feel" the cue with a closed bridge, not an open bridge.
[3] You may have a clearer view of the cue ball in some situations, but with either bridge, you will almost always have a clear view of the object ball.
[4] "Superior draw action" is achieved through the quality of your stroke and not the type of bridge you use. Most great players can get "superior draw action" with an open or closed bridge, and even a rail bridge or using the rake. (Snooker players can draw the ball the length of the table (6X12) using the rest)
[5] You can prove anything with statistics, just pick a sample that supports your position. For example, I am now shooting with a 18" bridge because the Filipino players do it. Just watch Bustamante and Reyes, and you'll see, the 6-12" bridge is just WRONG.
Also, FYI, in the "old days" (when most of those books you accuse of "wrongly educating" were published) the majority of pocket billiards was straight-pool and the vast majority of players had a very upright posture. (Vintage video or pictures will verify this.) In this upright position, you are still able to use a closed bridge and have full sight of the cue ball.
Today's major game is nine ball, and players have their chins touching the cue (or almost touching). It is a natural progression to see more people using the open bridge here - since your bridge will have some tendency to be in the way.
Thus, the type of preferred bridge a person uses is a function of the type of stance they have. And since the stance is more fundamental than any bridge, I am unconvinced that the closed bridge is "wrong" (although I would like to see some argument about why the upright stance is all wrong [doh!]) lol
-td