Is a Short Backswing the Teacher?

[Mikjary]

It's like drawing back a bow (and arrow), you want to create coil so the release is natural and without thought - and able to apply tremendous acceleration when needed.

Try doing the same thing, with one difference.

Cock the wrist up by putting your hand on your hip and lifting the tip up at least to your eye level....even higher is ok.

Now, get into your shooting position keeping your wrist and forearm in that same position....with your wrist fully cocked as you address the cue ball. You may want to constrict your bicep so you can release by straightening your arm slightly.

Getting the wrist in this position will require you to coil more in the shoulder and bicep creating tension....this is good, because the tension you will soon discover is actually coil....then you can release the coiling action and make incredibly accurate contact with the cue ball target (I recommend a slight TOI position).

I can teach this movement in about 2 - 3 hours, it's challenging to describe it in writing, so experiment with the key points I made and let me know how it goes....I can probably get you on the right track with a few more questions, comments and answers.

Check out the picture of my friend Hank Haney demonstrating the wrist action in the golf swing.....it's very similar, just in a compact form because of the bridge hand's role.

I didn't realize that I use it until you started posting about the hammer stroke. I always thought I cocked my wrist forward during the stroke. It wasn't until I tried to do it that I saw I was already using it.

I don't know if I've always done it this way. I remember working on cocking my wrist forward, which is the opposite of the hammer stroke when I was first learning how to shoot. Some where in between then and now, I developed the hammer stroke.

Concentrating on a slower backswing keeps my length consistent. I only use a shorter backswing when I need to punch the cue ball or I'm shooting a short distance. I have a hard time controlling my speed with a short backswing and power shots although I see some guys that are able to pull this off. I can't.

I like to think about accelerating the cue stick, even on soft shots. When I'm hitting the balls well, my follow through is short and straight. I know I hit the cue ball where I'm aiming. Using a longer follow through, I sometimes have a tendency to move parts of my arm/wrist and not stroke straight through the cue ball.

Even though the follow through is not what hits the cue ball, setting it up correctly gets me contacting the cue ball with the correct angle of attack and speed.

Best,
Mike

 

[CJ Wiley]

I have trained one person in particular that is a master carpenter

You have said this well.

I have been able to help players improve immensely by concentrating on their hand action. This, in pool, and all sports is the greatest skill to develop.

I have trained one person in particular that is a master carpenter. When I found out what he did I smiled and told him "you have a great advantage in learning to play this game will and probably don't "real eyes" it". - this proved to be an understatement. 'The Game is the Teacher'

I didn't realize that I use it until you started posting about the hammer stroke. I always thought I cocked my wrist forward during the stroke. It wasn't until I tried to do it that I saw I was already using it.

I don't know if I've always done it this way. I remember working on cocking my wrist forward, which is the opposite of the hammer stroke when I was first learning how to shoot. Some where in between then and now, I developed the hammer stroke.

Concentrating on a slower backswing keeps my length consistent. I only use a shorter backswing when I need to punch the cue ball or I'm shooting a short distance. I have a hard time controlling my speed with a short backswing and power shots although I see some guys that are able to pull this off. I can't.

I like to think about accelerating the cue stick, even on soft shots. When I'm hitting the balls well, my follow through is short and straight. I know I hit the cue ball where I'm aiming. Using a longer follow through, I sometimes have a tendency to move parts of my arm/wrist and not stroke straight through the cue ball.

Even though the follow through is not what hits the cue ball, setting it up correctly gets me contacting the cue ball with the correct angle of attack and speed.

Best,
Mike

 

[Straightpool_99]

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[naji]

Several good players have the ferrule go past their bridges on the backswing, including David Howard and Bustamante. Maybe there is something to it? I don't agree with the info in the below video, it is just meant as an example of people doing this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjZq0HN82Os

I try to emulate snooker players rather than poolplayers and they (for the most part) seem to have a speed dependent length of backswing most of the time. If they shoot hard their backswing is long, soft shots have a shorter backswing. Most shots finish with the hand hitting the chest, which means a full follow through. Makes sense to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCj5TpwQ3Zw

Mostly depends. If you using your muscles, no need to follow through much. If you use cue weight, the only way to generate power is with long shaft movement which creates the momentum needed. Same thing for the back swing.

.

 

[CJ Wiley]

The Key (that unlocks the door) to Pool is in the Hands/Fingers/Wrists

There are MANY ways to play this game and personal preference, so if throw a ball without your fingers/wrist, throw a dart with no fingers/wrist or use a hammer with no fingers/wrist, then you have a different way of doing things than I do, and that's fine.

I'm ONLY talking to players that have the "Touch" in their fingers and experience life/games/sports/ through that type of "connection".

The hammer motion is one that delivers the maximum force to the tip (for lack of a better word) of the hammer. If you uncocked your wrist where it contacts the nail and then locked your wrist and pounded the nail in that position (with no wrist) that's one way of doing it and many players play this way.

I use a system where I pre cock my wrist/fingers and create a "groove" where my wrists/fingers must move UP AND DOWN, with no SIDE TO SIDE motion at all. It's the "Side to Side" movement that throws your cue off line and causes you to miss hit the cue ball.

When you HINGE your wrist/fingers the cue MUST go down that "groove" and CAN NOT miss hit the cue ball to the Left OR the Right!!! This put you in a position where you MUST hit the cue ball straight. This is how champion players hit the ball so straight, we simply CAN'T do it wrong.

I'm not saying all champions do it like I do it, but they do it in their own way. We MUST create a groove/slot/hinge (whatever you want to call it) so that the cue contacts the cue ball on a straight line EVERY TIME!

If you cock your wrist/fingers up slightly and then pounded the nail you would have some "wrist/finger flick" to add to the acceleration when you hit the nail.

If you cock your wrist/fingers more you will have more "wrist flick" and you could continue this until you cocked the hammer completely up and then you would have the maximum "wrist/finger flick" when you hit the nail.

I "pre cock" my wrist/fingers more than many other players, therefore I have more energy produced from my wrist/fingers at the moment of contact. Even with this happening it is so slight that you can't see me doing it. This is the issue with trying to learn the subtle secrets that the pros are doing, you can't see it being done. I'm tryin to give you a way to FEEL what it's like by using the hammer. This is a small powerful motion that you can only see on the break for the most part.

Watch the top professionals before they get down to shoot and you see them stroking their cue in the air. They are establishing their wrist/finger motion for the stroke they are about to shoot. We aren't stroking the cue to make sure it slides between our fingers smoothly, even though that is preferable, we're PREPARING our hand for the shot at hand. {pun intended}

The Key to Pool is in the Hands/Fingers/Wrists, so make sure you learn to Prepare Them For Success. 'The Game is the Teacher'

 

[Mikjary]

You have said this well.

I have been able to help players improve immensely by concentrating on their hand action. This, in pool, and all sports is the greatest skill to develop.

I have trained one person in particular that is a master carpenter. When I found out what he did I smiled and told him "you have a great advantage in learning to play this game will and probably don't "real eyes" it". - this proved to be an understatement. 'The Game is the Teacher'

I've been a contractor for many years and do quite a bit of custom trim, etc. Who knew? :grin: After I read Keith's post about using the hands more (as you've said before, also), I started working a little more with that. It eliminates some of the wrist movement and gets the fingers involved. I like that feeling.

Now, if I just had some talent to go along with these techniques, I wouldn't have to pound so many nails.

Best,
Mike

 

[CJ Wiley]

Earl Strickland also grew up hammering nails

I grew up hammering nails, my father was a carpenter who owned a lumber yard.

Earl Strickland also grew up hammering nails, it's no coincidence that we were known to have two of the most powerful cue accelerations in pool....the hammer teaches the hand motion that creates acceleration at the nail....in pool the "nail" is the cue ball.

I teach this technique using a hammer, a sword, and a shot put....I'll even throw in some archery training if someone wants to really get serious about improving quickly.

'The Game {and the hammer} is the Teacher'

I've been a contractor for many years and do quite a bit of custom trim, etc. Who knew? :grin: After I read Keith's post about using the hands more (as you've said before, also), I started working a little more with that. It eliminates some of the wrist movement and gets the fingers involved. I like that feeling.

Now, if I just had some talent to go along with these techniques, I wouldn't have to pound so many nails. View attachment 342441

Best,
Mike