Is a very long bridge length inherently bad?

Johnnyt said:
Too much BS about long bridges and other things that don't mean a thing and have been proven wrong over and over again by top players from other countries and here in the states. So many things in pool can be done many ways. Each top player has a different style and makes it work. Johnnyt
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Finally!!!!!! Someone who agrees with me. I've tried to make that same argument concerning this and other subjects. There Is Not a specific way that anything has to be done. It's ridiculous to say that a certain bridge length, a certain stance, a certain routine, and the biggest of all.....a certain stroke, has to be learned to excel at this game. Players paying $hundreds of dollars, if not thousands to have someone work on their stroke or whatever for 6-8 hours. Unless it's an individual that doesn't know how to hold a cue then it's ridiculous. Everybody, or most, has room for improvement. But don't try and preach it that a certain something or whatever must be a certain way. Concerning a good player and higher.....IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT.
Thank You Johnnyt.....😊
 
Patrick Johnson said:
The important way is that your tip accuracy goes down with faster shots. You can also simply feel when the cue is jerked rather than stroked.

pj
chgo
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You can also simply feel when the cue is jerked rather than stroked.
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On a related note (which might be pretty common..don't know) I can feel, through feedback to my hands, when I don't hit the CB solidly. Of course this is a rather common occurrence.
 
CJ Wiley said:
Would you agree that the length of your bridge is related to how far back you hold the cue with your back hand? I use many different bridge lengths, and they're controlled by my right hand.
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Mostly my bridge length is determined by where I grip the cue. If I have a choice I will always elect to bend my bridge arm and plant my elbow on the table so its also determined by how much bend there is in my bridge arm. Mostly though, I grip my cue at the very back just off the wrap.
 
Everybody is different. Many instructors promulgate it isn't a good idea & I assume this is due to the fact that if you have flaws in your stroke they will be magnified by a longer bridge.

This declaration that it's bad is hard for some to understand because they see a lot of elite level players using a long bridge & not missing anything which flies in the face of what they have been told. This leads us back to my opening statement, everybody is different. I think it's an advantage if you have a very pure stroke free from issues. I think it's a disadvantage if you have bugs in your stroke as they will be magnified. So it comes down to you being straight with yourself about how straight your stroke is. Experiment, nothing gives realistic reinforcement to the realities more than balls either going in the hole or being driven into the rail.
 
The important way is that your tip accuracy goes down with faster shots. You can also simply feel when the cue is jerked rather than stroked.

pj
chgo
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CJ:
You must be joking.....
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You must have forgotten to include your answer.

pj <- and the cute picture
chgo
 
fan-tum said:
Any advantages?
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FYI, long lists of both advantages and disadvantages of a long bridge length can be found on the bridge length resource page. Here's an excerpt from the page:

Disadvantages of a longer bridge:

- Stroking errors result in larger tip position errors.
- If the length is not needed for power, the longer stroke might allow more room for error to be introduced during the stroke (i.e., a shorter, more compact stroke might be more accurate).
- If a player has a long bridge but is not using the full length on the back stroke, the bridge length (and associated tip position error) is larger than it needs to be. However, if the extra length is helping with sighting and aiming, it might be justified.
- A small change in bridge position creates a larger change in cue tip position. If the bridge hand shifts accidentally or deforms during the stroke, or if the cue shifts slightly within the bridge, larger errors will result.
- For soft touch shots, a shorter bridge and stroke is usually more effective.

Advantages of a longer bridge:

- A longer bridge can help improve visual sighting.
- Smoother acceleration is possible, especially when using more power. Not as much force will be required over the longer distance to achieve a desired cue speed. The stroke will tend to be jerkier and usually more susceptible to errors with a shorter bridge, requiring larger forces over the shorter distance to achieve the desire cue speed.
- A person with large and/or inflexible hands might need to elevate the back of the cue more with a shorter bridge, and cue elevation can reduce accuracy by creating more swerve when sidespin is used (intentionally or not). Using a longer bridge can help some people keep their cue more level, especially with draw shots.
- A longer bridge might better match the natural pivot length for your cue (especially low-squirt cues). This can help reduce CB direction errors when unintentional sidespin is applied (e.g., due to stroke swoop). It can also be important if using the back-hand english (BHE) method to compensate for squirt when applying sidespin intentionally.
- A longer bridge and stroke might help some people gauge the speed of the shot better; although, this might not apply for soft touch shots (see above).
- Some people just feel more natural and comfortable with a longer bridge and stroke, and shortening it will feel too uncomfortable (even after practice), and their overall performance will not be better with a change. Like many things in pool, personal preference and comfort is often an important factor.

Regards,
Dave
 
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