I'm a really good kicker, at least in my own mind... I thank my buddy who spent about 3 months putting me into safeties that required kicking. I mean over 3 months I probably racked more than in my entire life, we were playing nonstop. Once I got onto it I really worked at it to develop skill.
Then, that dirty sob stopped leaving me kicks and started leaving me nothing but jumps or locked up safes!
I'm ok with a jump cue. Not outstanding or anything but I can do it good enough. Honestly I still feel jumping is harder than kicking, as in your form needs to be good and there's a lot that can go wrong. I'm not just talking about not giving BIH, but to actually turn a jump into an opportunity to win the game or play a good safe.
I still much prefer to kick unless it's a shot where jumping is 90% and kicking is 30% or leads to a scratch.
"Just getting a hit" to me is the same as a failed shot. You have to make something happen, even it it's as mundane as leaving a long shot that is slightly off angle or putting balls on the rail. On rare occasions if I have to go for "just a hit" I know I've probably already lost the game.