Jump shot advice

[alstl]

I just got a jump break cue recently. Yesterday at a local pool room I asked a very good player to show me how to jump and I can't do it the way he does. He strikes downward at the middle of the cue ball and drives it into the table. He gets good elevation and great accuracy doing it that way, but I can't get enough height to jump over an object ball that way. The only way I can do it is to elevate the cue and strike the bottom of the ball, which sometimes punches a small hole in the cloth.

Any advice?

 

[AuntyDan]

The only way I can do it is to elevate the cue and strike the bottom of the ball, which sometimes punches a small hole in the cloth.
Any advice?

Yes. Don't ever ask to come play on my Pool table!

Seriously though, you have to quit striking the bottom of the ball immediately, that is not a legal jump shot technique even if you don't get kicked out of the Pool Hall for wrecking their tables. (You have to hit at or above the center of the cue ball.)

I don't have it with me but I'm pretty sure it was a 2-part Tom Simpson column on jump shots in Inside Pool that had some very good advice. Imagine there is a small ball bearing in the dead center of the cue ball. Picture that ball, and aim slightly below it. Hit it as hard as if the rest of the cue ball was not there at all. Keep your hand and wrist as loose as you can without losing control of the stick.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[alstl]

Yes. Don't ever ask to come play on my Pool table!

Seriously though, you have to quit striking the bottom of the ball immediately, that is not a legal jump shot technique even if you don't get kicked out of the Pool Hall for wrecking their tables. (You have to hit at or above the center of the cue ball.)

I don't have it with me but I'm pretty sure it was a 2-part Tom Simpson column on jump shots in Inside Pool that had some very good advice. Imagine there is a small ball bearing in the dead center of the cue ball. Picture that ball, and aim slightly below it. Hit it as hard as if the rest of the cue ball was not there at all. Keep your hand and wrist as loose as you can without losing control of the stick.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

As soon as I saw what it was doing I started putting down a small piece of table cloth under the cue ball. I guess it's back to the drawing board since that's not a legal shot anyway.

I found the story, thanks. http://www.azbilliards.com/tomsimpson/tom1.cfm

 

[AuntyDan]

As soon as I saw what it was doing I started putting down a small piece of table cloth under the cue ball. I guess it's back to the drawing board since that's not a legal shot anyway.

I found the story, thanks. http://www.azbilliards.com/tomsimpson/tom1.cfm

Glad you found it, good luck with the shot. BTW It's a great idea to use a little piece of cloth when you are practicing any kind of heavy shot (Breaks, jumps, massse's) just to prevent mutliple marks building up on the cloth, even if you don't actually put holes in it!

 

[BigRed]

it's not something you'll learn in 15 minutes...... It took me a few hours of doing it before i could even get the ball up and over consistantly. The next day i could jump half a table length (8ft table).

It'll feel wierd at first, but you'll get used to it. If you're having problem with the bridge, like i was at first, dont use one. Simply create a closed bridge and make more of a fist (like a masse), and keep this elevated off the table. You can get a greater angle and you will be able to jump higher and longer. This isnt the most acurate way to jump, but is fairly easy if you have a steady hand. Once you learn the angles and the stroke you need, then you can become more precise with your jumps.

 

[X Breaker]

Sometimes, you may be having problem with believing that hitting down on the middle of the ball can make it jump up. Or perhaps you do not really understand how that is possible.
Actually, when you jump a ball, you are trying to make the cue bounce off the cue ball as quickly as possible while driving the cue ball into the bed of the table. You need to let the cue get out of the way so the ball can jump. The action has to be very easy and loose because if you hold the cue too tight, the cue cannot get out of the way soon enough and you will trap the cue ball.
I usually recommend my customers to jump a chalk first. You still need to have the porper technique, like using a loose grip, and try to keep your elbow up and to hit the cue ball at the porper spot. What jumping a chalk does is that it convinces you you can make the ball jump.
The key thought in jumping a chalk is to try to hold the cue as loose as you can, and to hit around the center of the cue ball. I like to remind myself to keep my elbow up so I do not scoop the ball.
After you can jump a chalk, try to jump two chalks. When you can do that, try jump over the gap between the edges of two balls. Do not try to jump a whole ball until you can do the above consistently.
I have seen so many people jumped their first jump shot at my booth in the US Open. Believe me, you can do it!
You may not realize it but you are jumping the ball higher than the height of a chalk when you break. If you dont believe me, try to put a piece of chalk about the width of 3 to 4 balls in front of your cue ball when you break and see if that chalk would move.
If you can jump a chalk with a full cue, you can do it with a jump cue.
Let me know how it goes.
Thank you.
Richard

 

[breakup]

I don’t use a jump cue I just do what I can using a regular cue, but a tip that is in one of Jim Rempe’s tapes that is really helpful to me is to look at the cueball last on this type of shot with the cue elevated. I was amazed how much more accurately I hit these type of shots by making that change.

good luck

 

[third_i]

try jumping over something smaller like a house cue shaft and working your way up. Once you get your confidence with your stroke you won't have an issue.

 

[alstl]

Thanks for the replies, I worked on it today and I changed to a closed bridge which works for me. I can jump with an open bridge but I don't get enough height to get over the object ball consistently.

Thanks

 

[supergreenman]

Thanks for the replies, I worked on it today and I changed to a closed bridge which works for me. I can jump with an open bridge but I don't get enough height to get over the object ball consistently.

Thanks

Are you using a regular elevated stroke, or are you using the dart style overhanded stroke?

 

[X Breaker]

Thanks for the replies, I worked on it today and I changed to a closed bridge which works for me. I can jump with an open bridge but I don't get enough height to get over the object ball consistently.

Thanks

If you jump with an open bridge with a pendulum stroke, you need to bend your bridging arm and get closer to the table to get the elevation you need. Try bend your arm and step a bit closer, hope this helps.

Richard

 

[alstl]

Are you using a regular elevated stroke, or are you using the dart style overhanded stroke?

regular stroke, not a dart stroke.

 

[third_i]

sometimes a dart stroke is easier to do depending on the shot, I recomend practicing that way too.

 

[Rod]

A very light grip. If you hold the cue tight you trap the c/b between the cue tip and the slate. It still jumps but not fast enough to clear a close ball.

Rod

 

[CaptainJR]

A very light grip. If you hold the cue tight you trap the c/b between the cue tip and the slate. It still jumps but not fast enough to clear a close ball.

Rod

Richard said it. Rod said it. It's worth on more mention. Light grip is the key. Like the stick might fall out of your hand if is wasn't on a little bit of an angle. Oh, by the way, just to make sure your clear about what we are talking about. We are talking about your back hand not the bridge hand.