Jumping up before you finish
- Thread starter COREYGT1977
- Start date
Remember just how HUGE it is to follow through and finish. Lately I've been very dedicated to my shot and with trust I finish my stroke and it feels awsome! If you don't properly follow through and finish you will never know what you really did, make or miss.
Trust, Trust, Trust
Trust, Trust, Trust
The Ghost offers excellent advice here and, with his kind permission, I would like to add a little something to it.
Tension, when playing pool, is certainly as detrimental to your game as it would be when playing golf. A death grip on a pool cue can cause a missed shot at the table just as the same grip on a putter can cause a missed putt on a green.
So what's the cure? Just open your mouth as you make the stroke. Or, even smile. You can't be tense when you're smiling. :smile:
One thing noone has mentioned is making a firm bridge hand, whether it an open or closed bridge. Physically press your bridge hand down into the felt, and imagine your bridge hand and forearm as made of stone.
It is extremely hard to jump up when pressing your hand into the felt.
This often cures two problems at once. Jumping up, and not having a solid support for your stroke.
Russ
It is extremely hard to jump up when pressing your hand into the felt.
This often cures two problems at once. Jumping up, and not having a solid support for your stroke.
Russ
I agree and also if you do a slow-mo of most pros that look like there jumping up you'll see that the QB is already on it's way before they pop up. Too many say he or she jumped up when they miss a shot when they really just missed the shot. Johnnyt
Seems we practice everything else, but we don't practice staying down on a shot. Jumping or looking up comes from anxiety and how can you practice that?
Well you can't, but you can practice staying down or "seeing the hit." This type of practice has helped me to learn that it is part of the "normal" routine.
Well you can't, but you can practice staying down or "seeing the hit." This type of practice has helped me to learn that it is part of the "normal" routine.
you have to take a look at why you're jumping.
is it because you are uncomfortable while down on the shot? do you have a bad back, or are you standing the wrong way?
or
could it also be a part of your character? are you impatient or anxious in other aspects of your life?
of course this is hypothetical, so don't get offended.
If you answered yes to those questions, I would study about physical shaping and focusing of the mind. People who are out of shape find it more difficult to coordinate motor skills properly. It is unbelievable how many people do not have balance between their mind and body. Most people have developed one more than the other, or have neglected it altogether.
It also might be that you aren't learning how to be in the moment and might be 'jumping ahead' in your mind instead of 'letting it happen' naturally, and that might take a little more than just counting to three.
is it because you are uncomfortable while down on the shot? do you have a bad back, or are you standing the wrong way?
or
could it also be a part of your character? are you impatient or anxious in other aspects of your life?
of course this is hypothetical, so don't get offended.
If you answered yes to those questions, I would study about physical shaping and focusing of the mind. People who are out of shape find it more difficult to coordinate motor skills properly. It is unbelievable how many people do not have balance between their mind and body. Most people have developed one more than the other, or have neglected it altogether.
It also might be that you aren't learning how to be in the moment and might be 'jumping ahead' in your mind instead of 'letting it happen' naturally, and that might take a little more than just counting to three.
All good advice above.
Whatever you do, you must PRACTICE this EVERY DAY. Start off hitting balls and concentrating only on your head staying still. Then incorporate other basic necessities, like maintaining a firm bridge.
If you don't practice this every day, jumping up will creep back into your game.
Whatever you do, you must PRACTICE this EVERY DAY. Start off hitting balls and concentrating only on your head staying still. Then incorporate other basic necessities, like maintaining a firm bridge.
If you don't practice this every day, jumping up will creep back into your game.
I'll throw in some advice from Jimmy Reid. I cannot quote it word-for-word, but it goes like this:
"When I walk into a pool room and I see two people playing and I know nothing about either of them, I always put my money on the person not jumping up after the shots."
That says a lot coming from Jimmy.
For me, I just made a conscious effort to stay down. As you begin this, you will once in a while foul when the cue ball draws back, or another ball comes back to your bridge. Once you start actually fouling, you know you are staying down long enough. Obviously, you have to be aware of it, and avoid it once it starts happening, but if you have NEVER fouled from a ball hitting your bridge, you are absolutely jumping up too fast.
Also, keeping your eyes on the object ball contact point is exactly where I keep mine. Plus it looks super-cool when you are looking at that point in front of you, meanwhile the balls have banked or thin cut totally out of your view, but you KNOW the result- the balls are GOING DOWN and you don't need to move a muscle until you hear it drop. Trust me when I say those six pockets are not going to move. They will still be there, in the same place, after you finish the shot.
So much time is spent on the other mechanics of the shot, but too little is spent on this (comparably) simple part of the shot; yet it is SO important...
"When I walk into a pool room and I see two people playing and I know nothing about either of them, I always put my money on the person not jumping up after the shots."
That says a lot coming from Jimmy.
For me, I just made a conscious effort to stay down. As you begin this, you will once in a while foul when the cue ball draws back, or another ball comes back to your bridge. Once you start actually fouling, you know you are staying down long enough. Obviously, you have to be aware of it, and avoid it once it starts happening, but if you have NEVER fouled from a ball hitting your bridge, you are absolutely jumping up too fast.
Also, keeping your eyes on the object ball contact point is exactly where I keep mine. Plus it looks super-cool when you are looking at that point in front of you, meanwhile the balls have banked or thin cut totally out of your view, but you KNOW the result- the balls are GOING DOWN and you don't need to move a muscle until you hear it drop. Trust me when I say those six pockets are not going to move. They will still be there, in the same place, after you finish the shot.
So much time is spent on the other mechanics of the shot, but too little is spent on this (comparably) simple part of the shot; yet it is SO important...