Kids Playing Pool. I need Help

[ScottoB22]

I just recently bought a pool table. My kids have become very interested to play, but the problem is there hands are too small to make a bridge and the cue always hits very low on the cue ball. Any suggestions on maybe a bridge for kids. Or something you have used in the past. Please any suggestions would be great....

 

[aeoliner]

have you looked at getting childrens cues? or you could use the shaft end of a two piece cue with a portable bridgehead on it that ur kids could use as a bridge

 

[Fast Lenny]

Yes buy a bridge head and attach it to a short cue or short stick so they can place it on the table and use that to hit balls with,my son is 6 and uses open hand for now.

 

[ScottoB22]

i have gotten them a kids cue. I was thinking about buying the bridge head that fits around the cue and has wheels on the side.

 

[aeoliner]

that sounds like a good idea

 

[mosconiac]

You didn't mention just how young the kids are, but when my nephews showed interest in playing with me, I just taught them to use an open bridge. They were 6 & 8 at that time.

Not only did an open bridge work better for them, it helped illustrate the need to stroke straight.

 

[Russ Chewning]

My recommendation would be to spot them the 6 out for their allowance. They'll figure out a way for their mechanics to work for them, or they'll be broke as a joke.

Thank yah...Thank yah very much.. I'll be here till Tuesday.. Try the Veal!

Russ

 

[cardsfan]

I just recently bought a pool table. My kids have become very interested to play, but the problem is there hands are too small to make a bridge and the cue always hits very low on the cue ball. Any suggestions on maybe a bridge for kids. Or something you have used in the past. Please any suggestions would be great....

Keep it simple (basic fundamentals) and most importantly keep it FUN. The open bridge gets my vote. BTW, congrats on the new table. What kind did you get? My daughter is almost four, I can't wait to teach her how to play in a couple of years.

Good luck,
Mike

 

[minnow]

forget the cue ball

For early age success, let them shoot the object ball directly into the pocket without using the cue ball. The concept is still there and it usually is enough of a challenge for them.

 

[av84fun]

Open bridge for sure. And give some serious thought to buying/building some sort of platform for them to stand on when getting over the shot.

Otherwise, they will be forced to stroke "side arm" which is a horrible habit that will only have to be unlearned.

My friend and road warrier, Bobby Pickle at the age of 7, actually tied a rope around his waste on the other end of which was an old wooden Cola crate and he just dragged it from shot to shot. Worked for him!!

(-:

 

[LILJOHN30]

They need...

They need a nice paul mottey cue and then all will fall into place..

 

[3andstop]

Open bridge for sure. And give some serious thought to buying/building some sort of platform for them to stand on when getting over the shot.

Otherwise, they will be forced to stroke "side arm" which is a horrible habit that will only have to be unlearned.

My friend and road warrier, Bobby Pickle at the age of 7, actually tied a rope around his waste on the other end of which was an old wooden Cola crate and he just dragged it from shot to shot. Worked for him!!

(-:

I agree completely with the suggestion of a platform and for the same reasons. They will develop a sidearm stroke and thats no good.

Depending on their ages, shooting only OBs into pockets is also a good idea. An open hand fist bridge will keep the tip up a little more.

 

[hotwls13]

Open bridge for sure. And give some serious thought to buying/building some sort of platform for them to stand on when getting over the shot.

Otherwise, they will be forced to stroke "side arm" which is a horrible habit that will only have to be unlearned.

My friend and road warrier, Bobby Pickle at the age of 7, actually tied a rope around his waste on the other end of which was an old wooden Cola crate and he just dragged it from shot to shot. Worked for him!!

(-:

Boy does that bring back memories. I started when I was 5 (35 now) and I had a Blue Plastic Milk Crate that I carried around the table with me. Wish we would have thought about the rope idea though.

We just got our table last Saturday (an 8' Olhausen Sheraton), and my 10 year old son had never played. It has been almost a week now, and after me nagging him about some basics, he has improved exponentially. He is tall enough not to need a crate, and he is using a standard size cue (maybe a little long, but he is able to stroke it properly). As far as a bridge, he is learning to use the open bridge (I'm worried he will bang up my table trying to use the crutch). We have played every day since we got it, and he is addicted.

Enjoy playing with your kids and teaching them the fundamentals, I am, just like my Dad did with me. We had my Dad over on Sunday, and it was really cool having 3 generations (wow that makes me feel old) playing pool.

 

[our_auctionguy]

I'm not too sure

Kids under the age of 21 shouldn't be allowed to play pool. It could lead to EGA. "Early Gambling Addiction". In my book, I teach about the problems associated with early childhood billiards and how it leads to other financially destructive habits like, giving up weight before your stroke has fully developed, or playing cutthroat with 6 players and only 15 balls, which in turns causes fractional confusion later in elementary math, which, later makes it difficult for them to make proper change at McDonalds causing their dismissal. I really should send you a copy of my book before you ruin your children's chances at a normal life...... like mine.

 

[Runnin8]

My four kids have grown up with the table in the house and here's the progression I used.
1) At age 18 months to 2 years I held them on my hip, they held the cue and I made the bridge. Absolutely a blast this way.
2) Once they want to do it themselves, we set balls in the pockets and they did hand pool, rolling the cueball to make balls- they loved it.
3) Taught them the open bridge and had them focus on just hitting the cueball into the pocket- we kept track of how many shots it took them and reminded them to always hit the center of the cueball.
4) Added the balls set in the pockets to 3
5) Taught the closed bridge, and played "golf"- 6 balls in the jaws of the pockets and kept score of the number of shots
6) They started playing me alternating shot and hitting in any ball they wanted- no game rules, just hitting
7) Introduce 8 and 9 ball and just teach them the basics of shot making
8) Have fun watching them prorgess

But, most importantly, teach them to respect the equipment and require the same of their friends-
a) never set anything on the table, particularly their butt or a drink
b) always wash hands before playing any games on the table
c) and the cardinal rule- Never, ever, play with Daddy's cue!

Enjoy the time shared with your kids at the table!

 

[ScottoB22]

I appreciate all your comments. Yall have given me alot of good ideas. By the way my kids are 7, they are twins. And someone asked what kind of table I got. It is a 8' Olhausen Springfield-Black.
I am in the middle of insulating the walls. I put it in my garage. As soon as I get it done I will post pics.

 

[DaveK]

For early age success, let them shoot the object ball directly into the pocket without using the cue ball. The concept is still there and it usually is enough of a challenge for them.

I agree completely. This gives the kids much quicker success. They can get very frustrated trying to pot balls conventionally before they've developed a bit of a stroke and and bit of confidence in aiming. Blasting balls into pockets develops those skills just fine, and they will actually get balls into pockets much faster.

Open bridge would be a bit better than a mechanical bridge, imo.

My little girl had only occasional interest in pool at that age, and now none as a barely-pre-teen I don't push her to play pool, but she plays the flute rather well

Dave

 

[MTfish]

I've been looking at getting a mini table to teach my girlfriends kids on. I know this sounds silly but some of the ones on ebay look like they'ed play enough like a real table to show little kids (4 and 7) the basics. I got the idea because I read that SVB started on one.

 

[Ralph Kramden]

For early age success, let them shoot the object ball directly into the pocket without using the cue ball. The concept is still there and it usually is enough of a challenge for them.

My grandson, age 7, loves to play the game of Bottle Pool. The game uses only the 1 and 2 balls along with an inverted pea pool shaker bottle. There are three ways to score.. pocketing a ball, a carom into the second ball or knocking over the bottle on a carom.

I score points as the rules allow and have to knock the bottle over on a carom with the cueball. He plays differently. He has to pocket balls or corom off the balls, but can also score by hitting the cueball directly into the OB to knock over the bottle.

His bridge hand needs to be improved on but it will come as he grows. His aiming has vastly improved in one year because he loves knocking the bottle over for 5 points.