legal jump shot technique

noRulez

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello all - first post,

I've just recently got a new table at home but it is an older FW table that I'm guessing has some sort of wooden surface...definitely not slate. I am able to jump on this table fairly easily. I just jack my stick up to 45 degrees and hit towards the center (or core) of the ball and I can jump a ball no problem. I thought i had taught myself how to jump at home. When I went to a bar my friend owns and tried the same thing on the bar table (slate bed), I can get maybe a half an inch off the table if I really try. Can anyone give me any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong at the bar compared to at home or is it just the slate vs. whatever I have? Do I need to try a jump/break cue? Here is a video of me jumping the cue ball at home.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=12671859

Any tips would be appreciated.
 
By "Earl's right arm" you're saying that I'd really need to come down on the ball hard with a regular cue to jump on slate, correct? So I can join the gym or buy a jump/break cue. :)
 
noRulez said:
By "Earl's right arm" you're saying that I'd really need to come down on the ball hard with a regular cue to jump on slate, correct? So I can join the gym or buy a jump/break cue. :)

You could always go the steroid route. :D
 
It's the balls and the table. The balls and table that you using at home is too perfect. Anyone could jump with those balls and table. Mostly at the bar, everything is wrong, bad balls and bad table. I've seen how bad balls and bad tables could effect the jump. I had two very good players who taught me how to jump. The funniest thing, both couldn't jump on the table where we are practicing at. So one of them changed the balls with his own aramith balls. And ofcourse it jumps, not very high, but it jumps if you try it really hard. After that, we went to another bar with better tables and it jumps much better.

There are a few things that could help you to jump better.
First of all, you need a different stroke. You hit the CB and immediately stopped. You shouldn't do that, you must have a follow through.
The second, if you try to jump at the bar, you need to have a more powerfull stroke. So hit it much harder.
The third, you hit it to low. You need to hit above center, not center.
The fourth, it sounds like you are jumping with a leather tip. Change it to a phenolic tip. My personaly favorite tip is a White Diamond, jumps even better.
The fifth, you can use a jumpcue, that way, you can hit it faster and harder.
 
WesleyW said:
It's the balls and the table. The balls and table that you using at home is too perfect. Anyone could jump with those balls and table. Mostly at the bar, everything is wrong, bad balls and bad table. I've seen how bad balls and bad tables could effect the jump. I had two very good players who taught me how to jump. The funniest thing, both couldn't jump on the table where we are practicing at. So one of them changed the balls with his own aramith balls. And ofcourse it jumps, not very high, but it jumps if you try it really hard. After that, we went to another bar with better tables and it jumps much better.

There are a few things that could help you to jump better.
First of all, you need a different stroke. You hit the CB and immediately stopped. You shouldn't do that, you must have a follow through.
The second, if you try to jump at the bar, you need to have a more powerfull stroke. So hit it much harder.
The third, you hit it to low. You need to hit above center, not center.
The fourth, it sounds like you are jumping with a leather tip. Change it to a phenolic tip. My personaly favorite tip is a White Diamond, jumps even better.
The fifth, you can use a jumpcue, that way, you can hit it faster and harder.

Doesn't hitting above center trap the cue ball? I've seen some say to hit center and some say to hit a little below center but never have I heard above center.
 
noRulez said:
Doesn't hitting above center trap the cue ball? I've seen some say to hit center and some say to hit a little below center but never have I heard above center.

Not if you do it right. It should be like 0.5" above center.

When I look at the video, I can't see it clear what distance you are jumping at. But when you hit a little above center, you could put the CB half the length, what's shown in the video, and also jumps easily over the blocked ball.

Have you tried it yet?

It sure need some practice. It wouldn't trap if you use enough power.
 
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WesleyW said:
Not if you do it right. It should be like 0.5" above center.

When I look at the video, I can't see it clear what distance you are jumping at. But when you hit a little above center, you could put the CB half the length, what's shown in the video, and also jumps easily over the blocked ball.

Have you tried it yet? It sure need some practice.

I might have to video tape myself doing it close up and above center to see what happens because when I do it, it just makes a loud bang and the ball squirts out from under my stick without getting any air.
 
I have watch your video again. There is also something I've notice. I dont know if it could help you, because I haven't try to jump with a 58" long cue =P. But normally when you using a jumpcue you need to lean forward. You didn't lean forward enough. If you lean forward you can put more power on your stroke.
 
I just "analyzed" my stroke and it seems that I am hitting below center. What should I be doing with my bridge hand? Move it closer to the ball? Jack up less? more? See attached pic.
 

Attachments

  • jump_stroke.JPG
    jump_stroke.JPG
    11.5 KB · Views: 176
I thought you where hitting the red spot =P (I call that center).

639qryo.jpg


If the blocked ball is close, you need to move your hand more to the CB. If the blocked ball is far away, you should need to jack up less. Always remember, you need to think that you hit the CB through the table, and not jumping the ball.
 
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First ...

noRulez said:
I just "analyzed" my stroke and it seems that I am hitting below center. What should I be doing with my bridge hand? Move it closer to the ball? Jack up less? more? See attached pic.[/QUOTE

That all depends on how close you are to the ball being jumped. What you should be calculating is the angle the cue ball should strike or bounce into the slate (should it continue on a downward motion past the slate), and the angle it will send the cue ball into the air with. (much like judging angles off rails for banking or kicking). So, to make it short, it depends on how long the cue ball needs to be in the air, the length of being airborn.

The rules state you have to elevate your cue, and I think it mentions 45 degrees or more, and have to strike the cue ball at center or below without scooping it.

FYI, There are 2 types of jumpshots:
1) Most widely used legal jumpshot, referred to as the Squirt Jumpshot, performed by the 'stroke' or 'dart' method.
2) The lesser known, and even lesser performed, especially today, is the
'Over the Top' or 'Alley-Oop' jump shot. This type of jump shot was used in the past for long jump shots, and produces an Alley Oop type effect on the cue ball after it takes flight, but usually has with it a slight masse type effect when landing. This is where your cue strikes the cue ball near the top, and the cue ball jumps but goes backward a little to the right of your cue if righthanded, and then forward, thus producing the Alley Oop type effect.
 
noRulez said:
Doesn't hitting above center trap the cue ball? I've seen some say to hit center and some say to hit a little below center but never have I heard above center.

That's quite funny that you said that. The reason being is because that happened to me when I was trying out for a jump follow. I tried to hit it with like a tip of follow and it just like.. completely stuck. My first reaction was: Boy, do I look like Benny Hill when he was playing snooker! :D But to answer that question: Necessarily, you can just hit it with center (MAYBE just like 1/4 tip of follow) with an angle of around 28 degrees, accelerating your stroke when hitting the cueball (and I mean FAST) and what would happen is the cueball (while airborne) will naturally catch the rolling motion and will just take it's course.

Another thing, if you're gonna do jump shots, I recommend that you do it on a decent 4x8 table with nappy cloth first; it's much easier. Bar tables have the *slightly* large cueball--- not good.

On Wesley's behalf: 1 rep for you buddy! Nice job on the explainations!
 
Thanks for all your help guys! This forum is amazing. Also, thanks for pointing out the reps deal...hadn't noticed that. Now I can give credit where credit is due.
 
SlickRick_PCS said:
That's quite funny that you said that. The reason being is because that happened to me when I was trying out for a jump follow. I tried to hit it with like a tip of follow and it just like.. completely stuck. My first reaction was: Boy, do I look like Benny Hill when he was playing snooker! :D But to answer that question: Necessarily, you can just hit it with center (MAYBE just like 1/4 tip of follow) with an angle of around 28 degrees, accelerating your stroke when hitting the cueball (and I mean FAST) and what would happen is the cueball (while airborne) will naturally catch the rolling motion and will just take it's course.

Another thing, if you're gonna do jump shots, I recommend that you do it on a decent 4x8 table with nappy cloth first; it's much easier. Bar tables have the *slightly* large cueball--- not good.

On Wesley's behalf: 1 rep for you buddy! Nice job on the explainations!

Thanks.

I have also seen a large cueball, that totally sucks, don't like it at all. CB is like 60.3mm and the objectballs 57.2mm. When playing, sometimes you think it will pass some slightly blocked balls, but forgetting the CB is a little larger :mad: . It's also much heavier.
 
normally on tables that are slow and cheap sets of balls I won't even bother trying to jump a full ball, the masse is just easier to at least get the hit.

Best way to gain confidence in your stroke is to jump over a house cue, then jump half balls, then make your way to full balls.
 
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