Loose wrist...

[NewGuy]

I've been taking lessons for the past 6 weeks and things are going well. I'm seeing a big improvment, especially with my banks and kicks. However, the one big problem I'm having is keeping my wrist loose. If I concentrate and take a long time with the shot, I can keep it loose. But, most times it's just too tight. I don't have a death grip, but it is affecting certain shots. What's the best way to get rid of it?

 

[pillage6]

If you just let the cue hang, like dead weight you will have to keep your wrist loose. That is what I try and do, I believe it also helps you keep the cue straigher that way and also gives you a better feel on contact.

 

[Andrew Manning]

Try putting a cube of chalk in your grip hand while you shoot, so that your fingers are under the cue, cradling it, and the chalk is between the cue and your palm. It will be uncomfortable for your hand to clench up because the chalk is angular and doesn't your palm nearly so well as your round cue butt, and so if you keep shooting this way for a few hours, your subconscious will learn not to tighten your grip hand too much. Also, you'll never have to go looking for the chalk in between shots, it's always right with you!

Hope this helps, I know some players whose grip was improved with this trick.

-Andrew

 

[LastTwo]

Who told you to keep your wrist loose? Whoever said that is full of shit. Unless you are trying to copy Bustamante's style, your wrist should remain stable. Not loose, not tight, but stable. Pay close attention to how almost all of the pros play. They keep their wrists stable, the only loose floppy wrist you will see is Bustamante's, and maybe one or two other players.

 

[Jaden]

I agree with last two.

You don't want your wrist loose. I think what was meant is that you want the weight of the cue to do the work. You don't want to force the cue through the CB. You want your GRIP to be loose not your wrist. Most people when using a loose wrist will have a tendency to pull their wrist on some shots and at the least will have decreased consistency on CB control and at worst will miss the shot.

 

[TheConArtist]

Who told you to keep your wrist loose? Whoever said that is full of shit. Unless you are trying to copy Bustamante's style, your wrist should remain stable. Not loose, not tight, but stable. Pay close attention to how almost all of the pros play. They keep their wrists stable, the only loose floppy wrist you will see is Bustamante's, and maybe one or two other players.

I totally agree LastTwo, and i know you shouldn't copy anyones stroke style but be comfortable with your own style.

 

[NewGuy]

Who told you to keep your wrist loose? Whoever said that is full of shit. Unless you are trying to copy Bustamante's style, your wrist should remain stable. Not loose, not tight, but stable. Pay close attention to how almost all of the pros play. They keep their wrists stable, the only loose floppy wrist you will see is Bustamante's, and maybe one or two other players.

I should clarify what I meant. What I'm trying to do is have a relaxed grip and have my wrist swing free with the stroke. I tend to lock my wrist which causes the cue to swing up on my follow through.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm going to try that chalk in my hand trick.

 

[MacGyver]

2 things:

1: Swinging up on your follow through is totally natural with a pendalum stroke and as long as its consistant isnt something you nessecarily should be getting rid of.

2: I notice when I am in "the zone" I tighten up on my hand over my normal stroke which is normally loose, and I feel it gives me better control... so I would also experiment with how you shoot when you are shooting well vs. bad, and then just focus on concentrating on making EVERY shot constistant and comfortable.

 

[Jaden]

I should clarify what I meant. What I'm trying to do is have a relaxed grip and have my wrist swing free with the stroke. I tend to lock my wrist which causes the cue to swing up on my follow through.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm going to try that chalk in my hand trick.

Ok I think I get what you're talking about.

What you're aiming for, no pun intended, is to have your cue go straight through the CB. So your not looking for fluidity in the wrist up and back but rather from side to side, so that the cue moves freely and doesn't dip or raise as you stroke? right? Yes that is a good thing, the straighter you can keep your cue throughout the stroke the more consistent you will be in your CB control.

However, if you're letting the cue do the work and not forcing it through the CB that will happen naturally. If you are trying to force your wrist to be loose then it won't. When you grip the cue hold it loosely to the point you ALMOST feel it slip in your grip as your cue makes contact with the CB.

If you do that it should allow the side to side motion of your wrist to remain loose. When I say side to side I mean relative to your arm, not relative to the line of the cue.

 

[NewGuy]

Ok I think I get what you're talking about.

What you're aiming for, no pun intended, is to have your cue go straight through the CB. So your not looking for fluidity in the wrist up and back but rather from side to side, so that the cue moves freely and doesn't dip or raise as you stroke? right? Yes that is a good thing, the straighter you can keep your cue throughout the stroke the more consistent you will be in your CB control.

However, if you're letting the cue do the work and not forcing it through the CB that will happen naturally. If you are trying to force your wrist to be loose then it won't. When you grip the cue hold it loosely to the point you ALMOST feel it slip in your grip as your cue makes contact with the CB.

If you do that it should allow the side to side motion of your wrist to remain loose. When I say side to side I mean relative to your arm, not relative to the line of the cue.

Yup, that's exactly what I'm talking about! I'm trying to keep my cue straight as I stroke through. I want the cue to move my wrist, not my wrist move the cue. When I lock or tighten my wrist, the cue tends to rise up as I stroke through. I believe this is the main reason I have such a terrible draw shot.

 

[Gregg]

For what it's worth, and Robert Byrne, who many consider an instructors in instructor, on his instructional tape "Byrne's Standard tape of Billiards Vol. 1" has him covering what he calls the "classic stroke", and although he gives many things that should be done, he specifically mentions that some shooters have either a loose or firm wrist on their stroke. He said that either way is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Jaden]

yes it will.

Yup, that's exactly what I'm talking about! I'm trying to keep my cue straight as I stroke through. I want the cue to move my wrist, not my wrist move the cue. When I lock or tighten my wrist, the cue tends to rise up as I stroke through. I believe this is the main reason I have such a terrible draw shot.

It will make drawing more difficult. Actually it will make consistency in CB control drop considerably. Try this to fix it.

Away from the table, hold the cue at the balance point so that it's balancing in your grip. I suggest only holding it with your thumb and first two fingers. This isn't of course how you would shoot this is just to overcome your problem.

Then what you do is while holding it balanced only in the one hand practicemoving your elbow back and forth in your normal stroking motion. letting the weight of the cue help to keep it balanced.

You'll notice that when the cue maintains it's line that your wrist will have a pendulum effect and will rotate back and forth. On the backstroke your wrist will rotate forward and on the forward stroke your wrist will rotate backward. This is in reference to the cue's line not the arm's. In reference to the arm it will rotate left or right but will differ depending on which hand you use. That's why you use the cue's line.

It's this pendulum motion that you want to use when stroking the ball and your stroke will become straighter and your consistency will grow.

If you want to do it so that you get the feel of it while holding the cue closer to your normal grip, then do the practice with the shaft removed.