man the dart jumping technique is deadly!

scottycoyote

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i never considered myself much of a jumper, i happened to get a sledgehammer last year and of course i noticed how much easier jumping was but i still didnt consider myself very proficient at it. Well in last months inside pool i think it was there was an article on using the dart method, and i had used it before but not properly. I boned up on that article and my jumping is just deadly now. Tonight in a game i had to get my jump stick out about 5 times.....and i hit the object ball every time, once pocketing it while it was pretty much in the pocket,another time it was straight in but in the middle of the table. One jump in particular, the blocking ball was a good 2 foot from the cueball and completely blocking (not a partial jump) and i sailed over it like it was nothing. Any nonjumpers, you should really get that article...it saved me a couple times tonight.
 
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scottycoyote said:
i never considered myself much of a jumper, i happened to get a sledgehammer last year and of course i noticed how much easier jumping was but i still didnt consider myself very proficient at it. Well in last months inside pool i think it was there was an article on using the dart method, and i had used it before but not properly. I boned up on that article and my jumping is just deadly now. Tonight in a game i had to get my jump stick out about 5 times.....and i hit the object ball every time, once pocketing it while it was pretty much in the pocket,another time it was straight in but in the middle of the table. One jump in particular, the blocking ball was a good 2 foot from the cueball and completely blocking (not a partial jump) and i sailed over it like it was nothing. Any nonjumpers, you should really get that article...it saved me a couple times tonight.

What type of Jump cue were you using? Also, the times you hit the ball,
and did not make it, did you leave a 'sellout'? If you aren't making jump
shots, but just hitting the ball, many times an easy run is left for your
opponent, when you might have had better odds at just kicking the ball
to leave a 'harder' out. Only the player truly knows his jumping vs. kicking
skills, and I try to play what the best 'odds' are. I have gone ahead and
kick at a ball several times when I knew my leave would be harder from the
kick than missing a jump shot. To get your game to have more consistency,
you have to play the percentages. That goes for taking a shot vs safeties
also.
 
drivermaker said:
Yeh, and whether you use the dart technique or otherwise...the cue is AWESOME!

I thought it was rather whippy...LOL. Had to elbow you in the rib a little there DM. Welcome back BTW...
 
scottycoyote said:
i never considered myself much of a jumper, i happened to get a sledgehammer last year and of course i noticed how much easier jumping was but i still didnt consider myself very proficient at it. Well in last months inside pool i think it was there was an article on using the dart method, and i had used it before but not properly. I boned up on that article and my jumping is just deadly now. Tonight in a game i had to get my jump stick out about 5 times.....and i hit the object ball every time, once pocketing it while it was pretty much in the pocket,another time it was straight in but in the middle of the table. One jump in particular, the blocking ball was a good 2 foot from the cueball and completely blocking (not a partial jump) and i sailed over it like it was nothing. Any nonjumpers, you should really get that article...it saved me a couple times tonight.


I only use the dart stroke, never have been able to adequately control the cue ball jumping the other way.

I've tried quite a few jump cues, and they all jump, some better than others. However, my jumper, made from my first cheapie cue, jumps better than all the other jump cues I've ever tried, at least for me it does.

Here's what I did, perhaps you can make yourself one that will work for you.

After a bunch of experiments, here's the final result, and if I were to make another one, what I'd do. Cut just below the ferrule, all the way through. Just about any normal cue will be pretty thick right there. Sand it perfectly flat, perpendicular to the long axis of the cue. Measure from that point to the butt end of the cue, and cut the butt off at about 41 inches, 40 inches is the minimum allowed for a cue in BCA events. Get a phenolic tip. I bought 3 of them on eBay for $10. Install the phenolic tip on the shaft, without any ferrule. Those tips are like rock. The one I have is made of leather impregnated with some sort of phenolic, thus it should be legal in tournaments requiring a leather tip. Fashion some sort of bumper for the butt. If the cue has a stainless steel joint, try to unscrew the heavy joint, if you can. If you can remove the heavy joint, the cue will jump more easily, and jumping over balls that are say a ball to a ball and a half away from the cue ball will be much easier. Shape the tip to approximately a quarter's radius, as it will jump more reliably than a more curved tip. Be sure to rough up the tip. I use 40 grit metal finishing sand paper. Chalk the tip well. And have fun....

Flex
 
Dart Method

I jump with a Stinger, in which Tom was using in the Inside Pool article. I seldom use the dart method, I prefer the pendulum method. I just feel I have more control with the pendulum.
Just my .02
Biz
 
I prefer the pendulum method too. Well, normally i just use the phenolic tipped cue thats only full size to jump, so i couldnt use the dart method. I had an extra cheap butt that i just cut down and i tried the dart method and it worked, but i couldnt jump over any balls that were over 2 feet away.
 
Different Jumps

I do find when your in close to balls and (I know i'm catch hell for this) need to get it up quick, the dart method works good. If the ball is a ways away i like to use a full cue. Medium range i like breaking the Stinger down and using the pendulum method.

Biz
 
Snapshot9 said:
What type of Jump cue were you using? Also, the times you hit the ball,
and did not make it, did you leave a 'sellout'? If you aren't making jump
shots, but just hitting the ball, many times an easy run is left for your
opponent, when you might have had better odds at just kicking the ball
to leave a 'harder' out. Only the player truly knows his jumping vs. kicking
skills, and I try to play what the best 'odds' are. I have gone ahead and
kick at a ball several times when I knew my leave would be harder from the
kick than missing a jump shot. To get your game to have more consistency,
you have to play the percentages. That goes for taking a shot vs safeties
also.

im using the sledgehammer like i said in the post. I know what you mean about just hitting the object ball and selling out, but actually the other 3 times i hit the ball i left 2 safeties and 1 fairly difficult shot, although i have to say that was all pretty much luck, i really dont have much control if the ball doesnt go in. I know what youre saying about playing the %, i usually kick at balls when at all possible unless its just right in the pocket, these were instances where the object ball was in the middle of the table and it was doubtful i could even hit it if i kicked, which would be the ultimate sellout in 9ball (ball in hand).
I also jump using the pendulum method, but if you need to get the cueball up quick and high the dart really works great, the key for me was learning to get my body sideways and locking my arm against my chest (as in the article). Sorry I dont have a link for it.
 
when Tom "Dr Cue" Rossman helped me with the jump shot, he taught me the Dart method. first thing he had me do was to jump over a piece of chalk. then a couple of pieces of chalk. both about a foot away. he gradually increased the difficulty of the shot, until that same day, i jumped over a ball. thought that was pretty good, he was letting me use his Jump Daddy jump cue he won the ESPN trick shot challenge with.

i now have a Lucasi jump cue, it works pretty well, and i use the dart method for all jump shots. if its too far to reach, i just kick at it instead.

DCP
 
I have a Jerico Thumper that doesn't have the same tip radius as when I bought it new...I thank Mr. Searing for shaping it. I usually jump full cue unless it is a pretty close jump. Then I use what I guess is called the pendulum stroke. It works for me...I pocket balls and control the rock better full cue but I can deal with it broke down. One thing I do that I have only seen one other person do, the guy I learned it from is jump with a bridge. People see that and think it is something out of the ordinary. Skill required yes. As long as you can keep the cue on the birdge your good. Aiming is so much easier that way. JMO, FWIW.
 
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