My 4 keys to a good stance..

[The Renfro]

Anyone have more to add???

4 Keys to a good stance.....

Balance.... If you are not solidly planted you are doing it wrong......

Consistent head position relative to the cue.....
This may be the single most important aspect for good play.. If you are not feeding the brain the same images everyday you won't progress....

Consistent gap between your hip and your arm.... This is a check for the one above and builds muscle memory important one for developing a consistent delivery....

Consistent distance from the cueball when you drop down... This is where stretching and crowding can totally ruin a shot... It also reinforces the images you are feeding your brain... Having the eyes sliding back and forth on the shot line requires them to work harder and can reduce accuracy......

Coming up with a stance that delivers the cue properly where it doesn't veer left or right thru delivery.... where the arm is in proper position to repeat and muscle memory can be reinforced.... is elusive...

The best thing you can do is to have an extra set of eyes on you or a camera set up and make adjustments until you are comfortable and making balls consistently....

Long straight in draw shots bringing the cueball straight back to you are the most helpful since you have to see the ball properly and deliver the cue straight down the line you are seeing..... I prefer them to the up and down drill where you try hit the end rail and try and bring the cueball back into your tip because you have to actually stroke the draw shot........


Chris

 

[owll]

Stuff to experiment with stance:

rotating forward knee in or out, to adjust weight distribution.

rotating feet, individually in or out, to get as solid foot print as possible.

consistent position of elbow in relation to rest of body, and consistent position of shooting shoulder (if shoulder is scrunched up, well make sure its always scrunched on shot)


One of the things I will look at occasionally to check my stance, is when im down over a shot (back rail) i will look at down at my feet to check their relationship to my cue. For me, cue goes over base of big toe on front foot, and middle of back foot.

 

[dr_dave]

Anyone have more to add???

FYI, there's lots of stance-related advice, including video demonstrations, here:

stance technique advice resource page

Enjoy,
Dave

 

[CreeDo]

CJ has a lot to say about feet. My foot position relative to every shot is automatic but sometimes I feel like I planted it a hair sideways. It inevitably ruins my shot if I don't stand up.

I think you have a great point about feeding the brain the same visuals (so it starts to recognize
familiar shots and adjusts aim accordingly). Something I wonder is... if you grow up shooting with an
upright stance, and then try to get down low, does it all look like new unfamiliar visual patterns?
Would that be like learning how to aim from scratch?

I have a buddy with this issue and I'm forever harping on him to get down low but after 20+ years
of standing semi-upright it might be a lost cause.

I do think it is tremendously helpful to have the tip, cue ball, and object ball all in one shot picture.
Rather than forcing your eyes to flick back and forth between them.

 

[FranCrimi]

Anyone have more to add???

4 Keys to a good stance.....

Balance.... If you are not solidly planted you are doing it wrong......

Consistent head position relative to the cue.....
This may be the single most important aspect for good play.. If you are not feeding the brain the same images everyday you won't progress....

Consistent gap between your hip and your arm.... This is a check for the one above and builds muscle memory important one for developing a consistent delivery....

Consistent distance from the cueball when you drop down... This is where stretching and crowding can totally ruin a shot... It also reinforces the images you are feeding your brain... Having the eyes sliding back and forth on the shot line requires them to work harder and can reduce accuracy......

Coming up with a stance that delivers the cue properly where it doesn't veer left or right thru delivery.... where the arm is in proper position to repeat and muscle memory can be reinforced.... is elusive...

The best thing you can do is to have an extra set of eyes on you or a camera set up and make adjustments until you are comfortable and making balls consistently....

Long straight in draw shots bringing the cueball straight back to you are the most helpful since you have to see the ball properly and deliver the cue straight down the line you are seeing..... I prefer them to the up and down drill where you try hit the end rail and try and bring the cueball back into your tip because you have to actually stroke the draw shot........


Chris

That's good stuff, Chris. Nicely done.