New Video on How to Master the DRAW SHOT

dr_dave

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
FYI, I just posted a new video that discusses and demonstrates how to master the sometimes-elusive draw shot. It covers "best practices,” useful techniques, and effective drills to help you develop and improve skills. Check it out:


Contents:
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - Technique
2:09 - Common Errors
5:06 - Distance Control
7:08 - Angle Control
10:46 - Useful Drills
12:52 - Wrap Up

As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments, questions, complaints, and requests.

Enjoy!
 
@dr_dave this is a very helpful vid.
I have a tendency to tense up on long draws . What tends to happen is the q-ball doesnt keep the intended spin, rather it will slightly jump the q-ball , in turn killing off / minimizing the draw.

After applying the "low & slow " combined with the "relaxed grip & arm" technique you showed, my draw is undoubtedly more accurate in terms of speed , as well as consistency.

Its easy to fall into lazy habits, even though Im aware how important mechanics are, I still sometimes take shortcuts after long durations of play, which only leads to a gradual decline.
Your vids always remind me to stay diligent & focused.

Thanks for the eye opener.
 
Last edited:
SKILLZELITE said:
@dr_dave this is a very helpful vid.
I have a tendency to tense up on long draws . What tends to happen is the q-ball doesnt keep the intended spin, rather it will slightly jump the q-ball , in turn killing off / minimizing the draw.

After applying the "low & slow " combined with the "relaxed grip & arm" technique you showed, my draw is undoubtedly more accurate in terms of speed , as well as consistency.

Its easy to fall into lazy habits, even though Im aware how important mechanics are, I still sometimes take shortcuts after long durations of play, which only leads to a gradual decline.
Your vids always remind me to stay diligent & focused.

Thanks for the eye opener.
Click to expand...

I’m glad you found the video helpful. I also need to constantly remind myself (and pretty much every student I’ve had over 20 years) to stay relaxed during draw shots.
 
Last edited:
Controlling draw distance with stroke length is a technique I don’t use. It’s usually just ‘tips’ below center. I’ll have to try this out.

As usual I appreciate the time & effort you put into your instructional videos posted on AZB.
 
Pocket Change said:
Controlling draw distance with stroke length is a technique I don’t use. It’s usually just ‘tips’ below center. I’ll have to try this out.

As usual I appreciate the time & effort you put into your instructional videos posted on AZB.
Click to expand...

Varying the tip height works well also, especially for close-range shots, but varying speed with a low tip generally offers better control.
 
dr_dave said:
FYI, I just posted a new video that discusses and demonstrates how to master the sometimes-elusive draw shot. It covers "best practices,” useful techniques, and effective drills to help you develop and improve skills. Check it out:


Contents:
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - Technique
2:09 - Common Errors
5:06 - Distance Control
7:08 - Angle Control
10:46 - Useful Drills
12:52 - Wrap Up

As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments, questions, complaints, and requests.

Enjoy!
Click to expand...
Well done, another great video Dr. Dave!!
 
dr_dave said:
I’m glad you found the video helpful. I also need to constantly remind myself (and pretty much every student I’ve had over 20 years) to stay relaxed during draw shots.
Click to expand...

Other than mental notes, do you have a drill to reinforce / exaggerate loose grip and arm?
 
kling&allen said:
Other than mental notes, do you have a drill to reinforce / exaggerate loose grip and arm?
Click to expand...

I think it is best to just focus on this while doing any of the drills in the videos on the draw shot advice and drills resource page. It can also help to do “air stokes” while looking back at your hand to force you to really focus on not tightening the grip during the stroke. It can also help to stay down and still after each shot during a drill and ask if your grip feels as relaxed after the shot as it did before the shot. If not, repeat with focus until it does.
 
dr_dave said:
I think it is best to just focus on this while doing any of the drills in the videos on the draw shot advice and drills resource page. It can also help to do “air stokes” while looking back at your hand to force you to really focus on not tightening the grip during the stroke. It can also help to stay down and still after each shot during a drill and ask if your grip feels as relaxed after the shot as it did before the shot. If not, repeat with focus until it does.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
I’m a big fan of using a stripe as the cueball to define what the miscue limit is and when someone makes an attempt at draw have them look for a chalk mark to see if they actually hit where they were intending to on the cueball. I think all the advice in the video is great. I’m just a big fan of starting with this information first as the basis for all the rest to build upon.
 
MattPoland said:
I’m a big fan of using a stripe as the cueball to define what the miscue limit is and when someone makes an attempt at draw have them look for a chalk mark to see if they actually hit where they were intending to on the cueball.
Click to expand...

Me too. Although, not all stripes are the correct width. See:


MattPoland said:
I think all the advice in the video is great. I’m just a big fan of starting with this information first as the basis for all the rest to build upon.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It helps to practice with "best practices" fundamentals. Otherwise, you build "muscle memory" for bad habits.
 
Draw was difficult for me to learn. I became focused on it last year and spent months trying to master it.

Short draws when the cue ball was near the object ball was easy enough. Yet as the distance lengthened between CB and OB, it became much harder.

I just couldn’t get much draw. Most of my shots turned into stop shots.

So I watched a ton of videos, including all of DrDave’s.

I was hitting the ball low enough, but I was hitting it too hard at first.

My stroke was short and snappy, it turned out. I had barely any pause on the backswing and a rushed foreswing. I did not accelerate fully thru the CB. I also elevated a bit thinking I needed to hit down.

***

First thing I did was change from an open bridge to a closed bridge and lengthen my stroke. Then I introduced a pause before the foreswing after watching a Niels Feijin video. Progress.

Still wasn’t getting consistent draw.

Next big breakthrough was a slower backswing before the pause. A fast transition meant I was decelerating when I hit the CB instead of accelerating.

Still not quite there, though.

***

Then came my final aha moment. A loose grip.

Honestly, I don’t think this gets emphasized enough in most draw-stroke videos.

Oh, they all say keep a loose grip. But most don’t really tell you just how loose. Like, really loose!

My bridge is the stable part. My grip is now featherlight. Every time I tense my grip up, the odds of scooping the CB soar.

Now I’ve mostly got it down.

1)Closed bridge 2)Extremely loose grip 3)Level cue. 4)Slow backswing. 5)Slight pause. 6)Smooth transition to the foreswing. 7)Accelerate thru the CB. 8)Keep still.
 
jbart65 said:
… my final aha moment. A loose grip.
Click to expand...

This is definitely the most important element for most people. The grip must be relaxed, with no tightening, during the entire stroke for effective, consistent, and controlled draw.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top