No left thumb - how to bridge?

billiardcue

billiardcue

11th Commandment
Silver Member
A friend of a friend has a 13 year old son that was born with no left thumb.

The young man wants to learn to play pool.

Need suggestions for good ways to bridge.

Maybe this device on his forefinger?

finger-bridge-az.jpg
 
Use a loop bridge with the forefinger on the middle finger. Or use other parts of the male anatomy to form a bridge.

By the way where did you find that little device? It makes me giggle.
 
Put the cue between his knuckles (pointer and middle finger) or make a loop with his pointer finger and put the finger tip on the knuckle of the middle finger. This would be for a closed bridge and only if his fingers are long enough.

I have seen a guy on youtube playing with his feet so a missing thumb... No prob.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9xDpq5NPEQ

Show him this and maybe he will find something that works.
 
f_bridgem_900817b.jpg


It depends if he's serious about the game or just wants to play for fun. If he wants to really learn the game, avoid any devices like that - I can't fathom how one could play well with it.

I would use a crossover bridge. Use his ring finger for additional underside support/height if needed. For follow shots, I'd use the same crossover style and jack-up on my middle and pinky fingers.

I bet he could play pretty well like that.
 
SpiderWebComm said:
f_bridgem_900817b.jpg


It depends if he's serious about the game or just wants to play for fun. If he wants to really learn the game, avoid any devices like that - I can't fathom how one could play well with it.

I would use a crossover bridge. Use his ring finger for additional underside support/height if needed. For follow shots, I'd use the same crossover style and jack-up on my middle and pinky fingers.

I bet he could play pretty well like that.
Click to expand...

I think this bridge would be the best also.
 
SpiderWebComm said:
f_bridgem_900817b.jpg


It depends if he's serious about the game or just wants to play for fun. If he wants to really learn the game, avoid any devices like that - I can't fathom how one could play well with it.

I would use a crossover bridge. Use his ring finger for additional underside support/height if needed. For follow shots, I'd use the same crossover style and jack-up on my middle and pinky fingers.

I bet he could play pretty well like that.
Click to expand...

Now that is a great poster, willing to cut off a thumb to give a little advice.
 
easy-e said:
He could play lefty!
Click to expand...
Two draw backs to that idea.

Now he has no thumb on his back hand to grip the butt of the cue.

If he is already right handed it would be easier to play right handed. Everybody ain't Mike Sigel.

But still it is a possibility.
 
Another vote for the crossover bridge....

Also, as E stated, teach him to shoot left-handed as well....never hurts to develop more options....
 
SpiderWebComm said:
f_bridgem_900817b.jpg


I would use a crossover bridge. Use his ring finger for additional underside support/height if needed. For follow shots, I'd use the same crossover style and jack-up on my middle and pinky fingers.

I bet he could play pretty well like that.
Click to expand...
I don't know how long a 13 year old fingers are, but if they are long enough this looks good.
 
billiardcue said:
I don't know how long a 13 year old fingers are, but if they are long enough this looks good.
Click to expand...

Length won't be the problem - flexibility will be initially. Over time, his hand will 'want' to be in this position. I honestly don't think not having a thumb is a major handicap in pool. I recall watching one STRONG player who uses a bridge similar to my pic-- he tucks his thumb neatly underneath-- totally unused.
 
I would agree with those suggesting that the young man find a way to use four fingers to make the most solid bridge possible. I think this should be a doable, and, while it may feel like a contortionist act in the beginning, I agree with Spidey that he will grow accustomed to it with time. I would guess that the closed bridge that most of us are comfortable with now felt very unnatural to us at first; I know it did for me.

I would definitely avoid devices like the one in the picture. Not only will it make him dependent on something he probably doesn't need, that device doesn't appear to even be functional. It looks really unstable for one thing, and it sits so high off of the bed of the table that I don't think you could ever apply draw without being jacked up something terrible. Plus, I can't imagine what 5 years of using a device like that would do to a shaft.

Bottom line, if the kid falls in love with the game, I don't think the thumb issue will prove much of an obstacle for him.

Good rolls,
Aaron
 
Maybe you could teach him to use the mechanical bridge whenever possible. Also, maybe some sort of a custom made glove that has some sort of bridging equipment built into it that he could make an open bridge with.

If he's never played pool before, shooting left handed might be the way to go if he can still grip the cue with his left hand.
 
billiardcue said:
A friend of a friend has a 13 year old son that was born with no left thumb.

The young man wants to learn to play pool.

Need suggestions for good ways to bridge.

Maybe this device on his forefinger?

View attachment 85153
Click to expand...


This device COULD work but your friend is probably best figuring it out on their own. A few have suggested creating a loop with his index finger over his middle finger. This is excellent advice and a lot of players use this, never actually employing their thumb for standard bridges.

The bottom line is, none of us know precisely what his limitations are AND there are plenty of scenarios that require the use of an array of bridges. Your friend is best off learning to play the game without any device. There is still so much to learn, so much to enjoy, even if he is without a thumb. In fact, there is no doubt in my mind given enough motivation and talent, that he could rise to any level.
 
Lefty

I am in favor of the left-handed choice.

Think about this:

Which is more important from a control standpoint? the grip or the bridge?

The grip is supposed to be light and automatic in terms of execution, and besides, it never really changes, just moves up and down the cue. What matters is the swing of the arm and that can be achieved by holding the cue in just the two main fingers without the aid of the thumb.

The bridge on the other hand, is much more versatile and requires much more precision on a variety of shots. It is the foundation in which your stroke is nestled. Think about this, how would this player do a rail bridge, or learn to break with any power, or even play a shot jacked up? He would be limited so much more IMO than playing right handed using the above mentioned bridge.

My recommendation is to learn to relax the muscles in the left forearm and hold the cue with the first two fingers leaving everything else fundamentally 'in place'. This way, all he has to adjust for is one thing (the pendulum) as opposed to adjusting for many different bridging techniques.

Good Luck. :wink2:
 
A guy in town here has his hand on the table, and uses only the small dimple between the 1st and 2nd finger. So he holds his hand like it was a bridge .He has almost nomovement in his thumb from an accident.
The other bridge he uses is he curls his fingertips under the palm of his and, and slightly raises the 1st finger, then uses that for the bidge. Never seen him make any type of closed bridge. He plays real well.
Neil
 
Use the CLAW!! You know, that bridge where you slide the cue between your index and middle fingers.

I have a friend who has virtually no use in his left thumb (or his right thumb for that matter). Throughout the years he's tried everything from using a mechanical bridge on every shot to using a leather strap to hold the cue. These days he clutches the cue in his fist with his index and middle fingers on top and ring and pinky underneath. Then he sets his wrist on the table to adjust height.

Your friend is going to have to try out a number of techniques before he finds something that he likes. But that's no different than any of the rest of us. I've seen some weird things including people who duct tape the cue to their gripping hand. I wouldn't suggest trying to force him into any particular technique (i.e. shooting lefty), because he'll just lose interest in the game. Just explore the different possibilities with him and he'll stick to the one he likes.
 
billiardcue said:
Two draw backs to that idea.

Now he has no thumb on his back hand to grip the butt of the cue.

If he is already right handed it would be easier to play right handed. Everybody ain't Mike Sigel.

But still it is a possibility.
Click to expand...

I once saw a guy playing with a prosthetic arm/hand - one of those hook-style jobs. He used this arm to hold the butt of the cue - just would let the cue rest in the curve of the hook. And he had little/no problems stroking with it.

I imagine just gripping with fingers like that - cupping them under the cue - would yield even more control.

I say, try lefty.
 
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