Old timer short bridge hand length

garczar said:
guess you've never watched hopkins play. one of the best of his era. used a short/jabby/punchy delivery that held up well under the gun.
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Those guys played mostly on close to 5 inch pockets - Diamond tables changed everything about who was great and who was not- I think that the Europeans figured this all out first.
 
pt109 said:
I used a lot of closed bridges, even at snooker. It gives you freedom for controlling the cue ball….you can kinda throw the cue at whitey for special effects. Open bridge makes me more mechanical.
Even Joe Davis recommended a closed bridge for power ’screw’.
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Thanks (even though I don't understand what "throw the cue at whitey for special effects" means).

pj
chgo
 
Patrick Johnson said:
How does a longer bridge "impart more reverse braking action on the CB"? Do you mean a longer bridge makes you hit harder?

pj
chgo
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I agree with you, my choice of words was incorrect, what I am trying to say is that the European players with their longer bridges appear to use that stroke style in order to achieve a very smooth and constant cue tip movement through the cue ball - the long back stroke and resultant forward motion at least appears to achieve a lot of backspin on the CB on many of their shots.
I just don't know how else to explain the way they can kill that CB off the rails at the angles and distances that I see them do so often- the very top players, anyhow.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
How does a longer bridge "impart more reverse braking action on the CB"? Do you mean a longer bridge makes you hit harder?
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mikemosconi said:
I agree with you, my choice of words was incorrect, what I am trying to say is that the European players with their longer bridges appear to use that stroke style in order to achieve a very smooth and constant cue tip movement through the cue ball - the long back stroke and resultant forward motion at least appears to achieve a lot of backspin on the CB on many of their shots.
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I'm guessing this means the longer stroke allows a smoother, more controlled buildup of speed...?

mikemosconi said:
I just don't know how else to explain the way they can kill that CB off the rails at the angles and distances that I see them do so often- the very top players, anyhow.
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No worries... thanks for trying. (y)

pj
chgo
 
Patrick Johnson said:
I'm guessing this means the longer stroke allows a smoother, more controlled buildup of speed...?


No worries... thanks for trying. (y)

pj
chgo
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Yes - that is my observation- I struggle so much with my stroke that is just not smooth enough in the build up of speed- often I just get too fast in my forward motion- I wish that way back when, I could have received the type of early stroke training that these younger European top players obviously were schooled in at a very early age . I took lessons from some very great players back in the 80s - but none of them really taught stroke mechanics like we see today- not even close- unfortunately- all these guys grew up on 14.1.
I still work on it though- using a video for feedback- trying to teach this old horse new tricks. :)
 
4railer said:
The old school guys Buddy, Grady, Danny D , Nick, Billy Incardona , Tony Elin, Cliff, Sigel , Rempe so many more had such short bridge hand length . Few people have that today Alex P, Lee Van sometimes. What happen through the years that changed so drastically ? Lee Van changes his lengths depending what he needs the CB to do . Thoughts on why it’s changed so much ?
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I think it was just a style of play employed by the best of the older era and broadly imitated.

I mean, if it's good enough for Mosconi, Greenleaf, et al, who is going to argue?

Later on, players evolved on their own and created a different style with longer and more often an open hand bridge.

Lou Figueroa
 
lfigueroa said:
Later on, players evolved on their own and created a different style with longer and more often an open hand bridge.
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I get the longer bridge and speed control logic (although I think longer bridges can make tip placement precision harder), but I've never heard a convincing practical argument for closed bridges, other than it's reassuring (which is worth something).

pj
chgo
 
iusedtoberich said:
I watched Grady vs Diliberto playing 9 ball on last night's Accu-Stats live on youtube.

Holly molly, their strokes stunk, imo. Weird jabs, no smoothness, bunch of sideways movement, no or little backstroke. No thanks.
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I watched the same match, and while I agree about DiLiberto, I love Grady’s stroke. I would call it economy of movement, and when he really needed action, his stroke was noticeably longer and smoother.

I used to think the older guys were “yippy” when they would dive their sticks on certain shots, but now I think it was a way to add a little more action for at least some of them.

For some reason, I also love Grady’s no-warmup stroke. Get the aim right and fire makes sense to me. Why risk getting off by adding strokes?

The beard didn’t fit him though!!😳
 
Nature Boy said:
I watched the same match, and while I agree about DiLiberto, I love Grady’s stroke. I would call it economy of movement, and when he really needed action, his stroke was noticeably longer and smoother.

I used to think the older guys were “yippy” when they would dive their sticks on certain shots, but now I think it was a way to add a little more action for at least some of them.

For some reason, I also love Grady’s no-warmup stroke. Get the aim right and fire makes sense to me. Why risk getting off by adding strokes?

The beard didn’t fit him though!!😳
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I loved they both played fast, from walking to the table, thinking about the shot, to the execution. I wish all players today were like that. Pool would be so much more enjoyable to watch.
 
ShootingArts said:
Well I'll start the new year off right! Everybody misses sometimes. Everybody would miss less with an eight to ten inch bridge and using a properly formed closed bridge. Not as comfortable, not as cool, and you have to learn different cue ball action when you move away from the pivot point.

I spent many hours in high school classes with my bridge hand in a closed bridge position training the joints so I could hold it without pain. Being lazy as we all are I would occasionally stretch out on the nine and ten foot tables and use an open bridge for an easy shot. I didn't have to learn to aim with my bridge blocking part of the shaft and there was no stress and strain on my bridge hand.

I started using the open bridge more and more until I was using it seventy-five to eighty-five percent of the time. I missed a little more but the competition was soft and I still won a lot more than I lost. Then a short stop that mentored me a bit said always use a closed bridge and that eight to ten inch bridge. I had to learn to aim with the bridge finger in the way but we aim a gun with front and rear sights. For several years I shot with a closed bridge under a foot long the vast majority of the time and I played good pool. Maybe five percent of the time I used an open bridge. When I did in my mentor's pool hall I looked over at him and he nodded his head. There was a place for an open bridge, just don't get carried away with it.

Well I have gotten sloppy and lazy again and my arthritis in my hands is pretty bad so I use an open bridge again. Every once in awhile I go to the closed bridge most of the time for a session or two. I shoot better that way but it is rough on old hands. Deep down I know a shorter bridge is more effective, so is a closed bridge.

Watch Buddy Hall. Over the course of a match you will almost certainly see his tip disappear into his closed bridge because it is also short. Look at Efren in his young years in particular. A longer bridge but a closed bridge. Before others mention snooker players I will. A pool player typically has two points of contact and one of them is the moving grip. Snooker players have three or four points of contact and only one moves. I used extra points of contact pretty often in my peak years. When the cue had to move straight back and forth it worked better. The pendulum hadn't entered my vocabulary yet.

If I had a way to keep them honest I would bet any ten people on this forum their potting percentage would improve if they shortened up their bridge and used a closed bridge for sixty days. Even a week or two would show improvement but ironing in new habits and getting comfortable with them takes time.

A freebie for the new year. Like a lot of things I can tell it to the world knowing that people aren't going to change from what they are comfortable with. I am not either, but I don't have a lot of money riding on my game anymore.

Hu
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Thank God I can still use a closed bridge. Open feels naked and only use on those shots requiring it. Excellent post Hu!!
 
We
mikemosconi said:
Agreed - the only way these top top players can control the CB on super fast tables for rotation games is to have a longer bridge stroke that imparts more reverse braking action on the CB for most of their shots. It is an art that they learn to master and it gives them the edge needed in critical position play for very fast playing conditions. The average player just cannot perform in this manner.
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Well said!!!
 
Nature Boy said:
I watched the same match, and while I agree about DiLiberto, I love Grady’s stroke. I would call it economy of movement, and when he really needed action, his stroke was noticeably longer and smoother.

I used to think the older guys were “yippy” when they would dive their sticks on certain shots, but now I think it was a way to add a little more action for at least some of them.

For some reason, I also love Grady’s no-warmup stroke. Get the aim right and fire makes sense to me. Why risk getting off by adding strokes?

The beard didn’t fit him though!!😳
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Aim and fire!!
 
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