I agree with you about stability. But I think that it largely depends on 2 factors:
1) What size table you are playing on. For example on a snooker table you will probably have plenty of room to put your forearm down; not so on a barbox.
2) Your stance, and in particular your foot position. I stand very square on to the shot, and as a result have quite a lot of weight over my bridge hand. As a result, the 'Segal bridge' is a bit problematical. But many pool players (including Segal) has one foot quite far forward. With this stance, it should be less of an issue, since the front leg can take most of the weight.
Like so many elements of billiard technique, one thing is connected with another ...
Your first point is interesting, because I'm almost always on a bar box and it's rare I can't find a point for my elbow. I'm usually wrapping my bridge arm around ball to get there, but I usually can find a spot to put it. I figure as long as my bridge hand is stable it doesn't matter what angle the arm's at. I'm sure there's a tradeoff between comfort and stability, there.
For the second point, I don't really have a set stance for the lower body, which results in not having a set position for the upper body. Sometimes I've got both hips up against the table and sprawled across, sometimes well back from the table (usually with a foot forward and a foot back), and there are always the fun ones with one hip against the table and the cue across the body. I try to keep the line from shoulder to bridge hand at about the same position so my stroke is at least the same. If I can keep my bridge hand stable and get my lower body as anchored and stable as possible I'm usually okay regardless of what the actual position is.
Regardless of where my feet are or how stable my bridge already feels, I don't think I'm losing anything by setting the elbow on the table.
Great post.
