pause on back stroke

My pauses are like timeseal’s.

Pause 1: almost touching the CB. Eyes shift to OB. Long pause. I need the time to set my final aim.
My prestrokes were there to make sure my cue is moving straight and my eyes are on the shaft and CB.
I need time to readjust my eyes to the shot and the OB. Perhaps I'm getting old and my eyes are going.
Pause 2: at the back pause is shorter but is there and can be clearly noticed. I call it my hang time. :)
Pause 3: end after follow

When I execute shots like that I’m playing good. Remove one of the pauses and my consistency is out the window.

BTW. I do have one more pause when I first get down on the shot.
 
When it comes to these types of things like pausing in the backstroke, the slip stroke of Mosconi, and other specific things one of the most important thing about any of these nuances and the people that used them is that those moves are natural to them. It is all happening without any active thought of the move.

If a person who does not naturally do any of these things attempts to create that into their game and force the action then it is going to require active thought during the stroke and remove the focus from where it needs to be, potting the ball and making the cueball go where it needs to go next. You could try to practice something into your game and make it second nature but you better be ready to spend months of doing nothing but practicing and forcing the move, shooting with the focus on the stroke and dealing with the less then stellar results, until the move finally becomes second nature and you can then start to put the focus back on the shot. And even then you might see a relapse into what came naturally to you once your concentration is back solely on the shot and not the stroke.
 
I'm going to try the pause to help me with my typing !

It works in pool so here goes












Dammit...don't work on here.forgot wut i wuz about to type:rolleyes:
 
> What I've started doing,and been successful with the last few months since I started it,is taking my pause with my tip right at the cue ball,then taking the shot with no stoppage in my backswing,on most shots. I wasn't formally taught the SPF method. However thru osmosis and priding myself on being a true student of the game,I was conditioned to take the pause at the top of my backswing,but here's what I've found about my own game when I'm hitting the balls badly,in the physical sense.

I make my decision on what shot to take,visualize it,and take my stance and warm-up strokes. I get to the top of my backswing,and unintentionally distract myself if the pause isn't the exact same length,or my backswing isn't as long or short as what I intended. Then uncertainty sets in. For some,doubt and fear may ooze in as well.

Remember what Mr Miyagi said to Daniel-San?

"Walk on road hmm? Walk left side,safe. Walk right side,safe. Walk middle,sooner or later you get the squish,just like grape. Same thing here. Either you karate do yes,or karate do no. You karate do,guess so?,you get the squish,just like grape." :thumbup:

With me it worked the same way. When I felt good about the pause,the shot came all by itself. When something didn't feel right,but not bad enough to stop and re-set,I'd try to correct it at the top of my swing,and just physically not hit it the way I intended.

Now,I take my last couple short warm-up strokes,stop at the ball,and if I feel good at that point I stroke the shot with complete conviction that I will physically shoot the shot the way I drew it up. It hasn't made me infallible by any means,just way more consistent physically at a time where I'm not playing as much as I'd prefer,and therefore physically sharp by means of repetition.

If something feels odd while paused at the ball,now I have plenty of time to adjust or stop and re-set.

I haven't played any tough competition lately to really battle-test it,but the reasons for that are a whole other discussion. I can say I have enough belief in the technique now to trust it when facing live ammo.

I hope this makes sense,and helps someone like it did me. I had been pondering it for a while,but dismissed it. Then I saw a video of a lesson John Schmidt was giving where he discussed it,which in a sense validated the theory,and I took a 2nd look. Trust me,it's STRONG. Tommy D.
 
Personally, I've found pausing at the cue ball like Shane works wonders for me. I've tried pausing on the back stroke, but it seems to mess up the fluidity of my stroke rhythm.
 
There are two pauses. Pausing "at" the cueball (w/ tip at the cueball) or pausing in your backstroke.

Most pause "at" the cueball (whether noticeably long or short).

Sigel
Varner
Van Boening
(most of the greats)

Backstroke
Buddy Hall (arguably the absolute greatest 9 ball player on earth during a period of the 70's)
Allison Fisher (world class player)

I think if you're in dead..dead punch you can pause either way and it doesn't matter. I personally like pausing at the cueball.
 
Wait a minute! Lee was banned again? I liked his contributions to this thread. Anyway, I have a pause on the backstroke but it is minute, just enough for a smooth transition.
 
greyghost said:
its a good thing,


Always a CONTROLLED back stroke....just like a golfer

Then a slight pause (pause as long as you like it can be quick or long like buddy hall

the finish the stroke with the hand hitting the chest.


SET PAUSE FINISH

Grey Ghost
Click to expand...

Tap. Tap. Tap. (underlines/italics/bolds mine)
 
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