Did anyone get to the point where they decided to take the plunge and learn how to shoot with both hands? If so, what was the result? Was it worth the practice? How much practice did you have to put in to get better?
Playing with both hands
- Thread starter Njhustler1
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i shoot right handed and found it was much easier to learn left handed after already having the knowledge doing so right handed....
I will as soon as I learn how to play with my right hand.Njhustler1 said:
Funny thing is in boxing, you use your lead hand most of the time.
I can twirl two nunchuks but my left arm is an E player. Not a D but an E.
It'd be lucky to hit the cueball.
Njhustler1 said:
Yes. The result was that I can shoot relatively simple shots with my left if I'm willing to sacrifice some of the cueball control. It was worth the practice. I don't use my left often, but I use it more often than I do my jump cue. The biggest single factor in making it happen was the use of the "Stroke Trainer".
I can shoot with both hands, but that isn't really a stretch as I am ambidextrous. The problem I have is with cuts that are more than a couple of feet away ( shooting left handed ). I think that has something to do with being right eye dominant though.
Amazingly, if I trust my stroke and quit worrying about how wierd it looks, I can usually make the shot.
For a short answer though, yes. I do practice at it and I feel it helps.
Dave
Amazingly, if I trust my stroke and quit worrying about how wierd it looks, I can usually make the shot.
For a short answer though, yes. I do practice at it and I feel it helps.
Dave
I'm abidexterous too, that's part of the reason I asked.
Njhustler1 said:
way to kill your action
I shoot left handed quite often and take it into consideration when I plan a run out. I find like Mr. Wilson says you have to trust your stroke. Also I think since you're starting fresh with you're left hand, you don't have to worry about the bad habits you may have picked up with your right hand when you first started playing.
An E player? That's still better than me. I'm probably somewhere in the order of being a Q player with my left hand.JoeyInCali said:I will as soon as I learn how to play with my right hand.
Funny thing is in boxing, you use your lead hand most of the time.
I can twirl two nunchuks but my left arm is an E player. Not a D but an E.
Joe <~~~ Can't even hold the cue steady with an open bridge playing lefty.
Practicing with your opposite hand will really put you in stroke. Once you switch back you will feel like a god because you have so much more control. You should practice shooting opposite handed and with the bridge especially if you play on 9' tables.
I started doing it as a joke when practicing...just too lazy to get the bridge. It wasn't long before I was quite comfortable making straight in shots. Funny thing is it still feels weird and I feel like I look horrible doing it but its very handy now. I'm very curious often though why all the sudden I draw my rock way too far when I meant a foot or two. It seems like I should not even be able to draw it left handed...I feel that my stroke is awkward and jerky. After a couple of years now I've incorporated it into my game, it really is handy often...but every once in a while that jerky stroke unwantedly puts the turbo to my draw...just can't control it...not yet at least. I probably should practice hitting all shots with my left duke...but geez.....I'm still too busy practicing righty. Maybe if righty ever stops missing...LOL!!!
Shooting Lefty Better Than The Behind The Back Shot
Lefty comes in handy every now and again.....depending on where the cue is......I don't shoot left as a matter of course, but with a closed bridge and a little concentration I hit most of my lefties with enough control to manage a follow on shot to continue the run.....
Better than shooting the behind the back shot with your ass up on the table....
But that's just my opinion
McCue Banger McCue
Lefty comes in handy every now and again.....depending on where the cue is......I don't shoot left as a matter of course, but with a closed bridge and a little concentration I hit most of my lefties with enough control to manage a follow on shot to continue the run.....
Better than shooting the behind the back shot with your ass up on the table....
But that's just my opinion
McCue Banger McCue
A year ago I could not hit the cue ball let alone shoot it straight, with my opposite hand. I tried shooting opposite-handed got disgusted and quit. After reading an article on exercising both sides of the brain I decided to go back to the opposite-hand and make myself become at least competent. After about 20 hours total of practice I can shoot fairly straight opposite handed making simple shots but having trouble with getting tough shape. When I have to shoot a "duck" but can't reach it with anything except my opposite hand and a bridge, I opt for the opposite hand and seldom miss the ducks or shape on the next ball if it is simple shape. The only time I miscue is when I am trying to draw the cue ball when it is more than 4 feet from the object ball. My stroke is still a little wobbly and not straight enough.
I honestly believe that it is helping me play better with my regular hand.
Anyway it was kind of funny, I was practicing playing opposite by myself and this country boy-guy with white hat and all walks up to me and says, "You want to play some eight ball for money"? I had never seen the guy before and am sure he had never seen me. Normally I am a little shy of gambling with strangers but lately I have been testing unchartered waters with mixed results so I said, "Sure, what would you like to play for? He answered, "$5". Well now I know he isn't trying to hustle me and is just looking for a friendly game of eight ball for a few bucks. I win the flip and then he tells me, "By the way, I play LAST POCKET EIGHT BALL" in a loud voice whereupon I innocently asked him to explain how that game was played. He explained it to me and I agreed to play. At that moment I got all kinds of goose bumps because Irealized this was the first time I had ever gambled at opposite hand pool and thought this would be a great first time out. So I break the balls and spread them pretty good but make no balls. My opponent tilts back his white hat, just enough for him to see the cue ball and knocks in a couple of balls and misses. I do the same but a little better and finally get to the eight after a few misses and pocket the eight ball in the last pocket with ease. "Country" who is a rough hewn country boy walks up real close to me and looks me right in the eye and says, "Play for two dollars?" and I almost came unglued. I contained myself and said, "Sure". This game takes a little longer than the first as he is being extra cautious and working hard to beat me, but I get to the eight ball before him but am unable to make the eight in the correct pocket. He is shooting a few times on the eight to no avail when all of sudden it is his shot again and he fires in the eight ball, in the wrong pocket that is. He grimaced and paid the two dollars and then gets even closer to my face and says, "You play REAL GOOD EIGHT BALL, you want to be my partner and play some of these guys in here? I know the guy is sincere and not wanting to disappoint him and knowing that I can't lose much money at his stakes and I am having like the best time ever and wanting to reward him for giving me this opportunity to win the first time I ever gamble at opposite hand, I said, "Sure". I told him that there were a lot of razors in the pool hall and we would have to be careful who we played. He said, "NO PROBLEM, you play REAL GOOD and I can hold my own". So now everyone in the place has been watching me play this guy and everyone knows what's up and he starts walking around the pool hall going to each and every table and asks everyone if they want to play some partner eight ball for money and no one will accept his offer. He comes back dejected and tells me that he couldn't find a game for us but thanked me for playing with him and again told me how good I played. "Country" made those 20 hours of investment worth a million dollars. It is one of my fondest memories and it was only yesterday.
Yeah, it was worth it. I hope your reward is just as great.
JoeyA
I honestly believe that it is helping me play better with my regular hand.
Anyway it was kind of funny, I was practicing playing opposite by myself and this country boy-guy with white hat and all walks up to me and says, "You want to play some eight ball for money"? I had never seen the guy before and am sure he had never seen me. Normally I am a little shy of gambling with strangers but lately I have been testing unchartered waters with mixed results so I said, "Sure, what would you like to play for? He answered, "$5". Well now I know he isn't trying to hustle me and is just looking for a friendly game of eight ball for a few bucks. I win the flip and then he tells me, "By the way, I play LAST POCKET EIGHT BALL" in a loud voice whereupon I innocently asked him to explain how that game was played. He explained it to me and I agreed to play. At that moment I got all kinds of goose bumps because Irealized this was the first time I had ever gambled at opposite hand pool and thought this would be a great first time out. So I break the balls and spread them pretty good but make no balls. My opponent tilts back his white hat, just enough for him to see the cue ball and knocks in a couple of balls and misses. I do the same but a little better and finally get to the eight after a few misses and pocket the eight ball in the last pocket with ease. "Country" who is a rough hewn country boy walks up real close to me and looks me right in the eye and says, "Play for two dollars?" and I almost came unglued. I contained myself and said, "Sure". This game takes a little longer than the first as he is being extra cautious and working hard to beat me, but I get to the eight ball before him but am unable to make the eight in the correct pocket. He is shooting a few times on the eight to no avail when all of sudden it is his shot again and he fires in the eight ball, in the wrong pocket that is. He grimaced and paid the two dollars and then gets even closer to my face and says, "You play REAL GOOD EIGHT BALL, you want to be my partner and play some of these guys in here? I know the guy is sincere and not wanting to disappoint him and knowing that I can't lose much money at his stakes and I am having like the best time ever and wanting to reward him for giving me this opportunity to win the first time I ever gamble at opposite hand, I said, "Sure". I told him that there were a lot of razors in the pool hall and we would have to be careful who we played. He said, "NO PROBLEM, you play REAL GOOD and I can hold my own". So now everyone in the place has been watching me play this guy and everyone knows what's up and he starts walking around the pool hall going to each and every table and asks everyone if they want to play some partner eight ball for money and no one will accept his offer. He comes back dejected and tells me that he couldn't find a game for us but thanked me for playing with him and again told me how good I played. "Country" made those 20 hours of investment worth a million dollars. It is one of my fondest memories and it was only yesterday.
Yeah, it was worth it. I hope your reward is just as great.
JoeyA
Njhustler1 said:
vs. Nick Vlahos
Being reminded of playing left-handed...I'm reminded of Nick Vlahos...who died too young and who I miss very much...
I played a lot of pool with Nicky...some of the most fun I had on a pool table was when I played left-handed and he played one-handed...which neither his cue or any part of his body or clothing ever touched the table...over many games we played pretty even and I've always considered that a big feather in my cap...
imo playing left-handed...and one-handed...is great practice...and as another poster here said...the game seems much easier when you go back to your regular style...I'm all for practicing in creative and challenging ways...
Being reminded of playing left-handed...I'm reminded of Nick Vlahos...who died too young and who I miss very much...
I played a lot of pool with Nicky...some of the most fun I had on a pool table was when I played left-handed and he played one-handed...which neither his cue or any part of his body or clothing ever touched the table...over many games we played pretty even and I've always considered that a big feather in my cap...
imo playing left-handed...and one-handed...is great practice...and as another poster here said...the game seems much easier when you go back to your regular style...I'm all for practicing in creative and challenging ways...
Before I took the game seriously I played for maybe 5-6 months. In that time nobody took the time to show me anything. In the beginning I realized that I sucked equally as much with my right hand as I did with my left, so it wasn't a stretch to shoot either hand.
In the years since then I certainly favor my right hand. But I still feel comfortable enough to shoot short range shots within in one half of the table.
The biggest reward for me is that I can avoid using the rest as much as possible which is especially useful in snooker. On top of that I can exert far more position control with left hand than with the rest.
In the years since then I certainly favor my right hand. But I still feel comfortable enough to shoot short range shots within in one half of the table.
The biggest reward for me is that I can avoid using the rest as much as possible which is especially useful in snooker. On top of that I can exert far more position control with left hand than with the rest.
After
playing Leo the Lion when I was 17, I decided I needed to learn how to shoot with both hands, both hands one handed, and I added shooting with my left foot as a bridge. Leo had an amputated left arm at the elbow joint, and had worn a 'groove' in the end of his stump from playing pool and used it as a bridge. He was a good shot, but I soon learned how to leave him to put the odds in my favor.
Besides learning to shoot one handed, I practiced both ways, using the
rails, and completely free hand without touching rails. By the way, shooting with my left foot as a bridge was a good hustle. A good friend of mine now, Mike Garcia, did not believe it when another friend of mine told him, and so we ended up betting $20 on a game of 8 ball. I broke and ran the table, Mike gave me $20, and said he believed me now.
I was left handed until my Dad switched me at 3-4 years old because of sports (baseball mostly - Left handed gloves were rare then), but I still do some things left handed unconsciously.
I used to be the best one handed player in town, but years passed, and I did not practice one handed much, and fell out of that. I would probably have to bestow that on Mark Rogers now.
I haven't practiced left handed for years now, but still can manage a 5 speed.
playing Leo the Lion when I was 17, I decided I needed to learn how to shoot with both hands, both hands one handed, and I added shooting with my left foot as a bridge. Leo had an amputated left arm at the elbow joint, and had worn a 'groove' in the end of his stump from playing pool and used it as a bridge. He was a good shot, but I soon learned how to leave him to put the odds in my favor.
Besides learning to shoot one handed, I practiced both ways, using the
rails, and completely free hand without touching rails. By the way, shooting with my left foot as a bridge was a good hustle. A good friend of mine now, Mike Garcia, did not believe it when another friend of mine told him, and so we ended up betting $20 on a game of 8 ball. I broke and ran the table, Mike gave me $20, and said he believed me now.
I was left handed until my Dad switched me at 3-4 years old because of sports (baseball mostly - Left handed gloves were rare then), but I still do some things left handed unconsciously.
I used to be the best one handed player in town, but years passed, and I did not practice one handed much, and fell out of that. I would probably have to bestow that on Mark Rogers now.
I haven't practiced left handed for years now, but still can manage a 5 speed.
I have learned to play with both hands. I am naturally right handed but I took up playing left handed when playing my wife or other family members to make it a little more interesting for them. Now on many shots I would have previously used the bridge on, I just shoot them left handed.
Southpaw
After learning how to play, I had a lot of time where it was just me and the table. I taught myself lefty after learning right handed and having played a year or two.
I agree with a couple post. One, it makes me think differently and makes right handed much better when I come back to it. Two, it definately looks better than doing that behind the back shot when the table calls for it. It is nice to shoot lefty and come up with shape too.
Personally, I believe and can demonstrate more spin on the cue ball with much less effort left than right. I also seem to have better control with speed. I am not sure how to expain that, other than it being new requires more concious thought to deliver the right movements. Right is more power and the one I play with.
Given a couple racks to practice, I am probably as good left as right, but right being the most comfortable.
I wonder if this has anything to do with eye dominance? Anyone have a thought? I am right handed, but left eye dominant. I notice that this is a small adjustment when shooting a gun, but haven't really tested it with a cue. (mostly because both eyes are open.)
I also practice lefty a lot when in social pool situations to keep it interesting and keep people playing. When out with a group, or at home, people want to play cards after a couple games. I am not sure how to take that. Lefty keeps them playing a bit longer.
After learning how to play, I had a lot of time where it was just me and the table. I taught myself lefty after learning right handed and having played a year or two.
I agree with a couple post. One, it makes me think differently and makes right handed much better when I come back to it. Two, it definately looks better than doing that behind the back shot when the table calls for it.
It is nice to shoot lefty and come up with shape too. Personally, I believe and can demonstrate more spin on the cue ball with much less effort left than right. I also seem to have better control with speed. I am not sure how to expain that, other than it being new requires more concious thought to deliver the right movements. Right is more power and the one I play with.
Given a couple racks to practice, I am probably as good left as right, but right being the most comfortable.
I wonder if this has anything to do with eye dominance? Anyone have a thought? I am right handed, but left eye dominant. I notice that this is a small adjustment when shooting a gun, but haven't really tested it with a cue. (mostly because both eyes are open.)
I also practice lefty a lot when in social pool situations to keep it interesting and keep people playing. When out with a group, or at home, people want to play cards after a couple games.
I am not sure how to take that. Lefty keeps them playing a bit longer.
Well seems like a pretty convincing discussion. No horror stories of trying to learn with the other hand. Gonna have to incorporate it into my practice routine in the near future.