Poll: What type of bridge do you use

What type of bridge do you use?

  • I use an open bridge most of the time

    Votes: 30 25.4%

  • I use a closed bridge most of the time

    Votes: 38 32.2%

  • I go between open and closed 50/50

    Votes: 50 42.4%
  • Total voters
    118
Tim5000

Tim5000

*************
Silver Member
After seeing the poll about wraps it got me thinking about bridges. When meeting a new opponent for the first time, the first thing I always look at is what type of bridge they are making. So lets see what AZ players prefer.
 
Open bridge, all the time.

I also chalk my tips by spinning the worn out piece like a topp. Helps keep the ferrule blue. ;)

ez
 
Closed 80%
Open 15%
Other 5%

I use a taller stance than I see most of today's players using, the closed bridge helps keep my cue solid. Whenever there's a long shot when I need to get a little lower, I use the open bridge.
 
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closed = powerful/medium draws and centerball shots

open = follow/slow shots

thats how i do.
 
I now master the cross over bridge!!! Wish I had before...

Open 65% (above center, short draw... special)
closed 35% (medium to hard draw, super power dooper!)
 
Shots close to the rail get open bridge almost all the time. Shots reasonably away from the rail are closed almost all the time as well. Slow shots tend to be open but the total is about 60% closed, 40% open +- 4 or 5.
 
I use an open bridge for follow shots and when the cb and ob are relatively close together, since in those situations a closed bridge obstructs my line of sight (I get down low on the ball). For all other cases,I use a closed bridge.
 
I mainly use the closed birgde. It just feels more accurate and secure to me. Sometimes I use the spider bridge, its for hustling.

Eric.
 

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You know, its funny, but I can't even begin to tell you the percentages. I simply automatically form the bridge that feels right for the particular situation.

What I can say, however, is that pool apparently follows a progression somewhat like karate. When you begin at karate, you begin with a a white belt, symbolizing innocence. As you progress, your belt gets progessively darker until it reaches black (in the olden days, they didn't assign belt colors, but the belt got darker with use, since you never wash the belt). As more time and development progresses, the threads in the belt begin to bleach and fray, causing the belt to appear white again, symbolizing, with mastery, a return to innocence. The point is that as a beginner, I used the open bridge almost exclusively, then as I progressed I used the closed bridge more and more. It seems, however, that with continued development, I have now reached a stage where I use the open bridge much more than I used to a few years ago. One thing for certain, if you want to expose flaws in your stroke the open bridge will do that for you!
 
I'm surprised by the responses.

I use an open bridge as often as possible. But you could be copying the mistakes of a bad shooter, so don't copy me!
 
I've recently over-hauled my entire stance and bridge. I used to have the classic American stance and a closed bridge on at least 98% of my shots. Now I have more of a square on snooker stance and shoot the majority of my shots with an open brideg.
 
I rack balls said:
I mainly use the closed birgde. It just feels more accurate and secure to me. Sometimes I use the spider bridge, its for hustling.

Eric.
Click to expand...

What is this? lol there used to be a crack head that would shoot at my local pool hall, we used to make fun of his "claw" bridge. Are you telling me its an actual style of bridge?
 
despotic931 said:
What is this? lol there used to be a crack head that would shoot at my local pool hall, we used to make fun of his "claw" bridge. Are you telling me its an actual style of bridge?
Click to expand...

I hope no one tries to use that in a serious manner :D A guy at my college tried to use that for months before I convinced him otherwise. He got the nickname "spiderman" out of it haha.

Eric.A.
 
VIProfessor said:
You know, its funny, but I can't even begin to tell you the percentages. I simply automatically form the bridge that feels right for the particular situation.

What I can say, however, is that pool apparently follows a progression somewhat like karate. When you begin at karate, you begin with a a white belt, symbolizing innocence. As you progress, your belt gets progessively darker until it reaches black (in the olden days, they didn't assign belt colors, but the belt got darker with use, since you never wash the belt). As more time and development progresses, the threads in the belt begin to bleach and fray, causing the belt to appear white again, symbolizing, with mastery, a return to innocence. The point is that as a beginner, I used the open bridge almost exclusively, then as I progressed I used the closed bridge more and more. It seems, however, that with continued development, I have now reached a stage where I use the open bridge much more than I used to a few years ago. One thing for certain, if you want to expose flaws in your stroke the open bridge will do that for you!
Click to expand...
This is the best explaination of the subject yet! Kudos! You hit the nail on the head with this one and I too have evolved.
 
Could be worse

I rack balls said:
I mainly use the closed birgde. It just feels more accurate and secure to me. Sometimes I use the spider bridge, its for hustling.

Eric.
Click to expand...

There was a girl who worked at the poolhall I used to go to who used this bridge, but upside down, fingertips on the table. She was engaged to one of the best players in the state, but she refused to be helped. The amazing thing was how good she shot with it! Not great, but she could consistently run a couple of balls with that bridge.
 
Bridges

You should have an arsenal of bridges cause there are several different shots in pool, and you can't always use the same bridge no matter how hard you try.

So you should learn a bunch of different ones for your own personal knowledge and then use what ever is most effective for the type of shot you are taking!
 
Tim5000 said:
After seeing the poll about wraps it got me thinking about bridges. When meeting a new opponent for the first time, the first thing I always look at is what type of bridge they are making. So lets see what AZ players prefer.
Click to expand...

We haven't had a poll about bridges since... June? So, that's about right. With the continued addition of new members, twice a year isn't bad. Plus this one gives an option for us to say things like "other," or "all." I like to think I use all of them. That's either 8, 12, or lots.

Here's my standard answer:

I'll echo what others have written before. In the beginning phases, a
student might change from an open bridge to a closed bridge in pool to
aid in their progress in straight stroking. But once they get better
and figure how to stroke relatively straight, then many players will
revert back to or at least re-incorporate the open bridge. Not only
is the open bridge important in a game of pool, it often is the
*correct* bridge for certain shots. That is to say, in many
circumstances, the use of a proper open bridge is actually an
indicator of advancement in pool.

I'm open-hand heavy, as far as percentages go. But, I grew up
(poolwise) watching Rempe and Sigel who use the open-hand bridge more
often than the average professional player. So it stuck. {note: this is what I've been writing for 10 years. The percentage of open handed shots by professionals has definitely increases since this first writing}


Fred <~~~ advocates players re-incorporating the open bridge
 
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