pro players & backhand english..........

S

seven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been watching alot of pool matches lately & I have noticed that alot of pros use backhand english. My question is.... Which pro players are NOT using backhand english? reason why I ask is. I use the parrallel english method. I am a fairly good player. APA 7. & I mostly play 4 1/2 X 9' tables .
I was thinking that if so many good players use backhand english...maybe I should try to learn it. but before I spend time on it I want to know which pros do not use it.
 
seven said:
I've been watching alot of pool matches lately & I have noticed that alot of pros use backhand english. ... .
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Different people mean very different things by "backhand english." Exactly what is it that you see the players doing?
 
seven said:
I've been watching alot of pool matches lately & I have noticed that alot of pros use backhand english. My question is.... Which pro players are NOT using backhand english? reason why I ask is. I use the parrallel english method. I am a fairly good player. APA 7. & I mostly play 4 1/2 X 9' tables .
I was thinking that if so many good players use backhand english...maybe I should try to learn it. but before I spend time on it I want to know which pros do not use it.
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What difference does that make? Learn it...see if it's something that makes your game better or worse when applying it...and then do what you have to do with it. The real question is, do you have anyone that really knows what they're doing with it that can teach you?
 
Bob Jewett said:
Different people mean very different things by "backhand english." Exactly what is it that you see the players doing?
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i'd like to hear an explanation of "back-hand english" please.
 
larrynj1 said:
i'd like to hear an explanation of "back-hand english" please.
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What i call back hand english is this. Most times when you line up a shot you aline your cue right through the centre of the cb. when your chose right or left english you shift your bridge slightly and aline the cue parallel to the centre ball sight line.

What i call back hand english is when i sight through the centre of the cue ball on every shot but create the english by useing the bridge as a pivot point and manipulate the left and right tip placement with the back hand.

It's all about swing plains and how the tip delivers through the cue ball. Not everything goes in a straight line parallel to the centre ball sight line!

It's just another way of hitting the cue ball. Obviously it wouldn't be my first choice where distance or accuaracy are concerned. It's a feel shot. St
 
Damn... when I hear the term "back hand" english, I always somehow associate it with tennis... backhand and forehand. How do you apply forehand english ? :D

I think back hand english has to do something with your cue's pivot point to compensate for deflection. But I don't use it...
 
seven said:
but before I spend time on it I want to know which pros do not use it.
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seven,
I've been told by 3 top touring professionals to "always" use parallel English (saving backhand English for the slow rolling 89 degree cut shots). I've seen Efren use both kinds.
 
JoeyInCali said:
I know Efren uses it.
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But since we don't know what seven means by "backhand english" it's really, really hard to say that Efren uses "it."

Seven?
 
Below is an explanation of what back-hand english is from the following link:
http://www.greatpool.com/technique.htm



Back Hand English

If you have been struggling with compensating your aim when applying english to shots, you should try a technique known as Back Hand English. It is a little bit tricky to explain BHE, but I'll do my best.

BHE works extremely well on short shots, but when the distance between the object ball and cue ball exceed a few feet, it can be less predictable. Trial and error is the key, but most people I have shown this too are quite amazed!

Try it yourself. Set an object ball about 8-12 inches from a pocket. Place the cue ball wherever you like. Setup and aim the shot as if you where going make a centerball hit. Now, without moving your bridge hand, point the cue to acheive the desired english and make the shot. I know, this appears to break all the rules--but it worked, didn't it? It doesn't matter what type of english you want to use--low, high, left, right, or any combination.

It is called Back Hand English because you make the shot by simply changing the position of your back hand. This isn't my invention, it has been promoted by great instructors such as Jerry Briesath and Bert Kinnister. Try it yourself. I can take a lot of the frustration out of using english on those critical shots.





I know that Jeanette Lee uses it. Buddy Hall uses tuck and roll which is simuliar to BHE. Instead of setting the bridge and then altering the back-hand to stroke down a new line with the selected english, Buddy tucks and rolls his backhand DURING the stroke.BHE and Buddy's method both apply english by glancing across the cue-ball to apply it.With parralell english one of course applies their english by stroking straight through the cue ball.

I use BHE only occasionally when the cue ball and object ball are close together. It is very accurate with this closeness.I've seen many players twist with their backhand (ala Buddy Hall) during the stroke to apply english in certain situations.I think that sometimes they don't even know they are doing it and it's just their subconcious making last second adjustments.

Many players use a combination of any 2 or 3 of the different english applying methods. Hey,whatever works! RJ
 
This is a great thread... I never understood that parallel english is the "normal" english and that backhand english was the more "misunderstood" english really....

I have always normally used backhand english, if I understand it correctly... I always lineup in the center and pivot the cue tip to the spot on the ball I am trying to hit, leaving my bridge hand in place...

I read about parallel english a few months ago here or CCB, tried it a few times, but never really got a good feel for it... I thought that was the strange english that only a few people used... but it sounds like that is the more "normal" english that most people use?

Am I understanding this correctly?
 
My instinct is BHE on the fly. Sometimes I do both set up parallel, leave some margin, and give it a slight side stroke at the end. Maybe it's a bad habit but it sure is effective. This isn't all shots, just when I need to do something. I can play parallel and finish with a straight stroke.

I think in the end you do whatever makes you feel good about the shot. Sometimes I feel good and still miss. LOL

Rod
 
seven said:
I've been watching alot of pool matches lately & I have noticed that alot of pros use backhand english. My question is.... Which pro players are NOT using backhand english? reason why I ask is. I use the parrallel english method. I am a fairly good player. APA 7. & I mostly play 4 1/2 X 9' tables .
I was thinking that if so many good players use backhand english...maybe I should try to learn it. but before I spend time on it I want to know which pros do not use it.
Click to expand...

Personally I think using the rear hand to pivot off center ball maximizes squirt and is an imprecise way of spinning the cue ball. It's a terrible way of aiming. I don't see any pros set their cue down and mechanically move the tip by pivoting the butt into position. I apply a lot of english and I use it freely, totally by feel and extremely accurately, almost always just to get the cueball on a certain line.

When I get down on a shot my cue is in the position immediately to apply english on the aim line.

Chris
 
recoveryjones said:
BHE works extremely well on short shots, but when the distance between the object ball and cue ball exceed a few feet, it can be less predictable.
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I think this statement shows that the author doesn't know much about it or doesn't have much experience with it.

If you understand the principle of Aim and Pivot, understand your cue's pivot point, then backhand english can be very predictable. IMO, it's the easiest way to compensate for squirt on firm shots for most standard shafts. I've found that the pivot point for a classic pro taper is around 10-12". That's in the normal range of bridge lengths for today's players.

Fred
 
Bob Jewett... by backhand english I mean the type of english that Bert kinisters video talks about. the sort of glancing hit type thing. I have alot of videos on tape. I never really noticed until recently. I've seen Dennis Hatch use it, Rafeal Martinez. along with countless others.
 
drivermaker said:
What difference does that make? Learn it...see if it's something that makes your game better or worse when applying it...and then do what you have to do with it. The real question is, do you have anyone that really knows what they're doing with it that can teach you?
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reason why I just dont want to learn it is because. My stroke is very straight. I've spent alot of time getting it that way. I'm afraid that cominig out of line on the last stroke will mess up my stroke.
 
seven said:
reason why I just dont want to learn it is because. My stroke is very straight. I've spent alot of time getting it that way. I'm afraid that cominig out of line on the last stroke will mess up my stroke.
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Well I guess there's no sense it telling you to learn "tuck and roll" on top of backhand. But then again, you'll never have a shitty stroke like Buddy. ;)
 
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