Pump vs Level

[tedkaufman]

When I started playing pool, the general advice was to keep your stroke as level as possible. A few days ago, someone posted questions about a "pump stroke." Of course, almost anything can be taken to an extreme, making something good into awful. Consider that a pinch of salt heightens flavor, while a pound of it doesn't.

I think a radical or dramatic pump stroke isn't a good thing. However, I have found over the years, that a slight drop of the stroking hand at the start of the backswing helps to keep my stroke on track. Accordingly, since I dropped it at the start of the backswing, I raise it slightly as the end of my swing. This seems to set my swing on track, or on plane, so that my forward stroke releases through the cueball and down. The down component is one of the seldom discussed qualities of an effective stroke.

Therefore, I would advise anyone to try putting a "pinch" of pump into their stroke. It helps to keep your swing on track, and also helps under pressure to keep from getting very tense.

 

[randyg]

It's impossible to keep your cue level all the time. By default it swings up & down. Therefore there is only one time your cuestick has to be level......SPF=randyg

 

[PlynSets]

As a guy with a pumpstroke (and wishing I didn't have one, but have been playing 20 years with it so.... It is what it is as they say) I don't think I'd ever advise someone to intentionally put any extra factors into their stroke then absolutely necesarry? By limiting it to the elbow down there's less things going on, which = less things to control.

I have so many things going on back there, that to be quite honest I'm not even sure where to start correcting them. I had no idea that my cue had a twisting motion to it until I put a 3rd eye trainer on my cue a month or two ago.. I would end up with the left stick buried into the felt when I started with it straight??? After seeing all that, and watching myself on video when it's really "flowin" I'm amazed I can make a ball at all!

I'm sure my stroke will always have some "pump" to it, but having it to do all over again I'd much rather have a more "traditional" and CONSISTENT stroke to start with.

Interesting though, sometimes adding a little of anything can up your game temporarily as it takes your mind off what's going on and focuses it elsewhere.. Much like many can play a little better with a beer or two (just to take the edge off), I'd be concerned with the longer term effects of it though.

DJ

 

[BRKNRUN]

When I read your post, I get the impression that you are refering more to what is called in the Golf world a "trigger"

When your body is in "dead stillness" your muscles have a tendancy to "go flat"....for whatever reason when you try to make your initial move in the direction you want to go you get a slight jerking motion...In the golf swing, right after you have done your routine waggle, most players will settle into a "pause" position right before they take their back swing....(A very exaggerated example would be when Ted Night is getting ready to tee off in the Movie Caddy Shack)... Most people use what is called a trigger to start the actual swing...It may be a forward press, the back knee "bend in", The "Head Turn" (see Jack), etc......all of these are triggers to set the swing in motion......

In short I think that slight drop of the cue may be a "trigger" for you...

I tend to be a real streaky player...I can play anywhere between "I'm gonna steal your money if your not careful" to "Sucker".....I have caught myself (while playing good) a few times using a "trigger" of setting up with a slightly bent back knee, and right after the "pause" at the CB before the stroke the first move is my back leg locking straight....I by no means force this or practice this.....or think its the golden key to a good stroke.....it just happens...

 

[PlynSets]

Holy shit, I responded to a thread and it didn't immediately fall of the first page, on top of that somebody posted behind me.

I was starting to think I was cursed, or perhaps had nothing to say that anybody wanted to hear.

Thank you breaknrun, you might've broke my streak!

DJ

 

[tedkaufman]

When I read your post, I get the impression that you are refering more to what is called in the Golf world a "trigger"

When your body is in "dead stillness" your muscles have a tendancy to "go flat"....for whatever reason when you try to make your initial move in the direction you want to go you get a slight jerking motion...In the golf swing, right after you have done your routine waggle, most players will settle into a "pause" position right before they take their back swing....(A very exaggerated example would be when Ted Night is getting ready to tee off in the Movie Caddy Shack)... Most people use what is called a trigger to start the actual swing...It may be a forward press, the back knee "bend in", The "Head Turn" (see Jack), etc......all of these are triggers to set the swing in motion......

In short I think that slight drop of the cue may be a "trigger" for you...

I tend to be a real streaky player...I can play anywhere between "I'm gonna steal your money if your not careful" to "Sucker".....I have caught myself (while playing good) a few times using a "trigger" of setting up with a slightly bent back knee, and right after the "pause" at the CB before the stroke the first move is my back leg locking straight....I by no means force this or practice this.....or think its the golden key to a good stroke.....it just happens...

Yes, that's exactly what it amounts to! Funny, I'm a golfer and I never made that connection. Perceptive.