When i get down to take a shot the cue slides on my upper chest. I don't press it into my chest it just rides on it....
Should i change this?
Thanks.
Should i change this?
Thanks.
Question about my stroke.
- Thread starter Darkridder
- Start date
video
Best way to know if your stroke is off is do a video of yourself playing pool .
Then you can review your stroke your self.
Another way is to put a mark on your cue somewhere where you can see it while your stroking your cue.
then you will know if you are twisting it.
Best way to know if your stroke is off is do a video of yourself playing pool .
Then you can review your stroke your self.
Another way is to put a mark on your cue somewhere where you can see it while your stroking your cue.
then you will know if you are twisting it.
The cue should only touch your chest at the end of the stroke, after you have already hit the CB. Make a video showing us the side of your shooting arm and shoulder, and post it up here.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Depends on how much you get down. I'm guessing for it to touch your upper chest in the address position you get all the way down. This is completely normal and quite a beneficial aid to have.
The chest has a few uses. Firstly having it brush along the chest helps keep the strokes, both practice and actual, straight. Secondly because you can actually feel where the cue is meant to touch the chest it can help to tell you when your alignment is a bit off or something just isn't quite right.
A couple of things to watch out for with chest contact is don't let it get it the way. By this I mean don't get into the habit of bringing the cue to the chest, instead move the chest closer to the cue when getting down. Also don't have too much chest contact. It should stay in contact through out the stroke but only lightly. If you start to feel you really are rubbing the cue against the chest then it can produce an arced stroke instead of straight.
Any more questions in more than happy to help.
The chest has a few uses. Firstly having it brush along the chest helps keep the strokes, both practice and actual, straight. Secondly because you can actually feel where the cue is meant to touch the chest it can help to tell you when your alignment is a bit off or something just isn't quite right.
A couple of things to watch out for with chest contact is don't let it get it the way. By this I mean don't get into the habit of bringing the cue to the chest, instead move the chest closer to the cue when getting down. Also don't have too much chest contact. It should stay in contact through out the stroke but only lightly. If you start to feel you really are rubbing the cue against the chest then it can produce an arced stroke instead of straight.
Any more questions in more than happy to help.
This is the worst advice if you're trying to get better. I've seen players who have been at it for 20+ years and still have no stroke. They often don't pocket balls consistently, and have little control of their cue. Sure you can probably figure it out on your own after 20 years, but if you're looking to get better in the short term, taking a lesson to learn about what you do, why you do it that way, and how to make it more accurate and repeatable is the way to go.
FTR, the point of doing a drill is either to reinforce a good habit, or correct an error.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
FTR, the point of doing a drill is either to reinforce a good habit, or correct an error.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott, I know you know what your talking about but I've been playing for 35 years and have seen EVERYTHING. What I would consider bad to great "strokes" still playing phenomenal pool.
You are right that repeatability is the key... It's all that matters if you're making balls so I disagree with your assessment of my comment..
The op never stated his pocketing skill so my comment, I feel, made a lot of sense...I've never had a true "lesson" in my life and have held my own since I was 18... I learned by watching and seeing if what I was imitating felt comfortable. When I felt comfortable I just played and played and played and watched and watched and watched and played some more and before I knew it I was running racks and potting balls with great line position consistency...
I'm not saying lessons won't help some players, I'm just saying "experience" for some is the best teacher...
I'll tell you a litte story to showcase the difference between lessons and experience. When I first started playing pool, I was in the Navy. Another guy and myself were on the table in the rec room. We played a couple hours a day for several days.
Then, one time when he shot, the cue ball came rebounding back off the ob! (draw) We were amazed, and at that point realized that the cb could be controlled. But, we had no idea what made it come back. (had forgotten all about those highs school physics classes and never put them to good use).
We then each got on the table, one at one end and the other at the other end. We were determined to duplicate that shot. We kept shooting all evening, and then all night. Finally, with only a little over an hour to go before we had to report for duty, we finally figured out that you have to hit the cb low to make it come back.
That is what experience does for you. A simple lesson of someone simply saying "hit the cb low", just a three second lesson, would have saved us about 13-14 hours of trying to figure it out on our own.
Then, after the lesson, we could have taken that time to gain experience of controlling the draw and learning how to use it properly. Lessons are for learning how to do something correctly. Every lesson is to be followed with practice to gain experience of utilizing what was learned in the lesson.
Lessons don't replace experience, they enhance it.
A simple, "how did you do that" would have saved you from all the mental and physical torment..... Asking a question is part of learning anything. The fact that you didn't created your situation... I'm not saying that lessons won't help, I'm saying how you stroke the ball makes no difference if you can run balls consistently. If lessons help you then great! To each their own.... Everybody comprehends and excecutes at different levels...
A lot of females have their cue against their chest...it doesn't seem to bother them. If you can shoot from that stance, I wouldn't worry about it.
In my experience, I played seriously for a few years and relentlessly watched professionals and semi pros play. I asked many questions regarding stroke mechanics and the like from old timers in search of as much information as possible.
I thought I had a good grip on things so I thought, I just needed the time to get good at them.
And then I took a lesson from a professional instructor....
Not only did I find out I had major flaws in my fundamentals, but the information I gained was unprecedented. I really believe he saved me years in finding out i was doing things wrong, and then years in trying to correct them.
In the book "pleasure of small motions: mastering the mental game of pocket billiards" the author goes in depth into the parts of the brain that work the physical mechanics required to play pool do not coincide with the parts of the brain that control communication. So some of the best players in the game cannot communicate why they are doing what they do when executing the shot. It's not deliberate on their part, it's just how the brain works.
My respect goes out to the really good pool instructors who can communicate to their student what really needs to be done to learn the game and play it right. One instructor can save years upon years of time in the learning of the game. It still will take a lifetime to master the game (if ever) but experiencing results and elevation in skill is a real high and makes me want to play more.
Place an OB at the rack spot, and CB at the opposite spot, Shoot 50 straight shots, place a marker at center of rail near rack spot, that will be your pin point aim, with medium speed, keep track of where the OB goes, if it goes straight and hit CB dead on when it bounces of the rail all the time, you have perfect stroke no need to change anything. Make sure to shoot with 1/8th tip top center to ensure no stun, and no swerve. If OB does not come back straight, keep track of it, see where all 50 shots hit the rail. If say the majority hit slightly off center; then this is your stroke, you will never be able to change it during a match, or gamble game, you need to change the aim slightly on every shot you shoot with 1/8th top center; now change to all other english type shots, keep track, do not change stroke, change aim. Best of luck.
Except there was no one to ask.
Notice I stated that we BOTH stayed up all night trying to figure out what my friend accidentally did.Thanks everyone for commenting! I'm going to be posting a video soon. I can pocket balls decently and consistently. Straight shots or cuts. I do like to shoot the cb straight down the table and watch to see if there is English and how it comes off the rail, slight top. (I'm not trying to sound like a pro, not even close )
I just noticed this last night and didn't want to change it while trying to win games, but i did try a few shots with the cue stick not touching my chest, missed the shots hit the ob perfectly straight. The shots required slight angle.
My real thought is am i losing feel for the cueball/cue/shot?
Thanks!
I just noticed this last night and didn't want to change it while trying to win games, but i did try a few shots with the cue stick not touching my chest, missed the shots hit the ob perfectly straight. The shots required slight angle.
My real thought is am i losing feel for the cueball/cue/shot?
Thanks!
the best post in the thread.
Well said, may very well be the best post in the thread....following through to the chest is not effective, and may lead to an exaggerated follow-through which isn't ideal.
This is equivalent to using a "driver follow through" on shorter golf shots... it could be from not facing the shot squarely at address, with the left foot parallel to the shot line. imho 'The Game is the Teacher' .com
Well said, may very well be the best post in the thread....following through to the chest is not effective, and may lead to an exaggerated follow-through which isn't ideal.
This is equivalent to using a "driver follow through" on shorter golf shots... it could be from not facing the shot squarely at address, with the left foot parallel to the shot line. imho 'The Game is the Teacher' .com
CJ...Maybe you should talk to your "buddy" randyg about this. Either you don't understand what a pendulum stroke is, or you have no idea what you're talking about. I'll let you pick which it is...
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com