Question About the Grip, or "Hold"

LastTwo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When you execute the shot, in your grip hand, who in here lets the cue strike the palm of your hand when you hit the cueball? Who in here doesnt? Also, what fingers do you use while holding the cue, and what part of the hand is the cue in contact with, and not in contact with? Just curious.
 
LastTwo said:
When you execute the shot, in your grip hand, who in here lets the cue strike the palm of your hand when you hit the cueball? Who in here doesnt? Also, what fingers do you use while holding the cue, and what part of the hand is the cue in contact with, and not in contact with? Just curious.

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I do, when I hit a big draw, it slams with great force, you can here it slap.
I have just a little space betwen my hand and cue, not much. My hold is equal between the thumb and index finger, they must be the same pressure and balance each other. Long thumb down the cue, but the pressure point is up on the thumb above the joint, same on the index finger, on the 3rd joint, that holds the cue, the finger print of my index finger on the bottom of the cue directs the shot, all my other fingers the other 3 just ride along very lightly barely touching it. All they do is create balance and eliminate vibration and twist of the cue.

My students must call the grip, the hold. You cannot hold the cue too lightly in the fingers. Mosconi said, light is best, lighter is better, this was one of the two great secrets he found Greenleaf was doing and dominating him with, when he stole this from Ralph he began to play even with him.

Imagine the cue is a little delicate finch, your fingers are around its neck, on most shots I do not tighten my grip at impact so I do not break da little birdies neck. On some follows I may even lighten up more. On the draw, I grab and tear da little birdies head off.

Best Wishes,

Fast Larry Guninger Power Source Pool School
 
Last edited:
Also, what fingers do you use while holding the cue, and what part of the hand is the cue in contact with, and not in contact with? Just curious.
The inside top of my thumb ( pointing to the ground) and the top of the v of my first two fingers.
I'm with Larry on power draw. You cannot avoid slamming that cue to the hit your palm unless you slip that cue.
Since Larry can draw whitey like a yoyo, I ain't arguing with him.
Jim Rempe btw shows this on his video ( if that video with a Lion-haired Lori J Jones still exists).
 
I use my thumb and 2 fingers to hold the cue. The pinky and finger next to it are just hanging out, not doing anything. My pressure point is between my thumb and first finger during the set and pause (tip near CB and backstroke) positions. Then as the cue moves from backstroke to the finish (follow thru) positions the pressure point moves to the second (middle) finger and thumb and less on the first finger. My palm is touching the cue, but not slapping or applying much pressure, even on extreme draw shots. Do not tense up just before contacting the CB, it could cause your allignment or tip position to be thrown off.

Zim
 
I cradle the cue on my two middle fingers with most of the weight of the cue resting on my middle finger next to my index finger and my thumb points straight down to the floor. When I shoot a medium speed shot, I let the cue slide on my fingers, the cue does most of the work. This way the cue just slides in a straight line off my fingers. When I use a power stroke, I choke up a little on my cue and drop my elbow on the follow trhough for maximum follow through and speed. My cue still slides off my two fingers.
 
Rickw said:
I cradle the cue on my two middle fingers with most of the weight of the cue resting on my middle finger next to my index finger and my thumb points straight down to the floor. When I shoot a medium speed shot, I let the cue slide on my fingers, the cue does most of the work. This way the cue just slides in a straight line off my fingers. When I use a power stroke, I choke up a little on my cue and drop my elbow on the follow trhough for maximum follow through and speed. My cue still slides off my two fingers.
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Just for the record, everyone called this the grip, I am the one who insists the new term in pool should be the hold. That came from me first. One more thing every one is stealing from me, oh well, C' est la vie. If it wont get me a free cup of coffee in starbucks, what good is it?

Fast Larry Guninger The Power Source Pool School
 
Fast, so when you draw the cueball, you grab the cue tightly? Well I have seen videos of you playing, and I must say you have a very powerful stroke. I guess there are a few different techniques to drawing the cueball good. Efren does quite the opposite. He told me he "releases" the cue, just kind of lets it go and the cue does all the work for him, with very little effort.
 
ramdadingdong said:
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Just for the record, everyone called this the grip, I am the one who insists the new term in pool should be the hold. That came from me first. One more thing every one is stealing from me, oh well, C' est la vie. If it wont get me a free cup of coffee in starbucks, what good is it?

Fast Larry Guninger The Power Source Pool School

Well, if someone thinks enough of what you said, to start using it, isn't that a compliment?

Laura
 
Bluewolf said:
Well, if someone thinks enough of what you said, to start using it, isn't that a compliment?

Laura

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In a way, I just wanted to make a point where this new term is coming from, me. Ballard, the top teacher in golf taught me this in the 80's, if you said the word grip, he stopped and made you repeat the word hold. He wanted you to know, you do not grip a club, you hold it very lightly. Nobody could use the word grip in his presence.

Another one I brought over from golf is the hold the little birdies neck with a light grip, meaning you do not regrip and apply more pressure at impact and I don't on all my shots except the draw. Many great things I was taught in golf I now teach in pool. You would not believe now many trick shots I have invented and these guys stole them and now use they as their own shot. Massey and me are real good about seeing a guys shot, using it but telling people who invented it and where the shot came from. Most of the rest of these guys see it, steal it and run. It's a very long line of thieves.

Fast Larry Guninger The Power Source Pool School....
 
LastTwo said:
Fast, so when you draw the cueball, you grab the cue tightly? Well I have seen videos of you playing, and I must say you have a very powerful stroke. I guess there are a few different techniques to drawing the cueball good. Efren does quite the opposite. He told me he "releases" the cue, just kind of lets it go and the cue does all the work for him, with very little effort.

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Thanks for the compliment, two shots I do in my show, just to show I can draw my rock. CB in corner 9 ball sitting right behind it, OB duck in far corner down the long rail 9' away, jump CB over a broom handle, shoot down table 9', pot duck and draw back up the long rail 9' to pot the 9 hanger. I then put the 9 ball in the opposite far corner and repeat the shot again just so they will know I did not get lucky. Massey has no problem with these shots either,
I used to have the best draw stroke on earth, but I'm getting old, Mike surely does now. There are 10 artistic guys out there who can out draw me now.

If you want to test your draw, set up OB in corner, cue ball one diamond up from it just off the long rail, Mike Masseys record on this is two table lengths and then two diamonds up, he hit both short rails and then went up table 2 diamonds past hitting the 2nd short rail, you cannot hit any points or any long rails, my record went two diamonds farther than his shot, I went 2 table lengths, 4 diamonds up.

Today about the best I can produce is a table and a half draw, but I think that is still pretty good for a guy who is 101 years old.
There is nothing Efren can do with a cue ball I can't fade, no brag, just fact.
There are different techniques and they all work. Some do this sort of release and throw the cue into the ball thing. Some do a slip stroke. I don't like any of them and find keeping all of my fingers on the cue at impact reduces vibration and twist. The key to this is learning how to achieve this very super light hold. The cue is just laying on my finger tips, on the finger print, the first joint. Look at your palm, now your finger, there are 3 sections. I hold on the top one, others grip, squeeze the cue and grip on the 2nd section, they really lock down. I tell students to stand behind me and grab the butt and pull it out of my hand during any part of the swing, they do and it flies right out, because I am not griping it, the cue is just riding on my finger tips. That is how you get the extreme spin and the things I can do with the cue ball, that is why you see the same things from Efren, he is holding it as light as I am, we are both producing the same thing.

Best Wishes,
Fast Larry Guninger :D :D :D
 
Larry,

I've been doing this before I ever heard of AZ and Fast Larry. I didn't steal a damn thing from you! I'm 54 years old and have been playing pool since I was 14. Be careful and think a little before you start blowing your horn and acusing people of stealing stuff from you. Besides, damn near every shot made on a pool table was done by someone before you were wearing diapers. Think about it.

You've been tossed off this board and CCB and God knows where else. When the rest of the world is saying something to you, you need to open your ears and realize that you might be doing something wrong. Why don't you think a little about what you're going to say and what the impact of what you're going to say will have on others before you actually type it? I've said this before and it bears repeating, you have a lot to offer and I have benefited from some of the things you have offered on this board in the past. You just need to try to stay on the positive and quit posting negative crap about others. You obviously want to be on this board or you wouldn't be swimming upstream to be here, so cut the crap and fly right for a change!




ramdadingdong said:
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**************************************************

Just for the record, everyone called this the grip, I am the one who insists the new term in pool should be the hold. That came from me first. One more thing every one is stealing from me, oh well, C' est la vie. If it wont get me a free cup of coffee in starbucks, what good is it?

Fast Larry Guninger The Power Source Pool School
 
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