Shooting Hard vs Rolling the Ball.
- Thread starter FeelDaShot
- Start date
It's funny because I'm quite the opposite. I can cue perfectly straight most of the time up until I start hitting some serious speed. But, if I get warmed up and play for a few hrs that strong pace of a stroke starts to straighten out pretty good. I'll take a roll or drag roll shot over a stun any day of the week. Just more confident cueing straight that way.
I can relate to this. when I/we hit with more speed(/length?), we lose accuracy- ?
I think this is a friction issue. Eliminate it and any to low to no speed is a no brainer. Independence of accuracy from speed is the body of work.
Not exactly. More speed can put your stroke in a non linear zone. More distance can present more negative or psychosomatic issues to a shooter but the problems of distance are only stroke and to a lesser degree, table roll.
The equipment is still your lifeline. No matter how much green, you can always find the cueball and get your stick close enough to shoot it. If you get into the habit of shooting the cueball line with all shots - ducks, half table shots for starters, then long shots become a function of simply extending that line. Same shot with some added space inbetween
i have the same issue as OP, but when i started hitting them softer but ran into deceleration issues..
Unless you are talking about shooting almost straight shots as Bob said or rolling forward vs stunning and spinning off a rail, then I'll l assume you don't have any clue what you are taking about or you are completely mistaken...
Your telling Bob J. He is wrong... That should set off alarm bells in your head before hitting reply button...
Agree, if you hold the cue loosely and stroke correctly, you rarely have to hit the ball hard. Efren playing 14.1 is a good example of this. Mosconi mostly would hit the ball no faster than medium speed, and hit got him anywhere he needed to go. He once said that there are two speeds to hit the cueball, soft, and softer. And, he played on the older, slower cloth.
-dj
I have recently seen several of my team-mates lose matches because they tried to baby the 9 ball in the pocket instead of shooting it, and it hung up in the jaws due to a bad hit. They are like 350 Fargo players, but if they hit the balls a bit harder, it would have bounced off the facings and in, instead of going tunk-tunk and staying out. One more "tunk" off the facings it would drop. I tell them to stop shooting scared and just shoot the damn ball LOL
I think using a "fake stroke" that is slower than your normal one will lead to issues. I often see my skids happen when I try to slow down my stroke more than is comfortable, the tip tends not to move as smoothly.
For most players, on your average equipment that is not dead level with fast cloth, slow speed is not good.
I think using a "fake stroke" that is slower than your normal one will lead to issues. I often see my skids happen when I try to slow down my stroke more than is comfortable, the tip tends not to move as smoothly.
For most players, on your average equipment that is not dead level with fast cloth, slow speed is not good.
Each player has a stroke speed they are most comfortable and confident with and will default to that speed whenever possible.
For bank pool, hitting harder is one method used to flatten the angle of the bank. Others include top spin and inside English, and combinations of all three. The goal is make the ball approach the pocket dead on instead of at an angle, which makes it easier to pocket the ball. You won't see a lot of bank pool players slow rolling a bank shot.
PracticeChampion
Well-known member
If your use to playing old tables with old clothe then you better hit it hard. These tables nowadays are so fast that all it takes is a roll stroke unless a stop shot is needed. I recently played on an old 8 ft with near carpet for clothe like the old days as compared to championship or simonis and a roll stroke would result in being way short
Mosconi could do that because his position was so precise all he had to do was move the CB a smidge thataway or a smooge thisaway for his next shot.
When he had to, like for a break shot, or on those rare ocassions he got out of line, he could and would smack the bejesus out of the ball.
Efren playing 14.1 is not a good example because he had little experience at the game and kinda played it ass backwards. But because he’s Efren he could often get away with it.
Lou Figueroa
This bite from you OP....is what works for me.
On a long rolling cut shot, I address whitey with a slight inside cueing (10:30 ish).
I've developed a feel of when the cue ball spin comes off (like a draw stop shot).
Prior to contact.
The cue ball then moves outward slightly (recenters to a natural roll) thinning the ball.
A swiping cue ball cut shot hit such as this, will induce obj. ball rotation, making overcuts go easier.
Obj. ball rotation turns inward hitting facing.
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sure, if speed (and length of stroke, is what I meant) is the culprit
that's likely a function of a bigger issue- alignment, mechanics, etc.
nonetheless- I personally have more confidence swinging slowly
but definitely recognize the value in being able to strike in all ways
Video I have seen of Mosconi he hit everything fairly firm.
Center ball or a little above or below but still firm. Just because he wasn't running Whitey around doesn't mean he was shooting soft!
Video I have seen of Mosconi he hit everything fairly firm.
Center ball or a little above or below but still firm. Just because he wasn't running Whitey around doesn't mean he was shooting soft!
Well, let's put it this way: I saw Mosconi shoot, maybe three or four times, and my recollection is that he'd usually just tap the ball to move it a little here and a little there. His break shots were a different matter and he'd put so much juice on the ball that it would muscle it's way straight through the stack, seemingly stopping for an instant until it got another grip on the cloth and then continue to power through it.
Generally though, he would move the CB so little that he made the game look deceptively easy and you'd walk away saying, "Shoot, anyone should be able to run 100."
Lou Figueroa
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Shooting in the summer league with my off hand has provided me greater insight into the average joe's struggles with when developing their mechanics. After decades of play, I've taken for granted my ability to cue straight with my proper hand.
What I have found is that my mechanics break down in both directions. I cue the straightest when hitting with the firm/moderate stroke. The second I try to feather a ball or increase the power, my stroke develops horrible flaws. I have to imagine new developing players face the same battles.
Unless a shot requires something different. I will always opt to roll a shot with either hand. Off handed, I choose to and develop patterns with a rolling ball in mind.
In golf, you carry 14 clubs that each strike the ball differently so the launch and distance proportionately vary.
In pool, you can use more than 1 cue. Typically, it involves a break cue, if you use one, and your playing cue.
In order to excel at pool, there are two critically important criteria for improving your stroke. It determines what
happens after striking the cue ball……accuracy of your stroke and velocity of your stroke. As you increase the
speed, at some point, accuracy starts diminishing. Muscle and grip tension can affect your arm movements.
There are more things involved than the basic 3 cue stroking speeds of soft, easy & hard. How far the cue ball
travels is influenced by how much object ball is struck which reduces the remaining cue ball energy that decides
how far the CB travels. A hanger in front of the CP is a easy example. Play the shot for side pocket shape, the end
corner pocket, up and down the table…..use ball in hand or just plop the CB in the middle of the pool table.
The more OB struck to make it in the CP, that same stroke hitting less OB results in the CB traveling further. It is
as simple as 1+1=2. Now your stroke decides how far it goes on the table and there are more speeds to striking a
cue ball than soft, easy, hard. Scott Lee showed me that a long time ago and Tommy Hill teaches it and he’s a
master PBIA Instructor. I won’t bother trying to explain it but practice how hard to stroke the cue ball and except
for the opening all ya got break shot, dial down your pool stroke thereafter and be sure to learn different CB speeds.
In pool, you can use more than 1 cue. Typically, it involves a break cue, if you use one, and your playing cue.
In order to excel at pool, there are two critically important criteria for improving your stroke. It determines what
happens after striking the cue ball……accuracy of your stroke and velocity of your stroke. As you increase the
speed, at some point, accuracy starts diminishing. Muscle and grip tension can affect your arm movements.
There are more things involved than the basic 3 cue stroking speeds of soft, easy & hard. How far the cue ball
travels is influenced by how much object ball is struck which reduces the remaining cue ball energy that decides
how far the CB travels. A hanger in front of the CP is a easy example. Play the shot for side pocket shape, the end
corner pocket, up and down the table…..use ball in hand or just plop the CB in the middle of the pool table.
The more OB struck to make it in the CP, that same stroke hitting less OB results in the CB traveling further. It is
as simple as 1+1=2. Now your stroke decides how far it goes on the table and there are more speeds to striking a
cue ball than soft, easy, hard. Scott Lee showed me that a long time ago and Tommy Hill teaches it and he’s a
master PBIA Instructor. I won’t bother trying to explain it but practice how hard to stroke the cue ball and except
for the opening all ya got break shot, dial down your pool stroke thereafter and be sure to learn different CB speeds.