Should my stroke arm be straight?.

[Dunnn51]

...seems like a semi-side arm stroke....good it works for you...


//

As long as your aim is true and you like the way you play shape....it's all good.

I'll agree with these guys. When I look at someones stroke , I always take note of the shoulder, elbow, wrist alignment. You shoot with your elbow "in" which moves your arm outward. It works for you.
I have a gut myself, so I find it interesting to see different stroke styles.

 

[poolrod]

I'll agree with these guys. When I look at someones stroke , I always take note of the shoulder, elbow, wrist alignment. You shoot with your elbow "in" which moves your arm outward. It works for you.
I have a gut myself, so I find it interesting to see different stroke styles.

Thank you, Rod.

 

[West Point 1987]

Would a dead hang arm (pendulum stroke) work better/more consistent? I think it probably would, and I imagine you probably have to shoot pretty frequently to stay in stroke the way you're stroking now. Without seeing more from you it's hard to judge. Seems to work okay for you on this rack, you got the shape you wanted and got out pretty well. As far as follow through goes, I saw small/short follow through on every stroke, certainly "enough" in terms of acceleration. The couple of shots that looked to decelerate could have been because of your grip; you also looked to be steering or swiping a little bit on a couple of shots, but you got away with it.

If you feel compelled to adjust your stroke, go ahead; but be ready for some growing pains...I spent over a year working on my stroke, glad I did, but man did it frustrate me for a long while! I used to have a Bustamante style buggy whip stroke that served me well for decades; but after a long lay off I couldn't consistently get out...I worked hard and changed to a straight pendulum stroke with no floppy wrist and it paid off. But it took a lot of work. It was months before I could get the action back in my cue ball, seemed like I completely forgot how to draw a ball. Now it's all good. I agree with the other posters, if you really want to change your stroke, you should invest in a couple of lessons; it will save you months of aimless experimentation where you can't see yourself clearly...

 

[poolrod]

Would a dead hang arm (pendulum stroke) work better/more consistent? I think it probably would, and I imagine you probably have to shoot pretty frequently to stay in stroke the way you're stroking now. Without seeing more from you it's hard to judge. Seems to work okay for you on this rack, you got the shape you wanted and got out pretty well. As far as follow through goes, I saw small/short follow through on every stroke, certainly "enough" in terms of acceleration. The couple of shots that looked to decelerate could have been because of your grip; you also looked to be steering or swiping a little bit on a couple of shots, but you got away with it.

If you feel compelled to adjust your stroke, go ahead; but be ready for some growing pains...I spent over a year working on my stroke, glad I did, but man did it frustrate me for a long while! I used to have a Bustamante style buggy whip stroke that served me well for decades; but after a long lay off I couldn't consistently get out...I worked hard and changed to a straight pendulum stroke with no floppy wrist and it paid off. But it took a lot of work. It was months before I could get the action back in my cue ball, seemed like I completely forgot how to draw a ball. Now it's all good. I agree with the other posters, if you really want to change your stroke, you should invest in a couple of lessons; it will save you months of aimless experimentation where you can't see yourself clearly...

I can go weeks without playing, and run racks, but I have been playing like this for almost 40 years. I think a straight, pendulum stroke would help me follow through better. I play with stiff hitting cues, so it helps me be a little more stable maybe. Thank you.

 

[SouthernDraw]

I agree with West Point that your stroke looks pretty good. You do appear to have elbow tucked in, but seems that you play pretty good. I believe that it was Hoppe that had a similar elbow position, but more pronounced. I'm told he played pretty sporty.

If you feel compelled to check whether your stroke is straight do this...get a laser level at lowes, set up cue ball and object ball dead straight, corner to corner. Put hole reinforcements (donuts) under balls to reset your shot. Then line up the laser with the balls/pockets. Now, video back of elbow to get visual feedback on how straight your stroke is. It may take awhile to get the setup perfect. The laser should split the center of back of shoulder to the elbow. This gives you immeasurable feedback for a true pendulum stroke.

I personally think this stroke is best for beginners or someone with major deficiencies in stroke. Less helpful for strong players that have been doing well for 20 plus years. I think time allows for adjustments to a stroke. But, I'm not an instructor, so what do I know?

 

[Sealegs50]

Hoppe fan

You claim to be a Hoppe fan. So I don't see the problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQynRebhP1Y

The video is intended as a serious answer. If the stroke worked for Willie, who is to say it is wrong? Do you believe your mechanics are holding you back from "A" play? Do you suffer from inconsistency or long distance inaccuracy? My issues are mostly mental. Changing strokes wouldn't solve problems for me because I am my own worst enemy.

Maybe you need a better cue. :wink:

 

[poolrod]

You claim to be a Hoppe fan. So I don't see the problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQynRebhP1Y

The video is intended as a serious answer. If the stroke worked for Willie, who is to say it is wrong? Do you believe your mechanics are holding you back from "A" play? Do you suffer from inconsistency or long distance inaccuracy? My issues are mostly mental. Changing strokes wouldn't solve problems for me because I am my own worst enemy.

Maybe you need a better cue. :wink:

Yes, a better cue might do the trick,lol. I was told the cue is too much for me.:thumbup:

 

[CreeDo]

This is what I believe...

A 'textbook' stroke is easier to master for a beginner.
A 'textbook' stroke is easier to diagnose and fix when your fundamentals seem to be off.
If you play with a funky stroke for years but seldom run racks, and you're stuck without advancing,
you probably need to switch to a textbook stroke.

But any stroke, weird or not, can work if you stick to it for 10 or 20 years.

So, you have a decision to make...

1. tear down the old stroke and rebuild, which means
a lot of misses and lost games for a while as you relearn pool.

2. stick with the funky stroke.

IMO, anyone who's been on a funky stroke for like 10 years+ will probably be better off
just sticking to it. After that long it's difficult to unlearn.

Your main thing is both your arms are well away from your body, and you're standing upright
like the old-timey straight pool players. The stroke seems straight and you move the cue ball
pretty easily, so it's probably ok even if your forearm is angled instead of the traditional up'n'down.

If I were to suggest a chance, it would be go get lower (if it doesn't strain your back),
get your head down closer over the cue, and try bring both arms in a bit.
Even try bracing the cue against your chest or ribs a little.
I find for certain situations, bracing the cue like this allows me to cinch long tough shots.

This would all be a pretty major change though so I'd say don't put effort into unless you feel ready
to completely relearn how you shoot.

 

[poolrod]

Thank you, guys, great feedback on this.:thumbup: