Please correct me if I’m wrong, for this discussion, swoop or swipe is being used to define a lateral movement of the tip at moment of impact. If that is correct, please continue.
How much lateral movement is happening in the .001-.002 seconds that the tip is in contact with the CB? I get a lateral swipe at the ball with my hand will certainly generate more spin than if I hit it direct on but a slap motion at the cue is significantly more lateral movement than forward.
In thinking of how much lateral movement on the tip would be necessary to create additional English, I think of apparent wind. If the actual wind is at 5 mph and from the west and I’m traveling in a car driving north at 45mph, the apparent wind altered approx 80 degrees to the North.
With a swoop stroke, how much lateral compared to forward are you stating takes place? I did a little math and for every mph you’re stroking the cue, the amount of distance the cueball travels while in contact with the tip is .0176 of an inch per MPH of the stroke if in contact for .001 seconds (obviously double if in contact for .002)
Example shot of 8 MPH - the distance during contact between tip and cue ball is between .1408 and .2816 of an inch. If an 8 mph stroke, in that time how much lateral movement do you think is possible? The same 8mph rate? Would that not create a 'path of travel' at 45 degrees? Should be easy to see in slow motion. Contact to center or to the side of the swoop direction would be moving the tip away from contacting the ball. Moving away, the tip friction doesn’t seem like it would be enough to impart extra English if moving away from the contact, certainly not maintain any level of accuracy. Forward force at any speed is more significantly forward than lateral or the cue ball would not move forward.
While I respect that there is belief a swoop does create more English, I’d like to see proof, with video, that a cue tip is traveling laterally at moment of impact because while people are professing this as laws of physics, most things in physics can be proven. We're not there yet - plenty of opinions though.
I offer my current opinion: I think 'swoop' is either placebo or a “Jim Furyk” in that you’re seeing an odd swing, but its square and true on impact.
Last point, I’d call a foul anyway, you need to contact the cueball in a stroking motion, not a swooping one.:wink:
ps - English, my answer is "yes I have"
Is the downward stroke for a masse shot a "forward" stroke?
When one holds the cue out away form heir body & nearly vertical when the ball is near a rail & the shooter actually shoots toward their body, is the stroke forward?
When the cue rocks like in a pendulum stroke & the tip arcs downward toward the cloth during contact a forward stroke?
When the cue bends & deflects to the side is the stroke forward?
Relativity & percentage of movement.
You were on the right track early on but you went TOO far in one direction.
If you read my 90* thing in the other thread that was a visual key & NOT a representation of the stroke.
Do you think a Master BCA instructor & former Top 10 female player would advocate an illegal stroke?
Do you think Earl Strickland would employ an illegal stroke?
Best Wishes.