Stance
- Thread starter X Breaker
- Start date
Yes.
There are many shots where you "get down" on the shot.
Shots where you are shooting over a ball and need to stand a little higher.
Then maybe a frozen to rail cue ball where you need draw and need to shoot down on the cue ball, so need to stand up.
Then maybe a shot where you need to climb up on the table with one leg up on the table and one foot on the ground.
And masse' type shots where you might sit on the table.
There are many shots where you "get down" on the shot.
Shots where you are shooting over a ball and need to stand a little higher.
Then maybe a frozen to rail cue ball where you need draw and need to shoot down on the cue ball, so need to stand up.
Then maybe a shot where you need to climb up on the table with one leg up on the table and one foot on the ground.
And masse' type shots where you might sit on the table.
My general rule, for shots where the cue ball and object ball are very close together, I stand taller so as to adequetly see the angles. On shots where the object ball blocks my view of the pocket, I stand taller so as to adequately see the pocket. On long tough shots I get lower on the cue to improve my aim. When I must bridge over a ball or rail, I stand a little taller. Basically, I always want to have a clear view of the cue ball, object ball and the pocket. Whatever height adjustments I must make in my stance, I make. As for changing my alignment (sideways or square) I don't mess with that. I want to always be in the same aligment, only changing my head height and where I grip the cue.nipponbilliards said:
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nipponbilliards said:
Richard, Unless the table is impeding my normal stance, then NO, I do not change my stance. It's consistently the same for every shot. If I change my stance, then I'm changing my alignment, If i do that, then I'm missing shots I should make.
Exceptions:
CB close to the rail or an impeding ball and I have to elevate
Using the Mechanical Bridge
As for grip, my grip is the same on every shot, from finesse speed shots where I'm only moving the balls few inches, to power shots where I have to go 3 or more cushions for position. I look at this the same was as I do the stance. If I change my grip, then I'm doing something different or out of the ordinary with my overall stroke/game, and why would I want to change anything and take a chance of missing when I shouldn't.
I always thought about it this way... Consistent Mechanics make for a Consistent Game, Inconsistent Mechanics make for an Inconsistent Game.
Later,
Bob
I always try to hold the cue as loosely as I can without losing my grip. I don't get into situations where I need a power shot very often, but if I do, I maintain a wet noodle type stroke. The tendency is to tense up and try to force the cue ball, but this tension affects accuracy. The harder the shot the more important to keep the muscles relaxed. If this sounds difficult and unnatural it's because it is.nipponbilliards said:
A good analogy is when you swing a hammer, if you try to muscle it and strain to hit hard you get tired quickly and lose accuracy in contacting the nail. If you use a loose bullwhip type snap where your muscles are more relaxed, you will not tire as quickly, accuracy improves and you will actually be hitting faster.
To ellaborate on the stance thing. While changing height, I move my feet according to the shots requirements. For a taller stance, I bring my feet closer together to get my torso on a higher plane. For the far away shots, I spread my feet much farther apart which allows my torso to get closer to the table. The alignment never changes, and the angle of my feet never changes. As for the grip, when I'm standing taller I tend to grip towards the center of the wrap. When I'm down low on the cue I tend to grip further towards the end of the wrap, near the butt sleeve.
For me, I always strive to keep the cue as level as possible and make sure that when I'm contacting the cueball, my griphand is perpendicular to the ground. If you lengthen or shorten your bridging distance to get around a ball or rail that's in your way, you have to alter where you grip the cue to compensate. If I change my height and/or bridge distance and haven't changed my grip, I may be choking off my follow-through. Just my humble opinion, take it for what it's worth.
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nipponbilliards said:Thank you so much for your advice, and for your detailed and informative reply. Members like you are the reasons why people visit this forum, you are a definite asset. Thank you.
What is a wet noodle stroke?
Richard
Wet noodle stroke, haha. Well, pretend your snapping an imaginary bullwhip or casting a fishing rod. Now focus on keeping your big muscle groups nice and loose and relaxed. Relaxation takes the hiccups out of a players stroke. If the arm is loose and relaxed, the stroke has a true pendulum motion. If you tense up on delivery, your breaking the fluidity of the follow-through. This is most noticable on break shots. A big burly guy walks over and throws every ounce of strength into his break. A skinny nerd can get just as much juice, if not more, because he's more loose and limber. It's speed, not strength. A MLB Pitchers arm is very loose and limber while pitching, that's how they generate spin and great speed. If they tried to muscle every single pitch, their arm would fall off and they would loose speed/accuracy.
The looseness helps achieve what you'll hear people refer to as the "snap". That's where the wrist releases on the backswing and thrusts forward during the forward swing. This helps maintain a more level and consistent cueing action. Watch Earl Strickland, Corey Dueul and Alex Pagulayan for obvious examples of this.
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me i try to stand the same way each time but of course some shots you can not do it, but for me to stand the same way lends me that consistency. Closer shots i have to stand different to see the angle of the shot. A couple nights ago i found something wrong with my stance i was holding my elbow off to the side which i corrected. Mark Wilson ain't he great.
nipponbilliards said:
As a rule, you want your head where it needs to be. How you stand simply promotes that concept. You don't want to be rigid. Your stance is going to change according to the shot-at-hand. Under ideal circumstances, there are traditional ways to stand (and I strongly recommend you learn them) but bear in mind that these ways are suggested because they're stable and comfortable not because there's some hidden secret revealed when using them. How tall, short, big or small you are is going to influence how you get down on a shot. Also, there's a degree of flexibility that some people have that others simply don't.