Straight Stroking Drills

[Tennesseejoe]

Great! Glad it helped. So now you have to analyze why so you can prevent the problem from recurring. What's your analysis of why your cue was going off line.

After 6 months of using your suggestion I added another step to help this process stay true. That process is that in the forward movement of my final stroke I use the 'V' grip between my thumb and index finger to guide my stroke. My follow thru ends with the cue hitting the heal of my hand. I had to practice to determine that exact spot on the heal for accuracy. This the first time in my life that my stroke felt smooth and repeatable.

 

[John oleson]

if you can find a CueTrack device it will really help ... every once in a while on the For Sale forum. Company went out of business years ago. If interested I wound up with two. Can send picture.

John Morra lines up on the long rail cushion and strokes down the line between the cushion and side rail.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

if you can find a CueTrack device it will really help ... every once in a while on the For Sale forum. Company went out of business years ago. If interested I wound up with two. Can send picture.

John Morra lines up on the long rail cushion and strokes down the line between the cushion and side rail.

Got curious and found this:

H

Thread 'CueTrack, how do I use it?'

Jan 31, 2023

hello,

I am back in the mood to play some pool after finally staring to lose my fear of COVID and i found a dusty CueTrack in the closet next to the pool cue cases. I did a quick google search and can't find any videos of how to use it, and the threads I found on here are mostly about buying and selling one.

Would anyone have any tips or recommendations on how to best practice with it? I assume the ?guide? fits on shaft with enough room for your bridge and a moderate stroke in front of it, so am I just trying to not touch the side pins when I hit the cue ball? I am also thinking this is...

• hrbngr
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Main Forum

pj
chgo

 

[BilliardsAbout]

Got curious and found this:

H

Thread 'CueTrack, how do I use it?'

Jan 31, 2023

hello,

I am back in the mood to play some pool after finally staring to lose my fear of COVID and i found a dusty CueTrack in the closet next to the pool cue cases. I did a quick google search and can't find any videos of how to use it, and the threads I found on here are mostly about buying and selling one.

Would anyone have any tips or recommendations on how to best practice with it? I assume the ?guide? fits on shaft with enough room for your bridge and a moderate stroke in front of it, so am I just trying to not touch the side pins when I hit the cue ball? I am also thinking this is...

• hrbngr
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Main Forum

pj
chgo

Straight up, I’m not a gadget guy and I dislike most pool gadgets for teaching.

However, I worked personally with Tony Mattina—right up through putting pros and aspiring pros through their paces with CueTrack in person—and they loved it.

If you find one to buy, I’ll be happy to give you tips on expanding its practical uses.

 

[Bob Jewett]

I see there are similar products to the CueTracker available for under $30. It looks like it would cost under $20 to make the original. At $50 it would be worth a try. At $500, there are much better ways to spend you pool training dollars.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

I see there are similar products to the CueTracker available for under $30. It looks like it would cost under $20 to make the original. At $50 it would be worth a try. At $500, there are much better ways to spend you pool training dollars.

Bob,

I didn’t realize they’re $500 now—the original retail price was closer to $200.

Have you used a CueTrack before steering people away from it? It can fine‑tune straighter strokes for players at different levels, from beginners through pros. It can also be used for some fascinating trick and exhibition shots. As I mentioned above, I personally “strapped in” pros and aspiring pros, and they loved it. Tony worked with several pros who believed in the product enough to buy their own and train with them daily.

As I also said above, I tend to dislike most gadgets, but I’d genuinely like to know which $30 products could serve as an equivalent. Tony himself used his invention to go from a 30‑ball runner to a 100‑ball runner in 14.1.

 

[Paul Bell]

Take a look at the QMD4 Stroke Trainer/Analyzer (theQMD.com), it's made for helping you straighten your stroke. With it you can pinpoint the problem area(s) in your stroke so you'll know what to work on.

Hmmm, I wonder how this compares with DigiCue Blue?

 

[chrislill-rastern]

Seem to be having problems with the stroke lately. It's been awhile since I've practiced any of these.

A few good straight-stroking drills that still work very well:

1. The Mighty X Drill
Set up the classic “X” pattern: place balls along both diagonals of the table so they form an X. Shoot each ball into the nearest corner pocket, usually with center ball or very slight follow/stun. The value of the drill is not just pocketing the balls, but watching whether your cue ball tracks cleanly on the intended line after contact. If your stroke is crooked, the cue ball usually tells you immediately.

Start slowly and focus on:

• keeping your cue as level as possible,
• finishing straight through the cue ball,
• staying down after the shot,
• not steering the cue during delivery.

2. Empty Coke Bottle Drill
Put an empty bottle on the table or on a stable surface and aim your cue tip into the opening without touching the sides. Stroke slowly through the neck of the bottle. The goal is to deliver the cue on a perfectly straight line.

Do this carefully and without forcing it. It is not about power, only about a clean, repeatable delivery. If the cue touches the bottle, your stroke is probably moving sideways, your grip is tightening, or your elbow/shoulder is introducing movement.

3. Long Straight-In Stop Shot
Place an object ball on the center line and the cue ball straight behind it, maybe 3–5 diamonds away. Shoot a stop shot into the corner. The cue ball should stop dead. If it drifts left or right, you either hit off-center or your stroke was not straight through the cue ball.

This is one of the best diagnostic drills because the feedback is very clear.

4. Cue Ball Up and Back Drill
Shoot the cue ball from the head string straight down-table to the foot rail and back. Try to have it return to your cue tip. Use center ball. If it comes back left or right, something in your alignment, aim, tip position, or stroke delivery is off.

Do not hit this too hard at first. Medium speed gives better feedback.

5. Rail-Groove Stroke Drill
Place the cue ball close to the long rail and shoot it straight down the rail without touching the rail. This forces you to deliver the cue very accurately. It also helps expose any unwanted side spin.

6. Paper-Line or Tape-Line Drill
Put a straight line of paper/tape on the table or use a table seam as a visual reference. Set the cue ball on the line and stroke directly along it. Watch whether the cue tip finishes on the same line after contact.

7. Pause and Finish Drill
On every practice stroke, pause briefly at the cue ball, then deliver smoothly and freeze after the shot. The freeze is important. If you jump up, twist, or pull the cue away, you often hide the flaw from yourself.

Personally, I would start with the long straight-in stop shot and the cue-ball-up-and-back drill, then use the Mighty X once the stroke feels more stable again. The bottle drill is great away from the table because it isolates the stroke itself without the distraction of pocketing balls.