Have any of you noticed that when you are in stroke, your stroke feels lighter? Alot of people have mentioned they get that feeling when they are in dead punch. I have noticed that too, and although my stroke feels lighter, my cue feels slightly heavier, but it feels like it's balanced perfectly so I can control it easily.
With that in mind, there are a few things I have noticed in the strokes of good players. Almost all good players have a very steady rythm to their strokes. Bad players have terrible rythm, and I see resistance in their strokes. By that I mean, that if you watch good players carefully, during their practice strokes, the last few inches before their tip is at the cueball, there is no resistance. Their stroke is very relaxed, but steady and controlled. If you pay close attention to many bad players, you will notice that those last few inches before their tip arrives at the cueball on their practice strokes, the motion becomes very rough, as if they are struggling to keep their tip in line. This is probably because they have not yet developed muscle memory for a straight stroke, and many muscles are getting involved to keep their cue in line. When at the cueball, there is often slight shaking, they can't seem to keep their tip still. When good players are stopped at the cueball, their tip remains perfectly still, and it gives the impression of a very solid stroke (which is probably a huge part of what a good stroke comes from- stability).
Now with that also in mind, I have been paying close attention to my stroke on my good days and bad days. The days that I am not playing well, I've got all the bad symptoms I've described. My stroke feels heavy and my cue feels too light/poorly balanced, my stroke rythm is off, my tip is not steady when at the cueball. On the days when I am playing decent, these symptoms are less, and my stroke feels slightly lighter and the cue feels more balanced and slightly heavier. When I am playing good, these symptoms are non-existant, my cue feels like an extension of my arm.
Has anyone else noticed this, and if not, what does your stroke feel like when you are playing well?
With that in mind, there are a few things I have noticed in the strokes of good players. Almost all good players have a very steady rythm to their strokes. Bad players have terrible rythm, and I see resistance in their strokes. By that I mean, that if you watch good players carefully, during their practice strokes, the last few inches before their tip is at the cueball, there is no resistance. Their stroke is very relaxed, but steady and controlled. If you pay close attention to many bad players, you will notice that those last few inches before their tip arrives at the cueball on their practice strokes, the motion becomes very rough, as if they are struggling to keep their tip in line. This is probably because they have not yet developed muscle memory for a straight stroke, and many muscles are getting involved to keep their cue in line. When at the cueball, there is often slight shaking, they can't seem to keep their tip still. When good players are stopped at the cueball, their tip remains perfectly still, and it gives the impression of a very solid stroke (which is probably a huge part of what a good stroke comes from- stability).
Now with that also in mind, I have been paying close attention to my stroke on my good days and bad days. The days that I am not playing well, I've got all the bad symptoms I've described. My stroke feels heavy and my cue feels too light/poorly balanced, my stroke rythm is off, my tip is not steady when at the cueball. On the days when I am playing decent, these symptoms are less, and my stroke feels slightly lighter and the cue feels more balanced and slightly heavier. When I am playing good, these symptoms are non-existant, my cue feels like an extension of my arm.
Has anyone else noticed this, and if not, what does your stroke feel like when you are playing well?
