stroke with hitch

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xrbbaker

Registered
I'm 47 this Saturday. APA 5. I hate my stroke. I have a hitch in it. I get down low - my chin sometimes touches the cue. Square my face to the ball. Keep the cue level. The hitch is in the last 3-4 inches, right as I'm hitting the cue ball. What happens is in that last part of the stroke my arm drifts away from my chest. I'm not sure but it kind of feels like my arm is crowded because it is starting to bump into my right boob so instead it kind of drifts outward. the result is that my tip hits the cue ball left of center and the cue ball ends up getting pushed right just a tad and so hits the object ball just right of center, sending the object ball to the left. Every time! On many shots it isn't enough to make a miss. On a 9' table like mine, on a corner to corner straight shot it causes a miss. I KNOW what my problem is. I've set up a camera and video taped it and played in slow motion. It happens all the stinking time! I just don't know how to correct it. Is my bridge to short? (I tend to have a short bridge gap.) Do I stand too close? Am I too square, high, low oblique, should I reach back more to the butt? forward more? etc., etc. etc.

I am going freaking crazy. I just can't figure it out. When I ask others to watch me they are like, hey, just shoot and don't worry about it. I'm an analyst by trade and I can see something is wrong. the more I shoot the more I drill it in to my muscle memory how to do the wrong thing.

About the closest I come to "fixing" the problem is to "throw" the cue - making sure I don't squeeze it at all. Even then I still tend to pull away at the last moment. Btw, one thing I have done to help is I don't wrap my thumb around the cue at all. I put it on the same side as my fingers so it can't grab and put any twist on. That feels really comfortable to me. Weird huh?

I know this is my problem to fix and you probably can't do anything without watching me, but I'm at my wits end trying to figure this out on what to do. I see the problem but not how to fix. Any help greatly appreciated.

Russ
 
Something is wrong with your alignment, or you have a problem getting into the proper set position. Spend a couple of hours with a qualified instructor, and they should be able to help.

Steve
 
Russ...We just don't know what we don't know. Video analysis tells it all. Tell us where you're located, and maybe we can steer you to a qualified instructor. I travel the whole country, so I may be able to come to you, depending on where you live. PM me if you're interested.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

xrbbaker said:
I'm 47 this Saturday. APA 5. I hate my stroke. I have a hitch in it. I get down low - my chin sometimes touches the cue. Square my face to the ball. Keep the cue level. The hitch is in the last 3-4 inches, right as I'm hitting the cue ball. What happens is in that last part of the stroke my arm drifts away from my chest. I'm not sure but it kind of feels like my arm is crowded because it is starting to bump into my right boob so instead it kind of drifts outward. the result is that my tip hits the cue ball left of center and the cue ball ends up getting pushed right just a tad and so hits the object ball just right of center, sending the object ball to the left. Every time! On many shots it isn't enough to make a miss. On a 9' table like mine, on a corner to corner straight shot it causes a miss. I KNOW what my problem is. I've set up a camera and video taped it and played in slow motion. It happens all the stinking time! I just don't know how to correct it. Is my bridge to short? (I tend to have a short bridge gap.) Do I stand too close? Am I too square, high, low oblique, should I reach back more to the butt? forward more? etc., etc. etc.

I am going freaking crazy. I just can't figure it out. When I ask others to watch me they are like, hey, just shoot and don't worry about it. I'm an analyst by trade and I can see something is wrong. the more I shoot the more I drill it in to my muscle memory how to do the wrong thing.

About the closest I come to "fixing" the problem is to "throw" the cue - making sure I don't squeeze it at all. Even then I still tend to pull away at the last moment. Btw, one thing I have done to help is I don't wrap my thumb around the cue at all. I put it on the same side as my fingers so it can't grab and put any twist on. That feels really comfortable to me. Weird huh?

I know this is my problem to fix and you probably can't do anything without watching me, but I'm at my wits end trying to figure this out on what to do. I see the problem but not how to fix. Any help greatly appreciated.

Russ
Click to expand...
 
Im very sure that an excellent instructor like Scott will help your more than u could imagine- Your problem is about wrong alignment, stroke......etc- if your fundamentals not working anymore because of bad habits this is the right time to have some hours with a qualified instructor.

have fun,

lg from overseas :-)


Ingo
 
Hey all. I agree with your thoughts. I hope that an outsider's experienced view could look at me and right away see some basic flaw(s). I'm in Westminster Maryland. Anybody know who might have a good eye for a flawed stroke around here? Scott, I'm guessing MD is a bit out of your normal coverage area... :)

Thanks everybody
 
Hm,
i think Scott is more like a *Cosmopolitan*- from that what i read his coverage-area is there, where a table is available :D
 
cool beans

I will give it a shot. Thanks for the web link.

Hey - is there a way that I could post the slo mo video of the flaw? It's only 1MB. thx


Russ
 
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If I'm not mistaken, Randy and Scott manage to hold pool school in Fredrick MD on a regular basis. That would be the best thing you could do for your game.

Also, Rufus Carter is just outside DC on the Virginia side. He is a top notch instructor. Maybe you can get with him.

Steve
 
Noticed something...

With all this chatter I again looked at my stroke video and picked up on something. My stroke doesn't go wrong in the last few inches. It actually starts the moment I begin the forward part of the stroke. I even think I have figured out why that is, from doing the stroke motion here at my desk with no cue. That is, my weight is shifting from the left (front) foot to my back (right) foot when I begin to move the stick forward. Should it? This makes sense because in other sports i've done, like golf, baseball, discus, one has to shift the weight in preparation to move the hips forward. Maybe I am putting in just a touch of hips as I move forward and the result is I'm leaning outward, to my right just a hair.

Gotta try messing around with that thought. I think I'm on to something...
 
Why do you want your hips moving forware, or in any direction for that matter? Proper stroking is all about moving the cue forward in a straight line. This is most easily accomplished when you limit any body movement to only that which is needed. That would be your forearm. Anything else that is moving can cause problems.

Steve
 
where is your weight?

Alright all - never mind. All this trying to explain it to you got me to look at a few things. What I was simply doing is crowding the line of stroke with my upper body. Basically my torso was in the way. My back, right foot was to the right of the line a few inches. I simply moved my right foot to be left of the line and viola! The stroke stays on track the whole way through.

Weird it took me trying to explain it to you for me to be able to work through it. I'm still going to look up an instructor, but I'm on the right track. Thanks very much for the guidance.
 
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Russ...I have dozens of students in MD, and will be coming through there the day after the SBE next week. Check your PM's.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

xrbbaker said:
Hey all. I agree with your thoughts. I hope that an outsider's experienced view could look at me and right away see some basic flaw(s). I'm in Westminster Maryland. Anybody know who might have a good eye for a flawed stroke around here? Scott, I'm guessing MD is a bit out of your normal coverage area... :)

Thanks everybody
Click to expand...
 
xrbbaker said:
I'm 47 this Saturday. APA 5. I hate my stroke. I have a hitch in it. I get down low - my chin sometimes touches the cue. Square my face to the ball. Keep the cue level. The hitch is in the last 3-4 inches, right as I'm hitting the cue ball. What happens is in that last part of the stroke my arm drifts away from my chest. I'm not sure but it kind of feels like my arm is crowded because it is starting to bump into my right boob so instead it kind of drifts outward. the result is that my tip hits the cue ball left of center and the cue ball ends up getting pushed right just a tad and so hits the object ball just right of center, sending the object ball to the left. Every time! On many shots it isn't enough to make a miss. On a 9' table like mine, on a corner to corner straight shot it causes a miss. I KNOW what my problem is. I've set up a camera and video taped it and played in slow motion. It happens all the stinking time! I just don't know how to correct it. Is my bridge to short? (I tend to have a short bridge gap.) Do I stand too close? Am I too square, high, low oblique, should I reach back more to the butt? forward more? etc., etc. etc.

I am going freaking crazy. I just can't figure it out. When I ask others to watch me they are like, hey, just shoot and don't worry about it. I'm an analyst by trade and I can see something is wrong. the more I shoot the more I drill it in to my muscle memory how to do the wrong thing.

About the closest I come to "fixing" the problem is to "throw" the cue - making sure I don't squeeze it at all. Even then I still tend to pull away at the last moment. Btw, one thing I have done to help is I don't wrap my thumb around the cue at all. I put it on the same side as my fingers so it can't grab and put any twist on. That feels really comfortable to me. Weird huh?

I know this is my problem to fix and you probably can't do anything without watching me, but I'm at my wits end trying to figure this out on what to do. I see the problem but not how to fix. Any help greatly appreciated.

Russ
Click to expand...

My best guess.

It could be that you are striking with the forearm past vertical and using an rigidly applied stationary elbow concept (which fine provided you don't have the chin on the cue) and as the forearm goes up the cue wants to bang you in the chin/chest. After a while the player has a hit impulse and through anticipation raises up on the shot.
 
pooltchr said:
If I'm not mistaken, Randy and Scott manage to hold pool school in Fredrick MD on a regular basis. That would be the best thing you could do for your game.

Also, Rufus Carter is just outside DC on the Virginia side. He is a top notch instructor. Maybe you can get with him.

Steve
Click to expand...



Pool School is the last week end of June in Federick, Md.

E-mail me for more details.....SPF=randyg
 
Hitch in Stroke

xrbbaker said:
I'm 47 this Saturday. APA 5. I hate my stroke. I have a hitch in it. I get down low - my chin sometimes touches the cue. Square my face to the ball. Keep the cue level. The hitch is in the last 3-4 inches, right as I'm hitting the cue ball. What happens is in that last part of the stroke my arm drifts away from my chest. I'm not sure but it kind of feels like my arm is crowded because it is starting to bump into my right boob so instead it kind of drifts outward. the result is that my tip hits the cue ball left of center and the cue ball ends up getting pushed right just a tad and so hits the object ball just right of center, sending the object ball to the left. Every time! On many shots it isn't enough to make a miss. On a 9' table like mine, on a corner to corner straight shot it causes a miss. I KNOW what my problem is. I've set up a camera and video taped it and played in slow motion. It happens all the stinking time! I just don't know how to correct it. Is my bridge to short? (I tend to have a short bridge gap.) Do I stand too close? Am I too square, high, low oblique, should I reach back more to the butt? forward more? etc., etc. etc.

I am going freaking crazy. I just can't figure it out. When I ask others to watch me they are like, hey, just shoot and don't worry about it. I'm an analyst by trade and I can see something is wrong. the more I shoot the more I drill it in to my muscle memory how to do the wrong thing.

About the closest I come to "fixing" the problem is to "throw" the cue - making sure I don't squeeze it at all. Even then I still tend to pull away at the last moment. Btw, one thing I have done to help is I don't wrap my thumb around the cue at all. I put it on the same side as my fingers so it can't grab and put any twist on. That feels really comfortable to me. Weird huh?

I know this is my problem to fix and you probably can't do anything without watching me, but I'm at my wits end trying to figure this out on what to do. I see the problem but not how to fix. Any help greatly appreciated.

Russ
Click to expand...

Russ,
Without seeing you play anybody would be guessing. I don't know how anyone can diagnose without seeing. If you can make a short video and send it to me via email I'll give you my opinion for free. After that it depends on your skill level as to whether you need instruction or not. It certainly can't hurt anyone to take lessons. Even Tiger Woods takes them.
This goes for anyone else out there. Send me a short clip and I'll try and help for free. I know what I'm looking at. (ps I do give lessons for money also in case you're interested.) Only I probably charge too much so try the BCA guys for extensive lessons.
 
Take it from someone that has had instruction from the Pool School and get book a date with Scott or Randy G.
You will be surprised how bad you game will get while working on "correcting your stroke", but you will be shocked at the positive results you get after your new stroke starts to feel natural.
My guess is you have several issues, not just one, that is throwing you off.
Good luck.
 
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