stroking straight question

[Patrick Johnson]

The usual recommended solution is to find a stance that places your head where a straight, centered shot looks straight and centered. Have you considered that solution?

i will re-try a bunch of different head positions to see if something works..

If your tip is usually off to the right, most likely your head is a little too far right too.

from my point of view?

Yes. You can also view it as your stick being a little too far toward your left eye - if that makes it any easier to visualize and correct. For instance, you could try simply moving your rear elbow a little to the right (farther from your body).

Just an educated guess based on simple spacial relationships.

pj
chgo

 

[z0nt0n3r]

Yes. You can also view it as your stick being a little too far toward your left eye - if that makes it any easier to visualize and correct. For instance, you could try simply moving your rear elbow a little to the right (farther from your body).

Just an educated guess based on simple spacial relationships.

pj
chgo

so i tried a bunch of different head positions and the solution seems to be to turn my head a little to my right so that my left eye is a bit closer to the picture.all the other head positions i tried in the past with the head square to the shot don't work because i assume my right eye gets too involved and the picture/aim looks wrong.i also noticed if i turn my head too much to the right then my picture gets screwed up once again and i do the opposite of what i was doing,i line up with a hair of left english instead of right.so i must turn the head only a certain amount.i practiced the new position 2 hours today and it's unbelievable to think that all these years i learned to play certain shots only with english and never played them with center ball because i couldn't locate center ball..now i'm able to play the up and down drill with full power and have the cb come back to my tip (in the past it was almost impossible for me to do it with maximum power) and my long straight in draws have improved drastically so i would say my stroke has become pretty straight now but of course there is room for improvement.

 

[z0nt0n3r]

also i'm wondering should i also have my head turned a bit to the right when aligning my head from the standing position?

 

[z0nt0n3r]

today's finding should also explain why i was playing better when i was twisting the hips/shoulders to my right,it wasn't so much because it was aligning my elbow closer to the cue,it was because this type of alignment was bringing my left eye closer to the picture..

 

[boyraks]

Appreciate the acknowledgement. Thanks for taking time to read and post.

Everytime I browse on these topic I always read your responses. It is very straightforward and enlightening.

 

[John oleson]

Straight stroke

Look at YouTube and watch Kristina Tkach .. very interesting.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

today's finding should also explain why i was playing better when i was twisting the hips/shoulders to my right,it wasn't so much because it was aligning my elbow closer to the cue,it was because this type of alignment was bringing my left eye closer to the picture..

Can't tell for sure without seeing your stance, but either adjustment, or a combination of them, might accomplish the same thing.

Glad it's improving!

pj
chgo

 

[stockbob55]

If a player starts off with a good alignment during his address and practice strokes
but as he pulls the cue back on the final back swing the cue move off line about a
quarter tip to the left.
This causes the player to miss some shots.
Bearing in mind the player has done this for years and his stroke is consistent
would you as coaches advise:
a) working on straightening out his back swing
or
b) adjusting his alignment a 1/4 tip to the right?

 

[Patrick Johnson]

If a player starts off with a good alignment during his address and practice strokes
but as he pulls the cue back on the final back swing the cue move off line about a
quarter tip to the left.
This causes the player to miss some shots.
Bearing in mind the player has done this for years and his stroke is consistent
would you as coaches advise:
a) working on straightening out his back swing
or
b) adjusting his alignment a 1/4 tip to the right?

I solved the same problem for myself by adjusting my elbow position (distance from body) until that hinge joint was aligned best for a natural straight stroke. I also had to adjust the angle of my shoulders and head a little to keep the stick centered in my line of sight.

Easy peasy - shouldn’t take more than a few years.

pj
chgo

 

[FranCrimi]

If a player starts off with a good alignment during his address and practice strokes
but as he pulls the cue back on the final back swing the cue move off line about a
quarter tip to the left.
This causes the player to miss some shots.
Bearing in mind the player has done this for years and his stroke is consistent
would you as coaches advise:
a) working on straightening out his back swing
or
b) adjusting his alignment a 1/4 tip to the right?

You have to first figure out what is causing the problem before you can decide how to fix it. Is he doing something with his grip hand in his back swing, or is he moving his arm off line on the way back? What's causing the cue to move off line?

Once you find the cause, then you have to decide how difficult it will be for the player to fix the problem. If the player has been doing it for years, then it will be difficult to fix the problem. Is the player capable of making such a change in their game that will take them out of their comfort zone for a period of time?

If it was a client of mine, I would first diagnose the cause of the problem, determine the fix and then talk to the player and explain what would be involved. Then I would let the player make the decision as to whether or not they want to proceed to try to fix it. They may say it's not worth the pain and suffering to them to attempt it.

 

[stockbob55]

I solved the same problem for myself by adjusting my elbow position (distance from body) until that hinge joint was aligned best for a natural straight stroke. I also had to adjust the angle of my shoulders and head a little to keep the stick centered in my line of sight.

Easy peasy - shouldn’t take more than a few years.

pj
chgo

Thanks for the reply PJ
That was a lot of things to change all at the same time.
Were you pleased with the results?

 

[stockbob55]

re stroke

You have to first figure out what is causing the problem before you can decide how to fix it. Is he doing something with his grip hand in his back swing, or is he moving his arm off line on the way back? What's causing the cue to move off line?

Once you find the cause, then you have to decide how difficult it will be for the player to fix the problem. If the player has been doing it for years, then it will be difficult to fix the problem. Is the player capable of making such a change in their game that will take them out of their comfort zone for a period of time?

If it was a client of mine, I would first diagnose the cause of the problem, determine the fix and then talk to the player and explain what would be involved. Then I would let the player make the decision as to whether or not they want to proceed to try to fix it. They may say it's not worth the pain and suffering to them to attempt it.

Thanks for the input Fran.
So Isolate the cause of the problem 1st.
He seems to change something in his grip on the final back swing,
but its not obvious, maybe tightening up or twisting in anticipation of the shot.
I will look a some video

 

[z0nt0n3r]

hi everyone,after tinkering with my aim/alignment for a couple of months,i now realized that i'm still not able to move the cue in a straight line,so even if my aim/alignment is perfect,my stroke is still coming offline slightly.i thought that when my aim is right ,my stroke automatically straightens out but after watching it carefully,the practice strokes and final stroke still aren't straight,the cue goes offline to my right as i pull it back and then to my left as i bring it forward,slowly and regularly, in pace with my stroke.what are all the possible reasons for not being able to cue straight?are all the factors just too many to think?

 

[Patrick Johnson]

hi everyone,after tinkering with my aim/alignment for a couple of months,i now realized that i'm still not able to move the cue in a straight line,so even if my aim/alignment is perfect,my stroke is still coming offline slightly.i thought that when my aim is right ,my stroke automatically straightens out but after watching it carefully,the practice strokes and final stroke still aren't straight,the cue goes offline to my right as i pull it back and then to my left as i bring it forward,slowly and regularly, in pace with my stroke.what are all the possible reasons for not being able to cue straight?are all the factors just too many to think?

Could be...

1. Your elbow isn't directly over your cue.
2. Your hip is in the way and you instinctively steer your grip hand around it.
3. A combination of those.
4. Something else I didn't think of.

pj <- think that covers it
chgo

 

[z0nt0n3r]

Could be...

1. Your elbow isn't directly over your cue.
2. Your hip is in the way and you instinctively steer your grip hand around it.
3. A combination of those.
4. Something else I didn't think of.

pj <- think that covers it
chgo

also could be that it's just in my head and there isn't actually a problem.dr dave has a video explaining an optical illusion when examining your stroke from video recording:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpbldj9Nkk0

if that's the case then i don't know how to find out if there is actually a problem or not.i can do the up and down drill about 8 or 9 times out of 10 but that doesn't mean i have a straight stroke because i can pull the cue back offline and then get it back on line on the forward stroke consistently.

 

[One Pocket John]

also could be that it's just in my head and there isn't actually a problem.dr dave has a video explaining an optical illusion when examining your stroke from video recording:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpbldj9Nkk0

if that's the case then i don't know how to find out if there is actually a problem or not.i can do the up and down drill about 8 or 9 times out of 10 but that doesn't mean i have a straight stroke because i can pull the cue back offline and then get it back on line on the forward stroke consistently.

Have you ever tried this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGBFRln32uo&t=2s

John

 

[z0nt0n3r]

Have you ever tried this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGBFRln32uo&t=2s

John

i've tried it but i don't know if i did it correctly and it didn't work

 

[bbb]

i know this is off topic ....but
what does your screen name mean or stand for ?

 

[z0nt0n3r]

Have you ever tried this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGBFRln32uo&t=2s

John

but even when i tried it i'm not sure i understood it correctly.so you're supposed to practice pocketing balls one handed by holding the cue by the balance point and then slowly turn your body until the cue lines up with the shot?and then play regularly with both hands with the arm alignment of that technique?i'm not sure if i understand this correctly

 

[z0nt0n3r]

i know this is off topic ....but
what does your screen name mean or stand for ?

it's an old graffiti name i had,it doesn't stand for anything,the words were randomly mixed together to make sure nobody else had the same tag haha