Stroking too smooth

J

Jason Robichaud

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I aim at the....

I worked on getting a smooth stroke and shooting through the CB, well, I think I went too smooth. I started to lose power causing me to stroke longer and harder to regain it. This made my stroke too long and my potting % dropped. I watched an old video and noticed I didn't have such a long follow past the CB. I hit the CB rather than shoot through it. I watched Shane and Ralf and noticed them hitting the CB. Strange how practice can sometimes take you away from things you do best.

The problem I developed was in the stroke. If I backstroke 8" I would follow 8". 12" to 12" or had that feeling. This was causing me to roll the CB down the table. It helped with speed control, sucked for spins.

I know try to end my stroke closer to the CB and this allows me to get more cue into the CB. It feels like the CB is slowing the cue down rather than just running its course to the end of the stroke. I probably get twice the spin now. Twice the spend means I can hit half as hard and the potting % is back up.

Anyone else with the same problem or wondering why the power isn't there, maybe the above will help.
 
What it all boils down to is this: If you have a straight stroke, and your tip is hitting the exact spot on the cue ball that you are aiming for, you will have a powerful stroke.

Those are the two most important things. Other things like a smooth cue action and a light grip can help, but I firmly believe that the first two I mentioned are the most important.

People put too much emphasis on things that are irrelevant, and sometimes detrimental, such as flicking your wrist, to have a powerful stroke. I think that before people start looking into things like this, they should first get a straight stroke, and learn what it feels like. Some people think their stroke is straight, but it's not.
 
I don't think there is such a thing as too smooth. Ideally you want to be contacting the cue ball at peak velocity so you generate the most action with the least amount of effort, which is what a good follow through will do for you. Timing is everything in pool, snooker, golf, tennis etc.

When I find that I am pecking at the cue ball, I'll focus on a smoother stroke and then I have the opposite problem where the cue ball is just taking off and I feel like I barely touched it.

I think your problem may lie elsewhere. An 8-12 inch follow through is rather over doing it imo, perhaps your doing to stuff to allow for that kind of follow through, which may in turn slow the cue down before contact? I would have to see it I think.

4-5 inches should be plenty even on a power shot, I should think.
 
cuetechasaurus said:
What it all boils down to is this: If you have a straight stroke, and your tip is hitting the exact spot on the cue ball that you are aiming for, you will have a powerful stroke.

Those are the two most important things. Other things like a smooth cue action and a light grip can help, but I firmly believe that the first two I mentioned are the most important.

People put too much emphasis on things that are irrelevant, and sometimes detrimental, such as flicking your wrist, to have a powerful stroke. I think that before people start looking into things like this, they should first get a straight stroke, and learn what it feels like. Some people think their stroke is straight, but it's not.
Click to expand...

I guess I should have put if you have a straight stroke, I took that part as a given. What I just found is there is more than one contact point to aim at. I don't aim (stroke) when in stroke, I was spending time trying to find the feeling when I just free wheel everything. Aiming at a spot for spin (top, bottom, left or right) and a spot in the ball rather than past gave me that natural stroke. If a person had to think about it all the time it would drive them mad. I am going to use it for a quick check or reset when things go bad.
 
Me personally, I prefer a shorter backswing and I get my power from the follow through. I find that a shorter backswing allows me to be more accurate on the follow through.
 
Perhaps you were not accelerating through the ball and ended up "hitting" instead of stroking. There is no reason to shorten the follow through unless it's pulling your cue off line.
 
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