Style of stroke Vs ability to score high runs??

[TheWizard]

Hey Guys

I don't know if this has been talked about before here and so I thought this would be a good discussion to have, especially since it's concerning straight pool and a player's ability to run balls consistently

What I would like to ask for your thoughts on is this:-

How much importance do you think a player's stroke mechanics and technique has on the player's ability to run balls/racks consistently, but be able to play good shape on patterns without having to struggle?

There is a specific reason why I'm asking this, but I'll explain afterwards because I'd like to read your input on this topic first

Thank you all in advance and I look forward to reading your replies :thumbup:

Willie

 

[stevekur1]

IMHO stroke is huge in 14.1, but it is not a wide open stroke game like rotation games.
Being able to stay on the right side of balls is very important. and alot of times you have to work in tight areas, so it is important to be able to shoot shots with subtle movements.

pattern play is alot more important in 14.1 as well. and you have to be open to change, in other words you dont have to die with the shot that you were intending to shoot. if you fall wrong on a shot, you have to be open to change to get on the right side of the shot you had intended to be on to solve that particular piece of the puzzle.

Hope this helped
Steve

 

[TheWizard]

Hey Steve

Thanks for your reply buddy and some rep points are coming your way


The reason I was asking the question about the effectiveness of the stroke is because one thing that I have noticed in my own experience of shooting pool, is that if a player is shooting with a short and somewhat tight/stiff stroke, then he's having to work harder in order to move the CB around when shooting, thus in turn actually makes running balls a little more difficult, due to playing shape being hindered by a choked stroke.

Whereas I have found that when shooting pool with a loose and fluent stroke, it actually helps to manouver the CB around that little bit more easily, both in regular shots and also on the break shot

As regards pattern play, one thing that I learned when I started shooting straight pool in general, was to play for as many options as possible, whilst still concentrating on picking out and leaving 3 or 4 balls to leave for the end pattern when laying up for the next break shot

With the technique of the shooter's stroke in mind, I wonder how many players shoot with a somewhat tight or restricted stroke when shooting pool in general, instead of shooting with a loose and fluent stroke?... and also, how many of these have considered about the possiblilty of altering their stroke technique to help improve their overal play?

One thing that I would recommend is for alot of the lesser skilled straight pool players, to take some time to check out the stroke techniques of some of the modern day high run shooter like John Schmidt, Danny Hariman, Toastie, Engert, Fejin, Souquet, etc, etc, and see what can be learned in how they shoot in reguards their stroke technique.

I would like to think that by working on loosening the stroke a little, can help a player to concentrate better and be able to move the rock around a little easier

What do you guys think?

Tomorrow, I'm gonna be shooting some straight pool in practice and will be taking the camcorder with me to see if I can help give some kind of idea of what I mean

Willie

 

[poolplayer2093]

Hey Steve

Thanks for your reply buddy and some rep points are coming your way


The reason I was asking the question about the effectiveness of the stroke is because one thing that I have noticed in my own experience of shooting pool, is that if a player is shooting with a short and somewhat tight/stiff stroke, then he's having to work harder in order to move the CB around when shooting, thus in turn actually makes running balls a little more difficult, due to playing shape being hindered by a choked stroke.

Whereas I have found that when shooting pool with a loose and fluent stroke, it actually helps to manouver the CB around that little bit more easily, both in regular shots and also on the break shot

As regards pattern play, one thing that I learned when I started shooting straight pool in general, was to play for as many options as possible, whilst still concentrating on picking out and leaving 3 or 4 balls to leave for the end pattern when laying up for the next break shot

With the technique of the shooter's stroke in mind, I wonder how many players shoot with a somewhat tight or restricted stroke when shooting pool in general, instead of shooting with a loose and fluent stroke?... and also, how many of these have considered about the possiblilty of altering their stroke technique to help improve their overal play?

One thing that I would recommend is for alot of the lesser skilled straight pool players, to take some time to check out the stroke techniques of some of the modern day high run shooter like John Schmidt, Danny Hariman, Toastie, Engert, Fejin, Souquet, etc, etc, and see what can be learned in how they shoot in reguards their stroke technique.

I would like to think that by working on loosening the stroke a little, can help a player to concentrate better and be able to move the rock around a little easier

What do you guys think?

Tomorrow, I'm gonna be shooting some straight pool in practice and will be taking the camcorder with me to see if I can help give some kind of idea of what I mean

Willie

hay what does 104 unfinished mean in your signature?

i've always been a fan of watching people with long fluid strokes. i like the way mike zugland runs the balls.

 

[TheWizard]

well, the high run I hit was made about 6 years ago, when I was playing against my friend and practice partner a game of straight pool to 125

After about 10/15 innings of safeties and small runs, my buddy played a poor safety and left me a couple of easy shots, to which I took advantage of and wound up running 104 and out, but before I got to shoot the next ball to keep the run going, he swiped the cueball up table in disgust and racked 'em up for 9ball lol, hence why it was 104 unfinished

I had made a been making regular 40's, 50's and 60's prior to it, but somehow I just found that extra gear and kept going and the odd thing was, I didn't realise how many balls I had ran, I was merely concentrating on running balls and going from rack to rack

For now, it's gonna take me a while to get back to that level of shooting straight pool with regular 50's, 60's or more, since I stopped playing for a few years and I'm only starting to get back in stroke again and as with Straight pool, it's natually a very demanding game, but I'm happy to record a video either tomorrow or Wednesday (Whichever of the 2 days I can get to the pool hall) to record some video, and perhaps it would be great for Blackjack to maybe doe some 14.1 analasys as well :thumbup:

Willie

 

[Cameron Smith]

I'm starting to feel that the ideal stroke for most shots is a 6 inch back swing with a nice follow through. It seems that you can achieve most anything you want with this and maintain accuracy.

 

[AtLarge]

... before I got to shoot the next ball to keep the run going, he swiped the cueball up table in disgust and racked 'em up for 9ball ...

Man, that's brutal -- a personal best terminated by an opponent's unsportsmanlike conduct.

I hope you exceed the 104 significantly in the near future.