The Pause
- Thread starter Matt_24
- Start date
You said talk is cheap and I agree.
So, why are you talking instead of spending some money on airline tickets to Hawaii.
You could bring the old lady and let her lay on the beach while you come to the pool hall and I give you some free lessons.
Last edited:
Your trip would be worth it.
I could get you off that APA-3 level and your team would appreciate it.
"That's my boy, taught him everything he knows!"
Well, maybe not.(grin) However, that final practice stroke does the same thing my smooth transition does, connects the practice strokes to the final stroke. A stop at the transition seems to largely disconnect all of the practice strokes from the final stroke. With no pause at the transition the final stroke starts at the cue ball, goes backwards, transitions , and moves smoothly forwards. With the pause, the final stroke starts after the pause largely undoing the benefits of the practice strokes. So it seems to me anyway.
Hu
Yo
you need to open up a bit on those shots.
Leaves me out.
I think Mark was the major advocate of the deliberate pause. I can't say a bad word against it as he's created world champions using that method when all I create is chaos.
The pause will certainly give it away. Can't hide that speed.
I have noticed a pause on players using a stroke slip.
He
He let the cue do the work.
Well after 6 pages that I quickly skimmed, I saw lots of discussion about arm muscles. It's the fingers that do the work. Well I guess the muscles that control the fingers are in the forearm..
My playing table tennis proofed that the fingers deliver the power. Playing baseball I learned that the fastball and change up and curve or slider All had the same body and arm movements. The fingers could change the pitch. A pitcher had to be able to disguise the pitch. With the same visible delivery, the subtle input of the fingers was much harder for a hitter to detect.
Piano players tickle the ivory. The subtle input from wrist and fingers deserves attention.
Most shots get a gentle caressing the break shot gets a bitch slap.
.
My playing table tennis proofed that the fingers deliver the power. Playing baseball I learned that the fastball and change up and curve or slider All had the same body and arm movements. The fingers could change the pitch. A pitcher had to be able to disguise the pitch. With the same visible delivery, the subtle input of the fingers was much harder for a hitter to detect.
Piano players tickle the ivory. The subtle input from wrist and fingers deserves attention.
Most shots get a gentle caressing the break shot gets a bitch slap.
.
Paul Bell
Well-known member
Pausing according to Tor Lowry’s description of Efren Reyes is not the pause according to Shortstop on Pool. Efren pauses with his cue tip right in back of cue ball. He then does two strokes (frontstroke and backstroke, and frontstroke and backstroke) before hitting the ball. Shortstop on Pool pauses at the end of the backstroke and before the frontstroke and hitting the ball.
Tor Lowry claims this is especially important in stressful situations where Efren Reyes' method reduces tension and prevents missing the shot due to a poor stroke. This agrees with maha's post that the pause at the end of the backstroke makes things worse for some in tense situations.
Shortstop on Pool disagrees finding that the pause at the end of the backstroke reduces tension because of this moment of silence. Not only that but the pause helps from a physical effect. Pausing prevents the muscles and tendons of the backstroke conflicting with the muscles and tendons of the front stroke and a resultant bad effect on the stroke.
Reconciling both approaches, Efren Reyes approach works despite the ill effect associated with battling muscles and tendons. Shortstop on Pool's method works despite the greater tension in stress situations because of the pause. Efren Reyes method is best for players more susceptible to stress while Shortstop on Pool's is best for the player that is more calm, collected, and cool.
Unreconcilable is both methods contention they are best in stressful situations.
If you are consistently making balls and doing what you intended to do, you are doing it correctly for "yourself".
Everyone seems to think there is only one way of doing things.
Everyone seems to think there is only one way of doing things.
Paul,
I take it that we should pause after each step when walking to avoid wasting energy with the conflicting tension in our legs and the conflicting tension in our arms? This gets even worse when running, particularly sprinting. Putting a micro pause in at the beginning and end of each motion should let new records be established in many of the track and field events!
OK, I was ragging you a bit! Debatable that muscles and connecting tissue are competing with each other at the ends of the stroke. We draw in two dimensions, often try to compare how our body works to how a machine works. Muscles are of course composed of many fibers and there are many muscles in our arms.
If we pause, particularly an extended pause, the muscles and fibers that are guiding and stabilizing our arms can relax and then we have a genuine issue.
I have played pool with a twelve ounce cue, no pause at the end of the backstroke. I bowled with a twenty pound ball, no pause at the end of the backstroke.
If the soft tissue of the arm conflicts, nothing good would happen. If we consider it to coordinate in a pool stroke going backwards and forwards we would get much closer to the truth I believe.
Hu
There are more good pool scientists than good pool players until you actually get on a table and start playing.
Paul Bell
Well-known member
You are contending Shortstop's theory on the muscle battle fails. In Shortstop's defense, he agrees with you that it is entirely normal and efficient to have the swinging action when swinging an ax, punching a body and, probably, bowling. Maybe Shortstop can explain better how that natural swinging doesn't work with a billiard stroke.
Generally, would most players have less luck dealing with stress by pausing before the last stroke than not pausing? Is this moment of silence helpful?
Instead of thinking what works for the pros, what may work for the poor players? The rapid swinging motion of some new players is random and imprecise. With that group, instituting a pause after the last backstroke and before hitting the cue ball could do wonders to the poor player's stroke. Still, telling them you can only stroke back and forth twice after pausing at the cue ball---like Efren---might work, too.