The stroke

jh3rron

jh3rron

The Beard
I have played billiards for a decade and just have noticed that I have a horrible stroke. I don't know what to do to improve it. Half the time I can get a good solid feeling hit that will draw the cb. The other time I deflect and get no spin. I have been watching an older man play at the local poll hall and his stroke is a fluid motion. What can I do to get myself hitting the cb properly? I have just also now noticed why I miss a lot of shots. outside English is to blame. I know my mistakes but just need a little advice on what to do to improve. Any advice on drills would be appreciated.
 
jh3rron said:
I have played billiards for a decade and just have noticed that I have a horrible stroke. I don't know what to do to improve it. Half the time I can get a good solid feeling hit that will draw the cb. The other time I deflect and get no spin. I have been watching an older man play at the local poll hall and his stroke is a fluid motion. What can I do to get myself hitting the cb properly? I have just also now noticed why I miss a lot of shots. outside English is to blame. I know my mistakes but just need a little advice on what to do to improve. Any advice on drills would be appreciated.
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I think you may have posted in the wrong sub-forum.

If you are using a full pendulum stroke, I'd suggest that you change to either a Full Piston or a Piston-J Stroke.

The full pendulum stroke requires a perfect set up & a perfectly still/fixed elbow & even then the tip is only not moving on a series of arcs for an extremely small amount of time & distance & hence the need for the perfect set up & perfectly fixed elbow... and the right connection to the cue by the hand to go along with them.

Human Beings do not do perfect all the well.

All you need do is to focus on moving the cue stick in a straight line away from back to & through the point where the cue ball was sitting.

Forget everything else & focus on doing that as that is how a straight stick is naturally used when using the end of it to hit something like a specific part of a small ball.

Good Luck with finding YOUR solution.

Best Wishes for You & Yours.
 
Thank you for the reply. Sorry about off topic. I thought aiming might be a good place to post. If need be maybe a moderator can move the thread.
 
jh3rron said:
Thank you for the reply. Sorry about off topic. I thought aiming might be a good place to post. If need be maybe a moderator can move the thread.
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No problem from me.

I just thought that you might have wanted to post it in the Ask the Instructors sub forum.

You will very likely get very different information than what I gave you there.

If you ask for help there & Fran Crimi advises anything, I would suggest that you listen to her & take what she says 'to heart'.

Again, Good Luck in Finding YOUR solution.
 
jh3rron said:
Thank you for the reply. Sorry about off topic. I thought aiming might be a good place to post. If need be maybe a moderator can move the thread.
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There are many instructors here to help you, if you go to the ask the instructor forum. I'm just an enthusiastic amateur, with a fairly smooth stroke (at times). My advice to you would be to do whatever drill you like, line up drills are fine as well as the L-drill and anything by Bert Kinister (search Youtube). I would suggest line-up, because it is simple and lets you focus on your cue action.

The important thing is to relax your cueing arm completely, I know you think you are doing this allready, but trust me you are probably not even close. Most players who struggle with getting spin are gripping and tensing up like there is no tomorrow. The pool stroke does not need big muscle tension, the cue does most of the work. Keep barely enough tension to keep the cue up. Focus on keeping this feeling throughout the stroke. If you firm up your grip, tense your arm up or anything like that, you will raise the cue and pull it off line. Thus you will not get draw. The stroke is a soft, controlled throw (in which you do not let go of the cue). You need very little force on modern pool tables, and a relaxed arm is very precise. Precise tip placement is what you want and you want the cue to go through the ball. Don't muscle the cue, it goes through if you let it go and dont' tense up.
 
Thank you for taking the time to tell me about the Instructor sub forum. I appreciate it brother.
 
jh3rron said:
Thank you for taking the time to tell me about the Instructor sub forum. I appreciate it brother.
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You're more than welcome.

What StraightPool99 said is rather true.

But there is more than one way to skin a cat.

I think one of the most important matters is getting a connection to the cue that is a fit for how one intends to stroke the cue.

Many times here advise is given with the assumption that everyone is using the same stroke & that is not always the case.

Earl Strickland's stroke is not CJ Wiley's Stroke or Allen Hopkins's stroke.

You need to find ALL if the fitting parts for YOU.

If you have the ability to make a video of yourself playing & maybe hitting every shot with draw & post it for Fran Crimi to take a look, I think she would be able to steer you in the right direction.

Best 2 Ya.
 
Try pocket speed shots. These are shots hit such that there is only enough speed on the OB to reach the pocket.

It's tougher than it sounds. Especially long shots to the pocket.

A drill showed to me was to put all 15 balls on the table between the side pockets and the corner pockets at one end of the table.

The task is to make balls but not to hit another ball or rail.
 
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