To practice swing or not!

M

Monti

Well-known member
Just curious. Most people say to do practice strokes and someone like Svb is very rhythmic in doing that. However I have noticed a few that just address the ball, wait a bit and then do the stroke Raga is one I was watching today.

What are your thoughts on the benefits of that method. I tried a bit and quite like it. It maybe stops me overthinking the shot when I’m down?
 
Monti said:
Just curious. Most people say to do practice strokes and someone like Svb is very rhythmic in doing that. However I have noticed a few that just address the ball, wait a bit and then do the stroke Raga is one I was watching today.

What are your thoughts on the benefits of that method. I tried a bit and quite like it. It maybe stops me overthinking the shot when I’m down?
Click to expand...
'Feathering', coming from a snooker background, has always been something that I was told and taught was a necessity when learning the game in my teenage years. One of my favourite snooker players to watch - Marco Fu - does 0 waggles. Lines up, pulls back, shoots. Always been amazed by It, because it was unusual in the context of playing snooker. Fascinated me as a growing player.
When I first started watching and playing American Pool, I was amazed by the strange rhythmic motion of many phillipino players, or SVB, which coming from a snooker background, seems weird and almost cringeworthy to watch. But these people are champions... these people are using routine to narrow their focus, and ensure repeatable, straight stroking.

(Pool is also a game that has far less need to do things 'by the book' - less technical models etc - I think most sports are moving away from the idea of 'perfect techniques' and embracing what works, coaching fewer but more essential fundamentals over perfect instruction - this can be seen in cricket, football and other sports, where it is becoming less important to be 'perfect' - more of an acceptance that success can be pursued in many ways. I have observed this change over the years in my various coaching qualifications relating to cricket. Also, while talking with some of the guys working at my local pool hall as coaches here in China)

I'd say try things out, but don't let such things really get into your head, or change your game for no reason. If you have some inconsistency or inappropriate movement in your cue action, this needs to be addressed. If you are missing balls and you are not sure why, try recording video of yourself, and talking with better players than yourself, or a coach, to help identify some areas for improvement.
 
Thanks for your reply
Just spent an evening playing on my home table doing it and I barely missed a ball. May have been because I was more focused but it did feel good. I’ve tried the Svb /Efren action and I just get all out of whack. I usually like to do a few but I think when the pressure comes I start doing too many, I guess I don’t have a solid psr yet but with the no pump, I was always repeating the same action each shot
 
Warm up stroke. Warm up stroke. Back swing pause.. follow through and freeze
 
I think it is really hard to know/feel whether you are on the right line without feathering. It gives you a feel for the line of the shot and where you are going to hit on the cue ball. I don't think it is generally a good idea to used a fixed number of practice strokes, but it really works for Jasmin Ouschan -- three always.
 
Monti said:
Thanks for your reply
Just spent an evening playing on my home table doing it and I barely missed a ball. May have been because I was more focused but it did feel good. I’ve tried the Svb /Efren action and I just get all out of whack. I usually like to do a few but I think when the pressure comes I start doing too many, I guess I don’t have a solid psr yet but with the no pump, I was always repeating the same action each shot
Click to expand...
I don't have a fixed number of feathers, but I do feather as part of my PSR. I do have a pronounced pause before following through with my action. I am a 'cueball' player, and like to visualise exactly where I will strike the ball (all of my potting angle, object ball assessment is done standing) I recommend watching Marco Fu, as his set-up/technique for the method you describe, is probably one of the best.

The whole pump action thing is absolutely alien to me, I won't even try it. Just see going backward and forward in a straight line as a 'warm-up' for the shot.
 
Bob Jewett said:
I think it is really hard to know/feel whether you are on the right line without feathering. It gives you a feel for the line of the shot and where you are going to hit on the cue ball. I don't think it is generally a good idea to used a fixed number of practice strokes, but it really works for Jasmin Ouschan -- three always.
Click to expand...
Agree with Bob. Some people need routine. We all have our quirks. I played recently with a guy who was knocked out early of the China open, he told me he literally can't function without one of those small, betting pens from the bookies behind his ear. One of the cleanest strokes I've seen in person. He was playing what he considered small money games with Orcollo at the store I often visit. Some of the best pool I've ever seen, and it was probably nothing to them... I asked Orcollo about PSR etc. and he told me, everyone gets to a certain level, then it's all mental. He told me all he cared about was his 'pulse' - which I can only assume means temperament. He said he plays everything by feel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top