Trouble adjusting to faster cloth

[buddha162]

Roger,
I understand that distance can be very intimidating on tight tables. I'm with you on that. I'm older now and I have cataracts, so my eyes aren't as sharp as they once were. So you and I both must try to get in a bit tighter which makes position a bit more dificult. But bigger angles create problems too, so what you give up on one side of the equation you can compensate for on the other. When cutting across the face of a ball a bit of spin is generated on that object ball. That spin can and does cause some shots to jar in the pocket even on tables which aren't so tight.

Roger, The quote you site was not directed at you personally. I was generalizing for the masses, buddy.

Tom

Tom,

If I understand you correctly, I think we're generally on the same page. You can adjust your stroke shot by shot, or you can employ a more systematic way of adjusting your game to different equipment. The latter takes into consideration the tradeoffs between angle and distance, as well as positional routes along with stroke speed.

Watching the pros play, it never ceases to amaze me just how much they demand of their cueball position, esp guys like Buddy and Johnny. They almost always pick the "right shot" for the CB to travel into the object ball rather than coming across it. Even on no brainer patterns they'll go 3 cushions instead of rolling up with inside to garuantee position. One thing to notice is how they invariably elect to take speed out of the equation, when given a choice.

The other great style of positional play imo is someon like Efren, who feels his way along many patterns that require him to employ massive amounts of english (often inside) coupled with extraordinary speed control to run near-impossible outs. That is sheer natural talent that I won't try to emulate, whereas Buddy's game is highly exportable and teachable (obviously not to his level, but I'm speaking to his pattern play).

-roger

 

[Pidge]

Tom,

If I understand you correctly, I think we're generally on the same page. You can adjust your stroke shot by shot, or you can employ a more systematic way of adjusting your game to different equipment. The latter takes into consideration the tradeoffs between angle and distance, as well as positional routes along with stroke speed.

Watching the pros play, it never ceases to amaze me just how much they demand of their cueball position, esp guys like Buddy and Johnny. They almost always pick the "right shot" for the CB to travel into the object ball rather than coming across it. Even on no brainer patterns they'll go 3 cushions instead of rolling up with inside to garuantee position. One thing to notice is how they invariably elect to take speed out of the equation, when given a choice.

The other great style of positional play imo is someon like Efren, who feels his way along many patterns that require him to employ massive amounts of english (often inside) coupled with extraordinary speed control to run near-impossible outs. That is sheer natural talent that I won't try to emulate, whereas Buddy's game is highly exportable and teachable (obviously not to his level, but I'm speaking to his pattern play).

-roger

That's a great point about picking a shot to come into the desired line of the next. Its not always possible but in cases where it is, you have a much bigger window of speed error.

The pros make it look effortless but learning patterns take time. If you never think about coming into the next shot along the angle, and elect for an "easier" shot that moves accross the desired line then running a rack can take 10 minutes or so whilst you figure out shots to travel along the line. But when it becomes second nature it is going to improve a persons game massively.

 

[TRWpool]

You got it guys.

 

[jnf]

Fast cloth....fast greens.....fast women......

I put Granito cloth (much faster than Simonis) on my 100 year old table eight years ago and it still drives my brother in law crazy....but I always beat him.

Use more center ball to low ball, rarely a follow, and a very smooth stroke works the best. Don't try to hit soft or you will alter your stroke. I like to think I am pushing the cue ball around and if I happen to overshoot my shape, then I will push a bit more and take the long way around instead of the short way.

I like the fast cloth.

 

[gregcantrall]

Hold the baby bird.

Just recently I played in the WBCA event at Lincoln City OR. It was on 7' Diamond tables with simonis. I have been playing mostly 8' bar boxes with felt. The faster cloth and faster rails along with the smaller target area really gave me a problem at first. Then I remembered the instruction to hold the cue like it was a baby bird. So I went through my regular pre-shot routine and added that thought of holding my cue ever so gently(as if it was a baby bird) as my final thought and it worked. I changed nothing else in my style of play and that final thought took just the right amount of tension out of my grip and stroke to have me hitting at the right speed more often than not.:thumbup: I won the Senior division so now I am an A player.:thumbup:

 

[8onthebreak]

Come into the shot or away from the shot

So many mistakes are made where players try to get position bringing the cue ball ACROSS the pie shape window...and more importantly, across the small end of the pie window.

I suspect that it's really not a cloth thing problem. Cloth speed should be very easy to adjust to very quickly if you are shooting good patterns.

I think you can try to move the cue ball into the funnel or out of it so you stay in line with the shot no matter if you hit it too soft or too fast.

Choose shots, positions and patterns that are conducive to this, and when you NEED to come across the funnel, and obviously need the cue to STOP in that pie shape "funnel" ...try to position the cue ball AWAY from the object ball where the funnel gets wider, so there's more margin for error.

Some of this was suggested in previous post, great stuff for you, just wanted to clarify.

 

[MitchAlsup]

I was wondering if anyone had any advice to give me on tables with faster cloth. I am used to bar tables and 9' with slower nap cloth. I developed a stroke that works for me on those tables and can play around B-level speed on them. Recently i have been playing on 9' tables with very fast cloth and extremely bouncy rails. I t seems like every shot i take a over shoot my position. GREATLY! I have been working on shooting softer but it seems like no matter how soft i shoot I hit too hard.

This problem will "go away" if you practice most of the time on tables with fast cloth.

You will find that it is easier to add power on tables with slow coth than to add delicasy on tables with fast cloth. This is one reason my home table has Simonis 760 on it. I need more practice on delicasy than on power.