Lately I've been really looking at pro player's strokes. The woman in particular.
I have to second the person who said Allen Hopkins has a strange very very poky stroke. But, interestingly, I find that this approach is a kind of an exaggeration of what many of the pro females do.
They seem to have a much more mechanical stroke. From the elbow down only, without any additional follow through or body movement, even on shots that you would think call for letting their stroke out a little.
I can't really explain it well, but it seems they methodically practice stroke for accuracy and shoot the shot with as much power as they can generate (when needed) ONLY from the elbow down in a very pendulum like movement, even if it means understroking the shot. It seems their stroke will not allow for any extra. Which very well can be a good thing.
I've been trying to emulate that stroke and I actually end up pocketing balls better on some long shots, although I find myself loosing the cue ball more when I try it. I can't drag draw well doing it and follow seems uncomfortably choppy.
Its more "robot like" as I watch it. Not all the females, but lots of them. Lots of the male players also. Many more of them have a stroke that seems more jabby than I would have thought.
Now don't get me wrong, they are superior shot makers with great accuracy. To me it seems Allen's short poke is a kind of take off on that concept. To reduce movement and better keep the cue stick on line to the point of contact.
It seems a viable stroke to add to the toolbox.
