What does pumping the cue over and over up in the air before their shot do for the pros?
- Thread starter Bobkitty
- Start date
Do you pivot into the landing? Albin Ouschan is a good example of that. It seems like an aiming and/or Zen technique.
It's kind of laughable when people criticize someone else's technique. Especially when that someone is ten times better then themselves. In some cases, 100 times better. Ever seen a pro, stand at the free throw line, and mimic the shooting motion? There are 100's of other examples.
On my secret website I sell a formula to dip the cue tip in. I call it Al's tip formula. Patent pending. When you see people stroking the cue in the air they are drying off the tip prior to shooting the ball to get the tip to the exact equilibrium. I also sell a chart to calculate how many times to air stroke the cue depending how much formula is applied to the cue.
If you ever watch Efren you will see he strokes the cue the same number of times before each shot. He uses this equilibrium method.
If you ever watch Efren you will see he strokes the cue the same number of times before each shot. He uses this equilibrium method.
Feeling the weight of the cue, propelling mass. The swing arm controls the weight pulling it forward.
It doesn't hurt to feel the weight when analyzing a shot, the cue speed, and stroke, it's all one dance.
Shortening or lengthening the grip is common.
I air stroke hip to hip with my arms down, others take out ceiling tiles.
I may be 3 inches from the object ball and want to float forward 3 inches, or I have baby nip shot, a bunt.
I shorten my grip slightly, it's not major movement.
I'm air stroking short smooth movements, feeling the weight of the cue and stroke prior the shot.
If I have to move the cue ball a good distance I will slide back on the grip and take longer and slower
air strokes. Moving the hand to different grip positions is very suttle but you feel the weight shift.
You're not holding it close to the joint or off the butt cap. Most of the time it's not noticeable to anyone but you.
Short Stroke, Mid Stroke, and Long Stroke technique are best achieved with the proper grip for each.
Air stroking and feeling the shot is part of the flow for a smooth rhythm.
Baseball players, golfers are feeling the stroke, the weight of their tools.
The Cue Ball is the name of the game.
It doesn't hurt to feel the weight when analyzing a shot, the cue speed, and stroke, it's all one dance.
Shortening or lengthening the grip is common.
I air stroke hip to hip with my arms down, others take out ceiling tiles.
I may be 3 inches from the object ball and want to float forward 3 inches, or I have baby nip shot, a bunt.
I shorten my grip slightly, it's not major movement.
I'm air stroking short smooth movements, feeling the weight of the cue and stroke prior the shot.
If I have to move the cue ball a good distance I will slide back on the grip and take longer and slower
air strokes. Moving the hand to different grip positions is very suttle but you feel the weight shift.
You're not holding it close to the joint or off the butt cap. Most of the time it's not noticeable to anyone but you.
Short Stroke, Mid Stroke, and Long Stroke technique are best achieved with the proper grip for each.
Air stroking and feeling the shot is part of the flow for a smooth rhythm.
Baseball players, golfers are feeling the stroke, the weight of their tools.
The Cue Ball is the name of the game.
I’ve talked to players, including some pro’s, who do it and I’ve been told that it helps them line up their body, feet .. head and back arm, to the shot line before addressing the CB. I know one good player who will always do it at about 20 to 30 degrees off shot line and then pivot into shot line. He said it just adds a little tension to every part of his body except his back arm. He feels locked in
I don’t do it, but my hunch is that air stroking before getting down on the shot gives players a way to limber up and rehearse the feel of the complete stroke including the follow-through portion of their stroke with their elbow/wrist/forearm, which obviously one cannot do on their pre-strokes once they are over the ball, since their tip has to stop its forward motion before it reaches the cue ball.
Last edited:
Guy Manges
Registered
Colt, the first time I saw a player doing that air stroke was Wu from Taiwan, Then I see the older Ko brother doing it before all shots... Guy
I have never done it , but I know lots of people that do. Some good players, some bad , some great, the only reason I could ever come up with was, they were attempting to pump up their arm muscles, to roughly the same place every shot. Just trying to remove another variable. It could just as well be they saw some crackhead do it, and thought it was cool, and now they do it.
soyale
Well-known member
my hands sweat, and sometimes it makes the shaft feel sticky, so occasionally ill stroke my bridge hand up and down the shaft to make sure im not gonna get grabbed up while im down on the shot. never thought about it beyond that. i guess thats a different thing than “air stroking” as you describe it but its one possible answer that I haven’t seen mentioned yet.
I get this part but to me, you can do all that pointing <at the shot> which, allows you to get the shot squared away while you're at it.
soyale
Well-known member
J/K MM your all good with mewhen I’m in Denver you got action. I ain’t hit a ball in years but I’ll give it a go. I’m in the mood to play.
i’d love to railbird this
Can be used with intention, setting a short or long bridge and feeling the stroke for the next shot, like a practice stroke in golf.
In the air, you can--not everyone does--preset your bridge length then bridge to the table accurately with a small tip gap.
Weaker players tend to address the ball with too long and bridge and then slide in with their stroke arm, setting the stroke arm at poor angles.