What if an eccentricity in your stroke....works?

[fathomblue]

Odd thread name, but it sums it up. Long story. Buckle in.

Something strange happened to me this past weekend. It started when I borrowed a BreakRak from a friend of mine and put myself thru the paces on Saturday night.

About 30 minutes into slamming the cueball around, I realized that I just wasn't being accurate enough. So, I bore down, concentrated, firmed up my bridge hand and shortened my stroke. I made ABSOLUTELY sure that I hit EXACTLY where I was aiming on the cueball. No huge surprise, but my break accuracy greatly improved. Duh, right?

Once I'd broken a sweat, I decided it was time to play some 9-ball Ghost for a while.

I broke with my "new" break stroke, made 2 balls and left myself perfect on the 1. The way it's supposed to be, right?

Here's where it got slightly strange. Without thinking about, I took that "new" break stroke with the extra firm bridge, used it during regular shots and proceeded to lay waste to the table for the rest of the night. I use that term a bit loosely, because prior to this I was only a strong C-levelish player. However, I honestly think my ball-pocketing went up at least a solid 50%. My position play was better than it had ever been. It was like I had whitey on a string, whether it be a stun, draw or follow shot. The cueball traveled the tangent line when I needed it to. Sucked back when it was supposed to. Nonchalantly eased down table upon command.

It's amazing how much more fun the game is when everything that you do is golden. I was having so much fun that I played the Ghost for about 5 hours. My higher level of play never wavered.

I was excited to play on Sunday, but a bit nervous. What if it was a fluke? Sure, I've had good days, but then they've disappeared like thieves in the night. I played for about 5 more hours on Sunday and I had the same level of play. At that point, I was doubly excited.

Same thing on Monday (yesterday). Another 4-5 hours and I'm actually to the point where I'm extremely disappointed if I don't run a rack. I'm not accustomed to feeling like this. Yes, I do miss here and there, but it's so few and far between for a player like I've been.

The things that are "bothering" me more than anything is:

1.) I'm using a much more firm bridge hand than I've ever used. It's extremely solid. Probably not a bad thing, really.

2.) I've gone to ALMOST exclusively using a closed bridge when I can on the open table. I was using closed and open before, according to the situation, as I've always been taught. Notsomuch now.

3.) My back hand is kiiiiiinda firm. I know. I know. Supposed to be loose back there. However, my grip had gotten so loose that I was slip-stroking it at times and the cue was about to fall out of my hand. So, what might feel "firm" now, might be someone elses "normal loose". Still bothersome, since it doesn't seem "textbook".

4.) My backswing is much shorter than before. However, it feels like my follow-through or "finish" is longer. I'm scared to say that I'm poking at it. But, I'm getting so much more action on the cueball.....and I mean INTENDED action, that this can't be a bad thing, can it???

Should I be worried? Would 3 solid days.....like 15 hours worth of consistent play be some sort of fluke? And it's from the second I pick up the cue to the time I stop because I'm sweating so much.

I remember a few weeks ago that I was working with a really good player after everyone else left the pool room. He was working with me on my stroke. Telling me to trust it and just let it out. Every so often I'd hit one perfect. You know what I mean. Where it feels like everything slows down. The sound of the tip hitting the cue is different. The cueball rolls crisp. Even the object ball has a different look to it when it rolls toward the pocket. You would think it was my imagination, except the good player that was watching would remark, "That was it. That was the one." He knew what it was supposed to sound like. And he never said it on a shot that I DIDN'T have that feeling. And he said EVERY time that I did feel it. Holy crap. Do good players physically feel and hear that every time they execute things correctly?......Well, prior to this weekend and even with that good player watching over me, that stroke was happening maybe 1 in 50 times. Now it's 8-9 out of 10 times. Thru the roof.

I guess getting back to the name of the thread, but is an eccentricity a bad thing, if it works? Honestly, I don't even know if what I'm doing even "looks" bad. It just feels so different and I've not had anyone around to watch me. So, maybe I look fine. I just don't know.

I don't have a video camera, but my BCA instructor does. If he's lurking here, I'm sure he'll ask me about all of this. If he isn't, I'd like to surprise him the next time we play. The big problem there is.....the place we play has some pretty tough, old Olhausens that tend to make everyone look bad, so I'm nervous that I'll revert back to my old level of play.

I'll try to see if I can get him to video me, but I'm not sure I could ever upload it on here. At least he's qualified to tell me if I'm doing something weird or that MAYBE, just MAYBE this is the way that I was supposed to be doing it the whole time.

The past 3 days have been the biggest "AHA" moment I've ever had at this game. I'm just scared to death it's going to leave.

 

[FranCrimi]

Hi Justin,

I say, good for you! I think that pool is a game of self-discovery. While it's great to have help at times from others, I believe that the real benefit comes from the things we learn ourselves, all alone, on the pool table.

The following comes from my experience as a player and not as a teacher: Your new adjustments probably corrected some flaws that you had. However, in time you will find out whether or not you've over-adjusted a bit and have to find a compromise. I've done it many times over the years in my quest to improve my game. The change would result in immediate and amazing improvement, but over time, I might find that my adjustment was a bit too extreme.

As a teacher: I suspect that by tightening everything up, you have probably eliminated some unwanted cue movement that you may not have realized you had. This will bring you up a level, but to achieve the next level and accomplish certain shots, you may find that you will have to learn how to loosen things up a bit.

Enjoy the process! That's what it's all about.

 

[PGHteacher]

Sounds to me like you found something, I will agree with Fran on everything the chances are you had some unintentional movement in the boss arm and your “firming things up” (even if that was mostly in the bridge hand) lined and tightened things up back there so your getting better action as well as your accuracy going up.

So it may “feel” like you’re LESS “textbook” but you probably have cut out (or down) some major stroke flaw and are therefore MORE “textbook” than you have ever been. You should explore with your instructor with video (I am a big proponent of this) what is going on with you. I am very happy for you and wish you continued improvement. If it works for you do it; but do explore WHY it works for you so that you can refine it, that’s a rule across the board.

Oh and I will be giving my bridge a firmer grip, shortening up my stroke and lengthening my finish today. If your interested I will let you know what I think.

 

[fathomblue]

Thank you both for taking the time to read and comment.

I had played for 6 days straight up until last night. Several hours each night. Three days the old way.....then the adjustment.....and then 3 days of the new way.

My right shoulder hurt so bad last night that I had to take a night off to catch a break. I shoot left-handed, btw, even tho I'm naturally a right-handed person. This is due to a weird eye problem that I have. Anyway, I needed the rest.

One thing I forgot to mention in the original post is that I'm consciously trying to address the cueball MUCH closer than I had in the past. Because of the eye problem that I have, I have to close my left eye when I shoot. That's the only thing that cures my double-vision (just keeps gettin' better and better, huh). Lol.

Because I close one eye, I feel it affects my depth perception. And because it affects my depth perception, I didn't realize.....until video analysis.....that when I was addressing the cueball, I was at least a solid 4 inches away or so, just prior to final stroke. Most people are within 1 inch, or so it seems when I watch them. Lots of room for error there.

Trying to tighten up my accuracy with the BreakRak got me to addressing the cueball much more closely and it carried over into my normal shooting. Now I can tell that I'm REALLY right up on it. I have a nice set of clean, Aramith Tournament balls and I can see the tip's reflection in the cueball, as I'm so close to it. Who knew staying close to the cueball would increase accuracy? Lol.

PGH, I'd be very interested in what you find out by making that adjustment. What speed are you now?

Fran, is there any chance that you're going to The Southern Classic in Tunica? I wouldn't mind a quick lesson or at least a general evaluation of my game.

I'm definitely going to try to get with my BCA Instructor and let him critique what I have going on here. Hopefully we can get to his place for some video analysis.

 

[fathomblue]

A bit of an update here.

I convinced my best friend to come over to my place and shoot tonite. I told him that I had made some adjustments and had been shooting rather well.....and left it at that.

I let him get in about 15 minutes of warm-up time and I offered to play him a set going in cold. Now, we've both always played at the same speed. If I've beaten him 5000 games in our lives, he's got 5000 on me. If he learns something, he shares it with me and vice versa. We stick together on the table and off.

So, he grabs the first game when I dog a semi-tough 9-ball (it was only my 2nd shot of the day, as I started cold). He takes the 2nd game by making the 9 on the break. So, he's up 2-0 pretty quick and feeling pretty good. I'm foaming at the mouth to get to the table. I WANT to let my stroke out. I nail a couple of pretty tough shots that I normally have problems with. He senses that somethings up and murmurs under his breath. I get a bit out of line after a tough shot and play safe. He immediately starts playing extremely defensively. Even when it appears that there's no real reason to. I know that he's trying to slow me down, but I'm having none of it.

We trade a few games and it's 4-2 in a race to 5. He proclaims that he's on the hill. I say nothing. And I never do, when I'm in stroke. I've only truly missed one shot and he's forced me to kick at everything else. So, I'm not worried.

He continues to play defense and honestly receives more than his share of rolls. But, that's pool.

He leaves me tough on a 3-ball and at this point I've had enough. I decide to nut up and shoot a 3/4 length of the table kick shot....with the 3 frozen on the middle of the short rail. I cut it smooth as a cat's into the corner, he slumps down in his chair, and I'm off to the races. I tie it up 4-4 and he says ".....hill-hill.....unless you wanna go to 6, since you think you're gonna move up in league.....". (We're both level 5's in the APPA (Arkansas Pool Player Association). I know he's trying to get under my skin, but I haven't said a word since the opening break.

I drill him in the final game....winning the last 3.....to take the set. I finally say, "I owe you another.". I drill him in that one. I tell him to rack another in case he's not still not sure. I drill him yet again.

So, at this point I've won 5 in a row. I tell him, "This is the worst I've shot in 4 days. But, I can tell you that I've found something. If you want to know, just ask. Otherwise this is only going to get worse for you". He stares at me. Smiles. And then asks for another set. I put the hammer down and bury him 5-0. He's crestfallen. We begin to start another set and by the time I have him 2-0, he's waving the white flag. I've galloped to a solid dozen straight wins and that NEVER happens when we play.

He swallows his pride and asks what I've figured out. It's only at that point that I break my game face and tell him what I'm doing. I told him that I don't want to mess up his stroke or have him do anything that he doesn't want to do. But, within 30 minutes, he's shortened his stroke a bit, extended his finish, firmed up his bridge a bit and started to pocket the balls better. He's staying much looserin the back than I am, but I told him to just play around with it.

I know I'm rambling, but I've never had a temporary "spurt" in play last this long, so I'm pretty comfortable that this is where my game is heading.

I'm going to go back to some drills this in the next few days and see how I fare. I have all of the IPT Test Series, so I'm going to try to work on level 1 again and see what I can do.

One problem I see cropping up in my new play is that I'm so excited about my improved ball-pocketing and position play skills.....is that I'm beginning to be very aggressive offensively. I'll have to be careful with that against a higher level of competition.

 

[PGHteacher]

PGH, I'd be very interested in what you find out by making that adjustment. What speed are you now?

I have not tried this yet but I will let you know my thoughts.

I play in the West Penn Pool League and play in section 2, that is supposed to be defined as "consistently stronger than most tournament players". And usually I am at least up for the MVP for the whole section at 1 point. I am also a TAP 6. I am told (at least around here) that that is the equivalent of an APA 7. Fargo (the practice game) puts me at a "B" player.

 

[FranCrimi]

Thanks for the update, Justin and that's great news about your consistency. I am a bit concerned about your shoulder hurting. That can be a sign of leaning hard on your bridge arm. Remember what I wrote to you about over-correcting. Be aware of that. Also, your overall balance can be off where you may be leaning a bit more forward than you should. You'll be tweaking things as you go along now with your new style.

I won't be in Tunica, but thanks for asking. Keep working with your BCA instructor.

 

[justadub]

Great stuff, certainly food for thought for this beginner.

Thanks for sharing, hope to see updates...

 

[fathomblue]

Fran, I can definitely see your point on the shoulder ache. However, this is something that I've always had when I tend to play for multiple hours, several days straight. It doesn't hurt any worse than it ever did before the change in stroke technique. Of course that doesn't mean I wasn't doing something wrong in the past too. Lol.

I quit the game for 15 years and just started back a year ago. After the initial 2 days of shooting.....and for only a couple of hours, I thought my arm was going to fall off. I was just out of pool shape. Who knew someone could get out of "pool shape"?

I've slowly been building up to playing more and more and not had any problems. The recent 6 days was the longest amount of consecutive days that I've played. Plus, I've played no less than 4-5 hours per day during that time period. So, I think I'm just hitting my body's current limit. FWIW, after taking that day off and then playing for about 3 hours last night, I feel as fit as a fiddle.

Honestly, that's a very good point, tho, for people that maybe hurt all the time after playing.

PGH, I've heard of Fargo, but never played it. Is it a pretty good game for evaluating skill level?

 

[FranCrimi]

Fran, I can definitely see your point on the shoulder ache. However, this is something that I've always had when I tend to play for multiple hours, several days straight. It doesn't hurt any worse than it ever did before the change in stroke technique. Of course that doesn't mean I wasn't doing something wrong in the past too. Lol.

I quit the game for 15 years and just started back a year ago. After the initial 2 days of shooting.....and for only a couple of hours, I thought my arm was going to fall off. I was just out of pool shape. Who knew someone could get out of "pool shape"?

I've slowly been building up to playing more and more and not had any problems. The recent 6 days was the longest amount of consecutive days that I've played. Plus, I've played no less than 4-5 hours per day during that time period. So, I think I'm just hitting my body's current limit. FWIW, after taking that day off and then playing for about 3 hours last night, I feel as fit as a fiddle.

Honestly, that's a very good point, tho, for people that maybe hurt all the time after playing.

PGH, I've heard of Fargo, but never played it. Is it a pretty good game for evaluating skill level?

Justin, without seeing you play, I would take a guess that your stance and balance may be off. As you say, it probably has been that way for some time. Work with your instructor on your stance and balance. Make sure you're not leaning forward too much and that you're not standing too closed (facing your cue too much) and looking at your shot over your shoulder. Your eye problem may be driving you to stand a bit off balance.

 

[JuicyGirl]

Justin, without seeing you play, I would take a guess that your stance and balance may be off. As you say, it probably has been that way for some time. Work with your instructor on your stance and balance. Make sure you're not leaning forward too much and that you're not standing too closed (facing your cue too much) and looking at your shot over your shoulder. Your eye problem may be driving you to stand a bit off balance.

Thanks for the post Justin.

Fran its funny you mentioned facing the ball too much. A nice gentleman and an old school pro (claims to have trained Black Widow) said my stance was wrong. I didn't face the ball at all. I always stood so that my left arm and my right arm were both behind the cue (if that makes any sense to you) And after jacking up my game for a week. I'm now recovering with good results. Another advanced player told me to stop getting so close to the table. That also had good results.
Thanks for sharing. Its good to know I'm not the only one with training wheels.
Loren

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[fathomblue]

A quick update.....

Per Fran's suggestion regarding over-correcting for flaws.......I tried to back off the firmness of my bridge hand, but my level of play dropped a bit. So, I'm keeping it pretty firm.

However, I loosened my back hand up a bit (not as loose as originally, tho) and I still shoot well. So, I'm going to stay loose with it.

I haven't played quite as much lately, due to my work schedule, so my shoulder feels pretty good now. I'm taking some time away from my normal pool haunt to save some cash, so I haven't seen my BCA Instructor to go over any of this with him yet. If I don't see him in Tunica in July, then I will in August when our league starts back up.

I was able to get a copy of Kim Davenport's Target Pool drills and I'm going to start on them this weekend to help me with my position play.

While my controlled break has improved considerably (which started all of this), I still have yet to actually put a true 9-ball package together. I'll get a clean break and run out here and there, but I always seem to get out of shape on the following rack. It's mostly not executing on my position play and speed control, but I do feel some of it is the mental game. I'm always very conscious of my goal of putting my first, true package together, so every time I run a rack, I get pretty nervous in the next game. Any tips to push thru that mental block?

I also just ordered "Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis", as I've heard it's great for mentally destroying your opponent.

I hate to say it of my best friend, but when I played him a couple of weeks ago and drilled him 12 games in a row......it was almost exhilerating to watch him mentally crumble. I know there were a few times that I did some things simply because I knew it was cause him to break down even further.

Is THAT the killer instinct that real players talk about?

 

[PGHteacher]

I was able to get a copy of Kim Davenport's Target Pool drills and I'm going to start on them this weekend to help me with my position play.

Very good

While my controlled break has improved considerably (which started all of this), I still have yet to actually put a true 9-ball package together. I'll get a clean break and run out here and there, but I always seem to get out of shape on the following rack. It's mostly not executing on my position play and speed control, but I do feel some of it is the mental game. I'm always very conscious of my goal of putting my first, true package together, so every time I run a rack, I get pretty nervous in the next game. Any tips to push thru that mental block?

Yes, please let me know when you put a 9ball pack together; I been playing serious pool for over 20 years and my record is 3.
http://www.easypooltutor.com/articles/52-david-sapolis-articles.html

I also just ordered "Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis", as I've heard it's great for mentally destroying your opponent.

Pool takes 100% focus on your game when it’s your inning and focus on the table when it’s your opponents inning. I am sure it is a good book but in pool having any concern that is outside of your shot and your position can hurt you. Be careful in trying to bridge this tennis/pool gap. Many a player has fallen into the trap of pool being this “mental war” with your opponent. I disagree; the war is in your own mind and winning that battle is the only thing left once you have realized most of your technical proficiency.

I hate to say it of my best friend, but when I played him a couple of weeks ago and drilled him 12 games in a row......it was almost exhilerating to watch him mentally crumble. I know there were a few times that I did some things simply because I knew it was cause him to break down even further.

This won’t work on everyone; the better the player (usually) when they lose a couple of games in a row their “A” game comes out.

Is THAT the killer instinct that real players talk about?

Different people have different triggers that release this; different people mean different things when they refer to this.

I do suggest playing Bowlliards and Fargo; A LOT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1VzUmGmQq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHj6KUw8xzE&feature=channel&list=UL

 

[fathomblue]

Pool takes 100% focus on your game when it’s your inning and focus on the table when it’s your opponents inning. I am sure it is a good book but in pool having any concern that is outside of your shot and your position can hurt you. Be careful in trying to bridge this tennis/pool gap. Many a player has fallen into the trap of pool being this “mental war” with your opponent. I disagree; the war is in your own mind and winning that battle is the only thing left once you have realized most of your technical proficiency.

This won’t work on everyone; the better the player (usually) when they lose a couple of games in a row their “A” game comes out.

We might have to agree to disagree on this one. I can definitely see that if you have 2 pro's going at it that are locks to run out from anywhere, I'd definitely be concentrating on my business only.

So, if I could run out all the time, I wouldn't worry about the other player that much. I'd just play my game.

But, at this stage of my development and against my current opponents' level of play, the mental game is definitely key. I shoot against some players that hate to bank. So, what do I do when it comes to safety play? I make them bank. I play against some people that are excellent jumpers and relish the opportunity to pull out their air stick, so I try to do my absolute best to make them kick or freeze them up against balls.

I'm not in any way advocating sharking or anything like that. I'm just learning to attack my opponent's weaknesses and I think there's a place for that in this game.

And while I will agree that really good players will step it up a notch if they lose a couple of games, I'd much rather be up 2-0 on an "A" player and let him scramble to find his game.......than to be down 2-0 to that same player, whether he's shooting the lights out or not.

I've just come to the realization that in many of my matches and the pool of players that I'm facing in my area.......once, they start to crack a bit, it's a pretty hard fall.

I know I've crumbled a few times myself, but it's been a while since that happened. I'm just trying to be more conscious of my opponent's shot selection, body language and overall game "in the moment".

I think there's something to be gained there. It's just part of the whole gameplan. Once it's time to decide on shot selection, angle, speed, and spin.......I'm in my own world and there's no one else there. I've actually had a guy get arrested 5 feet away from me in the pool room and I never noticed it.

 

[West Point 1987]

Me, too...

I'm not an instructor but I felt compelled to jump in here, as what you've discovered is EXACTLY my experience, too. I had a three year layoff and about two years ago took the game back up trying to get back my old speed...I've been playing for almost 30 years and feel I was pretty handy at one time, but family and career got in the way and my game melted down. I firmed up my bridge (quite a bit of pressure on the table) and firmed up my grip, too. I had always played with a very loose grip/cradle and almost exclusively an open bridge up until then. I also changed my grip to a Ronnie Alcano style, just gripping with my thumb, index and middle fingers, letting the ring finger and pinkie dangle. The grip is definitely firmer than recommended, but not a death grip by any means. My game jumped several levels almost immediately.

I lowered my stance, opening it a bit. Gauging my speed with Fargo and Hopkins skill challenge, I'm a high B now. I like to think I was better 20 years ago when I was playing 6 hours every day, but honestly I've got to admit I'm playing my best pool ever now...and I'm 1000% smarter, too, so that's bound to make a difference. My game is continuing to progress, too, so in my case it's a little more than just muscling past a stroke error. My cue ball control is a lot better, too. The only thing holding me back now is a lack of killer instinct...I let my opponent off the hook way too much.

I respect all the instructors that post here, but if you're looking for affirmation that what you're doing is good, you have it from me. If it works, I say rock on!:thumbup:

 

[West Point 1987]

Fran, I can definitely see your point on the shoulder ache. However, this is something that I've always had when I tend to play for multiple hours, several days straight. It doesn't hurt any worse than it ever did before the change in stroke technique. Of course that doesn't mean I wasn't doing something wrong in the past too. Lol.

I quit the game for 15 years and just started back a year ago. After the initial 2 days of shooting.....and for only a couple of hours, I thought my arm was going to fall off. I was just out of pool shape. Who knew someone could get out of "pool shape"?

I've slowly been building up to playing more and more and not had any problems. The recent 6 days was the longest amount of consecutive days that I've played. Plus, I've played no less than 4-5 hours per day during that time period. So, I think I'm just hitting my body's current limit. FWIW, after taking that day off and then playing for about 3 hours last night, I feel as fit as a fiddle.

Honestly, that's a very good point, tho, for people that maybe hurt all the time after playing.

PGH, I've heard of Fargo, but never played it. Is it a pretty good game for evaluating skill level?

My shoulder sometimes aches, too...I put a little more bend in my bridge hand's elbow, seems to help. Bearing down on your bridge hand with a low stance and a straight arm puts a lot of stress on your rotator cuff...bending the elbow a little more moves the leverage further down the arm, taking some of the stress off the shoulder.

 

[randallt6]

awesome story! enjoyed your posts. gonna try those things next time I play. I feel that my backstroke is too long as well, and causes my stroke to not be as straight as it could. keep posting ur updates!!

has your game slowed down at all compared to when you first started trying these new things?

 

[poolplayer2093]

Odd thread name, but it sums it up. Long story. Buckle in.

Something strange happened to me this past weekend. It started when I borrowed a BreakRak from a friend of mine and put myself thru the paces on Saturday night.

About 30 minutes into slamming the cueball around, I realized that I just wasn't being accurate enough. So, I bore down, concentrated, firmed up my bridge hand and shortened my stroke. I made ABSOLUTELY sure that I hit EXACTLY where I was aiming on the cueball. No huge surprise, but my break accuracy greatly improved. Duh, right?

Once I'd broken a sweat, I decided it was time to play some 9-ball Ghost for a while.

I broke with my "new" break stroke, made 2 balls and left myself perfect on the 1. The way it's supposed to be, right?

Here's where it got slightly strange. Without thinking about, I took that "new" break stroke with the extra firm bridge, used it during regular shots and proceeded to lay waste to the table for the rest of the night. I use that term a bit loosely, because prior to this I was only a strong C-levelish player. However, I honestly think my ball-pocketing went up at least a solid 50%. My position play was better than it had ever been. It was like I had whitey on a string, whether it be a stun, draw or follow shot. The cueball traveled the tangent line when I needed it to. Sucked back when it was supposed to. Nonchalantly eased down table upon command.

It's amazing how much more fun the game is when everything that you do is golden. I was having so much fun that I played the Ghost for about 5 hours. My higher level of play never wavered.

I was excited to play on Sunday, but a bit nervous. What if it was a fluke? Sure, I've had good days, but then they've disappeared like thieves in the night. I played for about 5 more hours on Sunday and I had the same level of play. At that point, I was doubly excited.

Same thing on Monday (yesterday). Another 4-5 hours and I'm actually to the point where I'm extremely disappointed if I don't run a rack. I'm not accustomed to feeling like this. Yes, I do miss here and there, but it's so few and far between for a player like I've been.

The things that are "bothering" me more than anything is:

1.) I'm using a much more firm bridge hand than I've ever used. It's extremely solid. Probably not a bad thing, really.

2.) I've gone to ALMOST exclusively using a closed bridge when I can on the open table. I was using closed and open before, according to the situation, as I've always been taught. Notsomuch now.

3.) My back hand is kiiiiiinda firm. I know. I know. Supposed to be loose back there. However, my grip had gotten so loose that I was slip-stroking it at times and the cue was about to fall out of my hand. So, what might feel "firm" now, might be someone elses "normal loose". Still bothersome, since it doesn't seem "textbook".

4.) My backswing is much shorter than before. However, it feels like my follow-through or "finish" is longer. I'm scared to say that I'm poking at it. But, I'm getting so much more action on the cueball.....and I mean INTENDED action, that this can't be a bad thing, can it???

Should I be worried? Would 3 solid days.....like 15 hours worth of consistent play be some sort of fluke? And it's from the second I pick up the cue to the time I stop because I'm sweating so much.

I remember a few weeks ago that I was working with a really good player after everyone else left the pool room. He was working with me on my stroke. Telling me to trust it and just let it out. Every so often I'd hit one perfect. You know what I mean. Where it feels like everything slows down. The sound of the tip hitting the cue is different. The cueball rolls crisp. Even the object ball has a different look to it when it rolls toward the pocket. You would think it was my imagination, except the good player that was watching would remark, "That was it. That was the one." He knew what it was supposed to sound like. And he never said it on a shot that I DIDN'T have that feeling. And he said EVERY time that I did feel it. Holy crap. Do good players physically feel and hear that every time they execute things correctly?......Well, prior to this weekend and even with that good player watching over me, that stroke was happening maybe 1 in 50 times. Now it's 8-9 out of 10 times. Thru the roof.

I guess getting back to the name of the thread, but is an eccentricity a bad thing, if it works? Honestly, I don't even know if what I'm doing even "looks" bad. It just feels so different and I've not had anyone around to watch me. So, maybe I look fine. I just don't know.

I don't have a video camera, but my BCA instructor does. If he's lurking here, I'm sure he'll ask me about all of this. If he isn't, I'd like to surprise him the next time we play. The big problem there is.....the place we play has some pretty tough, old Olhausens that tend to make everyone look bad, so I'm nervous that I'll revert back to my old level of play.

I'll try to see if I can get him to video me, but I'm not sure I could ever upload it on here. At least he's qualified to tell me if I'm doing something weird or that MAYBE, just MAYBE this is the way that I was supposed to be doing it the whole time.

The past 3 days have been the biggest "AHA" moment I've ever had at this game. I'm just scared to death it's going to leave.

i see so many players that choose to use that crazy wild stroke to play. either they think it helps them feel the shot or they think that's how you're supposed to do it. either way they never play as solid as people with more mechanical strokes seem to. around here they get away with it most of the time because of the big pockets that are on all the tables but when the heat gets turned up on them that wacky stoke always seems to fail them.

sure some people do play like tha naturally and shouldn't try to change. if it works stick with it but for the most part it seems to be newer players that watch too much efren on tv and try to emulate what they see

 

[randallt6]

i see so many players that choose to use that crazy wild stroke to play. either they think it helps them feel the shot or they think that's how you're supposed to do it. either way they never play as solid as people with more mechanical strokes seem to. around here they get away with it most of the time because of the big pockets that are on all the tables but when the heat gets turned up on them that wacky stoke always seems to fail them.

sure some people do play like tha naturally and shouldn't try to change. if it works stick with it but for the most part it seems to be newer players that watch too much efren on tv and try to emulate what they see

Yup.... Ppl see Shane and efren and so fourth and try to copy them. I've tried it too and it doesn't work lol... I think the tapei and Chinese players are better to try and copy. They have such strong fundamentals.

 

[FranCrimi]

i see so many players that choose to use that crazy wild stroke to play. either they think it helps them feel the shot or they think that's how you're supposed to do it. either way they never play as solid as people with more mechanical strokes seem to. around here they get away with it most of the time because of the big pockets that are on all the tables but when the heat gets turned up on them that wacky stoke always seems to fail them.

sure some people do play like tha naturally and shouldn't try to change. if it works stick with it but for the most part it seems to be newer players that watch too much efren on tv and try to emulate what they see

I hope you're not trying to discourage those players using that 'crazy wild stroke.' I think they're doing exactly what they should be doing. They're experimenting with letting their stroke out. If they stick it out they will be better players for it. They will learn to reel it in over time and do what's needed but they will wind up with a powerful arsenal of weapons.