What kind of grip do you use.

C

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
I am just curious what different people use. Personally I've changed my grip so many times. I started out using the lightest of light grips, the thumb and index finger grip where you barely hold on to the cue.

I then start gripping it more securely with my thumb, index and middle finger. I currently use three fingers, and hold the cue loosely.

I notice most pros these days use all four fingers.
 
Good question....

Just look at my user name and you'll see how successful that I've been with finding a good consistent grip...

Right now, I put the cue along the side of my thumb and put the index finger on the cue with just the tip of the finger... I slighly turn my wrist inward for the most consistent contact points between the thumb and index finger...

But I've changed grips a million times....and still haven't found what I think will be the best one....

All of the grips that I see pros and most other people use...just won't work for me... I find that if I grip the cue tight during warm-up strokes and then lighten the grip during the final stoke...I get the straightest hit with no twisting of the wrist...
 
Cameron Smith said:
I currently use three fingers, and hold the cue loosely.
Click to expand...
Don't focus a lot of time or energy on your grip. Although it is important, most humans don't have a fundamental problem gripping items (including pool cues). As long as you aren't holding the cue too tight (white nuckles) your grip is most likely sufficient to play pool at a high level.

There are as many views on this as there are on back hand english or type of bridge to use. Most of the time, the correct answer is "whatever works for you."

-td
 
Try using just your thumb and index finger on most shots. You might be presently surprised with the results.

If you have a long, straight in shot..let the cue REST in your bottom four fingers (rest = loosely) without your thumb doing too much. Again...you might like the results.
 
td873 said:
Don't focus a lot of time or energy on your grip. Although it is important, most humans don't have a fundamental problem gripping items (including pool cues). As long as you aren't holding the cue too tight (white nuckles) your grip is most likely sufficient to play pool at a high level.

There are as many views on this as there are on back hand english or type of bridge to use. Most of the time, the correct answer is "whatever works for you."

-td
Click to expand...

Good advice here...there are many kinds of grips that will work for each individual. We usually teach a half dozen, and let the student adapt what works best for them. As long as the grip is loose, and the arm swings freely, the cue flows through the stroke evenly and easily, to a natural finish position. Speed of swing, not grip pressure, is what delivers a more accelerated stroke through the CB. This includes power strokes such as extreme draw, and the break. You should only hold the cue tight enough to prevent it from slipping out of your grip hand, at the end of the swing.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
Cameron Smith said:
I am just curious what different people use. Personally I've changed my grip so many times. I started out using the lightest of light grips, the thumb and index finger grip where you barely hold on to the cue.

I then start gripping it more securely with my thumb, index and middle finger. I currently use three fingers, and hold the cue loosely.

I notice most pros these days use all four fingers.
Click to expand...

Number Six,
I believe it depends on the individual anatomy, and type of stroke. I also believe that if you want the simplest stroke (fewest moving parts, fewest planes of movement), then there will be several grips that will be best.

I have the type of setup (right handed shooter) where the right elbow, right upper arm, and right forearm are all in the same plane as the cue; the swing occuring from the elbow down. I just set up, have someone make sure all is in alignment, then let the right hand hang down as gravity directs. You will notice that there is some dorsiflexion of the right hand, there is not a smooth line from forearm to the back of the hand. Put your cue in the hand where it hangs naturally. You will notice that if you take a firmer grip (where there is no space between the cue and the web between the thumb and forefinger) you will need to adjust forearm and elbow a little to maintain alignment of the arm. A looser grip (with space showing between the cue and the web) requires a little different hand and arm position if you hope to maintain everything in the same plane.

It's easy to show, hard to describe. It's one of the advantages of a simple swing that the ideal hand position can be determined for any grip or grip pressure you like. In addition, during setup you can let your arm hang, and gravity will get you fairly close to your desired position. Pick what you like, then groove it. If your stroke looks like Keith McCready's then I have NO IDEA what you should do.
 
From a neurological standpoint, it would make the most sense to have as much of your hand touching the cuestick without interfering with the intended path of the stick. This is because the more sensory input you get allows you to make better decisions (either consciously or subconsciously) as how to adjust for errors. I would try to find some sources for this, but I am too lazy. For a lot of people, there would be some short-term benefit from reducing the area touching the stick, but I think that is mainly due to having a lighter grip (less muscle contraction). There is definitely a difference between having a lighter grip and having less of your hand touching the stick, it just takes practice to figure out what finger sensations (in combination with the rest of your body) you should have to make the stick go where you want it to. Personally, I think the grip is one of the most important aspects of pool because it is your main connection between your body and the stick.

Williebetmore is pretty much dead on with how to go about finding the grips that will work for you.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone, I'm going to try a bunch of things tomorrow. I want to give the four finger grip ago simply because as long as I have been playing pool I have been trying to remind myself to keep fingers off the cue. But I eventually get lazy and all my fingers end up on the cue in a way that impedes my stroke. So I figure I will try a four finger grip so I don't have to worry about it. Wimpy Lassiter used one, why not me.
 
I played about 10 years with different grips and always had trouble with a textbook grip. My wrist would always start moving and mess up the shot. Then I found a grip that suits me perfectly, quite unorthodox but I've been playing my best pool ever with that about 3-4 years now. The tiny little change was that the cue is not resting across my index finger but instead I curl my index finger to let the cue rest on my index finger tip. I'm not squeezing the cue and for some reason this change prevents all unwanted wrist action, I can still move my wrist to juice up the shot, but it's all in the directon of the shot, not across it.
 
I think Marcus Chamat has a great grip. It's a four finger grip, but on the back stroke he opens his pinky and index finger to keep the cue more level. I used to use this grip when I was playing at my peak.

I've done so much experimenting with the grip, probably just as much or more than most of you here. I finally came to the realization one day that the grip isn't all that important. I was in stroke, playing real well, and I noticed I was using a four finger grip. I switched to a two finger grip, and I was still playing very well. I then tried about four other types of grips, and with all of them, I still played at the same level that day. None of them messed up my stroke. I personally think that if your grip doesn't feel right, the problem might actually lie in your stroke. When I'm not stroking straight, I feel it in my grip hand, and it makes my grip feel weird and not right. When I'm stroking straight, I can use that same grip and it feels perfect. Try focusing on stroking straight, you will feel it and you might notice that any grip will do.
 
Cameron Smith said:
I am just curious what different people use. Personally I've changed my grip so many times. I started out using the lightest of light grips, the thumb and index finger grip where you barely hold on to the cue.

I then start gripping it more securely with my thumb, index and middle finger. I currently use three fingers, and hold the cue loosely.

I notice most pros these days use all four fingers.
Click to expand...

I don't really think about it other that knowing it is loose. I think I primarily use the one finger and the thumb with one other finger just kind of offer support, but not really holding it. I don't dare think about it, what I do now seems to work and I don't want to screw it up.
 
I use a four finger grip...the thumb is basically along for the ride...only the web touches the cue....it's all I've used in 25 years and it's never let me down...
________
 
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I don't think about it much. I do notice different grips on different shots, but I don't do it on purpose, it just happens. I mostly notice a full hand grip when hitting dead hand shots for killing the cueball.

Gerry
 
Linen Wrap

I use a linen wrap for a grip, and all my McDermotts have that type of grip.

My wife's cue has a leather wrap for the grip, and her break cue doesn't have a wrap, so she is just gripping wood.

LOL

I couldn't resist, I guess I am in smartass mode this morning.


When I started pool school I had a death grip on the cue which caused me to poke it instead of stroke it. Cause I would wind up turning my wrist at the last minute and not hit the cue ball exactly where I wanted. It also didn't allow for a good follow through. I use a full hand grip now, but it is nice and loose, just enough to get the job done.

My game is dramatically increasing just because of how I hold the cue, but there are alot of other things in my game that have changed now as well.
 
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