What's wrong with my friends stroke?

O

OPQ

Registered
We have played together for years now. Somewhere along the line he has developed a serious flaw in his stroke. It's the exact equivalent of Charles Barkleys infamous golf swing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s50K65PNeBU

He pauses mid stroke and literally starts to shake all over. It's like the record starts skipping.

He does it especially bad when hitting extreme draw. I'd really like to help him and we've discussed the subject but it's like he doesn't even notice it.

What's wrong with him? Is there a way to help him out?
 
OPQ said:
We have played together for years now. Somewhere along the line he has developed a serious flaw in his stroke. It's the exact equivalent of Charles Barkleys infamous golf swing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s50K65PNeBU

He pauses mid stroke and literally starts to shake all over. It's like the record starts skipping.

He does it especially bad when hitting extreme draw. I'd really like to help him and we've discussed the subject but it's like he doesn't even notice it.

What's wrong with him? Is there a way to help him out?
Click to expand...

Emotions... Blood pressure... trying too hard... High blood sugar... it could be a lot of things! Its something he has to figure out even if he wants to figure it out.
 
Try this

hi,

First - I´m no instructor but this link can be helpful I think
http://pool.bz/lesson-tutorial-vide...ssey-thorsten-hohmann-learning-lining-up.html.

and also - see the aim from above before you get down, he probably setup a bit to straight so he have to "force" the shooting arm in place and he might also try to hard to see the line that he crunches down and adding to the already crunched up setup making him want to steer the cue with muscles.

Using the above link and getting down correct will allow him to free hi´s arm.

I hope this make sense - some of the instructors can probably explain better.

If it´s not this I still think this is a very good advice - helped me.
Lot of poolplayers have a slight bad back/neck problem and when I have a bad day I do this to correct me, it can be different from day to day - a bit anyway.

Chrippa
 
OPQ said:
We have played together for years now. Somewhere along the line he has developed a serious flaw in his stroke. It's the exact equivalent of Charles Barkleys infamous golf swing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s50K65PNeBU

He pauses mid stroke and literally starts to shake all over. It's like the record starts skipping.

He does it especially bad when hitting extreme draw. I'd really like to help him and we've discussed the subject but it's like he doesn't even notice it.

What's wrong with him? Is there a way to help him out?
Click to expand...



I have a teammate named Darrell. He had the same proplem. He took it to Pool School, now is is one of our best players..
randyg
 
Send him to Randy, for a tune up. If this guy has a swing like Sir Charles, he's a menace to himself and everyone around him.
I watched Barkley hit a tee shot one afternoon that took out three spectators and a high-def camera. Oh, the humanity! :)
 
Looks like he may be be taking lessons from Cliff Joyner...send him to Randy quickly! ;)

Dave
 
randyg said:
I have a teammate named Darrell. He had the same proplem. He took it to Pool School, now is is one of our best players..
randyg
Click to expand...

I have a friend with a similar problem and have only had limited success helping him get over this so any advice you have I'll try?
 
is it literally like barkley's golf swing or was that for comic effect? I get a little shake as I'm switching from backswing to forward swing, and if I had to put it into words, it's like my ingrained muscle memory from years of stroking a little crooked is fighting with my mental efforts to force my arm to stroke straight. The result is the shake and then the rest of the stroke goes straight. But if your friend's thing is really bad, like that video, it might be something altogether different.
 
OPQ...Posting a video of Charles Barkley does nothing to help your friend. Post a video of your friend's pool swing (show us the view from the side, showing his stroking arm), and maybe we can suggest something. As randyg said...steer him to a qualified instructor.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

OPQ said:
We have played together for years now. Somewhere along the line he has developed a serious flaw in his stroke. It's the exact equivalent of Charles Barkleys infamous golf swing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s50K65PNeBU

He pauses mid stroke and literally starts to shake all over. It's like the record starts skipping.

He does it especially bad when hitting extreme draw. I'd really like to help him and we've discussed the subject but it's like he doesn't even notice it.

What's wrong with him? Is there a way to help him out?
Click to expand...
 
Chrippa said:
hi,

First - I´m no instructor but this link can be helpful I think
http://pool.bz/lesson-tutorial-vide...ssey-thorsten-hohmann-learning-lining-up.html.

and also - see the aim from above before you get down, he probably setup a bit to straight so he have to "force" the shooting arm in place and he might also try to hard to see the line that he crunches down and adding to the already crunched up setup making him want to steer the cue with muscles.

Using the above link and getting down correct will allow him to free hi´s arm.

I hope this make sense - some of the instructors can probably explain better.

If it´s not this I still think this is a very good advice - helped me.
Lot of poolplayers have a slight bad back/neck problem and when I have a bad day I do this to correct me, it can be different from day to day - a bit anyway.

Chrippa
Click to expand...

You may be right. A few times I've checked his lining and there have been some imperfections. I wish I'll be able to help him out.

CreeDo said:
is it literally like barkley's golf swing or was that for comic effect?
Click to expand...

No joke. It's just the same but even worse. He stops in the middle of his forward stroke as if scared to complete his stroke, then starts twitching like crazy, then after a few seconds of twitching runs his cue through the ball.

Scott Lee said:
OPQ...Posting a video of Charles Barkley does nothing to help your friend. Post a video of your friend's pool swing (show us the view from the side, showing his stroking arm), and maybe we can suggest something. As randyg said...steer him to a qualified instructor.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

I'll ask if I can post a clip of his stroke but I doubt he'd like the idea. Where I live there are not too many pool instructors around but I'll see to it.

I was hoping this was a usual problem with a quick patent fix to it but I guess it's never that way.

Thanks for your comments!
 
OPQ...Tell us where you are, and maybe we can steer you to someone. It sounds like if your "friend" won't allow you post a video of him shooting, he would be equally unlikely to seek out instructional help, to correct his "problems"...in which case, you should just ignore it, and concentrate on your own game. As good as some of us instructors are, we can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. jmo

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

OPQ said:
Where I live there are not too many pool instructors around but I'll see to it!
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
OPQ...Tell us where you are, and maybe we can steer you to someone. It sounds like if your "friend" won't allow you post a video of him shooting, he would be equally unlikely to seek out instructional help, to correct his "problems"...in which case, you should just ignore it, and concentrate on your own game. As good as some of us instructors are, we can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. jmo

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

You're absolutely right Scott. I would like to help him because he's my good friend and I know he loves pool as much as I do but if someone doesn't figure he really needs help there's only so much others can do.

To answer your question, I'm from Finland.
 
OPQ...Well, can't help ya there! A suggestion...you might take him to a semi-pro or pro level tournament in Finland. Let him watch those player's strokes. It might help him to "see" what he is doing wrong. But don't count on it, without him being able to see himself on video. I have, many times, had students who said to me, "I don't DO that!", to which I replied, "Well, let's look at the video and just SEE!" Video doesn't lie! LOL

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

OPQ said:
You're absolutely right Scott. I would like to help him because he's my good friend and I know he loves pool as much as I do but if someone doesn't figure he really needs help there's only so much others can do.

To answer your question, I'm from Finland.
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
OPQ...Tell us where you are, and maybe we can steer you to someone. It sounds like if your "friend" won't allow you post a video of him shooting, he would be equally unlikely to seek out instructional help, to correct his "problems"...in which case, you should just ignore it, and concentrate on your own game. As good as some of us instructors are, we can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. jmo

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Scott, I'm not sure a video from this fellow is a good idea. His stroke may be so bad that if some of us were to see it, the thing might imprint our minds so deeply that it could ruin it for all of us. I know after I saw Barkley, I couldn't putt for a week. :wink:
 
Is it possible that he has some neurological problem? I have Parkinsons and his actions sound close to what happens to me without medication. we call it freezing. There is no more frustrating thing in the world than when you mind has to scream at your body to do some action. That is to take over conscious control over what should be done without thought. I don't mean to scare anybody , and don't let him read this, but it sounds so damned
familiar to me. Check out this link;

//www.everydayhealth.com/parkinsons-disease/freezing-episodes.aspx#continue
 
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I have a friend of mine that does the same thing. I have been working with him to get rid of the hesitation.

This is going to take some work and your friend has to be willing to practice the following steps. To boil it all down your friend is out of rhythm with the pre-stroke and final stroke and is not focused. (his mind goes to another place)

Step 1. Pick the contact point on the OB you wish to make contact.
Step 2. Get into your shooting stance
Step 3. Once in the shooting stance choose where you wish to strike the cue ball, find the contact point on the OB and take 2 to 3 practice stokes (to keep your friend focused have him say to himself on each stroke, I made it that time, I made it that time. if he is doing this his mind cannot wander)
Step 4. On the final practice stroke he must leave the cue on the CB, his eyes will look down at where the cue is going to hit the cue ball (this is where a decision has been made to make the shot)

This next step is where a decision has been made to make the shot, there is no turning back. Just shoot.
Step 5. At the split second he begins to draw the cue back his eyes must move to the contact point on the OB and stay there. Once the cue comes back and stops for just a split second the cue should move forward and through the cue ball. Its a rhythm thing that must be practiced, like dancing.

At first your friend will feel that all of this is taking a very long time. But once he gets the hang of it the time will be very short.

Every shot and out come is made while in the standing position. All your doing when bending down to shoot is to repeat your visualization.

I'm not an instructor, just trying to help out. When your friend quits the CB hesitation his shooting will improve dramatically. When my friend is in rhythm he really shoots very well.

Edit: When your friend is practing by himself, have him focus on the basics. Shot alignment, stance, timimg and rhythm. The whole idea is to execute the basics the same way (timing and rhythm) on each shot. When he gets it nailed down he will move like a robot on each shot. Its really something to see a player perform the dance.

John - St. Louis
 
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One pocket John has good ideas. Have him decide how many practice strokes to take then have him count out loud on each stroke. If it's 4 practice strokes have him count , out loud. 1-2-3-4---hesitate on final
backstroke then say out loud 5 and strike the cue ball. After some practice he can count silently but he always has counting out loud to fallback on.


Before I was diagnosed with Parkinsons I played a lot of tennis and I found myself bouncing the ball maybe 12 times before I could start my service motion. I took a lot of ribbing because of it and decided on my own to count the bounces and start my motion after my fourth bounce. I would then start my serve and grunt 5 as I hit the ball. It worked really well.

Let us know how it goes.
 
One Pocket John, set up a video camera of you and your friend playing, don't tell him what for, then when you watch the video, he will probably see it for himself.
 
A six pack of cold Coors should smooth out his stroke.

coors%20inflatable%20bottle.jpg

Works for me.:thumbup:
 
Maybe he can incorporate his "tick" into a pause at the back of the stroke, so the forward stroke isn't affected.

pj
chgo
 
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