Why and How to Prevent ELBOW DROP During Your Stroke

Fatboy said:
I’m not going to be critical of this video or Dr Dave.

My personal opinion is elbow drop is a great topic/tool for pool instructors to use with beginners and people just starting out. My guess is it makes teaching pool easier and gives the instructor a faster path to help their students play better faster during the very early stages of learning to play pool D to C- player levels. Which is cool. Students learn faster, teachers have a easy to understand concept to teach. And a simple concept to learn. Which ain’t bad.

However grab a solid B player and try teaching them to stop dropping their elbow(if they do) and it’s a counter productive teaching idea. Which might be bad.

Forget teaching this topic to a A player who has developed their stroke.

Best
Fatboy <———elbow dropper
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Will have to agree. A/B & pros have their own form. Me.. C player needed SPF … I had nothing but a banger swing. I’m not great but 100% better. I’m not the worst guy in the room. Down with elbow-drop. I’m thankful the SPF stroke is a successful system with eliminating elbow drop.
 
Keeping my elbow up has been the single largest improvement to my accuracy than anything else I’ve worked on.

When I try an exaggerated follow through using an elbow drop, like Niels does beautifully, in spite of how hard I try, I CANNOT keep my elbow from coming away from my body (aka chicken wing). I have checked my stance for clearance and that’s not a problem.

I don’t know if it’s psychological or physiological. I am starting to think it’s physiological, that my shoulder structure simply doesn’t allow my arm to come straight.

No matter, though. I’ve given up. For me, from now on it’s elbow up on all shots, power draw be damned (although I’m starting to get five or even sometimes six diamond draws from three diamond distance between the CB and OB; still working on finding that sweet spot with no elbow drop and rear hand back far enough to keep tip from rising, while not scooping the CB).
 
GoldCrown said:
Will have to agree. A/B & pros have their own form. Me.. C player needed SPF … I had nothing but a banger swing. I’m not great but 100% better. I’m not the worst guy in the room. Down with elbow-drop. I’m thankful the SPF stroke is a successful system with eliminating elbow drop.
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Fun story

Scott Lee rip 🙏🏼 Used to drop by my house in Vegas from time to time. He was a great guy and good teacher for people who have some experience but aren’t “set in their ways” I suppose is a good description. I always recommended that anyone should take a few lessons from Scott.

Anyways he had his SPF acyrnmym, which I could never remember what it stood for so I decided to apply my own meaning to it. I made a post on it a zillion years ago

Set
Point
Fire

SPF 🤠😃

It’s a great system. Scott showed me and it’s been Fatboy Approved ever since. Always will be.

Was so sad to hear of Scott’s passing this year. Idk if Scott invented that system or just taught it. In any case it’s great. That’s the instruction I needed as a zero talent player. I learned bad habits from the gate and had to unlearn them over years. Unlearning bad habits takes a very long time.

A good solid foundation early is key for everyone. Talented or otherwise

Best
Fatboy
 
Fatboy said:
Fun story

Scott Lee rip 🙏🏼 Used to drop by my house in Vegas from time to time. He was a great guy and good teacher for people who have some experience but aren’t “set in their ways” I suppose is a good description. I always recommended that anyone should take a few lessons from Scott.

Anyways he had his SPF acyrnmym, which I could never remember what it stood for so I decided to apply my own meaning to it. I made a post on it a zillion years ago

Set
Point
Fire

SPF 🤠😃

It’s a great system. Scott showed me and it’s been Fatboy Approved ever since. Always will be.

Was so sad to hear of Scott’s passing this year. Idk if Scott invented that system or just taught it. In any case it’s great. That’s the instruction I needed as a zero talent player. I learned bad habits from the gate and had to unlearn them over years. Unlearning bad habits takes a very long time.

A good solid foundation early is key for everyone. Talented or otherwise

Best
Fatboy
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It was good fortune to meet and have Scott work with me. Did it several times. Dedicated and on track. I got connected with him here on AZB. He lived up to his reputation. He is missed.
 
dquarasr said:
Keeping my elbow up has been the single largest improvement to my accuracy than anything else I’ve worked on.

When I try an exaggerated follow through using an elbow drop, like Niels does beautifully, in spite of how hard I try, I CANNOT keep my elbow from coming away from my body (aka chicken wing). I have checked my stance for clearance and that’s not a problem.

I don’t know if it’s psychological or physiological. I am starting to think it’s physiological, that my shoulder structure simply doesn’t allow my arm to come straight.

No matter, though. I’ve given up. For me, from now on it’s elbow up on all shots, power draw be damned (although I’m starting to get five or even sometimes six diamond draws from three diamond distance between the CB and OB; still working on finding that sweet spot with no elbow drop and rear hand back far enough to keep tip from rising, while not scooping the CB).
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Shoot past the cue ball. IOW at a point inline with but further into the shot. You don't have to adopt this adjustment but it should reveal more detail on what's going on with your shooting. Also, you should devote time to technical drills and exercises at glacial speed.
 
dr_dave said:
FYI, I just posted a new video that discusses and demonstrates the different types of pool strokes, focusing on elbow drop caused by shoulder and upper-arm motion. Both advantages and disadvantages of elbow drop are discussed. Advice and techniques are also offered for those hoping to eliminate elbow drop from their stroke. Check it out:


Contents:
0:00 - Intro
0:46 - Stroke Types
1:49 - Advantages and Disadvantages
3:00 - How to Eliminate
---- 3:44 - air strokes
---- 6:12 - focus on mechanics
---- 7:13 - use a wall
7:53 - Wrap Up

As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments, questions, complaints, and requests.

Enjoy!
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I try to avoid elbow drop. For me the thought process is simple - as you follow through the cue ball the tip of your stick goes down to the cloth and the butt of your stick and your right grip hand comes up in to your chest at the completion of your follow-through.
 
Fatboy said:
Anyways he had his SPF acyrnmym, which I could never remember what it stood for so I decided to apply my own meaning to it. I made a post on it a zillion years ago

Set
Point
Fire

SPF 🤠😃
Click to expand...
I like that. If I recall correctly, Scott taught it to me as:

Set (CB address)
Pause (at end of backstroke)
Finish (follow through the CB to “finish” position)

pj
chgo
 
I use the coke bottle stroke which can accommodate the dippy stationary elbow stroke. What happened was I was more concerned with a linear piston front end than my elbow and developed along those lines instead. Net result: same thing; _better_ if you factor in short forearms. ('mnot a T-Rex.)
 
Relaxing the grip hand does wonders for any stroke. The further along the line of your stroke that the grip hand remains relaxed does more to define stroke results than elbow position, IMO.
 
SO true! The first time I saw Mike Davis in person, I watched for hours in semi-horrified amazement, wondering how a man with such "poor" mechanics could be so much better than me.

Of course, the balls explained the story more than adequately. Repetition, focus, confidence, and rhythm are the true keys, IMHO.

Full disclosure: I still spend a lot of time working on mechanics, including not collapsing the elbow (big difference between dropping and collapsing).
 
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