Why does draw seem so mystical?

paksat...They may not be acting like a smartass. Many top players have NO idea how they do what they do. A very common answer, to the question of "how do you do THAT", is "Like THIS!", and then they shoot it. They simply lack the communication skills to teach you how. I'd advise seeking a lesson from a qualified instructor (one that uses video and slow-motion review). One good lesson will open your eyes to why you struggle with your stroke, and give you the tools to fix it.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

paksat said:
I asked one of them how he performed a certain shot and he goes "I just hit it man that's it I just it" in the cockiest "i'm just a natural badass" tone you could conceive.
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cuetechasaurus said:
Nothing achieves a well executed draw shot better than a very straight stroke. When you are stroking straight, you get a very solid hit on the cue ball. The draw shot becomes effortless. You will notice that a smooth transition, and simply letting your forearm relax and collapse into your upper arm or chest will make the cue ball do pretty much whatever you want. I really don't think flicking your wrist is necessary at all.
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TAP-TAP-TAP....OUTSTANDING....SPF=randyg
 
Lots of good info. I would say draw is hard for a novice because it is much more effected by distance from the object ball and stroke.

Regarding stroke, develop a stroke which hits the cue ball exactly where you want to, whether you hit fast or slow. That "wrist action", IME is the feeling of your cue coming up off the fingers in your back hand. It is usually accentuated by holding your elbow high and not letting it drop at the end of the stroke. All that means though is that you hit the cue ball where you were aiming.

Distance from the object ball is a greater factor because the cue ball has to maintain a high rate of backwards spin(the cloth is slowing this through friction). So, to back the cue ball up a foot with a short object/cue ball shot is a much slower shot than a long shot. This requires more stroke speed which requires more stroke skill.

To me, the mystic is the full development of a players stroke is necessary for consistent draw. I can tell I'm moving out of stroke when my draw starts to go bad.

Good luck.
 
Scott Lee said:
paksat...They may not be acting like a smartass. Many top players have NO idea how they do what they do. A very common answer, to the question of "how do you do THAT", is "Like THIS!", and then they shoot it. They simply lack the communication skills to teach you how. I'd advise seeking a lesson from a qualified instructor (one that uses video and slow-motion review). One good lesson will open your eyes to why you struggle with your stroke, and give you the tools to fix it.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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Definately right about that. They mostly aren't the brainiest people i've met.

Like a few of you have already stated, it comes down to mechanics which I don't really understand yet. I just try to feel for it and it comes and it goes.
 
Lots of good advise here, I'd just reiterate what Patrick said, this is the most common issue.
I will add one more tidbit. To get powerful effortless reaction on the cue ball, that means draw/follow/english/stun whatever, the timing of the acceleration through the ball is critical. When you get the timing right this is the point where hitting becomes stroking. There should be a very tiny amount of wrist in your stroke, only that your grip is not gorilla tight on the cue and the fingers open and the wrist cocks enough to let the cue flow along a flat plane.
First minute of this video shows a conventional grip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b258oq0r6U
 
Slasher, you sound like a good guy who wants to help, and you probably draw the ball all day with no problems. But I gotta respectfully disagree with the advice you're offering. There are a lot of 'superstitions' about draw, and the wrist snap (even a very slight one) is the granddaddy of them all. That and snapping the tip downward at the last second.

Maybe this is why draw seems so mystical (to answer paksat's question). People come up with some crazy ideas on how to make it happen, ideas like timing or a special follow through or wrist snaps.

Anyone can draw by doing the following:
You know the boring, everyday textbook stroke you (should) use for center, or follow, or sidespin?

Apply that same basic stroke, with the same swing and same wrist action and same follow through... but hit low on the cue ball. And maybe a bit harder than you usually do. That's it. There's your draw. No timing, no wrist twist, no snapping motion, no jacking up the back of the stick or punch stroke or whatever.
 
One last thing. Draw is *never* accurate, even for the pros.

If you need to play accurate position, follow is usually your best option. The natural roll of the balls is always forward. For this reason, follow tends to be more precise.

Draw on the other hand, pulls the ball back against its natural roll, and involves a lot of variables, making it less dependable. Draw is best when you have a substantial acceptable range of where you can place the cue ball.
 
CreeDo said:
Slasher, you sound like a good guy who wants to help, and you probably draw the ball all day with no problems. But I gotta respectfully disagree with the advice you're offering. There are a lot of 'superstitions' about draw, and the wrist snap (even a very slight one) is the granddaddy of them all. That and snapping the tip downward at the last second.

Maybe this is why draw seems so mystical (to answer paksat's question). People come up with some crazy ideas on how to make it happen, ideas like timing or a special follow through or wrist snaps.

Anyone can draw by doing the following:
You know the boring, everyday textbook stroke you (should) use for center, or follow, or sidespin?

Apply that same basic stroke, with the same swing and same wrist action and same follow through... but hit low on the cue ball. And maybe a bit harder than you usually do. That's it. There's your draw. No timing, no wrist twist, no snapping motion, no jacking up the back of the stick or punch stroke or whatever.
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The wrist is involved in the stroke no matter what the required action on the cue ball. You need a little flex in the wrist to allow the cue to stay flat otherwise you will rock the cue up and down. not talking about snapping the wrist or twist at all, those are your words not mine.Timing is required to pause on the back swing and accelerate through the ball.
And yes i can draw the ball :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2fJ-3elVTc
 
Slasher: we prolly agree then, I guess I just misunderstood. I guess it's a difference in the way we'd explain it. I wouldn't tell anyone to focus on the wrist or else they'll be consciously moving it a certain way instead of letting it bend in whatever natural direction the follow through takes it. Ditto the 'timing' thing, I'm a big fan of "deliver the stroke when you feel like it" and don't do anything to intentionally alter that.

I agree draw's not as accurate as follow. I guess whether you call it 'accurate' at all depends on how fussy you are on the definition of accurate. Can anyone draw very consistently onto dollar-sized area from five feet away? Prolly not. Can they draw onto a piece-of-paper-sized area? I think many players can. In any case draw is a 'necessary evil'. Although follow is maybe easier to control, opportunities to draw for position come up all the time. Faced with a typical rail cut in 9 ball, I'd almost always rather draw 1 rail to get across the table than do the more 'natural' follow shot with 2 or 3 rails, because of the shorter distances involved (which means your draw's inaccuracy isn't as big a deal).
 
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