TheBigLebowski
Registered
Figured that'd get peoples attention. I've been routed to you for questions concerning my pool playing woes.
I've been playing for several years and I've just now noticed a few flaws in my stroke.
My hand holding the butt of the cue, at the point of address, is 2 or 3 inches past 90 degrees to the table, so the tip is in the process of diving down when I contact the cueball. This gives me very little room to work with since the tip is almost glancing off the contact point before it's on the felt. Plus, if I'm playing a little tight at the time, I might just rake the tip across the felt before contact, thus, sending the cueball anywhere from 45 degrees to 78 degrees up, up and away, over the object ball, shattering the lights above the table or knocking my opponent unconcious, which, unless I've sunk a ball on the break and the cueball rebounds onto the table, I have to wait for them to regain conciousness before I can shoot again. It hasn't happened yet, mind you, but I HAVE broken two ashtrays with cueballs. It wouldn't be so bad if I were shooting pool around loud machinery, but in quiet pool halls, most seem to notice. It's emberassing. On the plus side, I usually stay down on my shot.
So, I tried moving my hand back to the very end of the cue so that my arm would be at a 90 degree angle to the table, and the tip would dive an inch or two past contact with the cueball. This has worked well for me. I get a much more consistent hit, I no longer fear the draw shots, and when I'm loadin up some killer backspin, the crowds don't scatter. However, I feel like I'm running out of cue. I can't give the cue the big stroke and still keep the arm at 90 degrees unless I bend my left arm and move my body forward into the shot which I tried for a little while, but it feels incredibly strange. Bad strange, not good strange. I guess I could continue trying to get it to feel more normal, kinda like getting used to not wearing socks, but I don't want to. I like socks.
What size cue do you use? And is this something as a tall player you've also fought with? Please, for the love of ashtrays, let me know what the best route would be. And I mean in pool, nevermind the phsyciatric evaluation...I already know I'm crazy. Thanks.
I've been playing for several years and I've just now noticed a few flaws in my stroke.
My hand holding the butt of the cue, at the point of address, is 2 or 3 inches past 90 degrees to the table, so the tip is in the process of diving down when I contact the cueball. This gives me very little room to work with since the tip is almost glancing off the contact point before it's on the felt. Plus, if I'm playing a little tight at the time, I might just rake the tip across the felt before contact, thus, sending the cueball anywhere from 45 degrees to 78 degrees up, up and away, over the object ball, shattering the lights above the table or knocking my opponent unconcious, which, unless I've sunk a ball on the break and the cueball rebounds onto the table, I have to wait for them to regain conciousness before I can shoot again. It hasn't happened yet, mind you, but I HAVE broken two ashtrays with cueballs. It wouldn't be so bad if I were shooting pool around loud machinery, but in quiet pool halls, most seem to notice. It's emberassing. On the plus side, I usually stay down on my shot.
So, I tried moving my hand back to the very end of the cue so that my arm would be at a 90 degree angle to the table, and the tip would dive an inch or two past contact with the cueball. This has worked well for me. I get a much more consistent hit, I no longer fear the draw shots, and when I'm loadin up some killer backspin, the crowds don't scatter. However, I feel like I'm running out of cue. I can't give the cue the big stroke and still keep the arm at 90 degrees unless I bend my left arm and move my body forward into the shot which I tried for a little while, but it feels incredibly strange. Bad strange, not good strange. I guess I could continue trying to get it to feel more normal, kinda like getting used to not wearing socks, but I don't want to. I like socks.
What size cue do you use? And is this something as a tall player you've also fought with? Please, for the love of ashtrays, let me know what the best route would be. And I mean in pool, nevermind the phsyciatric evaluation...I already know I'm crazy. Thanks.
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