I came across an article today, Cue Ball Control, that discusses the precision required to building a straight stroke.  I think you will be impress with the author, Fast Larry Guniger, who holds several world records. I felt compelled to share it with you. I hope that I can talk Jeff from Bank Shot Billiards into haveing Fast Larry do an exhibition.

I have had my stroke trainer out for about two weeks and worked with it consistantly this week.  I can tell a difference and my practice session this evening showed that the work is paying off.  I get out the stroke trainer 2 or 3 time a year and work with it two weeks or so.  This usually raises my level of play for 2 to 3 months.  The old less than straight stroke gradually comes back. 

Since I use the “Aiming by the Numbers” method consistently now I felt the bridge to better play would be to build a stright stroke.  Without a straight stroke you are not guaranteed to hit your “Aiming by the Numbers”.  I am an evangelist now about “Aiming by the Numbers”  which is a tool you can buy here on this page.

FTC disclosure :I get a commission if you buy “Aiming by the Numbers” tool from this website.   

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Technorati Tags: aiming by the numbers, pool stroke

How far is your bridge hand from the cue ball?  Is it a bridge too far?  If you have a long bridge that is more than 8 inches, it may be too long.   The long bridge provides more of an opportunity to sway your stick during the pool stroke.  The sway causes the cue ball to create unintended english and/or off the line of aim.  Unless you are a seasoned player with many years of play measure your bridge length  to see if it needs to be shortened.  Or use a stroke improvement tool such as coke bottle or Cue Track to see if you are swaying the cue when you stroke.  A 6-8 inch bridge length is recommended for most players.    

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Technorati Tags: aiming, pool stroke, stroking

Three  common mistakes during the stroke process for most players are pulling back too fast on the backswing, raising the head/body before the stroke is finished and gripping the cue too hard.

I attended Jerry Brieseth’s Pool School in 1995 and learned the pool stroke is like a throwing motion.  Imagine throwing a baseball from the outfield to home plate. You pulled the arm back slowly and accelerated into the throw to home plate. A whippy motion on the backswing jerks you off line and limits the acceleration through the cueball. When I observe a really good player missing a shot I often notice he has tried to “load up”  on the shot and the flaw was he was too quick with the backswing.  When I coach players I usually say “Slow down the backswings”. I tell that I will tell them this  so many time that they are going to dream about “Slow down the back swing”. 

Another common mistake is raising the head/body before the stroke is finished.  During a match you might miss a shot that you think you should make. So being anxious on the next shot you get you raise your head/body too soon.  More failure leads to more anxiousness leads to more body movement. This can lead to habitually raising the head/body too soon.  Practice staying down today by setting up a shot and stay down with cue stick extended until the cueball comes to rest or crosses the path of the cue stick.

Are you gripping the cue stick too hard?   You are if  I can walk up behind you and hit the butt of your cue stick with the palm of my hand and it does not fall out of your hand.  Grip lightly to give your wrist a chance to help with the stroke and to finish the stroke process properly.  Can’t get the draw action you expect then try loosening the grip.

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Technorati Tags: pool stroke, stroking