Play Your Best Pool

DESCRIPTION

To round out your complete course in pool you’ll find chapters on the mental game, competition and how to improve that will tell you how to think like a winner and compete successfully in tournaments, leagues and money games.

Highlights

• The cue is primarily held by your first two fingers and your thumb. (Location 490)
• Your first step is to locate the balance point. Lay the cue across your index finger and adjust its position until it balances on its own. The balance point serves as a point of reference. Shorter players will position their hand only a few inches behind the balance point, while taller players and those with longer arms will need to hold the cue at least eight to ten inches past the balance point. (Location 494)
• Let’s assume your ideal grip location for a normal shot is six inches behind the balance point. A couple of adjustments can help refine your technique. For shots requiring a fine touch, move your grip hand two to three inches closer to the balance point. For a power shot, grip about nine inches past the balance point. Your grip position is also related to the length of your bridge (the distance between your front hand and the cue ball). The shorter your bridge, the closer your grip to the balance point, and vice versa. I’ll go into more detail on this in another section. (Location 498)
• The open bridge is most commonly used on follow shots, short finesse shots, and on shots when you must stretch across the table. (Location 524)
• The closed bridge is used by nearly all of the better players. It offers several advantages: it helps prevent miscues, it helps you stay down on the shot, it’s good for precision shooting, and it is especially useful on power shots. I hope I’ve convinced you to use this bridge whenever possible. (Location 527)
• You should exert some downward pressure on the table to add stability to your bridge, and to keep your hand from wobbling. Even the slightest sideways movement can cause a missed shot. It may help to think of your closed bridge as a miniature version of the Rock of Gibraltar. Weight should be evenly distributed through your fingers, the heel of your hand and the base of your thumb. (Location 533)
• In the normal position your cue will be level. The tip should be even with the center of the cue ball. You can raise your bridge to hit the cue ball above center by bringing the tips of your fingers in closer to the rest of your hand. To hit the cue ball below center, lower your bridge by extending your fingers out as far as possible. One of your goals is to keep the cue as level as possible at all times (except for some special situations). (Location 543)
• Draw shots require the cue ball to be struck below center. They are best accomplished by lowering your bridge, not by raising your grip hand. (Location 547)
• Bridge Length The length of your bridge is measured by the distance from the cue ball to the front of the loop. Your bridge length can be adjusted for a variety of shots. For soft shots and greater accuracy, use a short bridge. When a long, power stroke is called for, lengthen your bridge two to three inches past normal. As a rule of thumb, Eight Ball players should use a short bridge on most of their shots (7-9”). Nine Ball players, due to the number of power shots, would tend to use a longer bridge (9”-12”). (Location 548)
• Your bridge length should be an ideal compromise between accuracy and power. (Location 552)
• Elevated Bridge Obstructing balls require a bridge that can provide stability while you elevate your cue. Place the tips of your fingers on the table first with your palm elevated at about a forty-five degree angle (in relation to your fingertips). Position your fingers as close to the obstructing ball as possible without touching it. Spread your fingers for added stability. Now rest your thumb high up on your index finger near the knuckle. The cue is placed in the vee. You will need to use a more upright stance. Use a short stroke and avoid using any sidespin whatsoever. (Location 563)
• it’s a good idea to avoid english on all of your rail shots (Location 573)
• Lower your head for precise aiming, and raise it for power shots, such as the break. (Location 639)
• Your stance should put you into a position that will promote a pendulum arm swing. It is easiest to use a pendulum like stroke when your arm begins in a straight up and down position. (Location 644)
• Most of the great straight pool players, including Willie Mosconi, positioned their hand a few inches ahead of the elbow at address. This produces a short bridge and a compact stroke. In addition, it largely eliminates the chance of lifting the grip hand during the backstroke. This address position also helps to promote a level cue. You can lengthen your stroke by moving your bridge and grip hands further back on the cue. One word of caution: don’t place your grip hand too far forward (definitely not beyond the balance point) as this may create a choppy stroke and an abbreviated follow through. (Location 659)
• The Grip Hand Back position has ruined many pool players’ games. When the grip hand is past the elbow, excess lifting will occur in the backstroke, which creates a choppy stroke. (Location 663)
• Make your approach to the shot the same every time. This will help you “move into the shot” and position yourself consistently. Relax from your right shoulder to the tips of your fingers. This will help promote a smooth, fluid and powerful stroke. (Location 686)
• Once you are settled into your stance, you are ready to fine-tune your aim and to begin your warm-up strokes. Warm-up strokes serve a number of useful purposes. (Location 689)
• The only moving parts during your backstroke should be from the elbow on down of your shooting arm. (Location 701)
• Beware of a common tendency to lift the elbow during the backstroke, which can throw your cue off track. (Location 703)
• The tempo of your stroke should be as smooth and even as possible. Unfortunately, many players ruin their stroke during the transition from the backstroke to the forward stroke. (Location 708)
• As the arm swings forward, the right elbow should drop. The elbow drop begins at contact with the cue ball or slightly after, but never before contact. (Location 712)
• Be sure to maintain a constant grip pressure during your back stroke and as you complete the transition to the forward stroke. (Location 721)
• A full and graceful follow through is the signature of a superior stroke. A full follow through prevents an abrupt stab at the ball. It also gives the cue ball much of its action. Let your cue come to a natural stop. (Location 725)
• As a practice exercise, try stroking through the cue ball pretending it’s not even there. You can learn a lot about your stroke by observing your follow through. Try holding your follow through as if you were posing for a picture. Now check to see if the cue is level and is pointing down your line of aim. If your follow through and arm swing are perfectly straight, you won’t be able to see the butt of your cue under your arm. (Location 729)
• Avoid jumping up in the middle of your shot as this can totally destroy your stroke. (Location 734)
• Shot after shot, you will need to apply just the right amount of force to send the cue ball to the desired location. Keep this in mind. (Location 746)
• A one-dimensional stroke simply won’t get the job done. Learn to vary the speed of your arm swing and the amount of wrist action. (Location 750)
• Pay extra attention to where you strike the cue ball • Use a smooth stroke • Focus on moving your arm only • Look at the object ball intently on your last stroke • Slowly complete the transition to the forward stroke • Feel the tip at impact • Point your tip at the target on follow through • Stay down until the ball is in the pocket (Location 758)
• Slow your stroke way down. Observe how straight (or crooked) it is. Gradually build the speed up to normal. • Look back at your stroking arm while taking practice strokes. Is your arm moving in a straight line? Is your wrist twisting out of position? Have your partner stand behind you, directly in line with your cue, and watch for flaws. • When stroking, try feeling like you are pushing the cue through the cue ball. • Experiment with different length bridges. Start with a six-inch bridge and move back. • Do a stroke check. Is your arm completely covering the butt of your cue on the follow through as it should be? • Shoot straight-in shots. Have the cue tip point directly at the pocket. (Location 767)
• Pre Shot Errors • Indecisiveness - no clear-cut plan of action • Thinking negatively • Faulty preshot routine • No preshot routine Warm Up Strokes • No warm-up strokes • Too many warm-up strokes • Inappropriate warm-up strokes for the shot Stroke Errors • Twisting your arm • Twisting your wrist • Jerking or jabbing at the ball • Head or body movement during the stroke • No elbow drop on the follow through • Freezing over the shot • Jumping up prematurely • Speeding up the final stroke • Excess tension Follow Through • Abbreviated follow through or lack of follow through • Crooked follow through (Location 778)
• A Short Course in the Fundamentals (Location 786)
• I advise that you face each shot directly down the intended aiming line and approach your stance from that angle. Hold your cue in front of you and then extend in out and to the cue ball as you bend into your stance. (Location 835)
• Many excellent players have learned to aim by imagining a “ghost ball” at the desired point of impact. (Location 860)
• As you begin your final backstroke, your eyes should lock onto the object ball and remain there until its well on its way to the pocket. (Location 933)
• Visualizing a Channel to the Pocket (Location 968)
• Visualizing a Line of Cue Balls (Location 972)
• When you are cutting a ball to the left, friction will throw it to the right. When you cut to the right, friction will throw the object ball to the left. You must therefore allow for a little more cut on virtually every cut shot. (Location 978)
• on frozen to the rail shots: never ever hit the object ball first! (Location 1170)
• On cut shots of about 10 to 45 degrees (see the zone for Cue Ball B), you can neutralize the effects of Contact Induced Throw by aiming to hit the rail first about 1/8” above the object ball. (Location 1173)
• On frozen to the rail shots with a cut angle greater than about 45 degrees, inside english is a big help in pocketing the ball. (Location 1175)