Bob Jewett
: Find a pool instructor and get a lesson. It is almost impossible to
: correct flaws in fundamentals by Internet. Some flaws have to be seen
: to be corrected (or believed).
: Bob Jewett
How does one go about finding an instructor? Is there a registry?
[snip...]
Well, I've been playing almost daily for about a year and a half, and I've
learned a lot about technique, so far as I can tell.
Posture: Stand at a 45 degree angle to the line of shot.
Aiming: Keep your head so low, that your chin is about 2" from
the shaft of the cue.
Bridge: Use an open-V bridge, with your fingers spread WIDE.
Distance from tip to bridge: about 8".
Stroke: Hold the cue as far back as comfortable, while at the same
time keeping your elbow and shoulder in an almost horizontal
line. Keep the forearm slightly loose, and let it swing
with a pendulum-like motion. Take about 3 warm-up strokes
while aiming, stop to check the aim, do another 3, stop,
and then do 1 warm-up and then hit the ball with confidence,
following through about 6" past the spot where the cue
ball was.
Hitting the
Cue Ball: Try to hit the cue ball on the vertical line passing
through the centre of the ball. As far as accuracy and
precision go, do not move left or right more than 1-tip
width.
And as usual, practice as much as you can, sometimes repeating the same
shot over and over again until you get the hand of it, and can instantly
see where the ball is going to end up.
Also, hang out at local pool halls, and watch how the other guys do it.
Challenge them every once in a while, take your time, relax, and
concentrate on nothing but the shot.
Later.
--
Grog<aw675>. The man with the Red Shoes. Gotta problem?
TheMysticalPotatoHeadGrooveThing
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For me, the key is stance. Somedays I just walk into shots and feel perfectly
balanced. Other days I can't my "pool legs" at all, and I alomost feel
dizzy. I wish I knew what to do about this...
One poster in a different thread says that he has been told to keep his
chin 2" above his cue. When I'm down that far, I can't see the line from
the object ball to the pocket.
On the one hand, it seems as though all the top 9-ball players that
I can think of stay very low to their cues. In his writings, Byrne
mentions that he stands a little more erect than most players, and in
the 99 Critical Shots pictures Ray Martin looks as though his chin
is one foot or more above his cue.
Can anybody say anything good or bad about Roy Yamane in Southern California
as a teacher?
Thanks,
dn
When you say your stroke is bad, what exactly is happening?
And, I'm not joking when I say that waltzes actually work well. If
you try someone like Strauss ("On the Blue Danube" should be easy to
get your hands on...), then you might find yourself settling into a
really nice even rhythm. Plus, the songs usually stay in the same
rhythm for quite a while with classical pieces so you have a long
time to adjust. (Rock and pop albums are too often erratic. There
are exceptions... like rap and early pop -- Beatles and the like,
but something like U2 has too many changes to let you settle into a
even rhythm for more than three or four minutes at a time. Jazz
would probably be a crappy choice due to its complexity -- M.C.
Hammer would work better than Wynton Marsalis. :-)
I find stroke has to do with rhythm. Once I think my aim is off, I
try to slow down my rhythm until I find something consistent and one
that I can maintain good aiming while in that rhythm. It often
changes from day to day by a little, but eventually... you'll get to
the point where you can adjust either to fit your current play. Of
course, sometimes I'm playing too slowly and need to speed up a bit,
but most often my aiming goes bad due to rushing.
Jim
--
***********************************************************************
--- Jim Ortlieb -- aka... Head Junkie of the CrackHouse
Today you will win big, pick a fight with a four year old...
Usually there will be someone around each pool hall who gives lessons.
Some are good instructors, and some are not -- caveat emptor.
Some things you might ask a prospective instructor:
Do they have references (from previous students or others)?
Do they have handouts?
Do they use video equipment for stroke analysis?
Have they had any training to be an instructor?
Bob Jewett
$.02 -Ron Shepard
Bill Willis
: > How does one go about finding an instructor? Is there a registry?
: The BCA has a program for training and certifying instructors. Their
: phone is 319-351-2112. An updated list comes out quarterly in the "BCA
: Break".
Actually I'm not really following this article up at all, just taking
the chance to say hello to anyone out there who remembers me from
alt.sport.pool a couple of years ago. I've just recently come to
America to live and I'm learning your BCA rules at the moment. Weird
game, but hey, when in Rome...
While I'm on line, here's a question...
Rule 4.13 says "A player may choose to pocket an obvious ball and
also discontinue his turn at the table by declaring "safety" in
advance.
but...
Rule 4.17 says "An object ball is considered to be illegally pocketed
when ... a safety is called prior to the shot"
Rule 4.13 implies you call "safety" before you pocket a ball; rule 4.14
implies pocketing a ball after calling "safety" is a foul.
Which is it? And are there any other contexts in which you can call
"safety" that all americans take for granted but aren't explicitly in
the rules so we furriners can't find them? :-)
I have to say I find the layout and description of the BCA rules (at least
as listed in :The Official Rules and Records Book - Billiards" published
by the BCA) extremely poor. This pick-and-mix style of different sections
and general rules in one section that can be overridden by rules in a later
section is very amateurish. I'd much rather see a single document with
the complete and unambiguous rules for 8-ball in one place, even if it
means they have to use more ink and paper to list the whole rules for
all the other games too. And copyrighting them and refusing permission
to republish them (eg here) is hardly conducive to promoting the game...
I have a feeling I'm not going to be impressed by the BCA...
G
>Rule 4.13 implies you call "safety" before you pocket a ball; rule 4.14
>implies pocketing a ball after calling "safety" is a foul.
Jari
>How does one go about finding an instructor? Is there a registry?
Learning the fundamentals.
The focus is on "hold the cue; point the cue; move the cue"
Applying the fundamentals
The focus is on making the ball.
Learning to control the cue ball.
The focus is on making the ball and getting shape for the next
ball.
Learning to see and play patterns.
The focus is on running balls. Lots of them.
Watch everyone you can. Watch the pros. Watch beginners and hackers. What
are the common threads you see in each group? Who's running balls and who's
not? Who has the smooth flowing stroke and who doesn't?
Play straight pool. This is the game that teaches you ball control and gets
you into stroke. Buy the Robert Byrne 1 & 2 tapes. These are the finest
medium for learning the basics of the game that I've ever seen. Stuff I had
to "pay by the game" to learn thirty years ago are on tape and explained
and demonstrated beautifully.
Note: I get no commission from Mister Byrne although I push his tapes every
chance I get.
The problem with having your chin on the cue is that you are going to lose
the ability to get as much on the ball when you really have to let it all
out. This is less of a problem with today's whippier shafts and super-fast
cloth, but it's still bad form.
Has anyone watched Mike Massey do one of his Godzilla Stroke shows? I doubt
seriously that he has his chin on the cue when he's shooting a full length
shot and drawing the ball back two table lengths.
Try that new Strokemaster (practice) System. Most pool rooms and bowling
info.
Ebb
>Well, I've been playing almost daily for about a year and a half, and I've
>learned a lot about technique, so far as I can tell.
The length of your bridge depends on the shot. Eight inches is about as long
as you want to go for simple shots. See Byrne's column in the new Billiard
Digest (Ewa Mataya-Laurence on the cover).
1. kinister's 'advanced fundamentals' -- shooting one handed to improve stroke
2. different types of strokes? whats a slip stroke?
3. ...stroke....stroke....pause..
4. Laser guided stroke mechanics - or faulty stroke thoughts
5. Practice Strokes vs. Shot Stroke
6. Short stroke vs. Long Stroke
7. SHOOT STRAIGHT W/ "STRAIGHT SHOOTER'S STROKING KIT" ONLY $18.88 +S&H
8. Stroke Trainer Review - Pat's Medical Misinformation
10. Weirdest strokes you've ever seen ....
13. Julie Kelly's stroke or lack thereof.