[Pin]

For a long time I've been changing my stroke to try to use a free pendulum motion. The forearm hangs vertically from the elbow and can only swing in a straight path. The idea is to exploit the mechanics of the arm to ensure that, if everything is aligned correctly, the arm can only swing in an ideal backward-forward line.

When this works well, I hit the ball incredibly cleanly.

However, when my forearm hangs off-vertical or misaligned my stroke is worse than my old ugly ingrained stroke. (It was ugly but it was pretty good. Not great, but good).


Because the style of stroke is so fragile and tricky to set up perfectly it seems like a very tough stroke to reproduce as consistently as I want to. It also seems unlikely to hold up under pressure.

In contrast the other stroke is ugly, but it's dependent on muscle control, not being left free-hanging. As such it seems easier to reproduce consistently, as you control more of the motion.


What do you think of the free-hanging pendulum? Is it something that can work consistently and under pressure or is it a recipe for inconsistency?

[MitchAlsup]

I am sure that if you relentlessly practice the free hanging fore-arm that it will work. In order to "get there" budget 24 hours of practice before playinig again. Whether this be 24 days of 1 hour per day or 6 days of 3 hours per day, it is going to take about (or at least) this long for your muscles to fully memorize this change in shooting style. You need to "rag" on yourself, durring this period, every time you fail to let the forearm swing naturally.

Due to a hip issue, I am in the midst of changing from the typical pool stance to a snooker stance. It has taken quite a while to get the feet to naturally stand in the snooker fassion, and after several weeks of a couple of hours per day, its finally settling in as the natural position. But I still catch muyself doing it the old way, and have to change back (and rag on myself).

[FASTLARRY]

Ah so Grasshopper, you are on to something big, going into the center and most important issue, the heart of it all, the swing. You are correct and on the right path, however, you will never get in the same hang, or swing plane twice, no matter how long you practice. And the better you get, the more sensitive you become, you cpu will know this and you will feel discomfort, a sense of its not just quite right.
CPU is trying to warn you and do its job.

I solve this by teaching two swings, the one of Joe Davis, snooker player, where the cue is braced against the body, there fore it hangs in the same exact place every time and cpu can then made finer last minute adjustments from this exact base.

My shaft, runs under, and in contact with my mammary gland, my right tit, and stays in contact and never leaves the body. This gives you great accuracy but on the follow through the hand stops going into the body, which reduces force and power, and snooker really doesn't care but 9 ball does.

And when I have to come with a shot, grip and rip it, force follow, force draw, I allow the cue to hang out a couple inches clear of my body and I can make a 2' long follow through If I choose to with out my right hand touching the body. Now I have my cake and can eat it too, best of both worlds.

Once you get used to the Davis method, then you realize how much play and un reliability exists in the grip and rip method. But, there is nothing you can do about it but practice.

[Pin]

Any advice on how to learn the snooker method, with the cue braced to the body?

I find it uncomfortable and don't get a straight stroke. I don't think I can get individual tuition from a very strong local teacher and don't want to take instruction on this from just anyone because there's no point learning a flawed form (I already have one of those!)

Is this something I can do alone or should I shelve it unless and until I can find a good teacher?


(And yes, one of these days I'd like to make a trip to Atlanta. But it's quite a big journey.)

Thanks

[FASTLARRY]

Pin, on Sep 27 2009, 03:29 PM, said:

Any advice on how to learn the snooker method, with the cue braced to the body?

I find it uncomfortable and don't get a straight stroke. I don't think I can get individual tuition from a very strong local teacher and don't want to take instruction on this from just anyone because there's no point learning a flawed form (I already have one of those!)

Is this something I can do alone or should I shelve it unless and until I can find a good teacher?


(And yes, one of these days I'd like to make a trip to Atlanta. But it's quite a big journey.)

Thanks

lay the cue on the table, then find the stance around that, which is comfortable. Rub the cue against the ribs, where it strokes right under touching the right nipple. Do not lose contact. On impact your hand ends up stopping on your ribs. That was the method of Joe Davis of the UK, he did Ok with it.

You get 5 or 6 lads to split the cost, buy my ticket, which is not too expensive any more, have one put me up, feed me fish and chips and there I am. The only expensive thing you will have, is me single malt laddie. I'll spend the week, and make it affordable.

[timseal]

FASTLARRY, on Sep 27 2009, 05:24 PM, said:

lay the cue on the table, then find the stance around that, which is comfortable. Rub the cue against the ribs, where it strokes right under touching the right nipple. Do not lose contact. On impact your hand ends up stopping on your ribs. That was the method of Joe Davis of the UK, he did Ok with it.

I think that went out of favour in the 1980s. Steve Davis (no relation, and just as legendary) says in his book that he never did this, because it was pretty uncomfortable.

-Tim

[FASTLARRY]

timseal, on Nov 17 2009, 12:22 AM, said:

I think that went out of favour in the 1980s. Steve Davis (no relation, and just as legendary) says in his book that he never did this, because it was pretty uncomfortable.

-Tim

I have two swings, one on my body, and one that hangs free, trying to describe them here, is impossible. Steve Davis does not play pool, so his advice should be tempered just like the stance of 3-cushion stars is also totally different from pool. I can shot you 20 top stars at any top event, and all 20 stand different from each other. Never copy a stance, find one that works for you. Try and fall into something that feels natural and comfortable.

I have tried to take, what all 3 do, and blended them into my methods, taking the best points of each one.