stance and stroke?

[Allan]

Hello all,

Last night my wife and I grabbed some pizza then it was went out to a hall we hadn't been to yet. Its been fun hopping around Cleveland checking out all the halls. Seems like there is a hall for any kinda mood you might be in. Last night was sort of dissapointing though. We went to Jillian's which is part of chain I guess. The tables were nice and all but $12/hr for time seemd a bit much to the both of us. Anyway we stuck around for a few hours and played some....

some questions I wondered about:
Assuming a standard straight in shot where you have pleanty of room for your "standard" stance, where are your feet planted in relation to the cue and shot?

We both have the occasional tendency where in our follow through where the cue swipes to one side. We figured for her it might be because she was popping up out of her stance through the follow through, but I couldn't nail down what was happening to me. Just not a straight stroke I guess...any ideas?

Also we noticed that she has the nack for just looking at the shot getting down in her stance and taking the shot, doesn't have to think about it much...she sees the line of aim more than she can explain it and that works for her ...

I am the exact opposite always taking a lot of practice strokes to make sure I have everything where I want it to be, but this ends up being a lot of practice strokes and a lot of minor little adjustments. When you first began playing do you remember being able to just get down take your 2 or 3 practice strokes then knock the ball in? Do you think I should try to narrow down what I do preshot or do you think it will just naturally get there and just do what I need to do to get the ball in the pocket for now?

Thanks again for reading and any comments,

Allan

[Tom_In_Cincy]

This is a site that has a lot of good pool info for all players.

The tips and tales section is a good read.

http://www.billiardworld.com/talestip.html

[Rod]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Allan:</font><hr> Hello all,

Last night my wife and I grabbed some pizza then it was went out to a hall we hadn't been to yet. Its been fun hopping around Cleveland checking out all the halls. Seems like there is a hall for any kinda mood you might be in. Last night was sort of dissapointing though. We went to Jillian's which is part of chain I guess. The tables were nice and all but $12/hr for time seemd a bit much to the both of us. Anyway we stuck around for a few hours and played some....

Hi Allen,
Good questions, and welcome to the board.

some questions I wondered about:
Assuming a standard straight in shot where you have pleanty of room for your "standard" stance, where are your feet planted in relation to the cue and shot?

In General, if your right handed, your right shoulder, upper arm, lower arm, wrist and hand should be in alignment near the center of your right foot.

We both have the occasional tendency where in our follow through where the cue swipes to one side. We figured for her it might be because she was popping up out of her stance through the follow through, but I couldn't nail down what was happening to me. Just not a straight stroke I guess...any ideas?

A swipe of the cue ball, is related to the afore mentioned stance and keeping those fundamentals intact. Meaning nothing changes, or very slight from your original address position, head, shoulder, arm wrist etc. This is at least until cue ball contact. Being able to do this, and remain relaxed through out your body during the stroke is what even the best players strive for. What goes wrong is we have the tendacy to hit at the ball and more than one part moves out of position.


Also we noticed that she has the nack for just looking at the shot getting down in her stance and taking the shot, doesn't have to think about it much...she sees the line of aim more than she can explain it and that works for her ...

Thats a good way to play this game.


I am the exact opposite always taking a lot of practice strokes to make sure I have everything where I want it to be, but this ends up being a lot of practice strokes and a lot of minor little adjustments. When you first began playing do you remember being able to just get down take your 2 or 3 practice strokes then knock the ball in? Do you think I should try to narrow down what I do preshot or do you think it will just naturally get there and just do what I need to do to get the ball in the pocket for now?

Everyone has a little different approach in time spent. You need to decide what your going to do before you take your stance, not afterwards. My suggestion is a lesson on the basics of the game. Buy a beginners book on the same, once you have a better understanding you can take it from there. Most people just want to have fun and improve over time. Others want results in a shorter period of time. Either way it is a learning process that does take time and the basics are what get you there. It's a game for a life time, have fun and enjoy.


Thanks again for reading and any comments,

Allan <hr /></blockquote>

As far as stance goes, my opinion is just get comfortable. Don't think about it, just approach your shot, and let your body do whatever it feels natural. Pool is all about "feel". The more you practice, the more "feel" you gain for the game. And the more one thinks about their stance, the less they are thinking about the shot.
The stroke deserves far more attention. I picked up a habit a while back while trying to get out of a rut, and since then my game has continued to improve. And I swear by it. TEMPO. T E M P O. After I aim up I (in my head of course) say "And one And two And three And Hit". After that second practice stroke, i focus soley on my target. Having good tempo will not only help you concentrate a little better and be a little more consistent, but you will also see a drastic change in your learning curve for the better, resulting in more "feel" and less thought. I don't think it really matters what your tempo is, fast or slow, or how many practice strokes you take, as long as you stick with the tempo that you adopt. But be sure you take your eye off the cue ball, and focus on your target. Good luck

[silverbullet]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Allan:</font><hr> Hello all,

Last night my wife and I grabbed some pizza then it was went out to a hall we hadn't been to yet. Its been fun hopping around Cleveland checking out all the halls. Seems like there is a hall for any kinda mood you might be in. Last night was sort of dissapointing though. We went to Jillian's which is part of chain I guess. The tables were nice and all but $12/hr for time seemd a bit much to the both of us. Anyway we stuck around for a few hours and played some....

some questions I wondered about:
Assuming a standard straight in shot where you have pleanty of room for your "standard" stance, where are your feet planted in relation to the cue and shot?

We both have the occasional tendency where in our follow through where the cue swipes to one side. We figured for her it might be because she was popping up out of her stance through the follow through, but I couldn't nail down what was happening to me. Just not a straight stroke I guess...any ideas?

Also we noticed that she has the nack for just looking at the shot getting down in her stance and taking the shot, doesn't have to think about it much...she sees the line of aim more than she can explain it and that works for her ...

I am the exact opposite always taking a lot of practice strokes to make sure I have everything where I want it to be, but this ends up being a lot of practice strokes and a lot of minor little adjustments. When you first began playing do you remember being able to just get down take your 2 or 3 practice strokes then knock the ball in? Do you think I should try to narrow down what I do preshot or do you think it will just naturally get there and just do what I need to do to get the ball in the pocket for now?

Thanks again for reading and any comments,

Allan <hr /></blockquote>

from my perspective, it soounds like several things might be going on. i would find a good bca instructor who can diagnose on the spot. you can read all you want and practice all you want but practice does not make perfect.'perfect practice makes perfect'.

i am still pretty much a beginner but i would be nowhere without the instruction i got from scott lee and then reinforced and learned some other stuff at randy gs pool school. if you dont have a good bca snstructor in your area, scott travels all over the country.

Laura