Bridging hand: thumb to index finger, what angle?

[ProfHippo]

Hi!

So with a normal bridge, how far is my thumb supposed to be from my index finger base knuckle?

My thumb comes to slightly below my middle index knuckle when my hand is flat on a table. Obviously for a bridge, I raise my knuckles off the table slightly.

I think I find it very uncomfortable to put the thumb right next to the first index finger knuckle so they are touching.

Do people have space between them that the cue slots into e.g. so the cue is moving back and forth at the horizontol line between the base index knuckle and the top half of the raised thumb?

Or do people have no space between the two so the cue is in the area above where the thumb touches the index finger knuckle?

(My thumb is also one of those thumbs that I used to pop out outwards as a kid, not sure if that's also making it uncomfortable for me).

Grateful for your advice folks!

[ProfHippo]

The other thing I'm wondering is even if I have my thumb touching my index finger, do I need to have the thumb raised right upwards (at e.g. 40 degree angle to vertical from the side) or can I have it slightly lower down along my index finger. Still touching, but I think I find it uncomfortable to put the thumb really upwards while touching the index finger/knuckle.

[John Flaf]

You cant make a proper bridge if your thumb isn't touching your index finger. you need the 'V' for the cue to slide in, If your hand is spread out correctly then the natural position of the thumb is to touch the index finger pointing up slightly with your index finger slightly raised above the cloth but with your finger print of index finger firmly on the cloth.

Better players on here than me will have a better solution to your query I'm sure.

[Starsky]

Hi!

So with a normal bridge, how far is my thumb supposed to be from my index finger base knuckle?

My thumb comes to slightly below my middle index knuckle when my hand is flat on a table. Obviously for a bridge, I raise my knuckles off the table slightly.

I think I find it very uncomfortable to put the thumb right next to the first index finger knuckle so they are touching.

Do people have space between them that the cue slots into e.g. so the cue is moving back and forth at the horizontol line between the base index knuckle and the top half of the raised thumb?

Or do people have no space between the two so the cue is in the area above where the thumb touches the index finger knuckle?

(My thumb is also one of those thumbs that I used to pop out outwards as a kid, not sure if that's also making it uncomfortable for me).

Grateful for your advice folks!

Hi and welcome to the forum .

With technical things like this it’s much easier to show the person than try to explain things in words .
If you can’t access a coach then I would recommend using YouTube as it can be a valuable tool in the basics .

I would recommend a channel from a coach called Steve Barton who also posts on here from time to time . The basics will be much easier to grasp by watching rather than reading