Twisting the wrist

[vucko117]

I have noticed that I am twisting my wrist during the shot. What do you think is it possible that I am twisting my wrist because my cue is really heavy (20oz)?

[gettingbetter]

Maybe watching too much Jamie Cope.

Which way is it twisting though?

[magicman]

I don't think the weight of your cue is going to impact upon twisting your wrist. You've just got into a very bad habit. Stop it. How can you expect to deliver the cue in a straight line if you're twisting your wrist upon delivery? Relax your grip and your wrist may follow.

[vucko117]

Yes I know that it is a really bad habit. And when I am concentrated on that particular issue I don't twist but then my grip is too tight...

LOL,I am not watching Jamie Cope too much,I am not a big fan to be honest

I am left handed and I am twisting my wrist towards my body.

[ChatLag]

I had the same problem and a friend told me to point your index finger towards the floor during swing.
That reduces the twist a lot and you can feel when your wrist starts to twist.

It worked for me... And I am also left handed.

[vucko117]

But how do you grip the cue then if your index finger is pointing towards the floor?

[ChatLag]

Cue lies in the three other fingers and thumb is opponent to middle finger.

[vucko117]

OK cheers I will try that

[Terry Davidson]

vucko:

Nuttin' to do with your cue mate. Try the Steve Davis cure...in the grip put the cue more towards the end of your fingers (not a lot) and 'cock' your wrist out a bit to lock it in place.

So, you being a left-hander and all, your wrist should be bent towards the left a bit at the address position, with the knuckles of the grip hand level with the cue and on the same line as the cue

Terry

[vucko117]

Thanks Terry I will try that. I think that grip is my problem as sometimes after I play the shot I notice that the cue is in my last three fingers and that I am not holding the cue with my thumb and index finger.

[Terry Davidson]

Most players will transfer their grip to the back of the hand on completion of the delivery, however normally although the forefinger lifts a bit the inside top of the thumb and the inside top of the forefinger are still in contact with the cue.

The danger of releasing the forefinger and tranferring the grip to the back of the hand is it has to be done exactly right and well after the cueball is hit, otherwise there is some lateral pressure put on the butt of the cue and in your case the tip would go slightly to the left. The worst danger is if the transfer is done too early in the delivery and the lateral movement on the butt is done either before the cueball is hit (so deceleration is also involved) or as the player hits the cueball which places the tip just off a bit on the cueball.

A very loose grip into the fingers of the hand a bit more normally eliminates this problem along with locking the wrist (but not rigidly as that will promote tension and discomfort in the grip) as Steve Davis did during his heydays in the 80's.

Best thing to do is check yourself using a video camera in slow or stop motion to see just where in the delivery the cue is moving sideways a bit. If it's well after the cueball has been struck, say 3 inches or so, then it's not really a problem but anything earlier than that and you are already decelerating the cue and might be injecting movement into your left shoulder by slowing the cue before the grip hand hits your chest.

Terry

[Stiffler147]

I have had exactly the same problem for the past few months, I am still trying to fix it. I am a left hander and the wrist twist puts unwanted side on the ball and is really affecting my long pots, the short game isnt too bad.

I have redeveloped my grip to one that is now a lot softer and I am getting better consistency, the issue is the longer/ power shots, I miss them because I naturally tighten my grip instead of staying relaxed and smooth. Any tips for eliminating this? All I can do at the moment is practice and try and hammer the problem out.

[Terry Davidson]

Stiffler147:

Ensure you have the wrist cocked with the thumb pointed straight down to the floor and some angle in the wrist joint. Probably the best example of this is Steve Davis although Ronnie does a good job of it too. For a less severe wrist cock check Hendry.

The other problem that can cause this is too short a backswing length for the power required. Power comes from the length of the backswing but if it's too short then the player has to accelerate abruptly and this usually causes some shoulder muscle involvement which always takes the butt of the cue off-line.

In practice try and keep the grip pressure the same and do not tighten the grip until the back of the grip hand thumb hits the chest and squeezes the butt of the cue against the forefinger (and sometime second finger depending on the player's type of grip).

Terry

[Giggity1984]

The other problem that can cause this is too short a backswing length for the power required. Power comes from the length of the backswing but if it's too short then the player has to accelerate abruptly and this usually causes some shoulder muscle involvement which always takes the butt of the cue off-line.

Terry, Mark Allen has a short backswing, but can generate quite a bit of power!

[hotpot]

Another cause is putting to much emphasis on the shot instead of staying relaxed throughout it .