The grip

[Malachi-b]

a very quick question here i was wondering what fingers should be holding onto the cue i know that you loosen the fingers on the backswing but which fingers should not be released in this way some people say the grip should consist of the thumb and first finger but then some people say its the thumb and the first two fingers then the rest just instructivly release on the backswing


which is right the grip with the thumb and first finger or the thumb and two fingers



thanks


malachi

[snookerdad]

As with many things in snooker, there is no right or wrong way. There are just different ways.

Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)

[Malachi-b]

which way is recommended most and what are the advantages or disadvantages of each


thanks

malachi

[vucko117]

I think it is all down to personal preference. I prefer to grip the cue with thumb and first finger as I tend to cue much fluently... But a friend of mine grips the cue with thumb and two fingers as he feels that he is much more in control of the cue that way...

[DandyA]

a very quick question here i was wondering what fingers should be holding onto the cue i know that you loosen the fingers on the backswing but which fingers should not be released in this way some people say the grip should consist of the thumb and first finger but then some people say its the thumb and the first two fingers then the rest just instructivly release on the backswing

which is right the grip with the thumb and first finger or the thumb and two fingers

thanks

malachi

have you tried playing with no grip at all? what I do sometimes is just cradle the cue with my four fingers underneath it (not gripping it) and thumb out to the side (not touching the cue) ...

it's easier to deliver the cue perfectly straight like this, shots with power are more difficult but can be done to a certain extent with good timing ...

I'm not suggesting you do this all the time, but it's well worth experimenting with ...

[Bandanna Joe]

IMO, the hold should be with the first two fingers and the thumb securing the cue and the back fingers always dragging the cue.

Check out what my hero says in his post from March 9th! It is an interesting concept. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...ndId=357463608

DandyA has a good point that Steve mentions in his article.

[lennon11]

i try to grip mostly with my middle two fingers,i feel this helps me lock my wrist better.

[Terry Davidson]

malachi:

As has been said, the grip becomes a matter of personal preference.

When I teach a student I try and teach all different forms of grip however I tell the student the 'ideal' grip is with the upper inside of the thumb and forefinger with the back 3 fingers just resting on the cue.

However, I don't use this grip myself as I like to keep the thumb out of the grip as I believe it makes you prone to putting some lateral movement on the butt of the cue.

Here's what I recommend, since the grip can be argued over forever and can be anywhere from forefinger and thumb all the way through to baby finger. However, do the following and I hope this helps you.

Just do any long shot on the table with a bit of power, like a long blue off the spot from the baulkline. Stop the cue at the end of the delivery with your grip hand against your chest and DO NOT MOVE OR CHANGE THE GRIP HAND and stand up and take a look at how you're gripping the cue.

With most people you will find (as I did myself) that as I deliver the cue when I use the forefinger and thumb that I 'turn' the cue on delivery and this puts a lateral movement on the butt of the cue. I don't think my wrist is turning but as I tighten the grip on the cue I tend to bring it more into the palm and on video I see the butt of the cue going slightly sideways.

What I did is configure my grip in the address position to match how my grip ends up after a dynamic shot and this seems to have straightened out my delivery completely and also improved my long potting as I'm not turning the wrist or bringing the butt of the cue more into the palm of the hand as I go through the cueball.

The other important aspect of this is to not tighten your grip until your hand hits your chest

Terry

[lennon11]

malachi:

As has been said, the grip becomes a matter of personal preference.

When I teach a student I try and teach all different forms of grip however I tell the student the 'ideal' grip is with the upper inside of the thumb and forefinger with the back 3 fingers just resting on the cue.

However, I don't use this grip myself as I like to keep the thumb out of the grip as I believe it makes you prone to putting some lateral movement on the butt of the cue.

Here's what I recommend, since the grip can be argued over forever and can be anywhere from forefinger and thumb all the way through to baby finger. However, do the following and I hope this helps you.

Just do any long shot on the table with a bit of power, like a long blue off the spot from the baulkline. Stop the cue at the end of the delivery with your grip hand against your chest and DO NOT MOVE OR CHANGE THE GRIP HAND and stand up and take a look at how you're gripping the cue.

With most people you will find (as I did myself) that as I deliver the cue when I use the forefinger and thumb that I 'turn' the cue on delivery and this puts a lateral movement on the butt of the cue. I don't think my wrist is turning but as I tighten the grip on the cue I tend to bring it more into the palm and on video I see the butt of the cue going slightly sideways.

What I did is configure my grip in the address position to match how my grip ends up after a dynamic shot and this seems to have straightened out my delivery completely and also improved my long potting as I'm not turning the wrist or bringing the butt of the cue more into the palm of the hand as I go through the cueball.

The other important aspect of this is to not tighten your grip until your hand hits your chest

Terry

hi terry, just to clarify do you configure your grip like this only on the power shots?

[Terry Davidson]

lennon:

No, I meant for this grip to be used on all shots since with it, you start out at the address position with your grip hand configured exactly the same way it will end up when it hits your chest.

This way there is no temptation to 'turn' the cue into the palm as you ticghten your grip, especially if you end your delivery with the cue gripped in the back of the hand.

I'm wondering about Mark Allen, as he has a very loose grip and doesn't use his baby finger at all and in fact it's completely off the cue and sits on top of the butt when he cues. Perhaps he does this for the reason above as his grip looks identical at address as it is at the finish.

Of all the pros, I think John Higgins delivers the cue the straightest all the time (or at least a high percentage of the time) and I would like to see some video showing his grip at the address position and at the finish, but I haven't seen that example in my videos.

I have noticed Maguire does turn the cue in his grip as he comes through but it's not very often the BBC shows a good shot of the grip during the backswing and delivery so it's tough to get a good look-see. I would think his timing has to be really good in order to keep everything straight and perhaps that's why he has some really awful days now and again.

Terry

[Bandanna Joe]

What I did is configure my grip in the address position to match how my grip ends up after a dynamic shot and this seems to have straightened out my delivery completely and also improved my long potting as I'm not turning the wrist or bringing the butt of the cue more into the palm of the hand as I go through the cueball.

The other important aspect of this is to not tighten your grip until your hand hits your chest

Terry

Terry, trying to fine tune my game, I stumbled across this method prior to reading you post and highly recommend this method to everyone along with searching everything else Terry has ever said in reference to the, 'hold.' His many writings have done wonders for my game in all areas.

In my case, I found that even though my wrist/forearm are locked, that my wrist finishes at my chest turned about 10 degrees. In fact for my stroke to work perfectly, it is the same action or angle from start to finish. I believe this hold happens due to the fact that my cue is so fat (w/medium hands.) In order for my cue to travel level and straight, it must lie on the middle flats of my fingers to the left of the middle knuckles (right hander.) I've been experimenting with the Higgins grip and also with Terry's suggested grip. There is a local champion pool player where I live named David Matlock. I've seen him use Terry's grip from time to time where his thumb doesn't close down on the cue. For me, the thumb straight down seems to lock the grip and I try to keep my pointer from interfering.

I frequently wonder if I could utilize Ronnie's grip if I had a cue that was as thin as a toothpick to where I could get it to lie in the middle knuckles of my rear three fingers.


Thanks Terry! & Good Luck with your game Malachi.

[Bandanna Joe]

i try to grip mostly with my middle two fingers,i feel this helps me lock my wrist better.

Snooker players have the ultimate form & technique. That being said, if you get an opportunity, there is a US pool player named Gabe Owen. He is a champion (very smart player) & has won the US Open etc. He uses the grip you are referencing with great success.