Wrist

[mhughes34]

Should you cock your wrist when cueing??

[checkSide]

Read Terry's posts, he covers the perfect technique thoroughly!

I personally feel you need to experiment until you know what cueing straight FEELS like during your stroke.

Cheers.

[DeanH]

Should you cock your wrist when cueing??

As per CheckSide's comment, Terry Davidson has posted many times that the wrist should be slightly kinked outwards away from the body, not backwards or forwards, so you get one/two wrinkles (depending on age ) at the outside of the wrist.
Terry describes the wrist kink as the same as if you were holding a hammer.
Some time ago, I read one of his postings I gave this a try and immediately I felt a better control of the cue delivery and I was no longer pulling the cue butt into my body at the near end of the cue delivery, causing me to play "across" the cueball.
I do still have to semi-consciously have to arrange my wrist this way but getting better. Give it a try and see how you do.
All the best
DeanH

[Terry Davidson]

Thank you gents, I won't bother to answer in my normal long-winded reply.

Answer is YES

Terry

[JayDee]

I can't get comfortable with the degree of twist that Terry suggests, but I have gotten used to a very slight slight one.

[DeanH]

I can't get comfortable with the degree of twist that Terry suggests, but I have gotten used to a very slight slight one.

After some trials, I have also found that the kink I am compfortable with is only very slight, of say 10-20 degs.

[LittleMissAlexa]

depends on what type of player you are if your a puncher (cueing close the the cue ball) you generate pace with your wrist if you are the other type and cue away from the cue ball your wrist doesnt do much the power comes from the pull back i would call one a punching action and one a pin ball action kinda

its actually simular to batting in cicket some players are wristy some are not wristy

[LittleMissAlexa]

the two most important things with a cue action are how straight the cue goes through and the pause between back lift and striking everything else is up to you

[checkSide]

depends on what type of player you are if your a puncher (cueing close the the cue ball) you generate pace with your wrist if you are the other type and cue away from the cue ball your wrist doesnt do much the power comes from the pull back i would call one a punching action and one a pin ball action kinda

its actually simular to batting in cicket some players are wristy some are not wristy

This is a sweet explanation.

[trevs1]

What is this wrist angle supposed to do for a player???

As far as I recall, Davis used to play for years without doing this, and then began doing it, and then not again. No idea what he does these days though.

Ray Reardon used to have a bit of a dropped out elbow (away from his body and not perpendicular to the floor), and certainly nothing like this wrist angle, much like Darren morgan did/does, only maybe not as pronounced.

Joe Swail has a massive amount of this type of wrist twist, but then again he's got the most bizarre arm angle which is an extreme opposite of the players mentioned above, dropping right onto his back, so maybe we can learn nothing from that.

From what I can see, many of the worlds greatest players don't do this wrist thing, so why is this something that's prescribed / advised for anyone else?

[Terry Davidson]

Trevor:

The wrist cock is what you do to prevent the wrist turning on delivery and moving the butt sideways during the strike.

If you grip the cue like a hammer and then hold it out in front of you there will be somewhere around a 45degree angle between the back of the palm and the forearm.

Steve Davis has played with a severe wrist cock all his career, but I'm not sure about Joe or Fred Davis. Also, Reardon was a special case because of his elbow being way out as per Jamie Cope, Mark Williams, Darren Morgan and a few others. Reardon held the butt more into his palm and had his wrist cocked the OTHER way. same as Jamie.

Joe Swail is the oddball who proves the rule I guess.

My own thoughts are there should be a cock in the wrist outwards and it should be enought to get the long straight bone of the forearm directly over the butt of the cue or even a touch outside the butt. Too many players will move the butt during the strike if they don't have a wrist cock.

Also, note the wrist joint on ROS when you can, or Shaun Murphy or Mark Selby. Even Ding has some wrist cock. Stephen Lee is another good example.

Terry

[DWOT]

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..........

Wrist cocking, soft grip, keeping my elbow tucked in and not out like a chicken wing, all of this in mind tonight and i can't say as I potted much until I reverted back to type and stopped thinking about it.......

I know my action needs to change but how long is likely to be before it feels the norm and it's something I feel comfortable with? Not sure half way through a season is a good time to tinker with it?

[tornado taylor]

Hi terry. Do you have any pics or vids to show exactly what you mean by the wrist cock. Cheers mate.

[trevs1]

[QUOTE=Terry Davidson;548763]Trevor:

The wrist cock is what you do to prevent the wrist turning on delivery and moving the butt sideways during the strike.

If you grip the cue like a hammer and then hold it out in front of you there will be somewhere around a 45degree angle between the back of the palm and the forearm.

Steve Davis has played with a severe wrist cock all his career, but I'm not sure about Joe or Fred Davis. Also, Reardon was a special case because of his elbow being way out as per Jamie Cope, Mark Williams, Darren Morgan and a few others. Reardon held the butt more into his palm and had his wrist cocked the OTHER way. same as Jamie.

Joe Swail is the oddball who proves the rule I guess.

My own thoughts are there should be a cock in the wrist outwards and it should be enought to get the long straight bone of the forearm directly over the butt of the cue or even a touch outside the butt. Too many players will move the butt during the strike if they don't have a wrist cock.

Also, note the wrist joint on ROS when you can, or Shaun Murphy or Mark Selby. Even Ding has some wrist cock. Stephen Lee is another good example.

Terry[/QUOTE


Hi Terry,

Thanks for your explanation.

I have to admit, I see no real reason why this wrist thing is going to prevent anyone from twisting the cue on delivery any more than if someone does not use it, but each to their own I guess.

Also, I don't see the relevance of the hammer analogy either, as a cue is not held in front of you. The way I see it, the angle of the palm in relation to the forearm is counteracted by the fact that the cue butt is not held in the palm, but in the knuckle / fingers part of the hand. This angle is effectively minimised by the way the fingers open and close as the cue moves back and forth during address of the white ball, in an attempt to keep the cue traveling as flat as possible. Would you not agree with that.???

As for the players mentioned, yes, Jamie Cope is another one to do a similar thing to Reardon and Darren Morgan, where the arm drops out from the body and the grip is somewhat wrapped around the butt. I'm pretty sure Davis hasn't 'always' done the wrist thing too, but has changed from one to another over the years, but I may be wrong on that. I'm sure O'Sullivan does not have any pronounced wrist angle either, but is dead straight, even though he is very 'wristy' with his delivery.

I'd have to say that for players who do not do this to any natural degree, it's maybe something I'd not recommend they get into, (if I were a coach) but if it's there and manageable from the off, then ok, work with it as long as it's not extreme. Personally, I feel it's an unnatural and slightly strained position for the hand to be in, and for a good number of poeple, will feel odd. More than anything though, I just don't see how that alone offers anything by way of a "non twist guarantee"

Just my own thoughts anyway.

[Terry Davidson]

DWOT:

You should only 'tinker' with your technique during solo practice and then only at times where you don't have a match coming up. If you're a weekly league or tournament player then I would say at the end of the season during solo practice is the best time.

But only tinker with ONE thing at a time

Terry