cue arm&shoulder

[j6uk]

okay well unless there is a medical issue i see no reason why you wouldn't be able to achieve a more as you say conventional setup..
so you do look flat, square on the hips and i can see from your pic that your bridge shoulder is right up by your cheek bone. i think if you dropped the left hip whilst pushing through your left foot so you you've got some weight over it and its supporting you and your line, then bring the chin to your chin area as you turn the shoulders and this should get the right shoulder up.
if you can load the pic again onto tsf so i can lift it off, i will manipulate the pic so you can see how you should look

okay so this is what i was thinking you could look at ted. i dropped the hip and bridge shoulder and turned it more into the shot, also your cueing hand is not brushing your hip as it may have done

[itsnoteasy]

My technique has changed loads over the last two years. If I look at video from 3 years ago, I cue nothing like I do now, and I also, made nothing like the breaks I do now.

The way I see it, is it's a never ending project to constantly improve.

Fair enough, I didn't realise what you were up to, I thought you had been playing like that for years, on post 35 you said you just wanted to look conventional on the shot, I thought this was a big change just to look different , I have obviously misunderstood that post.

[CoachGavin]

cue arm&shoulder

tedisbill. When I first started my alignment was way out and I looked more like Nigel Bond. Apart from thinking that I looked ugly I thought it was also causing me to cue across. I worked on it in the mirror on my kitchen table for months but looking back it was probably the best change I made. A friend of mine didn't change and I'm sure that's why he didn't improve add much as me. The chest must be turned to the side to bring the shoulders into the correct position. It's probably easier with the boxer stance but judd and ding are square on and their alignment is good. At the moment you will probably find that your chest faces towards the floor when in your stance. You need the chest facing more to the side if you can. The alignment doesn't have to be perfect but it does help straight cueing for most people.

[tedisbill]

okay so this is what i was thinking you could look at ted. i dropped the hip and bridge shoulder and turned it more into the shot, also your cueing hand is not brushing your hip as it may have done

Thanks J6! Really appreciate that.

So it's about dropping my left hip and getting my left shoulder turned in a touch more?

I'll work on it next week and see if I can get it something like. Then report back with an updated pic.

[tedisbill]

Fair enough, I didn't realise what you were up to, I thought you had been playing like that for years, on post 35 you said you just wanted to look conventional on the shot, I thought this was a big change just to look different , I have obviously misunderstood that post.

This is my 4th year of playing properly. Three and a half years ago my highest break was 37. Then I decided to take it more seriously and have been pretty much constantly improving until this year really, where I seem stuck at about the same level. Hence the reason I'm now looking to move up that next step technique wise and get some extra consistency.

[tedisbill]

CoachGavin:

That's great! And all the more reason I think I really need to see this change through.

[itsnoteasy]

That's great Tedisbill, I'm sure you will get what you want, you've made great progress already, I hope I am at your standard in eighteen months time, I would be well chuffed.

[j6uk]

Thanks J6! Really appreciate that.

So it's about dropping my left hip and getting my left shoulder turned in a touch more?

I'll work on it next week and see if I can get it something like. Then report back with an updated pic.

if you stood with your hands by your side and with your feet shoulder width apart, then dropped your left hip, your knee will drop, your upper body will automatically turn and your weight would be over the left side.
i like to do a slow back swing and stop at the back to check my setup and balance
sometimes its one setp back two steps forwards

[tedisbill]

if you stood with your hands by your side and with your feet shoulder width apart, then dropped your left hip, your knee will drop, your upper body will automatically turn and your weight would be over the left side.
i like to do a slow back swing and stop at the back to check my setup and balance
sometimes its one setp back two steps forwards

It's seems like I'm getting in position a little better now. Getting some discomfort in my left shoulder though. Is this normal considering I'm not used to being in this position?

[hsn]

The first four pictures are after he has hit the white and he is following through, ( apart from one where he looks to be cueing at a red? )the last one is before, I think you would have to put up pictures at the same stage of his cue action to compare like for like, I'm not saying you are wrong, just that your point needs a little clarification.

Hi itsnoteasy. Please refer to my earlier post in which I've provided clear pictures of Steve Davis before and after the delivery. It should be noted that even after the delivery his alignment remains essentially the same. So it doesn't matter what stage of the cue action the photo is taken of. The only exception would be the power shots where the whole upper arm drops down but even in that case the shoulder should ideally not move across the line of the shot in either way. In that case the elbow dips down fully and is not visible from in front.
As of Ronnie's photos, it was a quick Googling but if you watch him play closely you'll get my point that most of the time he doesn't have the ideal perfect alignment that Steve Davis had in his prime.

[hsn]

CoachGavin you are absolutely correct. The perfect alignment helps to keep the cue straight through the delivery and saves you many years of practicing to get the delivery straight with any other alignment than the perfect one. Also, you have put it in perfectly right words that the chest must be facing to the right and the cue must be aiming to the left at an approximately 45 degrees to bring the shoulders in the correct position. (for right handed players)

The whole point is to get the shoulders in such a position that the perfect alignment is achieved automatically with very little effort. Otherwise struggling to pull the shoulder up isn't going to do the trick!

The alignment was the difference between you Gavin and your friend that your game improved muck quicker than his.

Judd and Ding have trained their muscles and if anyone follows my advise his stance will gradually become squarer overtime as his muscles get flexible enough.

tedisbill. When I first started my alignment was way out and I looked more like Nigel Bond. Apart from thinking that I looked ugly I thought it was also causing me to cue across. I worked on it in the mirror on my kitchen table for months but looking back it was probably the best change I made. A friend of mine didn't change and I'm sure that's why he didn't improve add much as me. The chest must be turned to the side to bring the shoulders into the correct position. It's probably easier with the boxer stance but judd and ding are square on and their alignment is good. At the moment you will probably find that your chest faces towards the floor when in your stance. You need the chest facing more to the side if you can. The alignment doesn't have to be perfect but it does help straight cueing for most people.

[hsn]

By looking at your recent photo upload you are making progress tedisbill. What you are doing is trying to pull your shoulder up bending your left leg and sticking your bottom out as far as it may go.

The discomfort in or between the shoulders is normal but please don't try to pull up your cue shoulder or bend your spine any more or you'll get strain.

Instead, add one more adjustment and your alignment will get like Steve Davis'.

"While standing in line of the shot face a little more to the right than you'd normally do. Turn by actually moving your feet not just the chest. Then get down onto the shot. You'll find yourself getting onto the shot with your chest VERTICAL to the table bed rather than HORIZONTAL. And you'd feel your cue pointing more to the left than it usually points to. I'd bet your alignment will become perfect with only a little pulling up of the cue shoulder if you try to do exactly what I'm saying.


You won't need to hide your shoulder behind your head because there won't be one jutting out!!!

I wonder why you haven't got the point yet while I've tried to elaborate it in several ways. You are doing everything else but (NOT) turning your face away (to the right) from the line of the shot.

Please do read CoachGavin's post as well. You may get my point in his words.

Good luck!

It's seems like I'm getting in position a little better now. Getting some discomfort in my left shoulder though. Is this normal considering I'm not used to being in this position?

[tedisbill]

Thanks again for the explanation hsn.

I'm trying to understand exactly what you mean, but it's all a little strange because I'm just not used to cueing like this at all.

If I stand facing slightly to the right of where I think I should be, doesn't that mean I won't be on the line of the shot properly though? I don't really understand that.

[j6uk]

you might feel some discomfort through being off balance with maybe to much forward weight on your bridge arm and tension.
throw up a vid

[hsn]

Thanks again for the explanation hsn.

I'm trying to understand exactly what you mean, but it's all a little strange because I'm just not used to cueing like this at all.

If I stand facing slightly to the right of where I think I should be, doesn't that mean I won't be on the line of the shot properly though? I don't really understand that.

Hi again and my pleasure. Yes it does seem strange at first, I've been there too.

Your right foot will still be directly beneath your cue if you face slightly (at 45 degrees to be exact) to the right of the line of the shot.

Being on the line of the shot literally means to put your right foot in the line and NOT necessarily to face (your chest) in that direction.

Lets suppose you have to play a shot in this direction " | " you have to face in this " / " direction or even more so if your upper arm still won't align like Steve Davis'.

What you are used to do is you face almost parallel to the direction of the shot like this " direction of the shot = | direction of your face = | "

I'll try to provide some drawings and illustrations in my next post. Please do upload some fresh photos to give me an idea about what your cue arm looks like now.

Good luck.