The Pause again

[peterpackage]

Ive been experimenting with a the pause a lot recently. There is no doubt it is important. I feel it gives you that moment to ensure your eyes are focused on the object ball and that zen moment to ensure everything is together before release. Just like a archer or a pistol shooter. There is no doubt each person has an optimal length of the pause. Too long is as bad as too short.

I have seen the pause used two ways by pros. The pause at the back of the backswing before final release and the pause at the front of the backswing, followed by a final smooth backswing and follow through

What do you guys use ?

[nrage]

Definite front pause, to ensure the cue tip is right where I want it on the white. Not so much back pause, tho I have been trying to introduce one. I think I have almost manged to get a 1/2 sec pause in there, and feeling natural, most of the time.

[Terry Davidson]

Although I coach both the front and rear pause I only have a front pause and even though everyone technically has a rear pause as the cue has to change direction, mine is so short that it's almost non-existant. Like nrage, I've been trying to develop one and I agree too long is just as bad or maybe even worse than too short. If a player has a slow and smooth backswing then having a non-existant rear pause is not so critical.

Actually, I've been trying a suggestion regarding developing a rear pause that was given by someone on here (I apoligize to this person as I can't remember his ID). He suggested potting the cueball only into the top pockets with no object ball and from the baulkline and concentrating on working on a rear pause. This has seemed to help as there is no pot to worry about, just getting the backswing, rear pause and delivery as smooth as possible.

So I line up all 22 balls along the baulk line and pot them into either top pocket, aiming exactly at the edge of the leather and staying down long enough to observe if the cueball hit exactly centered on the edge of the leather. It seems a natural rear pause of about 1/2sec is starting to appear in my cue action now, which I feel is a real benefit.

Terry

[ace man]

I experimented with rear pause and much slower backswing recently and I must say it does help especially on longer pots. No problem doing it in solo practice, works beautifully no matter what pause length, but in tournament competitions, well...this is where problems start...the length of pause is inconsistent and at (critical) times there is none. Still need to think about it which means I don't have it naturally (yet). And you cannot have thoughts like that during competitions of course.

[peterpackage]

Thanks everyone , got one more little question on this

Ok so you start off doing your feathering and during the featuring your eyes are flicking back and forth between cueball, object ball and pocket.

Then in the front position, you pause and have one last look at the cue tip position and the cueball. Now my question is to you flick your eyes to the object ball during this pause and then start the final backswing and stroke ? or do you flick your eyes to the object ball during the final backswing and stroke ?

[peterpackage]

one more question, sorry guys

Can someone explain in detail what the STeve Davis method of watching the ferrule is ?

thanks !

[agromann]

Peter / Terry
Hi, it was me with the ball potting exercise post in the other thread.
Let me briefly repeat it here for Peter.
• Line up all the balls along the baulk line (Do not use the white and object ball, just pot balls straight)
• Pick a top pocket (maybe 11 balls left / 11 balls right to start)
• Pick a spot in the weave of the pocket as a target (Do not target the whole pocket)
• Address any ball in the line
• Start feathering (up to you how often)
o Cue tip and eyes on the ball when starting
o Cue tip back (end of backswing) / eyes on spot in the wave of the pocket
o Cue tip on ball / eyes on ball
o Cue back / eyes on far target
• On the last backswing before your stoke, let your eyes wander relaxed to the spot in the weave. Take you time and focus on that spot in the weave so you can see it clearly. (By this time you will have had a pause of 2 seconds)
• Strike through the ball and keep your eye on the spot in the weave to see if you hit it and to train you to look at the target.

Play with the pause. Joke around and hold it for 10 seconds etc. Make sure you take your time to focus on that target spot. Play with the stroke strength and spin. Play with slow and fast balls. See how the nap plays with them etc. Play with the spot in the pocket as target.
DO NOT target the whole pocket.

This will help with the pause and it will also teach you to look at the target point on the object ball (weave of the pocket here but you get me) because your eyes should finish on your target and stay there.

When potting a lot of players look at where the object ball goes and it induces bad habits and movement.

Hope this helps. It helps me any time I am off.

[Terry Davidson]

peter:

The Davis method of watching the ferrule is on the final backswing to watch the ferrule coming back instead of the spot on the cueball and then at the end of the backswing slowly raise your eyes to the object ball before you release the cue.

Where the eyes are at any given moment in the backswing/delivery is a matter of personal rhythm and preference. A lot of players focus on the object ball at the front pause (like me) then backswing and deliver. A lot of pros will use the Joe Davis method of locking their eyes on the spot on the cueball during the backswing then at or near to the rear pause swing their eyes up to the object ball. Some pros will not move their eyes to the object ball until the start of the delivery and some pros will flick their eyes back to the cueball just before they strike it.

And there are other pros and good players who look at the cueball throughout the backswing and delivery. If a player has no upper body movement and remains absolutely still it doesn't really matter where the eyes are although keeping the eyes on the spot on the cueball until near or at the rear pause seems to make the most logical sense to me.

The whole concept is with the rear pause and eye rhythm is DON'T RUSH IT!!! Keep everything slow and deliberate and you will find much more potting success

Terry

[peterpackage]

Thanks Terry, that's hugely helpful and thanks agroman

When i have this all sorted out, i don't feel i have to make any major changes to my cueing and routine for a while

Pretty happy with everything else at this point in time