long backswing=better timing?

[snooks1000]

i have been experimenting with a long backswing, bringing the cue tip right back to the 'V' on most shots and have found it feels a natuaral way to time through the ball better but feel a little out of control on some shots but was thinking that this is perhaps a result of not feeling that confident with it yet? the last few weeks i've been struggling to make even 30 breaks where as around 9 months ago i experimented with this backswing and managed a 50, 60 and 80 in 5 frames. but lacked a feeling of control so returned back to a more middle length backswing and have had very few 50+ breaks since.

anyone have any views/similar experience of this?

[CueAce]

Are you talking about a long backswing or a long distance between bridge hand and cue ball?

If you are just talking about the backswing then a lot of people now say that the backswing should be proportional to the amount of power you need for the shot.

I personally think the backswing should be just long enough that you are able to accelerate through the cue ball smoothly with no jerk involved.. I have found there to be a trade off with the backswing between smooth acceleration and deviation of the tip from the line of aim. (the longer the swing the more chance the cue has to come off line)

However all the top pros seem to have a long backswing all of the time (other than a couple of exceptions like Fu and Ding) so what do I know!?

[snooks1000]

Just a long backswing, my bridge distance is actually on the short side so my own long backswing is probably not as long as some. I'm aware Del Hill advocates only bringing the cue a far as the power needed but look at players such as higgins and selby. Seems a contradiction. I feel with the long backswing the 'hit' an follow through take care of themselves in terms of feel, Or they do with me anyway.

I notice on Del's video with Casmac, Del was advocating next to no backswing on the soft shots and i must admit i've experimented with a very short backswing and had decent pot success with it although i didnt enjoy the feeling of the 'hit' anyway near as much and my action was probably quite stabby, and cue power was very limited

[Terry Davidson]

If a player can control it and keep it straight then using a long backswing has a lot of advantages and CueAce is correct in saying that except for a few pros (Mark Allen and Dott are 2 more with short backswings) almost all of the top pros use a long backswing all the time for almost every type of shot. Mark Selby prefers to bridge with his fingertips when playing off the cushion just so he can get a longer backswing.

However, the Terry Griffiths school teaches the backswing length should be proportional to the amount of power required and I believe this is what most players naturally evolve to and in order to get a long backswing they have to conciously adopt it.

Then we are left with one last question. Players with a long backswing adjust their acceleration to change the power whereas some coaches (Griffiths) advocate having a constant acceleration all the time and just changing the length of that acceleration.

Which is more correct? Damned if I know, however when most of the top 16 players in the world are using the long backswing and adjusting their acceleration for power then perhaps that's the way to go if a player has ambitions.

I leave it to you

Terry

[snooks1000]

i think that sums it up well Terry. One doesn't have to be better than the other, simply which works better for that particular player. What i can say is I've just had an hour on the table playing with the long backswing on nearly every shot and my timings been different class compared to what it has been the last few months. Albeit missing a few easy ones but when i time the ball that well it gives me the drive to practice so I'm sticking with it....