dropping elbow

[tofushop193]

hi..just now when i was playing snooker,i had a great time potting a lot of balls be it long or near..but after about 10 20 mins or so i stop potting and keep missing..i found out my hand was too stiff and i was also losing some concentration..i tried to regain my stroke and concentration but it was too late the game had finish.

so after that i tried hitting a few long shots with a lot of power..this time i loosen my hand and grip also i also drop my elbow and i can pot them..

my friends told me snooker doesnt allow dropping of elbow.is that true?

[Terry Davidson]

Absolutely not true. Unless you use a very short backswing on power shots (a very hard thing to do and keep accuracy) then you must pull back the cue at least 7in and more likely 9in on a power shot. In order for the cue to remain as close to the same plane as possible the grip must be very loose and the back of the hand (back 3 fingersO MUST release and also the elbow MUST drop.

Otherwise the butt of the cue would lift up perhaps 1-2in and when you deliver you would be 'scooping' the cue at the white. Now, not all coaches agree with keeping the cue as level as possible throughout the backswing and delivery. Of special note is Del Hill who advocates having the butt rise a little (less than an inch) and then driving at the cueball sort of downhill. I myself do not agree with this and if you look at any of the best pros (take Higgins for an example who severely drops the elbow on the backswing) you will see most of them will drop the elbow on any backswing that is over about 5-6in or so.

Terry

[hotpot]

I dont think its an advantage or disadvantage to drop the elbow and many players do it without realising . The way you step into the shot and especially your stance will probably determine how much elbow drop there is going to be .

More upright players will drop their elbow more than players who have a wider / lower stance . One example of the is O, Sullivan who during his early years had a flat back and minimal if any elbow drop . Now he is more upright and crouched is elbow drops quite considerably especially on certain power shots .

If you want to experiment then you need to alter your stance and the further your back leg is away on approach the more level your cue will be , and vice versa .