My Stance vs Repetitive Strain Injury RSI: back to square one ?

[Sidd]

OK so my RSI (pain in bridge arm tricep) isn't going away soon. But I am glad it isnt that high but just upto an irritation and minor pain level. However, I need to get it fixed soon or else I know it will escalate. I went in to play tonight and did some practice before playing but concentrated on how I am straining my upper/back arm. When I tried, in my cueing position, to change the arm position with elbow and forearm I noticed the pain getting higher and hence knew there was something related to how I position myself. This also instigated me to consider, once again, my stance because stance is more or less the least considered thing in technique anyways... So I tried Nic's idea to notice if I was leaning too much in to the shot, which I also think I was and tried to lean back a bit and balance myself; I did notice some kind of comfort but I dont know exactly if it is due to that and even did not know what exact position is the best for me. Woudl take some time and practice I guess. Then I played a few games and well I was zero tonight... Nothing really nothing not even a break of ten haha ... Missing by miles and going haywire on every shot. HAve no clue what is causing this.. Am I gripping too tight again or am I not pushing the cue through again ??? clueless!!!

Terry (Coach) this one is for you to answer or suggest... Another thing I came up with is this picture stance_mc_pic.jpg

This I picked while searching for stance on the net from Terry Griffiths's website. Why I picked it particularly for one reason. If you remember Terry I had once asked that my straight leg it not straight enough or else if rather tilted outwardly and the butt of the cue is not exactly over my shoe but over my knee (post name- My tilted straight leg) I think I was not able to explain to you what I really meant. In this picture if you look at the scene where there is a cross meaning wrong stance (bottom right) I think this is roughly how my stance is... In this case I have two areas where I need your advice, as under:

1. If this stance is incorrect then what is going wrong here and how to correct that?

2. Do you think due ot this wrong stance my weight is more towards the bridge arm side and hence is causing the RTI and the pain in my tricep? If you ask me I think it is so....

Thanking you in anticipation.

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

Now I am REALLY cranky because I explained this to you in detail before. This photo is of Wayne Griffiths in the club's matchroom by the way, and Wayne is a certified coach.

I told you the laces of the straight leg foot should be directly underneath the grip hand as Wayne shows in the photo on the left. In otherwords, the straight leg foot is directly on the line of aim. This also keeps the trousers away from the grip hand when you twist the hips correctly.

So I will explain this in simple terms AGAIN. Place the cueball 6" ahead of the baulkline as if you were going to shoot the spots. Now lay your cue down on the line of aim and place your grip hand where you would normally grip the cue for a hand-on-the-table shot. Directly under the grip hand place a small piece of paper and then place your straight leg foot (the arch or the laces) directly over the piece of paper. When getting into the shot twist the hips so the grip hand is around 3" from the trouser pocket.

If you do this your straight leg should be BEHIND the vertical (foot slightly more into the shot than the hip) but also it will be very SLIGHTLY angled in the other plane because you've shifted the hips over to the left (in Wayne's case).

If your stance is like what Wayne shows in the bottom left photo then you have completely ignored my previous postings on stance and yes this could be forcing you to put too much weight over on the other side of the body, i.e. - the bridge arm.

I also mentioned to you if you are thinking hard about technique when playing then you will play CRAP!!!!!!!!! ONLY, ONLY work on technique when you are doing SOLO PRACTICE!!!!!!!!

Terry

[Sidd]

I understand your point Coach but I don't know why for some reason I get confused in simple things here... Anyway I will try that again just to ensure what is happening. And yes I try not to consider technique in matches and only do that in solo, as you said, but then its a little hard for me not to think on that in matches.. My bad I know will try not to do so.

Just one more thing, very funny though but true. I went in tonight for an hour or two; hadn't much time tonight. So I had to play even though I wanted to practice but my mates there wanted me to play. So since I had that bridge arm pain I tried only to make a square-on stance and not my usual boxer and tried to move in to the shot a little slower just to give enough time to adjust in trying to minimize the pain. I was playing so fine that I even potted a black with a forced stun shot, if you know what I mean, that is a hard shot to get. Now I think that did some trick because I ended up winning all frames and making a nice decent 41 break in the second last frame. This is contrary to how I normally play and have been playing since last three days. So I will now focus on square on stance in solo and try to move in to the shot and go in to the address position slowly, as I think it helps. I am not sure of it but I think thatmight be of some help.

I have also noticed that for me square on stance makes my shoe lace under the grip with just a slight tilt, as you said, due to the hip turn .. unlike my boxer stance where I tend to lean too much and end up ruining my tricep muscle as well as not getting balanced.

I will keep you posted on any improvement I may encounter with this technique... Sorry for being a bother but my love for this game sometimes overwhelms me with such stupidity.

Yours, truly,
Sidd.

[Sidd]

Coach I went in tonight and practiced with my stance. With a more square on stance I guess I am more in to the shot with grip hand over teh foot. However, the hip seems further than 3" to me but I think it is rather ok. However, when I played a few frames I could not play well tonight totally against my last night's performance...

Coach, why do you think it is so, like tonight, that I am not able to play properly and then suddenly something magical happens in a particular frame when I start seeing everything clearly and play very well throughout the frmae and then in the next two or three I cant pot anything. Its as if my cue action and delivery suddenly improves at some point and then goes haytwire again... Just wondering...!

[Sidd]

OK so I have also noticed that if I move my hip intentionally it takes it away from grip hand and if I do not do that my grip hand is automatically nearer to my hip; just about 3-5" so I think I should not move it away with intension. Seems like while getting down I am probably doing it correctly; something good for me as it makes me easy and not to think of that detail while getting down...

Since moving in to the square on stance my game overall seems ot have improved a little (consistency wise) I still need to play more just in order to confirm though. The pain in my arm isnt gone yet but I guess it isnt that bad and it will take some time for it to go away and I am sure it will go away as my stance is now proper and the body weight seems ot be well distributed as i am now putting more of it on the straight leg.

Lets see...

[LittleMissAlexa]

its hard to break habits you used to i suppose

[LittleMissAlexa]

i also think too much tinkering with someones stance can also cause issues if u have an aissue with repeteitive strain that means most likely you have an uncomfortable stance not enough is placed on what is comfortable for you

[Sidd]

Littlemissalexa, you are very right. Breaking habits in snooker is hell of a challenge because one is so used to with things one does naturally that once you intend to break it and attain something new; everything starts to puzzle you and it takes time till you master the new habit to a point that it becomes second nature- and during that time frame, you game suffers a lot. But patience is the key I suppose.

Similarly, with me for some reason I had developed the habit of leaning too much on my bent leg that I did not realise that my straight leg is als bending or leaning towards the bent leg. Becasue of that my bridge arm was encountering more body weight and hence the muscle / tissue damage in the tricep. Stance is something that gets the least attention maybe becasue people normally develop it naturally easily. But with me I learn things the difficult way I presume. But I am glad that the pain instigated me to consider the stance and then when I pointed it out to Terry, he gave me the right advice and now I have moved from the boxers to square on. Now just imagine this, now my straight leg (used to with not carrying enough body weight) is getting the weight and hence I feel that my straight leg is a little stiffer and uneasy but I know that with practice and patience it will get better and start feeling normal... Just have to give this new setup a little time