bridge length

[johnstaceyuk]

hi all
i am after advice for young kid who joined my local club about three months ago. here has made good progress since joining and often knocks in 30+ breaks and is getting better all the time. while in club last nite he ask me to watch him play as he has noticed he has a longer bridge then anybody else and he has read it should be about 10-12inch. when we checked his bridge is 15inch. like i say he is getting better all the time and knocks in some cracking shots. what he wants to know is should he practice useing a shorter bridge which he has tryed but has trouble potting the simpleist of shots or is that just stick with what works for him. thanks for any advice with this matter.

[nrage]

When he tries the shorter 10-12 inch bridge, does he also shift his grip hand up the cue by the same 3 inches he has taken off the bridge length? If not, that may explain why he has trouble with a shorter bridge. It is important that if you alter the bridge length you alter the grip position by the same amount as this will keep the overall position/angle of the arms the same. It will still 'feel' different as the balance of the cue will change (becoming slightly less tip heavy) but it should not 'feel' "wrong".

Once he gets used to the new feeling, he should be able to play just as well, if not better with a slightly shorter bridge. The reasoning is that a shorter bridge means less tip movement for the same accidental grip/butt movement, relative to a longer bridge. Basically, the shorter the bridge the less you can accidentally move the tip.

But, the price you pay for this is less distance for backswing, and therefore less distance for a nice, controlled, gradual acceleration on the final stroke. So, 8-12 inches is the typical range in which most players find the best compromise for control. Each player is different, some players have no trouble controlling the tip so can use a longer backswing to get more cue acceleration and therefore power. Other players have no trouble accelerating the cue over a short distance (with control) so can use a shorter bridge length. And so on..

[steve clarke]

Althiough the books (and the coach who gave me a great lesson) say that the bridge length should be 9-12" but I feel really uncomfortable and prefer to be 6" or som away fronm the ball.

Looked at logically, surely the further away from the ball you are the more room there is for error.

I'm not a great player but I can't see the sense in being that far away from the ball,.

Perhaps if I stood further away I might sink more pots if I stood further away!! lol

I've been meaning to post a thread about this for a little while, so thanks to John for starting it for me.

Cheers.

[steve clarke]

Sorry, I've just ready nrage's reply again.

So that's why..........

Thanks nrage.

[johnstaceyuk]

thanks for the advice nrage. when i watched him play the length of cue past the v is unreal and yet he just keeps potting and not only that is getting better by the week. i have printed off your advice and will be passing it on to him tonite. i would be intrested in what other people think and what bridge length works for them.

[jamie89oc]

i seen a clip of ken docherty were he says a hands length from the cue ball is were you should place the bridge