Increase in my front pause.

[throtts]

Guys, this has really coupled nicely with my rear pause. The execution of the shot is fantastic. Just that it seems to give me that extra time to focus and lock on the contact point of the object ball. Well worth the try.

[Terry Davidson]

For my students over 40yrs of age I push them a bit to develop a front pause and focus on the object ball at that time and keep them locked on. It certainly seem to help me.

The only problem I have is in the heat of a match for some reason I completely lose this even though I'm trying to concentrate on it and as a result my timing and rhythm go out the door and I play like a real PUTZ, which I did yesterday. Lost me second match 4-0 with a high break of low 30's. (In my defence the tables were REALLY bad though).

Terry

[jono*]

I found that slowing down my game focusing on each shot with a pause before the final drawback, and a deliberate rear pause does help accuracy and acceleration through the cue ball. Its just a matter of sticking with it for every single shot.

[GeordieDS]

The front pause seems to happen quite naturally for me but for some reason i cant do the back pause at all and now i just pull the cue arm back and fire......it's very frustrating but if i try to do a back pause then the shot goes very badly wrong.

[j6uk]

I like to watch my cue come back on the final back-swing, making sure its on a straight line, then flick my eyes back through to the object ball before the back pause. If the cues not coming back straight or I'm off balance, I'll reset.

[mythman69]

I like to watch my cue come back on the final back-swing, making sure its on a straight line, then flick my eyes back through to the object ball before the back pause. If the cues not coming back straight or I'm off balance, I'll reset.

Thanks for the info . . .

[throtts]

For my students over 40yrs of age I push them a bit to develop a front pause and focus on the object ball at that time and keep them locked on. It certainly seem to help me.

The only problem I have is in the heat of a match for some reason I completely lose this even though I'm trying to concentrate on it and as a result my timing and rhythm go out the door and I play like a real PUTZ, which I did yesterday. Lost me second match 4-0 with a high break of low 30's. (In my defence the tables were REALLY bad though).

Terry

Yes, Terry. It's a puzzling game.

I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for you being a coach and obviously a good one at that. Like us all, stick with it, buddy.

Thanks for all your input to, Terry, still amazes me how you don't mind keep on repeating yourself to us lot.

[Terry Davidson]

throtts:

I have to consider those (lazy) people who don't bother to search for the answer to the question they have (which I've probably answered many times on here, as have other coaches and players).

Actually, it's really astounding to me that the same problems (generally grip, timing, eyes, getting down on the shot) crop up ALL the time and are very common amongst amateur players.

And I agree, for me it's very frustrating to be able to teach good technique but not be able to follow it myself. My problems centre around my grip which I can't seem to keep relaxed when under pressure in a match. In practice here at my facility I play decent (not great but at least decent I'd say). I've been trying to find a grip configuration that will allow me to drive through the cueball without tightening my grip at all, especially on any shots above medium pace.

Last night while having a smoke and a cup of tea (out in the garage of course) I thought of a way to do that. If it leads to consistent success I will post it up here as the initial results were amazing (for me). I punched in 9 out of 10 long blues while screwing back to the baulkline or further. If I used the loop bridge I was able to pot the blue and screw back either into the yellow pocket or near to it on the cushion. It involves configuring the grip in such a way that a player cannot tighten it at all except at the end of the delivery and then using only the top of the forefinger and thumb which is used for the whole backswing and delivery. Now if I can just keep those back 3 fingers off the cue during the delivery I think it will work.

I will post it if it continues to work for me and my next tournament is June 8th on those same lousy tables, so after that I guess.

Terry

[nrage]

I will post it if it continues to work for me and my next tournament is June 8th on those same lousy tables, so after that I guess.

If you don't mind, could you PM the idea to me. I'd like to have a play with it too..

[GeordieDS]

throtts:

I have to consider those (lazy) people who don't bother to search for the answer to the question they have (which I've probably answered many times on here, as have other coaches and players).

Actually, it's really astounding to me that the same problems (generally grip, timing, eyes, getting down on the shot) crop up ALL the time and are very common amongst amateur players.

And I agree, for me it's very frustrating to be able to teach good technique but not be able to follow it myself. My problems centre around my grip which I can't seem to keep relaxed when under pressure in a match. In practice here at my facility I play decent (not great but at least decent I'd say). I've been trying to find a grip configuration that will allow me to drive through the cueball without tightening my grip at all, especially on any shots above medium pace.

Last night while having a smoke and a cup of tea (out in the garage of course) I thought of a way to do that. If it leads to consistent success I will post it up here as the initial results were amazing (for me). I punched in 9 out of 10 long blues while screwing back to the baulkline or further. If I used the loop bridge I was able to pot the blue and screw back either into the yellow pocket or near to it on the cushion. It involves configuring the grip in such a way that a player cannot tighten it at all except at the end of the delivery and then using only the top of the forefinger and thumb which is used for the whole backswing and delivery. Now if I can just keep those back 3 fingers off the cue during the delivery I think it will work.

I will post it if it continues to work for me and my next tournament is June 8th on those same lousy tables, so after that I guess.

Terry

Did i read somewhere that you were trying to play without a back pause? and if so how did it go?


Thanks in advance

[Terry Davidson]

nrage - PM on the way shortly

GeordieDS:

It was the other way around. When I was 14 my older cousin took me to the local 'pool room' which had 2 x 12ft tables and 6 9ft tables and he was a pool player himself. At that time (1959) no one here had ever heard of Joe Davis and his book and pool players used to use a front pause only. So that is how I originally learned although I wish I could have gotten a copy of Joe Davis' book and learned a rear pause when I was young.

Recently, I tried to develop a rear pause but it caused me all kinds of timing and rhythm problems and I found I could play much better (and probably more naturally for me) by having an extended front pause, locking the eyes on the object ball, and using a slow backswing which I could control and keep straight. So I gave up on getting a rear pause although I think it's a helpful tool in the technique since after all, except for Mark Allen and Peter Ebdon, all the top pros have some kind of rear pause.

That said, everyone has some kind of a rear pause since the cue has to stop and change direction, but mine is incredibly short and hardly discernible whereas players like ROS and Murphy (and most of the others too) it is easily discernible. I think a rear pause does two things, the first is to disconnect the backswing from the delivery so any errors in the straightness of the backswing are sort of canceled out and secondly it helps the player to drive the cue through the cueball better and more consistently.

The only weird thing I've noted is when I get in the 'zone' which is very rarely these days, I notice I have an automatic rear pause which is discernible. But if I try and concentrate on it everything goes out the window.

Terry

[j6uk]

Lol. Are you serious?
IME and (all the good players I know) the final back swing is acting as a mirror for the delivery.

I think a rear pause does two things, the first is to disconnect the backswing from the delivery so any errors in the straightness of the backswing are sort of canceled out and secondly it helps the player to drive the cue through the cueball better and more consistently.

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

We agree that the DELIVERY should mirror the BACKSWING and the backswing should be straight so the delivery SHOULD also be straight (but not always, although 90% of delivery problems originate in the backswing, the the 'disconnect' thought. But your comment has nothing to do with the purpose of the REAR PAUSE, which is what I was talking about here.

So post your thoughts on the purpose of the front and rear pauses as I'm sure everyone would welcome a second opinion, or do you believe the backswing is the same thing as the rear pause?

To make it clear, I'll ask the question for you...'what is the purpose of the front and rear pauses'? We all know the purpose of the backswing is to get the cue to the delivery position and has nothing to do with a rear pause unless you consider the rear pause to be an extension of the backswing and therefore a part of it?

And by the way, thanks very much for the sarcastic comment on me losing 4-0 but then I guess you've never lost a match to a player who was playing better than you on the day, which my opponent was. I won my first match 4-0. Anything can happen in short matches on really crappy tables as these were.

Terry

[j6uk]

Why you tuning it around? Your The Master right?
Kids are calling bbl

[nrage]

Why you tuning it around? Your The Master right?

Chicken!