Question for the Top Coaches

[sixofclubs]

I have just had a session with the video camera and can see that I am pulling the cue back towards me and up slightly and then on the delivery I am 'swinging around my chest', in other words the butt is working outwards.

This seems to have come out of nowhere. All of a sudden I can't regularly pot a straight ball, which is not very enjoyable.

The only thing I was wondering - could my right foot (I am right handed) be too far over to the right, meaning that I have to swing around my chest which is potentially in the way. I think I have subtly over time been dropping onto the cloth from a more body central position to get my eyes positioned over the cue better and am now wondering if this could be causing other problems?

I should add that I am tall and slim and that my chest doesn't really get in the way much, it certainly wouldn't in itself cause a wonky path.

Or could it just be poor timing, the dreaded snatch and jerk?

[DeanH]

ok, first I am no where near a top coach
The right foot (for right handers) should be directly under, vertically, the grip hand. If it is not then that would be the first adjustment to look at.
I used to do what you describe and found that two adjustments helped me (my right foot is directly under my grip hand):
1) Wrist-cock, this is where the knuckles of the grip hand are angled slightly outwards (away from the body). This gets the cue butt in a direct line with the forearm. This stops the unconscious outward movement so the thumb knuckle does not hit the back/chest. A method of getting the knuckles in a nice position is to have your grip thumb pointing down to the floor.
2) Slight hip-"kink", a slight hip kink to the left (for right handers) to also move the back/chest away from the path of the cue.
All the above I got from the resident TSF-coaches and has improved my game. Hope this helps, look forward to more input from others
All the best

[Terry Davidson]

six:

Dean has it right however I'd like to add just one thing. A working theory with a lot of coaches is '90% of delivery problems are caused during the backswing'. In my own case I found this to be absolutely true.

So, I think you should work on getting your backswing straight. This can easily be done by SLOWING IT RIGHT DOWN to where you think it's just too slow but don't worry you'll eventually adjust once you master it. Try just cueing very slowly along the baulklione and watching the ferrule and if it does go off line then try and feel what's causing it to go off-line. It could be you are keeping your grip too tight during the backswing and therefore too tight on the delivery.

Another point, a very common problem, remember that you cannot tighten the grip at all until after the strike. You must keep the grip 'firm but relaxed' which in an oxymoron I know but it's the best way to describe the grip. When cueing along the baulkline try just letting the cue rest in the 4 fingers and do not tighten them at all and this should get you used to the required tightness.

Terry

[sixofclubs]

Thanks Dean,

I will take a look in the mirror to see where my hand is in relation to my foot.

Your grip suggestion is very interesting. You'd think with me being an ex golf pro I'd have already thought of looking at the grip - but I hadn't!

I've just tried your idea on the ironing board (with a line down the middle - what a saddo I am) and I can see it has straightened me up already and not only that, my trigger finger is suddenly working again.

I'll give it a go for real in the club tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

[sixofclubs]

Thanks Terry,

I do work on the baulkline a lot and have even been struggling there too, which I think may add some weight to my grip being a problem.

[DeanH]

Thanks Dean,

I will take a look in the mirror to see where my hand is in relation to my foot.

Your grip suggestion is very interesting. You'd think with me being an ex golf pro I'd have already thought of looking at the grip - but I hadn't!

I've just tried your idea on the ironing board (with a line down the middle - what a saddo I am) and I can see it has straightened me up already and not only that, my trigger finger is suddenly working again.

I'll give it a go for real in the club tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

a very good idea, as the dinning table is often too low
not sad at all
good luck

[DG GIBERT]

Thanks Dean,

I will take a look in the mirror to see where my hand is in relation to my foot.

Your grip suggestion is very interesting. You'd think with me being an ex golf pro I'd have already thought of looking at the grip - but I hadn't!

I've just tried your idea on the ironing board (with a line down the middle - what a saddo I am) and I can see it has straightened me up already and not only that, my trigger finger is suddenly working again.

I'll give it a go for real in the club tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

on the subject of golf ( i never played ) why dont golfers when putting look at the hole ( which could be likened to the object ball) on the final strike of the golf ball?

[SouthPaw]

Question for the Top Coaches

The same way a golfer doesn't look at the area he's aiming at when teeing off, compared to snooker when all you have to do is move your eyes between ob and cb, you'd have to move the head with a golf club which would end in tears...

[chrissmall147]

Hi sixofclubs

The lifting on your backswing is probably due to you holding the cue too tight. I had this problem under intense pressure with a slight lift of the butt so it made me go a bit looser under pressure so give this a try. Youdont need to hold the cue tight at all. Keep lining up from a central body position but be aware of trying to get your right heel on the line of aim aswell. If you are too far over to the right then your hips could be getting in the way. I am tall aswell so what I used to do was when down in the stance position with the left leg bent I turned my knee in to the right a bit which moved my hips round slightly and gave me more room.You could also try this and see how you get on.

CCheers mate

Chris small

[The Doctor]

Some good points from the guys there.
I would pay good money on it being a grip problem.
As has been said, a tight grip will lead to lifting in the backswing and I'd also bet you are pulling the cue tight to your chest during backswing also.
Now, I've always found that, what one does on the backswing, the opposite will happen on the follow through, so a lift becomes a drop and cue movement to the left becomes the right etc.
Try being a bit lighter on the grip and be conscious of the pressure being applied to your chest by the cue during backswing. Try to keep it the same and you won't be too far off.
Keep us updated and good luck.

[sixofclubs]

I have noticed a lot of good players that I see in the club and on the telly, all have their grip thumb pointing straight downwards. Not all, but most.

I looked at mine on video and it points slightly at an angle towards my left foot (I am right handed) and my forearm goes in that direction slightly too.

I read somewhere that you should grip the cue by picking it up as if it were a hammer and you were about to knock in some nails.

When I do this I have what feels like a 'strong' grip with the knuckles a bit more round than I am used to. I can't get to the club right now to check it but I wonder if this may be contributing to my wonky cue plane (slightly up on the pull back and down on the through swing).

I sorted out my wonky cue path as mentioned in the OP by moving my hands a couple of inches further apart and the improvement was massive albeit with a see-saw motion which I posted about in a different thread.

Am I barking up the wrong tree looking at my grip ?!!!

[DeanH]

I have my grip thumb point vertically down, this ensures I have a nice kink of the wrist that aligns the cue butt directly under the forearm. You will notice that the knucles are away from the body.
An added bonus of this configuration is that when I deliver the cue I no longer (unintentionally) swing the grip hand away from the body to miss the waist and then coming back into (supposedly) the cue delivery line (often not).
So with what is commonly known as "wrist-kink or wrist-cock (yuk )" you can get better control and delivery of the cue.
It did not take me long to get this ingrained into my grip.
all the best

[sixofclubs]

Thanks mate.

To be honest it feels a bit restrictive and forced but I can see that it looks logical in the mirror

[DeanH]

as you said, "the grip should be like using a hammer" I tested this when I first heard that comment (from TD) and yes I do have a wrist kink.
Obviously, the grip must be light and not tighten too early in the delivery
My grip is mainly the fore-finger and the thumb, the other three fingers allow the butt to glide over.
It may seem strange at first but give it a go
It may not be for everyone but as my late-mum used to say "I dont mind if you dont like it, so long as you have tried it first!"

[sixofclubs]

as you said, "the grip should be like using a hammer" I tested this when I first heard that comment (from TD) and yes I do have a wrist kink.
Obviously, the grip must be light and not tighten too early in the delivery
My grip is mainly the fore-finger and the thumb, the other three fingers allow the butt to glide over.
It may seem strange at first but give it a go
It may not be for everyone but as my late-mum used to say "I dont mind if you dont like it, so long as you have tried it first!"

A good motto for life from your Mum.