Further Distance:

[tomxlisa]

I have noticed recently i have started to pot on a snooker table much more consistently, i kinda watched how my century break friend plays and he holds his hand quite far from the cue ball so there is quite some distance to cue, i used to hold my hand quite close to the cue ball so there wasn't much backswing and follow through, i have noticed giving myself more room to push the cue through has definitely help me pot easier but i am not sure why this is, one reason i think why it might be is cause something i read on here about the cue running through more smooth cause you have more distance between the tip and the cue ball so you cue better, anyone else experienced this, i make constant 30/40 breaks using this method, before i used to make the odd 30 now and then?.

[Ramon]

same here.!!! I keep more space between my bridge hand and CB. this way I can see the contact area of OB better. (About 2 inches more). I do'nt know if this is the right way? I'm not a coach. I hope Vmax or some other coaches give their opinion about this ( If they have time !!! ). interesting topic!!

[tofushop193]

I used to have a long bridge without realising. But recently someone pointed it out to me and suggest to me to get closer to the cue ball. Using a shorter bridge. I found it to be useful, increased accuracy, potting percentage increases. Also i get to have more action on the cue ball. Running the ball was easier. Maybe it depends on individual. But I feel a shorter bridge would means less room for error.

[DeanH]

I used to have a bridge about 14" away from the cue ball, but have reduced down to about 9-10" and as mentioned above, this gave me better accuracy, and cue ball control as well as potting percentage
What also helped (massively) is that I now about 0.5" away from the cue ball in the address position, where it used to be about 1-2" away from the cue ball.
tomxlisa - depends on your definitions of "quite far" and "close to"
most coaches I have seen and read from they recommend to be between 8-12" but no more than 12". The length of an A4 paper is about max but also you can sue the D, place the cue ball just outsdie the brown spot so the cue tip hovers over the brown spot itself, then the bridge "v" should not be outside the D.

[cyberheater]

What also helped (massively) is that I now about 0.5" away from the cue ball in the address position

Yes. When I get down to the address position my tip is almost touching the white. It was a tip I picked up from one of Nic Barrows teaching vids.

[DeanH]

Yes. When I get down to the address position my tip is almost touching the white. It was a tip I picked up from one of Nic Barrows teaching vids.

It is funny how it felt when I satrted to be closer to the cue ball - "gawd, I'm going to foul the white!" - but it is amazing how natural it feels quite quickly; and being that the forearm is vertical at the point so all forward cue movement from that point is "through" the cue ball, I hit cue ball nicely now - no more "pecking"

[cyberheater]

It is funny how it felt when I satrted to be closer to the cue ball - "gawd, I'm going to foul the white!" - but it is amazing how natural it feels quite quickly; and being that the forearm is vertical at the point so all forward cue movement from that point is "through" the cue ball, I hit cue ball nicely now - no more "pecking"

Yes. You can get much more action on the white. The main benefit for me is that I can see exactly where I'm going to hit the white when I play the shot. Very useful for judging delicate stun and run through shots.

It is funny how it felt when I satrted to be closer to the cue ball - "gawd, I'm going to foul the white!"

It's funny but if you watch Jimmy White play. He sometimes calls a foul on himself because his tip is so close to the white he accidentally touches it.

[alabadi]

i think getting more follow through has nothing to do with bridge length, its to do with how much room you have between your bridge hand and your chest.

i used to have a longer bridge around 12-13 inches but because my grip hand was only a couple of inches from my chest when in the address position i wasn't getting enough rection from the cueball, and this meant i was using too much power from my arm rather than letting the cue doing the work.
i have now adjusted my grip and bridge to give me 4-5 inches between grip and chest in the address position, now the cueball has plenty of reaction.

[tomxlisa]

I aint sure if this is the right way but it definitely works for me, my cue hand used to be closer to the cue ball as i thought it was the better way to play as like some of you have said i thought there would be less things to go wrong, but my long potting and all round game has got better since picking up this tip from my friend who makes 100 breaks for a laugh.

[Smeeagain]

Hi
Im not sure what is right or wrong or considered short or long, but when i went to watch the legends tour I was really surprised how long their bridging (ie distance between bridge hand and tip) appeared to be. Particularly ROS
I dont know whether is snooker pro terms he would be considered as having a particularly long bridge or not but I certainly noticed it.
Smee

[jono*]

That could just be the effect of playing some one much better than you... Where you watch and learn things that improve your game

[itsnoteasy]

Hi
Im not sure what is right or wrong or considered short or long, but when i went to watch the legends tour I was really surprised how long their bridging (ie distance between bridge hand and tip) appeared to be. Particularly ROS
I dont know whether is snooker pro terms he would be considered as having a particularly long bridge or not but I certainly noticed it.
Smee

Could you give a guesstimate Smee as to how much cue Ronnie and the others had over from bridge V to tip.

[Ramon]

i think getting more follow through has nothing to do with bridge length, its to do with how much room you have between your grig hand and your chest.

i used to have a longer bridge around 12-13 inches but because my grip hand was only a couple of inches from my chest when in the address position i wasn't getting enough rection from the cueball, and this meant i was using too much power from my arm rather than letting the cue doing the work.
i have now adjusted my grip and bridge to give me 4-5 inches between grip and chest in the address poistion, now the cueball has plenty of reaction.

Nice comment, it depends on your cue action off. If you have the wrong cue action, does not really matter. I think it's a personal preference. I've seen a lot of players who have changed their bridge hand distance and their game has improved. Anyway, I think it is worth a try !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Smeeagain]

Could you give a guesstimate Smee as to how much cue Ronnie and the others had over from bridge V to tip.

Weill I was four rows back from the table but Id say easily 12 inches. It was just very noticeable. I could be wrong

The other thing that was really noticeable was that when Jimmy White was lining up his shot his cue tip was incredibly low - it looked like he was going to try and jump the white he was cueing so low. Every shot he line up, cue tip exceptionally low, then at the moment of strike he would hit the cue ball exactly where he wanted. Not exactly textbook Id suggest but it obviously works well for him

[Terry Davidson]

i think getting more follow through has nothing to do with bridge length, its to do with how much room you have between your bridge hand and your chest.

i used to have a longer bridge around 12-13 inches but because my grip hand was only a couple of inches from my chest when in the address position i wasn't getting enough rection from the cueball, and this meant i was using too much power from my arm rather than letting the cue doing the work.
i have now adjusted my grip and bridge to give me 4-5 inches between grip and chest in the address position, now the cueball has plenty of reaction.

This is exactly correct. No matter what length of follow-through you have you must accelerate through and beyond the cueball on all shots.

Terry