Is walk-in really necessary?

[thunder66]

I see most pros do walk in, meaning take one step to put right foot on line, then place left foot. However, I've also seen some good players don't do walk in, they just have right foot on the final position while sighting, and place left foot and get down. So, with the 2nd method, if I can drop my nose/head down straight, is it necessary to do walk in? Is there advantage/disadvantage of both methods?

Example of 2nd method, practice session of Zhao Xintong:


http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XOTMyOTczNzI0.html

Thanks!
- Thunder

[pottr]

No. It's not necessary... In fact, so long as you get the cue through the ball on the line of aim, it really matters little how you do it.

Little tricks, like walking in on the line of aim, dropping straight down on the shot, foot on the line are all in existence because when you teach sports, you teach for the masses. There will always be those who take the unorthodox approach.

I walk in to the shot because it helps me to push the cue along the line of aim.

If I could do it without walking in, I would... coz then it would be one less thing to worry about.

Judge the method on the results.

[itsnoteasy]

I was taught just standing back from the table lets you see the line a bit easier, so this leaves you with a step into the shot,rather than being on top of the shot so to speak. I have changed the way I put the cue online recently and it has improved my game almost instantaneously, so as Pottr said I think that's more important.

[thunder66]

Yes I thought the same thing, it'd be good if one less thing to worry about. But it is easier to see the line from an away position. Anyway, let me experiment more at the table.

itsnoteasy, what did you do to improve the putting cue online? I have trouble with this sometimes as well, I'm consciously putting my back hand on the line when I step in, and wonder if there's other things should be done?

[vmax4steve]

Try playing in a room where there isn't enough space around the table to even take one step into the shot, then you'll notice how important it is.

[itsnoteasy]

It's a quirk I had while getting down, I had my cue high and it came down at the same time as my body ,I also was feathering on the way down, and it made me lose the line, I now put my cue online first keep it still and it helps guide my head and body down onto the line . Its early days but I'm not getting the conflict from what I see standing up aiming to what I see when down and sighting, ( which I nearly always did)the consistency has gone sky high( for me) yesterday I cleared the T line up and got to the13 th red second time around ,I just played a poor shot on the red to leave a tough pink and missed but I could have and probably should have cleared it back to back.o
One other thing I make sure I try and put my tip and grip on line to keep my cue straight on the line.