Lifting my chin off the cue

[jimborad]

Been for a practice tonight, about 1 hour in I'm playing absolutely ****e.

So for some unknown reason I deliberately lifted my head when down on the shot so there was about an inch or so between my chin and my cue. All of a sudden I could pick out angles, had better control of the cue ball and they were going in off the lampshades.

I'm sure this isn't advisable from a technical point of view but has anyone else ever tried this?

[jonny66]

Things like that happen to me all the time, it's really annoying actually, you change one tiny thing in your technique and everything starts flying in. For me there's been cue ball watching, loads of weird grips and different stances, no feathers, even not walking into the shot.

Almost never works the same next time you practice, I think it's just maybe not over thinking technique for a while and hitting a little form.

[jimborad]

Been there Jonny, drives me mad sometimes.

[Shockerz]

Been there Jonny, drives me mad sometimes.

Been there.

Used to write stuff down to ensure I did it next time and you can guarantee it doesn't work as your timing and rhythm is different.

[narl]

Alan Mc Manus has made a career out of doing this.

[DeanH]

Lifting my chin off the cue

you don't have to touch chin to the cue but be as close as is comfortable - I wear glasses and my neck bends back a lot due to years of playing but don't have chin on cue - about an inch off.
the important thing is not to move your head, once in address position, and you pull back and deliver the cue.
A tip is to stay down not moving for the delivering and whilst the object goes to the pocket and the cue ball stops rolling. This will get your body to remember to not move at the important time.

[Ramon]

lifting your chin OR deliver the cue about 2 inches off your chin while your chin does'nt move,, are two different things.

many pros deliver the cue while the cue does'nt touch the chin. ( well , many ? sum of them )

sum of them move their body abit upwards. Alan Mc Manus is one of them ( as already mentioned ).

[narl]

lifting your chin OR deliver the cue about 2 inches off your chin while your chin does'nt move,, are two different things.

many pros deliver the cue while the cue does'nt touch the chin. ( well , many ? sum of them )

sum of them move their body abit upwards. Alan Mc Manus is one of them ( as already mentioned ).

And some of them literally grind their chins against the cue even on the shot, John Higgins being an obvious example. He must have skin on his chin as tough as Kevlar by now.

That behind the player camera angle shows just how much pressure some of the pro's put on their cues when addressing the shot, Trump and O'Sullivan have their cues bending they press into it so much.

[pottr]

I don't think he's describing what McManus does.

I think he's talking about lifting his head off the cue before he begins his stroke, not during.

It's not anything I'd teach someone to do as a point of practice... However, you need to find a cue action which is comfortable for yourself. It might be that keeping your head on the cue makes things uncomfortable and that is worse than losing that additional point of contact...

One of the best players over the last 20 years in our area is a man named Ian Bown... His technique is virtually upright... He's literally as good an amateur as you'll see, competition breaks in the 140+ region... Fair few maxes and more centuries than most this forum combined...

If it's comfortable for you, stick at it... Just be weary that it might be a placebo.

[Ramon]

And some of them literally grind their chins against the cue even on the shot, John Higgins being an obvious example. He must have skin on his chin as tough as Kevlar by now.

That behind the player camera angle shows just how much pressure some of the pro's put on their cues when addressing the shot, Trump and O'Sullivan have their cues bending they press into it so much.

yes , he does.

well, as long as the player can dilever the cue stright and strike well , sum bad habits does'nt realy matter imo.

But my personal taste is deliver the cue off the chin.

Nic B's cue action , or S Lee . very nice !! :snooker:

[GeordieDS]

Things like that happen to me all the time, it's really annoying actually, you change one tiny thing in your technique and everything starts flying in. For me there's been cue ball watching, loads of weird grips and different stances, no feathers, even not walking into the shot.

Almost never works the same next time you practice, I think it's just maybe not over thinking technique for a while and hitting a little form.

That's called the placebo effect and it's as annoying as it is amazing

[jonny66]

That's called the placebo effect and it's as annoying as it is amazing

And not just in snooker. It basically means everyone can do things they don't think they can because of an unknown thing...

[Shockerz]

And not just in snooker. It basically means everyone can do things they don't think they can because of an unknown thing...

Used to happen at golf as well.

Slightly move your grip, come inside a but more, shorten yer backswing, all guaranteed for a day........again, difficult to replicate that same rhythm on a different day.

[denja]

Many top pool players have a very upright stance chin nowhere near the cue, We snooker players alway strive for the bridge,chin,chest,grip,contact points. Maybe something to do with the size of the table its easier to view the balls from an upright position on a pool table you can sort of stand over it and view the angles, not so easy on a full size snooker table, Most kids who play on small home tables always appear to adopt the upright stance naturaly before they are taught otherwise.

[GeordieDS]

And not just in snooker. It basically means everyone can do things they don't think they can because of an unknown thing...

We really have no idea just how powerful our mind is