Tension/flex in bridge forearm

[Nereis]

Hi,

When I do my practice strokes, there is noticable flexing of one of the forearm muscles of my bridgearm, nearest the inside elbow joint. There is also a slight flexing of the bridgearm tricep, I believe. I've tried shifting my weight, even putting no weight at all forwards, but to avail.

Does anyone recognize this phenomenom?

[Mark187187]

Hi,

When I do my practice strokes, there is noticable flexing of one of the forearm muscles of my bridgearm, nearest the inside elbow joint. There is also a slight flexing of the bridgearm tricep, I believe. I've tried shifting my weight, even putting no weight at all forwards, but to avail.

Does anyone recognize this phenomenom?

If none of your muscles were being used, you wouldn't be able to straighten your arm or move your wrist, or plant your bridge hand. It's how an arm works, don't worry about it. I don't think it's possible to have your arm in a normal bridge position or straightness without any of you arm muscles doing their job.

[Nereis]

If none of your muscles were being used, you wouldn't be able to straighten your arm or move your wrist, or plant your bridge hand. It's how an arm works, don't worry about it. I don't think it's possible to have your arm in a normal bridge position or straightness without any of you arm muscles doing their job.

But shouldn't my bridgearm be in 'steady state' after i've planted it down on the felt? It's tensing up during the front stroke of my practice stroke.

[rimmer10]

But shouldn't my bridgearm be in 'steady state' after i've planted it down on the felt? It's tensing up during the front stroke of my practice stroke.

Maybe you're moving your head up and down during feathering?

[tomwalker147]

Personally I think your weight should be slightly forwards (others may disagree)..
Only going on what I was coached once upon a time and it did me the world of good (encouraged me to strike the cueball with more authority).

[jimmydregz]

An important and vital part of any stability in various sports or even natural human movements is 'muscle contraction'.

Quite often when I'm on a shot I know that I'm more likely to keep still and steady in my cueing; when I'm applying downward pressure on my bridging hand and arm.

Any downward (palm down) pressure on your hand is going to activate your forearm muscles. And likewise; when we are in an 'arm bent' position at all (with force of gravity trying to bring our chest in the direction of the ground, or likewise an object above us whilst on a plane parrarel to the floor), our triceps will also be activated. I suppose for you the more important question is whether or not you feel that this activation is taking away from your shot physically (or mentally), and whether or not you can maintain the contraction of a static (still) nature for enough time to comfortably play your shot, as well as the endurance to repeat that potentially hundreds of times in a match.

Provided you feel balanced in your stance (so as to not feel like you're falling onto the table) and you're able to comfortably maintain your static position whilst you're down on your shot, I can't see any problem with it!

I hope this has been somewhat helpful.

Edit: if you're suggesting that the 'flexing' of your forearm muscles are as a result of movement on the shot, perhaps there is another problem at play such as stance and centre of gravity as well as the condition of your muscular stability of your upper body (unlikely as most of us snooker players are less than athletically gifted). So stance and/or general technique could well be at play.

[howardlax]

I don't know whether my recent discovery would contribute to your question.

The thing I found is to 'slide in my bridge hand/arm'. Assuming you technical set up is as standard as us, doing aiming behind the shot, walk-in , and chest to cue as textbooks requires. Then instead of placing hand and arm with the feeling of 'fixing it on table', try to naturally straighten your bridge arm without tension on elbow or hand(Cause you may be worried that if any of them is wrong, you would be offline, end up moving right hand to finally settle up ,which always in my case leading my body as a anchor, eventually still results in cue off line). Key here is to get rid of tension in bridge arm, making armpit as close as table without leaning forward too much. Doing that gives you a natural feeling of twist of upper body , which would also make your face close to ur bridge arm. Another key is to keep right hand location still (Not to left and right, and not even to forward in its direction).

Of course it should be considered as part of your PSR and perfectly blend in your set up.
Easier say than done....