how important is bridge hand ?

[highestbreak50]

i have been playing for couple of years and recently i'v been seeing coach and i have improved the following technique :

line of aim
proper stance
proper grip
follow through
cuing (up and down 100 times a day )
center striking , 0% side when practicing
cue acceleration, timing ( back/front pause )


my games has improved alot, however something is missing, i hardly make 50 break , however recently i figured out that i move my bridge hand shoulder when its touched the cloth, it happend unconciously but after 1000 hours of practice , i figured out that this might be making me offline ? becaz sometimes i get up 3 times, and lineup , happens 30% of the time

i wanted to know how important is the bridge hand ( although my bridge hand doesnst move at all, i only move the bridge hand shoulder and upper arm, and i think my head might be moving , which causes offline

all i know is that if im 100% online, i hardly miss a pot, but i dont know why, i am offline . ( i shared this offline thing with my coach last time when i didnt know about the bridge hand movement, and he said. you are doubting your line of aim, just get down , and even if your brain tells you , you are offline, just dont move. however this has helped me alittle bit, but sometimes, i really am offline


my biggest problem is line of aim even after playing for couple of years
head dropping to the line of aim, eyes locked on the object ball while getting down, cue coming for above towards cueball ( like jimmy white ) nothing has helped me.

please do share your thoughts
thank you

[Byrom]

I think its very important. any slight movement can throw the cue off - Good Placement and a study bridge is essential - if you ever played on a table after Ronnie had used it you would know what I mean because it is like world war three after a few frames. I think if you press down more with the tips of your fingers it actually help relax the cueing part - - very good to do this especially on power shots - try it.

Your problem is different however - to solve that you need to create another locking point maybe with the shoulder tucked in closer to the chin - maybe the Canadian coach Terry Davidson could explain better than me because its something I heard him advocate.
I cant explain it - but if you feel the shoulder or something next to your face or chin it can help lock you in because is makes you more aware of any movement - it will feel wierd at first but might work to cure your movement -try it

[tedisbill]

Hello.

As Byrom has said, bridge hand position is very important.

My advice would be slide into the shot. See the line of the shot, and then slide your hand forward and along that line until you are the correct distance from the cue ball.

DO NOT try and place your hand directly on the cloth on the line of the shot. You must step into the shot and slide your bridge hand forward and into the line of the shot.

Hope that helps.

[guernseygooner]

Hello.

As Byrom has said, bridge hand position is very important.

My advice would be slide into the shot. See the line of the shot, and then slide your hand forward and along that line until you are the correct distance from the cue ball.

DO NOT try and place your hand directly on the cloth on the line of the shot. You must step into the shot and slide your bridge hand forward and into the line of the shot.

Hope that helps.

Good advice this. Try to slide in only looking at the OB. When in position, then check if tip position is correct on CB. If not, get up and try again. With practice you can do this smoothly and get into position without looking at the CB on the way down.

You will see improvements when you can do this

[Terry Davidson]

Great...teaching players to make fingermarks in the cloth by sliding against the nap.

To cure a moving bridge arm shoulder you have to lock BOTH shoulders as they are connected and usually don't move independently. Easiest way is to get grip hand shoulder up as high as you can by getting bridge shoulder down as low as you can. Another aspect of this is you'll notice most of the pros have their bridge arm shoulder very close to their cheek

[tedisbill]

Great...teaching players to make fingermarks in the cloth by sliding against the nap.

Absolutely. Like all the top professionals and any good players I know.

It's one of the biggest mistakes beginner players make: trying to place their hand without sliding in.

[markz]

Absolutely. Like all the top professionals and any good players I know.

It's one of the biggest mistakes beginner players make: trying to place their hand without sliding in.

Never really noticed bad finger marks when I've played you. I think it's guys that drag their hand back after the shot that leave the heavy marks on table.

[itsnoteasy]

Ages ago this was argued about, I just can't play without sliding into the line, how the hell do you get your hand in the exact right place and your cue on the line, I didn't say anything then as it seemed to be agreed you shouldn't slide and I thought I was doing something wrong, good to see I'm not the only slider in town sliding in might just settle you into position better as well, rather than getting down and then having to settle into position, if that makes any sense.

[jrc750]

I'm a slider

[highestbreak50]

I think its very important. any slight movement can throw the cue off - Good Placement and a study bridge is essential - if you ever played on a table after Ronnie had used it you would know what I mean because it is like world war three after a few frames. I think if you press down more with the tips of your fingers it actually help relax the cueing part - - very good to do this especially on power shots - try it.

Your problem is different however - to solve that you need to create another locking point maybe with the shoulder tucked in closer to the chin - maybe the Canadian coach Terry Davidson could explain better than me because its something I heard him advocate.
I cant explain it - but if you feel the shoulder or something next to your face or chin it can help lock you in because is makes you more aware of any movement - it will feel wierd at first but might work to cure your movement -try it

thank you very much, glade people are here that can give free and useful advice
yes i will try the bridge hand finger tips however i did not understand your second paragraph, how do i lock the bridge hand shoulder? you mean like garry or gerry wilson ? who played against ronnie somehow stephen hendry is also touching his bridge hand shoulder to his chin or few more players

tnxx

[highestbreak50]

Hello.

As Byrom has said, bridge hand position is very important.

My advice would be slide into the shot. See the line of the shot, and then slide your hand forward and along that line until you are the correct distance from the cue ball.

DO NOT try and place your hand directly on the cloth on the line of the shot. You must step into the shot and slide your bridge hand forward and into the line of the shot.

Hope that helps.

thank you for your kind reply

yes i do step in and the last thing as im about to bend, i touch the cloth, and recently i am trying to do like jimmy white
i dont understand what you mean by sliding !

i have watched many videos where they say , dont bring the cue side ways, but bring it from top of the cue ball ( like from 12:00 to 6:00 oclock ) thats y i m trying to copy jimmy white's method ,if could help me

do you have any good example of this sliding thing"? on youtube, etc

tnx by the way love you

[highestbreak50]

Good advice this. Try to slide in only looking at the OB. When in position, then check if tip position is correct on CB. If not, get up and try again. With practice you can do this smoothly and get into position without looking at the CB on the way down.

You will see improvements when you can do this

yeah i have been trying to do slow motion in practice, in im about to touch the cloth, so i stare at object ball and place my hand very slow right behind the cueball sighting the line of aim. however it does work sometimes , not always

one more to mention, that if i am online once my hand touches the cloth, then no matter what shot, i can pot it

tnx for your reply

[highestbreak50]

Ages ago this was argued about, I just can't play without sliding into the line, how the hell do you get your hand in the exact right place and your cue on the line, I didn't say anything then as it seemed to be agreed you shouldn't slide and I thought I was doing something wrong, good to see I'm not the only slider in town sliding in might just settle you into position better as well, rather than getting down and then having to settle into position, if that makes any sense.

well, once you get down ofcourse you dont have to move or adjust . however my problem is different i lineup perfect but as soon as my hand touches the table or as im down on the shot. 50% of the time i am offline and its been for along time , which means im doing something absolutely wrong

i tried to drop down my nose to the line of the aim, my head. place the cue on the bridge hand while standing and bring it behind the cueball ( maybe this is called sliding, i dont know )
all i know is that jimmy white does it so obvious

tnx , and please do share your experience

[guernseygooner]

thank you for your kind reply

yes i do step in and the last thing as im about to bend, i touch the cloth, and recently i am trying to do like jimmy white
i dont understand what you mean by sliding !

i have watched many videos where they say , dont bring the cue side ways, but bring it from top of the cue ball ( like from 12:00 to 6:00 oclock ) thats y i m trying to copy jimmy white's method ,if could help me

do you have any good example of this sliding thing"? on youtube, etc

tnx by the way love you

If you want to copy someone you can't go far wrong here:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zwicPHEI_Qc

Watch how he slides his bridge hand along the line into position

[j6uk]

could be an issue with your hips, very important to have a solid repetitive and well balanced stance to support a good straight cue action.