Get to the Root
Over time, it is not uncommon to develop unwanted kinks in our mechanics. It happens to all of us. Maybe we picked up some bad habits from watching a teammate or perhaps we wore some uncomfortable shoes that unknowingly altered our stance. Whatever the case may be, if we’re in tune with our own body, chances are we’ll recognize it. We just need to fix it now.
If you’ve ever made any mechanical changes to your game, you know it’s not easy. It takes countless hours of missed shots to develop the new muscle memory. And as difficult as that may be, it may be even more difficult to identify the root of the problem. If you have an illness, it’s easy to take measures to feel better, but if you’re not curing the illness, you might feel better but you’re still not healthy.
For instance, a player who incessantly twists his cue on his final follow through is more often than not compensating for another mechanical mishap. If his alignment is off or he’s holding on too tightly to his cue, it’s natural to need a slight twist at the end to follow through straightly. However, the twist caused by too firm of a grip could all just be an indirect result to the grip hand being too far back on the cue or some excess shoulder movement. In this case, simply not twisting in the final follow through would not have solved anything.
Here’s another example: A player has developed excess movement with each warm-up stroke. Her head bobs slightly up and down as her cue moves leading to a slight hop-up in her final follow through. The obvious solution would be to simply minimize the movement. “Stay down” right? In the case of this player, the excess movement is due to her entire body being too low and too close to the cue ball. This was inhibiting her from a free-flowing, smooth stroke. Her own body was getting in the way. She had no choice but to move up/down with her cue strokes. Raising her head slightly and moving her entire body away from the cue ball naturally encouraged a more fluid stroke with less head movement.
It may take some time to get to the root of the problem. It may require several band-aid solutions before you realize the cause. Be in tune with your body. Your body will let you know if something doesn’t feel right. Don’t force it. Your stance and stroke should feel comfortable and relaxed at all times. If not, then maybe it’s time to start figuring out what’s causing the tension.
Of course, seeking professional guidance always helps. All the mirrors and video cameras in the world do not take the place of the knowledge and experience a professional instructor can share with you. A good instructor has seen so many variations of strokes and player builds that they can help you find something that will work for you.
In the end, there’s only so much you can fix without addressing the root problem. Don’t just feel better. Get healthy.
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Now THIS should be in a billiard magazine. I need to figure out what is happening with my stroke, and I know the answer is not simple. Maybe Joe Tucker’s 3rd eye trainer can give me better clues.