Get a Grip
Wednesday, January 31
A good grip is an important aspect in the game of billiard. A proper grip allows you to make accurate shots. On the other hand, a bad grip will limit your potential for improvement. Take a look at the illustrations on the side, as you can see your grip must be loose and relaxed.Never tighten your grip, keep it relaxed all the way through your stroke.
Try to use two to three fingers to hold your cue stick while using the thumb as support to keep your cue stick from falling off. The image on the side shows you that your wrist and your lower arm must be in a straight line or 180 degrees. Your wrist must point downward and NOT inward (greater than 180 degrees) or outward (less than 180 degrees). The reason for this is that if your wrist is pointing inward or outward, it will most likely move sideways as you do your final stroke.The next thing to learn is which part of the cue stick you will need to put your gripping hand. Should you put it on the very end of the butt of the cue stick or should you put it closer to your body? It is different for everybody but one guideline for figuring this out is to locate the balance point.
See the illustration below. To do this, use your index finger to balance the cue stick on its own. Once it is balanced, remember the point on the cue stick where it balanced and use this as your reference point. Depending on how tall you are you will need to place your gripping hand at least 6 inches from the balance point towards the end of the cue stick. Shorter players will put their gripping hand closer to the reference point while taller players will put their gripping hand farther away from the reference point.
Labels: Billiard Tips, Billiard Tutorial, Cue, Cue Grip, Grip, Pool Table Tips
posted by Raphael @ 13:29,
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Billiard Game Stance
Tuesday, January 30
Different types of players will have different stance. Your stance may not exactly be the same as mine but there are a few guidelines to keep in mind.Balance is important simply because a good stroke requires minimal body movement except for your arm to swing the cue stick. You need to find the proper balance so that every other part of your body is kept still. Spread your feet apart to distribute your weight evenly on both feet. Move your left foot forward if you are right handed or your right foot if you are left handed.
Your arm should be perpendicular to the table, i.e. 90 degree angle (see illustration). It should remain at 90 degrees as you swing your cue stick. There should be no sideways movement of your arm. This ensures a straight stroke.
Next, make room for your arm to swing freely. In order to do this you must angle your body at least 30 degrees from your cue stick. Make sure that your arm doesn't hit your hip when you swing back. Let yourself be comfortable with the position. And last, you must set your cue stick as level as possible by lowering your upper body to a point where your cue stick becomes as level as possible. Depending on how tall you are, you may have to lower your body even more to accomplish this.
Labels: Billiard Tips, Billiard Tutorial, Pool Table Tips, Stance
posted by Raphael @ 11:50,
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