Any decent pool players here?

[fyleow]

..

 

[SoylentGreen]

Do you mean playing with friends at yahoo pool since your question makes absolutely no sense if you're playing for real.

 

[fyleow]

..

 

[BigFatCow]

go get a book.

 

[iamme]

i'm no pool expert, but i do know that you need to get down low.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Practice a lot. It's all about training the eye to recognize the correct angles and that doesn't come from a book. The stroke is easy to learn, table feel only comes with a lot of repitition.

 

[Hankysmoo]

why don't u just ask your friends for help?

 

[EvilYoda]

Well your bridge is a very personal thing...I've probably tried 5 different bridges in the last year...different applications might ask for different bridges. You have your general open bridge where the four fingers are spread wide but firm with the thumb pressed below the index's big knuckle. A closed bridge would have three fingers on the table with the index arched and the tip rests on the third finger's second knuckle, with the thumb on the table.

Try using a glove or powder for "gliding".

As for your grip, you should have your thumb pointing straight at the floor, 3 fingers gripping it strong but not choking and the pinky should loose, leaving you with full range of motion in your wrist.

Start there...just watch some pros around your local joints

edit: for straight shots, make sure you have a good solid stance, and get your body so your eyes are looking down the cue, much like you would aim a gun with. This will be difficult until you hammer out a consistent stroke, as that is what's going to cause the ball to go off...you might throw the ball if you don't strike it in the center.

 

[dbk]

I have trouble breaking...can't put enough power on it.

 

[aplefka]

Practice a lot, pool isn't too hard at a social level. Just keep losing to them and eventually you'll win just from fixing your mistakes.

 

[EvilYoda]

Originally posted by: bykim5
I have trouble breaking...can't put enough power on it.

Breaking isn't about power, necessarily...a solid strike, good follow through and proper placement are very important. In 8-ball, I usually break using a medium strength break...I don't like pounding the cue as hard as I can. In 9-ball, it's almost always a soft-break for me, with placement being very crucial.

But if you like a hard break, give yourself a stance where you can harness your body's momentum, so that you can almost swing your body weight into your shot, much like a golf swing. Follow through the ball, just don't scratch the felt...stopping right after you strike the ball is a bad idea for mechanics.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Practice. It really doesn't matter whether you use the O or the V. Make sure you hold the cue as level to the table as you possibly can. Make sure you get as low to the table as you can when you're shooting. Make sure to follow through. Oh and practice. Really good players don't really ahve to do anything above I just said but that's all because of practice.

 

[EvilYoda]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Practice. It really doesn't matter whether you use the O or the V. Make sure you hold the cue as level to the table as you possibly can. Make sure you get as low to the table as you can when you're shooting. Make sure to follow through. Oh and practice. Really good players don't really ahve to do anything above I just said but that's all because of practice.

And you must have an original Balabushka, or you're just second-rate

 

[iliopsoas]

make sure that your elbow is directly behind the cue stick, going in the direction of your stroke. If you have your elbow hanging to the side, you will have difficulties with striking the cue ball accurately. I see many people committing this mistake.

 

[LeetViet]

RELAX!

I tend to get nervous and mess up my angles.

 

[mobobuff]

Work on getting cue sticks to shadder just right when smacked on the edge of the table to form a sharp splintery menacing point for when people throw popcorn at you.

Pool doesn't involve THAT many logistics and calculations, your brain can handle it, just get a lot of practice. Your brain and body will adjust to how you play best. Gold Bond can do a lot for a straight-gliding cue. Don't forget to play defense as well as offense. If you have a tough shot but your opponent could easily run the table if you miss, just play some good defense and smack the cue ball behind the 8 or have it ride a bunker.

When you get the basics down, practice jump-shots, they DO come in handy. After you've got that down, go onto advance masse, controlling the path of the que ball can help you in setting up the next shot.

Oh, and I can teach you some trick shots to practice that can make you a couple bucks in a bar

 

[V00DOO]

Don't move you whole arm, just use your forearm with your elbow stationary when you shoot and follow your shot through. Put your chin right above the pool stick so you'll get a better view of where the ball is going. One more tip, don't pull your pool stick all the way back right before the shoot which I noticed a lot of new pool player tends to do. When you pull your stick too far back right before you'll misalign the que and the white ball which creates miss shot especially with straight shots.