Factory reset

[jonny66]

Almost. Place your right foot on the line of aim and then drop the head STRAIGHT DOWN and at the same time move the bridge hand over behind the cueball WITHOUT looking at the cueball until you are down in the address position.

Also, what you are saying here about the cue on the chest and then as you backswing it goes off line. Unless your chest and upper body is moving to the left and up (very common) or else you're taking a breath or expelling a breath which still means the chest is moving. If you keep the cue in reasonably tight contact with the chest the cue will be held in a 'channel' of 4 points, bridge, chin, chest and grip (the chin can be above the cue though if that's more comfortable). You MUST bring the chest to the cue, DO NOT pull the cue up into the chest.

A little exercise for you to confirm this. Place a ball centered on the baulkline as an OBJECT ball. Now get into your address position so the cue is right on top of the baulkline but be close enough to the object ball that you will not hit it but come reasonably close to the ball. Try cueing along the baulkline and watch the ferrule during the backswing and delivery but do the first ones VERY slow and remember to KEEP THE CUE ON THE CHEST AT ALL TIMES. When you complete your delivery leave the cue extended and check and see that the tip is centered exactly on the cueball.

Keep the backswing slow and deliberate but increase the delivery until you are at full power and confirm you are still centered on the object ball. If you are not centered then something has moved as long as you kept the shaft of the cue on the chest during both backswing and delivery.

Little question Terry. If you get down on the shot, looking at the object ball all the way, then when you flick to the cue ball the cue is pointing to the side of the cue ball when you wanted it centre, do you get up and reset, or just move the bridge and cue over a little?

[Terry Davidson]

Little question Terry. If you get down on the shot, looking at the object ball all the way, then when you flick to the cue ball the cue is pointing to the side of the cue ball when you wanted it centre, do you get up and reset, or just move the bridge and cue over a little?

Most players would just correct the bridge alignment (like myself because I'm lazy) but you should actually get up and re-set. With practice and experience in setting up the same way all the time I find I don't need to look at the cueball as I'm getting down and it's very rare these days that I am off-centre on the cueball. I have found when I'm using side I do have to adjust the bridge sometimes.

Another time I will look at the cueball for some reason is when the balls are close together. I don't know why that happens, maybe I'm afraid I'll cue up on the object ball and foul. The cueball will still be in your peripheral vision anyway.