Feathering

[Terry Davidson]

I've been working on it for a year now and am still missing that damn rear pause. I have all the rest I think but I'm going back to see Nic for a one-on-one in January to see if I can fine tune it all.

Good luck!!

Terry

[dpdubai]

I've been working on it for a year now and am still missing that damn rear pause. I have all the rest I think but I'm going back to see Nic for a one-on-one in January to see if I can fine tune it all.

Good luck!!

Terry

Thanks Terry as one of your growing TSF students I'll keep you informed of my progress and no doubt ask you further silly questions.

It's amazing how technical the game is, I wonder how many people can pick up a cue and get on ok but never reach their full potential because they dont think in the 3 dimensions of superior technique.

True most average players will digest the usual info from textbooks and develop a reasonable skill level but you can see the class oozing out of a pro's cue action and it's obviously practice but coupled with a fair amount of scientific theory which you are so kind to provide to the forum.

All the best to you and your coaching programme in Canada.

[dpdubai]

Terry,


Sorry when you say you've been working on it for a year do you mean the full action ie from loose grip, keepin head down, line of aim or just the backswing and rear pause?

[Terry Davidson]

dpdubai:

I guess you missed my first post on this. I went to Nic to get my Master Coach certificate and some one-on-one last September. In the one-on-one he came up with 11 separate flaws in my technique, including stance too narrow, too short backswing, much too quick backswing, way too tight grip, crooked delivery, upper body movement on the backswing and delivery, no rear pause and the list went on and on. (Some flaws were causing other problems too).

I've been working on all 11 items one-by-one for over a year now and I feel I have 10 of them cemented in BUT I STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET A COMPLETELY NATURAL REAR PAUSE (DAMMIT!).

I have been using my digital video camera and doing self-analysis and self-improvement now for a year and I figured it was time to go to both Nic and also Terry/Wayne Griffiths for a check-up and see where I am for sure from a well trained but unbiased eye.

EVERYONE NEEDS A COACH, EVEN THE COACH NEEDS A COACH!!

[saddler79]

dpdubai:

too short backswing,

Terry, ive read many of your posts on several topics around the board and all very helpful and are things I am implementing into my game but theres one thing i'm struggling to understand.

I have a relatively short backswing and have recently been trying to lengthen it which has been a true disaster so I have reverted back to my original game. Despite best efforts I simply couldnt hit a plain white ball and the amount of unwanted side I was getting was shocking. My question is, is what does a long backswing bring to your game?

Basic physics would suggest to me that a short backswing massively reduces the chances of delivering the cue offline (i.e much less distance for error). A similar principal would be moving the bridge hand closer to the tip to reduce the distance of cue beyond the pivot point (witin reason obviously!).

I can generate a good amount of screw or top from short and medium range pots although admittedly I struggle length of the table as most amateurs do. This is with a short backswing, long follow through, timing and loose grip.

Do you think there is enough importance on a long backswing for me to persist with trying to lengthen my backswing?

[brendan147]

Terry, ive read many of your posts on several topics around the board and all very helpful and are things I am implementing into my game but theres one thing i'm struggling to understand.

Ask him more. He is a true sincere and nice old man.

[brendan147]

Rear pause

I've been working on all 11 items one-by-one for over a year now and I feel I have 10 of them cemented in BUT I STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET A COMPLETELY NATURAL REAR PAUSE (DAMMIT!).

Terry,

Sorry for asking this, but are you trying to tell us that you don't have natural rear pause at all? It is just a split seconds thing right? I don't understand why this rear pause is really bothering you now. Does it effecting your final thrust badly?

Regards.

[kjozsa]

I think a longer backswing plain leaves place for slower, smoother acceleration to faster cue movement speeds without jerking.

[edemrulez]

I'm practising this nowdays...

[kjozsa]

My concerns are rather with the amount of err.. postswing? What's the correct term here? I know I should be watching my cue holding hand landing on my chest mainly, but I cannot stop thinking about my postswing being too long and this causing unwanted jerks in my cue movement.

As I watch professional players on TV, I see them pushing the cue straight and especially stopping it perfectly straight with no side movement at all at the stop. As I land my shoot, the cue always jerks at the end (moves to the left and the tip sometimes even look a bit shaking - I guess as I'm trying to stop the side movement to the left after the shot). I'd appreciate any hints trying to get rid of this habit..

Anyway, anyone already thought of getting Terry sponsored by TSF members and get him write a coaching book?

[Terry Davidson]

saddler:

A long backswing not only gives a player more flexibility in using power shots but it also promotes a smoother delivery and less jerking and upper-body movement. It is a definite advantage for a player who want to improve.

The length of the backswing should only be as long as a player can positively control it and draw the cue back PERFECTLY straight. No faster.

However, there's no reason why any player can't have a longer backswing as long as he has the correct set-up. From what you tell me I think you are setting up wrong and whatever you're doing is encouraging you to draw the cue back off-straight and thus the shorter you make your backswing the more consistent you are as the off-line movement is smaller.

To correctly set up, ensure your stance is stable but try these 2 very important points:

1. (Assuming your right-handed). Get your left shoulder over as far as you can to your left cheek. It should almost be touching the left cheek, BUT DON'T bring your head over to the left, ensure you bring your left shoulder to the right. One thing that helps with this is a straighter bridge (left) arm. This has the effect of twisting the upper spine and raising the RIGHT shoulder and getting it more behind the head which also raises the right elbow up a bit. These are all good things.

2. Bring your cue more into your chest BUT NOT HARD INTO THE CHEST. Do this by dropping your chest down to the cue and NOT by lifting the cue up to the chest. The cue should be just lightly touching the chest, which provides a fourth body contact point for the cue and makes for a better 'channel' for the cue to travel in (this is a Del Hill thing).

If you take a look at all the top pros or good amateur players you will see their left shoulder is usually almost right against their left cheek and you can't see their right shoulder as it's hidden by their head. This also has the effect of bringing the right elbow directly above the cue which is also a good thing.

Try 'shooting the spots' with your left arm straighter and your left shoulder over to the right and also the cue touching your chest. In my case I found I cued much straighter and my long potting improved IMMEDIATELY!!! I'm able to shoot the spots at any pace/power and the cueball comes back right up the centre.

The exercise I do each morning is this: Place the black ball on the centre-line of the table mid-way between the pink and blue spots and then place 6 reds on each side of the black in a line across the table. The balls should be about 3in apart with the last one about 6in from the side cushion on each side. Cueball in hand on either side of the table, place it so you have a COMFORTABLE hand-on-the-table straight-in pot to the open top pocket.

Start with the cueball about 3ft behind the black and dead-in, for the next red move the cueball towards the baulkline but still have a dead-in shot with hand on table and hip not touching table. By the time you get to the 2nd red on one side you should be able to place the cueball on the baulkline for your dead-in pot and keep it there until you start on the other side of the table.

There are 13 balls and if you can do this exercise in 20 attempts then there's nothing wrong with your long potting (as you get to the balls nearer the cushion it gets much more difficult). I usually miss about 9-14 times or somewhere between 22 to 27 attempts (my long potting was actually a lot worse before I moved my left shoulder into my cheek).

Try it once you get a little longer and straighter backswing. Just stun the cueball, don't do anything exotic. Also, your success rate will depend on how tight the top pockets are too, so bear that in mind. Mine are at IBSF template width or maybe slightly larger.

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

kj:

My post to saddler will also fix (or should) fix your end-of-delivery movement (to the left I'd bet as I had EXACTLY the same thing).

Straighten the left arm and get the left shoulder over to the cheek and then get the cue more into the chest by dropping the chest, NOT raising the cue but ensure your right elbow is as high as it comfortably can be.

This solved my problems at the end of delivery and improved my long potting at least 100% immediately I got it

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

brendan:

What's this 'old man' crap? I feel like I'm 20 but of course the girls don't agree with me anymore it seems

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

My lack of a rear pause is costing me improvement. A rear pause definitely helps a player to drive the cue through to his chest more consistently and helps prevent upper-body movement caused by the quick change in direction.

It also serves to disconnect any faults in the backswing from the delivery of the cue.

I want it and dammit I will get it!!! (or die trying)

Terry

[saddler79]

Many thanks Terry. I'm a lefty so i'll work on getting the right shoulder tucked closer to my head and a straighter right arm. Seems logical actually, trying to get the body more over the cue and thus in line.

I think i'll work on gradually increasing the the length of my backswing so I can see gradual improvement. Strange that the follow through cue movement has been brought up, I tend to push the cue through to the left more often than I would like so i'll also be keeping an eye on this.

'Shooting the spots' seems a good starting point for me as I increase my backswing.

Once again thanks for the reply. Been a long time since I set my highest break now and I really want to start challenging it again!