Pull Back

[vish]

No matter how hard I try, the screw back i can achieve is very weak and is more of a stun shot that a screw back[-] If I try hard usually I hit the ball hard and sometimes it is a hopeless miscue or the cue ball jumps off the table [-] I tried to analyze and I always come back to the answer that my follow through is stunted and not free flowing [-] Any suggestions pl? I am desperate on this [-] Vish

[Deepscrew]

Less stab required i expect.

Try to pretend the all isnt there and cue through it. A stab will lead to stun as your finding.

[mattyshinobi22]

low bridge, level cueing at lowest you can on white ball, and like deepscrew says push cue straight through.
best place to practice this is putting the blue on it spot and the white in line with it potting into middepocket

most important part is follow through

[Terry Davidson]

vish:

Try a simple blue into the middle pocket with the cueball 1ft behind it, BUT grip the cue with just the very tip of the thumb and forefonger ONLY with the other 3 fingers curled up and off the cue. Do this carefully and with low power but hit the cueball right on the bottom at H1.5 on a scale of H1-H10. Once you get it without the miscue then increase the power until you are screwing the cueball back to the pocket underneath your body.

The go to the pink spot and do the same thing but off-set the pot to the top pocket so you aren't screwing back into the middle pocket.

Now move to your normal AND LOOSE grip. Your main problem is you are gripping the cue too tight and too early and not only decelerating through the cueball but also moving so the tip of the cue is rising or falling as you deliver and over-tighten the grip

Terry

[MasterBreak147]

I find that when people try and learn to screwback at first they seem to put the world into there shots, arms feet and shoulders, remember smooth action and less power you do not need to hit it hard to get a good amount of screw on a ball and most importantly as Deepscrew said no jabbing at the ball

[nrage]

No matter how hard I try, the screw back i can achieve is very weak and is more of a stun shot that a screw back[-] If I try hard usually I hit the ball hard and sometimes it is a hopeless miscue or the cue ball jumps off the table [-] I tried to analyze and I always come back to the answer that my follow through is stunted and not free flowing [-] Any suggestions pl? I am desperate on this [-] Vish

The first thing to realise is that you don't have to hit the ball hard to get decent screw. Terry proved this to me by having me play with the 360 pure cue, and holding the butt with only thumb and forefinger. Then with a 'normal' but overly loose grip and no 'effort' in the shot at all.

The weight of the cue itself, when moving with sufficient speed, does all the work. The grip, arm, shoulder and even wrist don't need to do anything but support the cue and make sure the tip strikes where needed.

Most problems with screwing the ball come down to hitting too high on the white as a result of a habit/cueing fault. Often due to tightening of the grip causing movement in the grip hand, resulting in tip movement, and so on. Tightening of the grip will also shorten the follow through and reduce cue speed, so it has 3 detrimental effects on screw.

- Set yourself up a short blue to the middle, or a short green (or yellow) to the corner.

- Cue ball on a slight angle, and about a foot (+1/2) away. The angle means you can stay down without moving while the white screws back past the cue (not into it).

- Get down on the shot, relax.

- Ensure the cue is as low/level as possible.

- Ensure the bridge is as low as possible without sacrificing stability.

- Ensure the cue tip is striking 1/2-1 cue tip width up from the cloth (so you can fit 1/2 - 1 cue tip /underneath/ your own tip), any lower increases the chances of a miscue. As you get more experience with it you can see just how low is possible with your own cue/tip/etc.

- Now, feather a few times to get a feel for it, relax, stop with the cue tip as close to the white as possible, ensure the tip is striking in the correct place still.

- Next, final pull back, and (unlike on a real shot where you look to the object ball) keep your eyes focused on the white and where you want to hit it. This helps you 'see' the strike and 'ensure' you're hitting the right place.

- Simply float the cue through the ball, by this I mean play right through the ball as if it's not even there, do not anticipate the cue contact with the white, do not tighten the grip, remain as loose as possible.

- Stay down on the shot and look at the cue. Did it strike the white where you intended. Did it end up laying on the cloth, how far past/through the white did you go?

I have had, and still occasionally have miscues like you mention yourself. In my case I believe it is because I tighten the grip and it causes all the effects I mentioned above. It's usually on a pressure shot and it's frustrating as hell.

[vish]

Terrry, will try this out on Sunday the 6th [-] right since i read your suggestion i have been eager to try it out but then our playing facility is 135 kms away and i play twice or thrice in a week [-] thank you and will let you know; rgrds, Vish

[vish]

Terrry, will try this out on Sunday the 6th [-] right since i read your suggestion i have been eager to try it out but then our playing facility is 135 kms away and i play twice or thrice in a week [-] thank you and will let you know; rgrds, Vish

[vish]

Nrage, i refer to the last part where you suggested looking at the CB while striking[-] you mean only as a workout or is it every time you play a screwback?? pl clarify[-] in any case, i can try this out on Sunday the 6th [-] right since i read your suggestion i have been eager to try it out but then our playing facility is 135 kms away and i play twice or thrice in a week [-] thank you and will let you know; rgrds, rgrds, Vish

[nrage]

Nrage, i refer to the last part where you suggested looking at the CB while striking[-] you mean only as a workout or is it every time you play a screwback?? pl clarify[-] in any case, i can try this out on Sunday the 6th [-] right since i read your suggestion i have been eager to try it out but then our playing facility is 135 kms away and i play twice or thrice in a week [-] thank you and will let you know; rgrds, rgrds, Vish

I meant only for this exercise/workout. You may be different, but I recommend the eyes being focused on object ball for the delivery of the cue under normal circumstances. Typically the eyes are on the white during the front pause (after feathers, before final pull back) and they move to the object ball then, or during the back pause (after final pull back, before stroke). I don't have a back pause, so I move my eyes during the front pause.