Del hill's chest contact

[jonnylovessn8ker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSK4w_9S_x0

Can someone explain to me why the chest contact is so important?

I'm trying to follow his points, but found that my cue only makes contacts with the chest when I am drawing back or feathering.

Also, how do I know that by placing the cue by the chest I am on the line of aim?

[hotpot]

The chest is used an aid for straight cueing and if you use it the cue should contact it at all times throughout the shot , this does not mean or guarantee that you are on the line of aim , you still have to find that .

[jonnylovessn8ker]

should the cue still be in contact with me chin and chest while striking the cue ball and/or following through?

[hotpot]

Yes muck until the shot is completed , easier said than done though .

[Theflyernow]

Yup, just helps keep the cue on line when you strike the ball!!

[merlin1234]

I've been having a go with it and I'm not that sure about it. It seems to make me cue down rather than at a flatter angle. Also, while it keeps the cue moving on the same plane, you're bracing a round object against another round object and I find that on longer/harder strikes it's easy for the cue to roll off slightly at the end of the backswing.

I'm also a bit unsure about the physics of it. I mean, the cue is fatter at one end, and surely the idea is to keep the centre of the cue on a directly strainght line, rather than the topmost surface, which is straight but not parallel with the centre of the cue.

[JackCannon3]

I know a fair few decent players who dont even get fully down to there cue, I always have contact with chin and chest not somting iv lernt just hapend when my dad told me to get my chin on cue when i was a kid..

[lennon11]

The key is....chest to cue not cue to chest,otherwise all sorts of problems cueing across the ball will occur.

[merlin1234]

Just thinking about it, I suppose it's really about the fact that your chest has a very limited range of movement relative to your chin, much less than any other two of the points of contact relative to each other.

Or to put it the other way, there's no comparable guarantee of straightness maintaining hands and chin contact only because your hands have a much larger range of mobility than your chest in a conventional stance.

[CoachGavin]

Its not essential to cue across the chest but it does give you another reference point. The main thing to remember as someone said is that you place the cue down on the line of aim and then place your body (and chest) to the cue. If you find you are striking down on the white then to me you are not placing the cue down first. Some coaches such as Nic Barrow do not believe the cue should brush the chest. I think it should but only lightly. This gives a margin for error for the cue as it gets narrower and wider etc. I hope that helps.

[Theflyernow]

I had some coaching with Del Hill a couple of years ago, & the 'chest to cue' was brought up regularly as part of the pre shot routine!! I actually did do this, but without realising, but now understand the principle behind it & think it's right, but just my opinion!

[merlin1234]

Yes thanks, that makes a lot of sense.

I was definitely doing things a bit backwards. Might need to bend my straight leg a bit to make it easier to get down.

[jonnylovessn8ker]

The thing is, prior to watching the clip, i am not aware that i have made any contact on the chest, i may have had but it wasnt a conscious effort. Now that i have wqtched it, it got me thhinking and i have given it a go. So far as mentioned, i have been making chest contact while the cue is drawn back, and it does seem to help with cueing, and it confirms to myself that i am cueing in my intended position. It seem to have helped the most when theres contact during the pause.

What is the difference between chest to cue and cue to chest??

[Theflyernow]

My interpretation is that with chest to cue......you line the cue up with the shot then lean down over it, & the other way, your already down, then pull the cue in to the chest, thus, possibly, mis-aligning the shot...........if you know what I mean??

[CoachGavin]

yeah, if you start pulling your cue to your chest you will pull it off the line you have chosen in order to meet up with the chest and therefore cue across the shot. If you place your chest to the cue then the cue stays online throughout the pre shot routine and stance etc.