Playing like the Pros?

[Particle Physics]

I've been playing around today with a new grip. Often, as you imply, the closed forefinger grip can get in the way, become too forceful, and throw the cue offline, at least in my experience. One way I've found today, to remove this problem and increase power, is to adopt the grip one has at the end of the shot, at the start of the shot, with most of the hand in contact with the cue. In my case, the forefinginger second joint protrudes a bit compared to those of the other finger. My thumb palm is flat on the cue, and the heel of the hand just touches the bottom right top corner of the butt, while the little finger tip just touching the underside of the cue. V down the middle of course. There's a lot of contact on the chamfer.

With this grip, the cue hand is quite forward, not perpendicular; the forearm makes an obtuse angle to the table. The forefinger and thumb point point forwards, not down. The back fingers open and feather easily, but aren't as open on the feathers as a regular grip, it's quite a minimal grip for what's involved in actual movement. It's a shorter travel on the shot, but because the cue hand is inclined, appears to slip through the cue ball. The 2nd and 3rd fingers do the work. On the pool table, I've generated amazing power. Power is grand, because the more cue hand power you have, the less the tendency to do an Alex Higgins and get the arm, shoulder and everything else into the shot to get the cue ball moving. I'm sure some folk must use this grip. I need to try it on a snooker table as a proper test. What's your opinion Terry?

[Terry Davidson]

particle:

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have 'discovered' either the ROS or Alex Higgins grip with the exception that it sounds like you don't have a wrist cock so the cue butt is not directly below the straight bone in the forearm.

In the address position the 2nd finger is doing most of the gripping or holding, with less pressure on the 3rd finger and a little more less pressure with the baby finger, however the baby finger SHOULD NOT be wrapped around the butt unless you have aproblem with a wrist turn on delivery and have decided to start in the address position in the exact configuration as you have at the end of the delivery. This grip is difficult to maintain and you will have to use it for around 2 weeks of steady play to see if you are actually benefiting from it or not.

Higgins did this and used this grip pretty effectively until he got a little older and then he couldn't cooordinate if effectively.

One check you can do is in the address position with this grip check on where your chevrons are and then at the end of the delivery check and ensure the chevrons haven't turned to the right at all. If they haven't then stick with it. If they have turned, even one millitmeter then you had better consider getting a wrist cock in your grip

Terry

[Particle Physics]

particle:

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have 'discovered' either the ROS or Alex Higgins grip with the exception that it sounds like you don't have a wrist cock so the cue butt is not directly below the straight bone in the forearm.

In the address position the 2nd finger is doing most of the gripping or holding, with less pressure on the 3rd finger and a little more less pressure with the baby finger, however the baby finger SHOULD NOT be wrapped around the butt unless you have aproblem with a wrist turn on delivery and have decided to start in the address position in the exact configuration as you have at the end of the delivery. This grip is difficult to maintain and you will have to use it for around 2 weeks of steady play to see if you are actually benefiting from it or not.

Higgins did this and used this grip pretty effectively until he got a little older and then he couldn't cooordinate if effectively.

One check you can do is in the address position with this grip check on where your chevrons are and then at the end of the delivery check and ensure the chevrons haven't turned to the right at all. If they haven't then stick with it. If they have turned, even one millitmeter then you had better consider getting a wrist cock in your grip

Terry

Great advice as usual T. I will try it tonight, and see if it makes a difference. I've got my cue marked on top with a cross hair, dead centred using a measuring device (to avoid any unwanted rotation due to any chevrons being slightly off centre, just in case) to make sure I'm not too long on bridge to ball and I'm keeping the cue central throughout feathers and shot. With this grip, the feathers are a mere shuffle, there really isn't much happening. I still keep my forefinger wrapped around the cue unlike Alex, but it's quite loose, which is important I think? I've also tried the one were the forearm bone is directly above the butt, and the hand heel sits on the chamfer, and I'll try that on the snooker table tonight as well, wrist cocked - lol!

[LittleMissAlexa]

surely the best cue action to copy would be steve lee's