Use the chest to guide the cue or not?

[cyberheater]

Still tinkering with my technique

I'm wondering what the thinking is relative to using your chest to help guide the cue through straight vs not having the cue touch the chest and just relying on the pendulum motion of your cueing arm to ensue a straight delivery.

What are your thoughts.

[itsnoteasy]

Chest for me Cyber, doubt I could pot a thing without it.

[cyberheater]

Chest for me Cyber, doubt I could pot a thing without it.

Do you have it quite tight on the chest? And is the alignment roughly around your (don't laugh) nipple area and is the contact point on your chest quite large?

[itsnoteasy]

That's hard to say as everyone's idea of hard pressed is different, but I would say it's enough to feel it but not enough to affect it coming through, its a guide,it's more to stop it coming off line than to keep it on, it stops it coming into the chest, as I would guess if you are going to cue across the ball it will be the butt that gets pulled into the chest rather than away from the body, if that makes sense. The cue runs to the left of my nipple(I'm left handed) so to the right of it if your right handed , the last point I don't really know it's not something I have thought of, but I'd guess at around six inches.
I think all these points will vary slightly depends on your build and shape, and if you can get right down on the shot. Nic Barrow doesn't have the cue on his chest at all, and he's one of the top coaches so I don't think it's a must, but for me why not have all the help you can to get that cue coming through straight.

[cyberheater]

That's hard to say as everyone's idea of hard pressed is different, but I would say it's enough to feel it but not enough to affect it coming through, its a guide,it's more to stop it coming off line than to keep it on, it stops it coming into the chest, as I would guess if you are going to cue across the ball it will be the butt that gets pulled into the chest rather than away from the body, if that makes sense. The cue runs to the left of my nipple(I'm left handed) so to the right of it if your right handed , the last point I don't really know it's not something I have thought of, but I'd guess at around six inches. I think all these points will vary slightly depends on your build and shape, and if you can get right down on the shot.

Thanks for the information. Very useful.

Nic Barrow doesn't have the cue on his chest at all, and he's one of the top coaches so I don't think it's a must, but for me why not have all the help you can to get that cue coming through straight.

Which is funny because I've been looking at his videos and that's the thing I noticed and he cues very straight so was wondering if what i'm doing is wrong. I think you have a good point that the more you can aid your cue going through straight then the less that can go wrong.

[itsnoteasy]

All the points of contact , but especially the chest and chin will give you feedback on your cueing which is also a plus to having them, e.g you will feel the cue getting pulled into your chest, or it move off the "groove" in your chin , but the secret is to stay completely still and relaxed, just let the hand come through and let the cue do the work, easier said than done.

[cyberheater]

but the secret is to stay completely still and relaxed, just let the hand come through and let the cue do the work, easier said than done.

LOL. Yes. Very hard to have focus, really concentrate on a shot but manage to still remain calm and relaxed.

[justf]

Kelly brook would! (lucky cue that)

[denja]

A lot of top class pool players cue without the cue even touching the chest very upright position.

[Staezione]

When i look to certain shots off Judd Trump, i can see that his cue is bending when he takes the shot. Is this from pressing his cue against his points of contact or is it just the camera/angle that make it look like the cue is bending?

[Terry Davidson]

He bends the cue on chin and chest especially before a power shot and then relaxes it a bit for backswing and delivery. I think it's a habit he developed early on to ensure his cue was against chin and chest.

Terry

[rimmer10]

Still tinkering with my technique

I'm wondering what the thinking is relative to using your chest to help guide the cue through straight vs not having the cue touch the chest and just relying on the pendulum motion of your cueing arm to ensue a straight delivery.

What are your thoughts.

I think its very important to have your cue touching the chest. Not so much for a straight delivery but more for a level delivery. On the backswing sometimes you have to drop the elbow and if you haven't got your chest contact point as a reference it's too easy to forget to bring your elbow back up on delivery and therefore raise the tip of your cue. Watch Barry Hawkins, he is the perfect example for keeping the cue level by bringing the elbow back up on delivery.