Great question! I taught a friend of mine how to draw and he had the same question. The cool thing is, I recorded it. Check out this video - ruclips.net/user/shortsBtt-NVobEjM?si=YnbEb3rmmweEf4MZ
I love your demeanor, and your voice. They seem to be perfect for giving pool instruction via video. I don’t teach follow through, I teach smooth acceleration of the tip through the cue ball contact point. Seems like that is the new trend now and I’ve been teaching it since the 70s
@@silvercue9625 The best follow through drill I've ever seen or tried is probably the most fun. Just shoot long straight shots with the cue ball a few fee from the object ball. Practice hitting top center of the cue so that you follow the object ball into the pocket for a scratch. As you get better change the distance and angle of the object ball and shot. It's fun because you can count how many shots you make and see the result of follow through as the cue ball accelerates forward after contact. It took maybe 500 balls for me to completely change my stroke. Abought 2 easy nights of practice. Now before any night of play I hit 2 or 3 racks this way just to groove my stroke before I warm up.
Open bridge, pull your index finger back tight against your thumb but keeping it straight and hold it tight like your holding onto a rope that your life depends on. 41 years of playing pool and still learning new things. Agree with you except for the follow through on a shot that close using draw. I know you shot the cue just off center and the cue pulled back and right. I was taught by Al Kokalas years ago how to shoot moving the cue ball as little as possible. He taught me how to hit my object ball hit a rail and literally rock the cue ball off the rail less than an hairs width away from the rail to leave the opponent a tough shot if we didn’t have a good shot for him to continue with our next shot. I miss him, he’s been gone a long time, Jeff Dovinsky taught me side pocket shots. The first time I met Jeff at Sunshine Liquors on Okeechobee Rd in Ft Pierce, He said women aren’t allowed to play pool…come here let me show you something and I still play at 68 and I am still learning and improving my game. Al and I shot Scotch Mixed Doubles and he wanted to back me to go pro but I had young children and I will be in church on Sunday of at all possible not shooting pool.
From someone who's been playing pool about 40 years, this is some excellent advice. Just getting back in to pool, I've noticed myself doing most of these things. Thanks for your effort.
I went to teach a very green player and I had trouble as he is 7 inches shorter than me and I shoot differently. I thought him some stuff but he is from Japan and maybe only played a couple times in his life.
About the moving and jumping up on the shot. I was once told to shoot with my ears! What he meant was do the shot and wait until you hear the object ball fall before you move. "Sounds" kind of odd but it will keep you down on the shot!
While this technique 'sounds' like it could help, there are a significant amount of shots that a dropped ball isn't the desired outcome...~~Just me, RD
I was taught somewhere along my hustling and getting hustled journey of pool, to stay down till you see the ball go in the pocket. When I’ve made tough shots it really works often! I was battling an experienced one pocket player this week and made a straight back bank on my pocket left handed! I’m naturally right, but not staying down is the main flaw I see with players.
Solid advice right here from this guy. Been shooting for 20 years, half of that in an in-house league at my local pool hall. I've seen it all there, from rack-runners to first-timers and EVERYONE falls prey to this stuff. The difference is in knowledge: the people running racks KNOW what they're "supposed" to do, even if they sometimes forget it or aren't paying attention to it in the moment. But amateurs like me? Lots of us have never been taught what we're supposed to do in the first place! If I could give this vid more than one like, I would.
All are correct. Unstable bridge, not following through, and popping up all ADD variables to the stroke mechanism. Removing all of these WILL make your stroke mechanism more accurate than it was. Understand that it will not give you a 100% perfect stroke, but it will 100% make your stroke more accurate than it was. Good tips. Good video. Short, clear, and concise.
Great video I do all three Being from Taylor Michigan and growing up with a pool table but no instructions Joined a league and my pool journey has begun!
Your absolutely right on. No matter how much progress I make these bad habits make there way back in. When I'm tiered they usually come back. Developing a preshot routine is a must to be consistent. I'm a year in and still struggling to maintain one. It's the simple things that kill our game
Thank you. I really appreciated you making this video.. All 3 of those are things ive been told about from better players and I work to improve on them still.
Very good post Josh! Coming back to basic fundamentals seems to be necessary at all levels as we progress. I asked a friend ( fargo 709 ) if he could give me one tip that might help my game. ( I'm fargo 540 ). He said make sure the bridge hand is solid. Press down on the table and stabilize the bridge. A pro in Vegas told me to follow through. ( I thought I was? ). I asked what's one thing pros do that amateurs don't. He said pros use the rails extensively. Sometimes 4 rails around to get the best shape.
Thanks, Josh. These are simple mistakes I make. Your tips will make my game today unbeatable! 😁 Saying "stay still" to myself will help a lot. 😁 😁 I would really appreciate many more tips like this. 😁 😁 😁
Another way to practice your follow-through is to put a piece of tape or a rubber band on your shaft where your bridge hand should normally end up. On every shot, you should strive to reach that mark. One thing to note, the more practice one gets, the more comfortable on the table one becomes and the easier good habits come.
Really nicely explained. As an amateur, I tend to do all of these things. I’ve never heard of flat palming before and I’ve watched TONS of tutorials before. Subscribed! Thanks, brutha. 🫡
I tell players that I help to stay down until they either make or miss the shot. Goes for safeties as well you either make the safety or you miss it. If you have ever shot a rifle or pistol you stay absolutely still during the shot. Your forearm is the trigger finger so just focus on the contact point and a smooth transition. Your game is getting stronger as well! Keep up the good work!
Great video and all valid points. To review - stable bridge, still body and head, follow thru stroke. So here's the thing - you can't think about all of those while you're shooting and still make a shot. Too much clutter in the mind. Here's a better approach. Focus on what TO do rather than what NOT to do. Imagine your cue is hanging on a long thin fragile wire that's stretched across the room. The wire runs thru the center of your tip and thru the cue and out the center of the rubber bumper. Make it a rule while you're shooting and immediately after your shot that the cue must not damage that fragile wire by moving off line. After that the only other thing is the follow thru. For that you imagine a spot past the cue ball where the cue will come to rest after the shot. So when you shoot you intend to literally toss the cue down the wire and the tip into a space that is beyond the cue ball. You need to visualize where the cue will finish and your stroke should be nothing more than going from point A to point B. How hard you toss is how hard you shoot. But your motion needs to be simple and pure. So if you focus on keeping your cue on line and finishing online and focus on throwing the cue tip to the point past the ball - all those other things like not moving and having a stable bridge automatically happen because you're focused on doing one thing as opposed to not doing three things. Add a loose grip to the mix and watch the magic happen. Resignation is also a big part of this mindset. Don't anticipate the hit and don't anticipate the object ball going into a pocket. You have to resign yourself to whatever happens after your stroke. After you stroke you need to become a spectator and just pay careful attention to what happens. But this is how you're supposed to cue a ball every time you shoot and for every type of shot.
It's like playing Whack-A-Mole at Chuck E Cheese when a room full of players keeps popping up as they shoot. Just hilarious sometimes. BUT we all started out with tons of bad habits! My habit is to stay down until all the balls on the table stop moving and the tip of my cue at the end of my stroke just touching the cloth. Its taken years and I still mess up. I work with several players on thier stroke and this video will be shared with them. Thanks for another great video Josh! See you in Orlando!
If you use very high engish then its ok to make a finger tip bridge. For me its the only way to strike to cue ball at the very top. Mike Segal and others do this bridge when using high english
Thank you found myself in that same exact situation I grew up shooting pool and I just now am learning the professional way of shooting keep going man you are doing good
This is a great starting point for starting to teach newer players man. I harp on these 3 exact things to my guys all the time!!!! Very cool to put it all together in a slick video. And props for showing the $hitty follow through when you were demonstrating a bridge, then coming back to show it when talking about follow-through!!!! 💯💯💯💯
I can see your a good shooter. You have these three correct, because I am still making these same mistakes, after 50 years of playing Billards. Keep up the good teachings. Sam
@@samuelpoleson thanks, Sam! Also, just because I know these doesn't mean I always apply them. I'm an amature and still learning and honing my skills also! I appreciate you watching!
I would really appreciate you showing us how to play a long pot when the natural angle is also sending the cue ball into the opposite top pocket. How do you make sure of avoiding the in off ?. Many thanks. (Liked and Subscribed)
Hey Josh, I rarely comment and if I do I'm usually pretty snotty. But you nailed it. I went out and did the palm press and the robot arm and I noticed a difference right away. Thanks for the tip and good luck with your channel.
Great video! New subbie! I see so many people make these mistakes. I even pop up from time to time if I’m unsure or uncomfortable with a shot, especially a hard, long shot. Otherwise I stay down until the ball reaches the pocket.
Great advice to straighten your back leg to avoid "popping up" during your stroke. It most certainly is difficult to continue this bad habit when you take the "spring" in your knees out of the equation.
Another great way to learn to stay down after your shot is to practice hitting the cue ball spot to spot and have it come back and hit your cue tip. Be sure to watch the cue ball as it goes down the table and comes back.
I did notice that when I tightened my bridge, I ran a table and didn't miss. A friend of mine told me that you have to come up with a style or routine when you play. Like in the NBA Reggie Miller and Cartwright had an unorthodox style of play, but they were consistent and made it work. One of them would circle the basketball before every shot but it worked out for him. The other one moved it left and right before every shot. I was also told by some great players to do 3 pauses on all your shots. When the pool tip is next to the cue ball count 1 2 3. When you pull back, you pause on the back swing and count 1 2. and when you follow through you stay down and count 1 2 3 4. He also said that pro players have a slower swing. Beginner and intermediate players swing fast. What I used to do to stay down every time is say to myself "go down, stay down". Kind of the same idea of where you do all the work to get extremely low on each shot and it takes a lot of work to step back up or jump up. The one thing you didn't mention is how a lot of players do an elbow drop that screws up their game. I was told to eliminate that elbow drop to better your game. What I do is tense my back shoulder and neck to eliminate that elbow drop and it has made me play better. Aka stroke correcter. Thanks for all your information that you share and I wish I could play you one day.
@@Amateur_Pool Tomorrow I play APA 8 ball and 9 ball at Brewski's (formerly known as Tilted Kilt) in Bolingbrook Illinois. I am a 5 in 8 ball and a 6 in 9 ball. I am the guy on the team who has to play the highest players on the other teams so I have to up my game some more.
Another thing you can do in practice to help you get used to staying down on the shot is to have someone stand behind you and hold a cue butt an inch or so above your head while you are down on the shot so that if you jump up on it, you whack your head against the cue butt. Then when you get used to staying down you no longer need this method, especially as you cannot really use it anytime other than in practice. You can also when down on the shot say the word 'back' to yourself in your head when on the back part of your final backswing and then say the word 'hit' as you make contact with the cue ball, which can help you stay focussed on timing the cue making contact with the cue ball and can help you stay down.
@@veronicahawthorne3452 I cannot claim it as my own idea and it is from an author called W. Timothy Gallwey/Timothy Gallwey who wrote a series of books called The Inner Game of ___________. One was called The Inner Game of Tennis where the method used was 'bounce' and then 'hit' for whenever the opponent returned the tennis ball and you would say the word 'bounce' if the ball landed on the court on your side of the net and say 'hit' when you made contact when returning it. The idea being not to fill your head with several technical thoughts, as well as to be looking at the ball as it contacts your racket strings, rather than looking away to see where the ball would be heading before you had even hit it and risked making a bad contact. The Inner Game of Golf was another, where you used saying the 'back' and 'hit' method at the end of your backswing and when the club head makes contact with the golf ball, so as again not to fill your head with several technical thoughts and to also be looking down at the ball to say 'hit' at the point of contact, meaning that you are not prematurely raising your head on the shot to see the flight of your ball. I just thought the back/hit method could possibly work for cue sports too.
i see a lot of players that are decent but have the flaw where they will aim center ball for every shot and then dip as they stroke to get draw, or drop their elbow/shoulder to add top. While it may work sometimes, it is definitely not reliable. They always complain that they didnt get any draw and only got a stop shot when trying to draw for position. it's hard to get them to believe their flaw in a lot of these cases, I'm going to have to start slow-mo recording their stroke to show them i guess... lol.. also, a lot of people just bridge too far away from the cue ball and wonder why their accuracy is inconsistent. It's like a good golf swing, really. Just repeat the same motions every time and youll be a good player! One thing you can do to help the movement issue is to just learn to not move after your stroke until the cue ball stops or the ball is pocketed, of course making sure to get out of the way if a ball is coming at you lol... Keep up the good content sir!
Another tip on staying down is to count to 3 after your shot. Actually watch the ball drop before moving. Helps with getting to know the table as well.
#2 & #3 are big for me. I've improved a lot... But my fundamentals can kill me from time to time. I'm too inconsistent. One day... I can't run balls together... Bad fundamentals.The next day... I beat a 652 6-5 in 8 ball with great fundamentals. So I agree with this. Those are big! I agree.
My favorite bridge hand ever is Corey Deuel's when he makes a closed bridge, but he floats his palm and is entirely on his fingertips haha, I guess with insane talent and practice hours you can make it work.
@@Amateur_Pool you have to wonder how much better he could be with textbook technique from day 1; also his fingers bend like crazy so he's got more surface area on the table than typical people.
Great tips, been doing them for years. I think it is because I started with snooker and not pool that is why I never got into these bad habits you pointing out. Next time, either cue or stick and not cue stick, it's like saying stick stick, just a joke..😂
Additional tip for both of his points 2 and 3: After taking your shot, stay frozen as if you are a statue, until all balls stop rolling, or you have to move to prevent a ball hitting your cue. Watch pros shoot, and you'll see that lots of them do this.
What about Efron. The GOAT. I have noticed his extreme body movements after a lot of his shots. He even is up and leaning towards where he wants the ball to go. ??
Yup, Yep & Yes. When I look over at some guys bridges, they look like a house of springs, not the Legos. Relax and build that digital bridge to suit the head gods of Easter Island. Make with the freight train tunnel. Some cats even bridge with the stick just hovering around under a Venice Beach gang sign..
What a great question.. this seems to be a debate lately. I always look at the hit point on the object ball, but I know other people look at the cue ball. I think there's a case to be made for both ways
That depends on what is preventing you from running out. If you're missing shots, you want to practice shot making (stroke) drills (like this one ruclips.net/user/shortsan-Z7mPzi14?feature=share ). If you're having trouble shaping, run cue ball control drills (like this one ruclips.net/user/shorts560jyILyCxM?feature=share ). If it's pattern play that's messing you up, throw up 5-6 balls and think about the pattern before you start running out. I also have several "pattern play" videos on my channel that can help you get into the right mindset of thinking about your patterns. Good luck!
Omg i struggle some much being sure to follow through. Sometimes I do but most time I don't ,so I be having self talks to myself make sure to follow through 😅
going to sound stupid, but in practice, try closing your eyes just before stroking. it's very easy to stay down (not pop up) and stroke through the ball while your eyes are closed. repeat that over and over and your body will relax more during the stroke until it becomes muscle memory. feels real good to close em on your final back stroke, stay down and listen until the object ball falls in the pocket before you open your eyes then stand up.
doesn't sound stupid at all! Closing your eyes tricks your brain into not knowing when you will hit the cue ball, thus eliminating the "clench up." I've actually showed this in a shorts reels before. It's also how I show newer players to get draw on the cue ball. Great stuff!
I always used a closed loop finger tip bridge for following. Never really noticed bridge movement. Just become a habit. I’ll have to give the other way a shot to see how it is.
if you can stabilize it, great! There's just too much room for movement, in my opinion, when you're on your fingertips. Especially when you shoot with speed.
@@Amateur_Pool yeah going to go practice today. Fall leagues are coming up. See how I do with hand on table follow shot. Because that’s only what I noticed when I use it. Finger tips for following
A question Josh , if you have your bridge hand flat on the table how do you put top spin on the cue Ball????? Tip is low Angle is downward !!!!! Please explain
Oh thank God... He isn't saying I can't use an open bridge. I hate when people say using an open bridge is a mistake, that's just not true. The suggestion on the bridge was great!
For sure! You can use any type of bridge you want, but you just want it to be stable. For newer players especially, a fingertip bridge tends to move around a lot more.
Oddly enough when i shoot closed bridge I much prefer from the finger tips. Have no Idea why. I twist my wrist down which steadies my bridge. When i shoot open bridge which is most of the time I have as much of my palm on that table. I like the closed bridge because it exxagerates the english I'm trying to use. It doesn't cause me to miss. I was going to miss anyway. My biggest flaw in stroking is sometimes i will accidentally twist my cue hand which messes everything up.
average pool players at bars fully grip the buttend of the cue,i cradle the buttend with my first 2 fingers with limp wrist,the only time you fully grip the buttend when you break
I knew a player who only bridged half of the time, he would hold the stick and lay it on the rail and stroke and hit the cue ball…He would bridge if the cue ball was close to the rail or in front of a ball…He could run a table ten games of eight ball
I am an 82 year old man who hasn’t played pool in about 50 years. I recently started playing and have difficulty with long shots and shots with the object ball frozen on the rail. One major problem is that I have a tremor which makes my cue hand shake. I use a closed bridge so that hand is stable. I can’t shoot over a ball due to my shaking. If I drink two or three beers the tremor is significantly reduced but the beer has other disadvantages. Any suggestions? My expectations are reasonable in that I will never attain an APA rating. I liked your video and I have done the three no-nos you mentioned.
Hello, perhaps these thoughts can help you as they have me. weight added to the wrist can significantly reduce the effect of tremors on stroke, think large wrist watch or large link worlds best grandpop, or in my case dad, bracelet - so players in the handicaps divisions wear actual exercise weights to calm tremors to except able levels. Good luck, play strong
@@gtm131 Thank you. I have added weight to my Quebec cue which seems to help some. Can you suggest any drills that will help develop a straight stroke and help pocket balls in 8 ball?
I appreciate you reaching out and love the fact that you're looking to play the best game that you can! I myself have a muscle disorder (myotonia congenita) that makes my muscles stiff, and sometimes in a weakened state. That actually has a similar effect. I have slight tremors when I first get down to shoot a shot. In my case, after a stroke or 2, my muscles relax and the tremors go away. I don't really have any good ideas for fixing this, but both of the people who replied have good ideas that I think could help (arm weights as well as smoking some weed, or taking an edible). I wish you all the best and appreciate you watching my videos! Best of luck to you, good sir!
Hey Josh I agree with you on the follow through with your stick but can cause the cue ball to comeback and hit your cue resulting in a foul hit?
Great question! I taught a friend of mine how to draw and he had the same question. The cool thing is, I recorded it. Check out this video - ruclips.net/user/shortsBtt-NVobEjM?si=YnbEb3rmmweEf4MZ
I love your demeanor, and your voice. They seem to be perfect for giving pool instruction via video.
I don’t teach follow through, I teach smooth acceleration of the tip through the cue ball contact point.
Seems like that is the new trend now and I’ve been teaching it since the 70s
That would be true only if you hit the ball below center, creating a draw shot.
@@silvercue9625 The best follow through drill I've ever seen or tried is probably the most fun. Just shoot long straight shots with the cue ball a few fee from the object ball. Practice hitting top center of the cue so that you follow the object ball into the pocket for a scratch. As you get better change the distance and angle of the object ball and shot. It's fun because you can count how many shots you make and see the result of follow through as the cue ball accelerates forward after contact. It took maybe 500 balls for me to completely change my stroke. Abought 2 easy nights of practice. Now before any night of play I hit 2 or 3 racks this way just to groove my stroke before I warm up.
Open bridge, pull your index finger back tight against your thumb but keeping it straight and hold it tight like your holding onto a rope that your life depends on. 41 years of playing pool and still learning new things. Agree with you except for the follow through on a shot that close using draw. I know you shot the cue just off center and the cue pulled back and right. I was taught by Al Kokalas years ago how to shoot moving the cue ball as little as possible. He taught me how to hit my object ball hit a rail and literally rock the cue ball off the rail less than an hairs width away from the rail to leave the opponent a tough shot if we didn’t have a good shot for him to continue with our next shot. I miss him, he’s been gone a long time, Jeff Dovinsky taught me side pocket shots. The first time I met Jeff at Sunshine Liquors on Okeechobee Rd in Ft Pierce, He said women aren’t allowed to play pool…come here let me show you something and I still play at 68 and I am still learning and improving my game. Al and I shot Scotch Mixed Doubles and he wanted to back me to go pro but I had young children and I will be in church on Sunday of at all possible not shooting pool.
From someone who's been playing pool about 40 years, this is some excellent advice. Just getting back in to pool, I've noticed myself doing most of these things. Thanks for your effort.
Good job👍
Thank you! So glad that you're getting back into the game
I went to teach a very green player and I had trouble as he is 7 inches shorter than me and I shoot differently. I thought him some stuff but he is from Japan and maybe only played a couple times in his life.
About the moving and jumping up on the shot. I was once told to shoot with my ears! What he meant was do the shot and wait until you hear the object ball fall before you move. "Sounds" kind of odd but it will keep you down on the shot!
While this technique 'sounds' like it could help, there are a significant amount of shots that a dropped ball isn't the desired outcome...~~Just me, RD
"sounds" like pretty okay advice (i see what you did there)! LOL... good stuff, Dave!
I was taught somewhere along my hustling and getting hustled journey of pool, to stay down till you see the ball go in the pocket. When I’ve made tough shots it really works often! I was battling an experienced one pocket player this week and made a straight back bank on my pocket left handed! I’m naturally right, but not staying down is the main flaw I see with players.
@@joshmiller8192 100%... that and bridge!
I watch every shot go to the pocket when I can. I can see where my shots go down to the centimeter. It really helps
Solid advice right here from this guy. Been shooting for 20 years, half of that in an in-house league at my local pool hall. I've seen it all there, from rack-runners to first-timers and EVERYONE falls prey to this stuff. The difference is in knowledge: the people running racks KNOW what they're "supposed" to do, even if they sometimes forget it or aren't paying attention to it in the moment. But amateurs like me? Lots of us have never been taught what we're supposed to do in the first place!
If I could give this vid more than one like, I would.
@@Dimlhugion thank you!!
All are correct. Unstable bridge, not following through, and popping up all ADD variables to the stroke mechanism. Removing all of these WILL make your stroke mechanism more accurate than it was. Understand that it will not give you a 100% perfect stroke, but it will 100% make your stroke more accurate than it was. Good tips. Good video. Short, clear, and concise.
Well said! Thanks for the comment!
5:40 Yep. I try to launch the cue at the object ball. This takes care of the follow through and the anticipated cueball contact.
That works for me also!
Great video
I do all three
Being from Taylor Michigan and growing up with a pool table but no instructions
Joined a league and my pool journey has begun!
@edwardwallace1633 thanks, Ed! Good luck in league.. maybe we'll run into each other. I play down river every now and then
Your absolutely right on. No matter how much progress I make these bad habits make there way back in. When I'm tiered they usually come back. Developing a preshot routine is a must to be consistent. I'm a year in and still struggling to maintain one. It's the simple things that kill our game
100 ball runner here... You are spot on with your advice .Great job. Impressive.
@@robertdenson3375 100 ball run is impressive! Great job. Thanks for the support!
Thank you. I really appreciated you making this video.. All 3 of those are things ive been told about from better players and I work to improve on them still.
@@jasonmetz7428 🙌🙌
A good video, you’re information, is right on, keep up with your good work, and thanks.
I will be looking forward to more posts.😀👍
@@wayneque2101 thank you!
Very well documented. Learnt the 3 big mistakes every one makes . Presenter is very good in simplifying which makes it easier to understand 👍👍👍
Thank you!
Yes the follow through working on mine also.....I have all 3 problems but getting better thanks to watching your videos
@terellwalker2352 thanks, Terell!
Very good post Josh! Coming back to basic fundamentals seems to be necessary at all levels as we progress. I asked a friend ( fargo 709 ) if he could give me one tip that might help my game. ( I'm fargo 540 ). He said make sure the bridge hand is solid. Press down on the table and stabilize the bridge. A pro in Vegas told me to follow through. ( I thought I was? ). I asked what's one thing pros do that amateurs don't. He said pros use the rails extensively. Sometimes 4 rails around to get the best shape.
good stuff Tom! I'm just spreading what works for me, and what i've learned. It's nice to hear that pros have told you the same thing!
Thanks for sharing what works for you.
For sure! Thanks for watching it!
Thanks, Josh. These are simple mistakes I make. Your tips will make my game today unbeatable! 😁 Saying "stay still" to myself will help a lot. 😁 😁 I would really appreciate many more tips like this. 😁 😁 😁
You got it, my man! I'll try to put out more videos like this in the future
Another way to practice your follow-through is to put a piece of tape or a rubber band on your shaft where your bridge hand should normally end up. On every shot, you should strive to reach that mark. One thing to note, the more practice one gets, the more comfortable on the table one becomes and the easier good habits come.
That's a great tip! I've never heard that one before but I love it I'm going to use your tip and make a short/reel about it! This is a good one!
Really nicely explained. As an amateur, I tend to do all of these things. I’ve never heard of flat palming before and I’ve watched TONS of tutorials before. Subscribed! Thanks, brutha. 🫡
@@thegodofpez thanks for the sub! I appreciate it!
I tell players that I help to stay down until they either make or miss the shot. Goes for safeties as well you either make the safety or you miss it. If you have ever shot a rifle or pistol you stay absolutely still during the shot. Your forearm is the trigger finger so just focus on the contact point and a smooth transition. Your game is getting stronger as well! Keep up the good work!
Thank you!
Great video and all valid points. To review - stable bridge, still body and head, follow thru stroke. So here's the thing - you can't think about all of those while you're shooting and still make a shot. Too much clutter in the mind. Here's a better approach. Focus on what TO do rather than what NOT to do. Imagine your cue is hanging on a long thin fragile wire that's stretched across the room. The wire runs thru the center of your tip and thru the cue and out the center of the rubber bumper. Make it a rule while you're shooting and immediately after your shot that the cue must not damage that fragile wire by moving off line. After that the only other thing is the follow thru. For that you imagine a spot past the cue ball where the cue will come to rest after the shot. So when you shoot you intend to literally toss the cue down the wire and the tip into a space that is beyond the cue ball. You need to visualize where the cue will finish and your stroke should be nothing more than going from point A to point B. How hard you toss is how hard you shoot. But your motion needs to be simple and pure. So if you focus on keeping your cue on line and finishing online and focus on throwing the cue tip to the point past the ball - all those other things like not moving and having a stable bridge automatically happen because you're focused on doing one thing as opposed to not doing three things. Add a loose grip to the mix and watch the magic happen. Resignation is also a big part of this mindset. Don't anticipate the hit and don't anticipate the object ball going into a pocket. You have to resign yourself to whatever happens after your stroke. After you stroke you need to become a spectator and just pay careful attention to what happens. But this is how you're supposed to cue a ball every time you shoot and for every type of shot.
It's like playing Whack-A-Mole at Chuck E Cheese when a room full of players keeps popping up as they shoot. Just hilarious sometimes. BUT we all started out with tons of bad habits! My habit is to stay down until all the balls on the table stop moving and the tip of my cue at the end of my stroke just touching the cloth. Its taken years and I still mess up. I work with several players on thier stroke and this video will be shared with them. Thanks for another great video Josh! See you in Orlando!
Great stuff (staying down until the balls stop rolling). I appreciate you sharing the video (and watching it yourself as well)! Thank you!
If you use very high engish then its ok to make a finger tip bridge. For me its the only way to strike to cue ball at the very top. Mike Segal and others do this bridge when using high english
Nice tips and after watching this video I showed it to one of my teammates and he went from a SL3 to a SL5 in APA just on the bridge tip alone
@@willshire316 🙌
Thank you found myself in that same exact situation I grew up shooting pool and I just now am learning the professional way of shooting keep going man you are doing good
@floydweeks6103 thanks, Floyd
This is a great starting point for starting to teach newer players man. I harp on these 3 exact things to my guys all the time!!!!
Very cool to put it all together in a slick video. And props for showing the $hitty follow through when you were demonstrating a bridge, then coming back to show it when talking about follow-through!!!! 💯💯💯💯
You noticed that too. I was going to call him out on it, but he covered it on the 2nd tip, 😂👍
@drewvonporte i'd like to say it was on purpose, but it wasn't. I did notice it though, which is why I used it for the second example!
@@drewvonporte btw, I'm holding editing lessons for 10 million an hour... sign up please, lol
@@Amateur_Pool that wasn’t on purpose?? Even better of you to use it as an example 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Wow that’s cheap! Where do I sign?? 🫠
@@drewvonporte lol... 🤣😂
Guilty as charged. Good stuff. I know all this, but applying takes discipline.
For sure!
I can see your a good shooter. You have these three correct, because I am still making these same mistakes, after 50 years of playing Billards. Keep up the good teachings. Sam
@@samuelpoleson thanks, Sam! Also, just because I know these doesn't mean I always apply them. I'm an amature and still learning and honing my skills also! I appreciate you watching!
Nice advice sir at least I have an idea now thank you for your stuff like that
Of course! Thank you for watching!
I would really appreciate you showing us how to play a long pot when the natural angle is also sending the cue ball into the opposite top pocket. How do you make sure of avoiding the in off ?. Many thanks. (Liked and Subscribed)
Well, you made it so simply easily to understand thank you.
My Pleasure! Thank you for watching
Hey Josh, I rarely comment and if I do I'm usually pretty snotty.
But you nailed it. I went out and did the palm press and the robot arm and I noticed a difference right away.
Thanks for the tip and good luck with your channel.
Thank you bro! I'm glad it helped you.
Great video! New subbie! I see so many people make these mistakes. I even pop up from time to time if I’m unsure or uncomfortable with a shot, especially a hard, long shot. Otherwise I stay down until the ball reaches the pocket.
Thanks for the sub! Much appreciated
Thanks for the tips, are you keeping your eye on the object ball throughout the stroke?
I do, yes. I know other people do not though. I think there's a case to be made for both ways.
Good video..learnt a lot...
i write on my bridge hand "stay down" between my thumb & forefinger in red - Great video Josh!!
What a great idea!
@@Amateur_Pool thank you! i am in my 2nd year of the APA and i struggle!! :)
Great advice to straighten your back leg to avoid "popping up" during your stroke. It most certainly is difficult to continue this bad habit when you take the "spring" in your knees out of the equation.
I just now realized when i use a closed bridge i am sometimes on the fingertips.
Keep em coming
Bridging with a high looped bridge may not be for everyone but with enough practice it can really help on certain shots.
Another great way to learn to stay down after your shot is to practice hitting the cue ball spot to spot and have it come back and hit your cue tip. Be sure to watch the cue ball as it goes down the table and comes back.
Thank you very much for the tips brother
Thank you!
Good advice! I would like to see more videos like this one Learned a lot from video Short and simple
Spot on….. I can add a couple of more…. That would be rushing your shot…. And not walking around the table completely before deciding what to shoot…..
@danathomas7870 both are good ones! See them all the time.
Just found this channel. Liked and subbed. Great tips! Thanks you!
@@bicivelo thank you for the sub!
Having a smooth straight stroke is very important :) Solid fundamental is a key to playing high level pocket billiards
@@josephnewcomb5670 100%
@Amateur_Pool A Family friend of mine taught Me all this when I first started playing @13 :) he was Texas 9 Ball Champion in his younger years
I did notice that when I tightened my bridge, I ran a table and didn't miss. A friend of mine told me that you have to come up with a style or routine when you play. Like in the NBA Reggie Miller and Cartwright had an unorthodox style of play, but they were consistent and made it work. One of them would circle the basketball before every shot but it worked out for him. The other one moved it left and right before every shot. I was also told by some great players to do 3 pauses on all your shots. When the pool tip is next to the cue ball count 1 2 3. When you pull back, you pause on the back swing and count 1 2. and when you follow through you stay down and count 1 2 3 4. He also said that pro players have a slower swing. Beginner and intermediate players swing fast. What I used to do to stay down every time is say to myself "go down, stay down". Kind of the same idea of where you do all the work to get extremely low on each shot and it takes a lot of work to step back up or jump up. The one thing you didn't mention is how a lot of players do an elbow drop that screws up their game. I was told to eliminate that elbow drop to better your game. What I do is tense my back shoulder and neck to eliminate that elbow drop and it has made me play better. Aka stroke correcter. Thanks for all your information that you share and I wish I could play you one day.
@Pumpkinpoolandbilliards-dg3nb thank you! Maybe we'll run into each other one day. I'd be happy to play ya!
@@Amateur_Pool Tomorrow I play APA 8 ball and 9 ball at Brewski's (formerly known as Tilted Kilt) in Bolingbrook Illinois. I am a 5 in 8 ball and a 6 in 9 ball. I am the guy on the team who has to play the highest players on the other teams so I have to up my game some more.
Another thing you can do in practice to help you get used to staying down on the shot is to have someone stand behind you and hold a cue butt an inch or so above your head while you are down on the shot so that if you jump up on it, you whack your head against the cue butt. Then when you get used to staying down you no longer need this method, especially as you cannot really use it anytime other than in practice.
You can also when down on the shot say the word 'back' to yourself in your head when on the back part of your final backswing and then say the word 'hit' as you make contact with the cue ball, which can help you stay focussed on timing the cue making contact with the cue ball and can help you stay down.
I’m loving the “back, hit” method! 👍
@@veronicahawthorne3452 I cannot claim it as my own idea and it is from an author called W. Timothy Gallwey/Timothy Gallwey who wrote a series of books called The Inner Game of ___________.
One was called The Inner Game of Tennis where the method used was 'bounce' and then 'hit' for whenever the opponent returned the tennis ball and you would say the word 'bounce' if the ball landed on the court on your side of the net and say 'hit' when you made contact when returning it. The idea being not to fill your head with several technical thoughts, as well as to be looking at the ball as it contacts your racket strings, rather than looking away to see where the ball would be heading before you had even hit it and risked making a bad contact.
The Inner Game of Golf was another, where you used saying the 'back' and 'hit' method at the end of your backswing and when the club head makes contact with the golf ball, so as again not to fill your head with several technical thoughts and to also be looking down at the ball to say 'hit' at the point of contact, meaning that you are not prematurely raising your head on the shot to see the flight of your ball.
I just thought the back/hit method could possibly work for cue sports too.
Great tip. Getting hot on the head would make you stay down, for sure!
My first time watching your video,,, love it, thank you👍🇨🇦
@@DianneJabalee awesome! Thanks for checking it out!
i see a lot of players that are decent but have the flaw where they will aim center ball for every shot and then dip as they stroke to get draw, or drop their elbow/shoulder to add top. While it may work sometimes, it is definitely not reliable. They always complain that they didnt get any draw and only got a stop shot when trying to draw for position. it's hard to get them to believe their flaw in a lot of these cases, I'm going to have to start slow-mo recording their stroke to show them i guess... lol.. also, a lot of people just bridge too far away from the cue ball and wonder why their accuracy is inconsistent. It's like a good golf swing, really. Just repeat the same motions every time and youll be a good player! One thing you can do to help the movement issue is to just learn to not move after your stroke until the cue ball stops or the ball is pocketed, of course making sure to get out of the way if a ball is coming at you lol...
Keep up the good content sir!
Thanks, Rae! Good stuff
Another tip on staying down is to count to 3 after your shot. Actually watch the ball drop before moving. Helps with getting to know the table as well.
That's a great tip!
Thanks man, good advice.👍
Thanks for watching, my man!
#2 & #3 are big for me. I've improved a lot... But my fundamentals can kill me from time to time. I'm too inconsistent. One day... I can't run balls together... Bad fundamentals.The next day... I beat a 652 6-5 in 8 ball with great fundamentals. So I agree with this. Those are big! I agree.
Great instruction of fundamentals.
Thanks!
Great tips thanks!!!
@@NiueanHoney thanks!
Many thanks for the fantastic tips !
@@gstevecox 🙌🙌
Good stuff brother...really made me think!
Thank you!
Excellent. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching! :)
I like the coaching, keep it in the rotation. Also, i don't know why but i had to resubscribe .... Thanks RUclips🤨
@@22nstewart you're not the first person to tell me that... so annoying. Thanks for the re-sub!
This is great advice. I catch myself popping up sometimes.
me 2!
Perfect content, more like this please.
I'm on it! Thank you
My favorite bridge hand ever is Corey Deuel's when he makes a closed bridge, but he floats his palm and is entirely on his fingertips haha, I guess with insane talent and practice hours you can make it work.
@@benfgreatestever8915 when you have his talent, I guess it doesn't matter
@@Amateur_Pool you have to wonder how much better he could be with textbook technique from day 1; also his fingers bend like crazy so he's got more surface area on the table than typical people.
Good video thank u man
Great tips, been doing them for years. I think it is because I started with snooker and not pool that is why I never got into these bad habits you pointing out.
Next time, either cue or stick and not cue stick, it's like saying stick stick, just a joke..😂
LOL - you cheeky mo fo! :) Thanks for watching!
Additional tip for both of his points 2 and 3: After taking your shot, stay frozen as if you are a statue, until all balls stop rolling, or you have to move to prevent a ball hitting your cue. Watch pros shoot, and you'll see that lots of them do this.
What about Efron. The GOAT. I have noticed his extreme body movements after a lot of his shots. He even is up and leaning towards where he wants the ball to go. ??
@harveygabel2868 same with SVB.. his stroke is completely unconventional. I guess when you have that kind of talent you don't need to be technical
Yup, Yep & Yes. When I look over at some guys bridges, they look like a house of springs, not the Legos. Relax and build that digital bridge to suit the head gods of Easter Island. Make with the freight train tunnel. Some cats even bridge with the stick just hovering around under a Venice Beach gang sign..
Please tell me where you got your table spots! Drop a link if you can
www.amazon.com/Self-Adhesive-Reinforcement-Stickers-Diameter-Non-Printable/dp/B001E6F13U/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2HFUTC3FIEFS4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xfGuX5CrGyq_nuiAcofp2rIey7B6r_UhiCDQzvSyJui4NcAVAFMqrK8ldZ_NyJ_dAJFq0-maRTQUoeVnCUBzn76EAhLPqYw-0m5KWkBE7IiMOfrAslq2oho00LEwZFD6FCnY6QNScyMgojUm3gdiF4KSBm4SGJR95Zd-98MRBT0SGEi4WIHfn1kA_vAtQap-wzpGWeDiry1kHWjT37NrJr9FDf6R6-2q59G5Eh89u3XXE3P9S1B2JnDshICi4Tl7CIJE-KGyD0rTPsg75c_cBYgq2g9-qQiL2TjxrVPOXd4.yCRjGq5jr3Ryq4qnZlEr9RJI91F1MyOcaW-bPcVmXD0&dib_tag=se&keywords=paper+reinforcement+circles&qid=1723900322&sprefix=paper+reinfo%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-5
where are your eyes focused on when you take the shot, are you watching the tip of cue stick, the spot on the cue ball or past the cue ball?
What a great question.. this seems to be a debate lately. I always look at the hit point on the object ball, but I know other people look at the cue ball. I think there's a case to be made for both ways
Do you have any drills that help increase your run outs?
That depends on what is preventing you from running out. If you're missing shots, you want to practice shot making (stroke) drills (like this one ruclips.net/user/shortsan-Z7mPzi14?feature=share ). If you're having trouble shaping, run cue ball control drills (like this one ruclips.net/user/shorts560jyILyCxM?feature=share ). If it's pattern play that's messing you up, throw up 5-6 balls and think about the pattern before you start running out. I also have several "pattern play" videos on my channel that can help you get into the right mindset of thinking about your patterns. Good luck!
Omg i struggle some much being sure to follow through. Sometimes I do but most time I don't ,so I be having self talks to myself make sure to follow through 😅
I'm the same way... lol
Great video!
@@mic2349 thank you
going to sound stupid, but in practice, try closing your eyes just before stroking. it's very easy to stay down (not pop up) and stroke through the ball while your eyes are closed. repeat that over and over and your body will relax more during the stroke until it becomes muscle memory. feels real good to close em on your final back stroke, stay down and listen until the object ball falls in the pocket before you open your eyes then stand up.
doesn't sound stupid at all! Closing your eyes tricks your brain into not knowing when you will hit the cue ball, thus eliminating the "clench up." I've actually showed this in a shorts reels before. It's also how I show newer players to get draw on the cue ball. Great stuff!
Definitely helped
I always used a closed loop finger tip bridge for following. Never really noticed bridge movement. Just become a habit. I’ll have to give the other way a shot to see how it is.
if you can stabilize it, great! There's just too much room for movement, in my opinion, when you're on your fingertips. Especially when you shoot with speed.
@@Amateur_Pool yeah going to go practice today. Fall leagues are coming up. See how I do with hand on table follow shot. Because that’s only what I noticed when I use it. Finger tips for following
Hey Josh, that's a very relatable video.
@@rickkilgore658 thank you!
A question Josh , if you have your bridge hand flat on the table how do you put top spin on the cue Ball????? Tip is low Angle is downward !!!!! Please explain
@barryclark2582 I bend my knuckles up, while keeping weight on my palm.. the key is stability
Oh thank God... He isn't saying I can't use an open bridge. I hate when people say using an open bridge is a mistake, that's just not true. The suggestion on the bridge was great!
For sure! You can use any type of bridge you want, but you just want it to be stable. For newer players especially, a fingertip bridge tends to move around a lot more.
Liked and subscribed!
@@arkadiyemelyanov32 thank you!
GREAT VIDEO
Thank buddy this was good stuff
Thank you!
thank you very much
🙏🏽🤓👍🏽♥️
You're the man! Thank you bro
Well said!
@@ThePoolTryHard thanks!
good stuff Josh!
Your doin good stuff bud.
Thanks, Charlie!
Oddly enough when i shoot closed bridge I much prefer from the finger tips. Have no Idea why. I twist my wrist down which steadies my bridge. When i shoot open bridge which is most of the time I have as much of my palm on that table. I like the closed bridge because it exxagerates the english I'm trying to use. It doesn't cause me to miss. I was going to miss anyway. My biggest flaw in stroking is sometimes i will accidentally twist my cue hand which messes everything up.
I twist my shooting wrist sometimes also. I hate it! As far as the bridge goes, if you can keep it perfectly still and stable, you're good with it!
Do one on gripping the cue....please
i'll see if I can make one about grip. I haven't really practiced grip too much. My grip is mostly natural.
I tend to jump up more on shots I’m less confident with.
same here! The tougher the shot, the easier it is to jump up
average pool players at bars fully grip the buttend of the cue,i cradle the buttend with my first 2 fingers with limp wrist,the only time you fully grip the buttend when you break
I knew a player who only bridged half of the time, he would hold the stick and lay it on the rail and stroke and hit the cue ball…He would bridge if the cue ball was close to the rail or in front of a ball…He could run a table ten games of eight ball
Great content
Thank you!
I think even more important than the follow through is the rhythm, slow fast slow focus on that rhythm everything else is instinctual
I am an 82 year old man who hasn’t played pool in about 50 years. I recently started playing and have difficulty with long shots and shots with the object ball frozen on the rail. One major problem is that I have a tremor which makes my cue hand shake. I use a closed bridge so that hand is stable. I can’t shoot over a ball due to my shaking. If I drink two or three beers the tremor is significantly reduced but the beer has other disadvantages. Any suggestions? My expectations are reasonable in that I will never attain an APA rating. I liked your video and I have done the three no-nos you mentioned.
Hello, perhaps these thoughts can help you as they have me. weight added to the wrist can significantly reduce the effect of tremors on stroke, think large wrist watch or large link worlds best grandpop, or in my case dad, bracelet - so players in the handicaps divisions wear actual exercise weights to calm tremors to except able levels. Good luck, play strong
@@gtm131 Thank you. I have added weight to my Quebec cue which seems to help some. Can you suggest any drills that will help develop a straight stroke and help pocket balls in 8 ball?
I bet the farm smoking a little weed will help.....
I appreciate you reaching out and love the fact that you're looking to play the best game that you can! I myself have a muscle disorder (myotonia congenita) that makes my muscles stiff, and sometimes in a weakened state. That actually has a similar effect. I have slight tremors when I first get down to shoot a shot. In my case, after a stroke or 2, my muscles relax and the tremors go away. I don't really have any good ideas for fixing this, but both of the people who replied have good ideas that I think could help (arm weights as well as smoking some weed, or taking an edible). I wish you all the best and appreciate you watching my videos! Best of luck to you, good sir!
@@2869may helps some people, others it is detrimental to their thinking and planning of game strategy instead
Still,good advice.
great advice
Can I apply this method on snooker?
@WHAT-gm1xm I don't play snooker but I imagine you can
Poke stroke on the first bridge cuz.
Just letting you know incase you didn't see
Yup, i noticed.. that's the same shot I used for the poke example a few minutes later in the video
Thanks bro
For sure! I appreciate you watching
your really humble dude
@@huycan00991 🙌🙌
Good tips
To stay down. I practice counting to 3 or so after the shot
@@youtubesux6361 that's a good one!
These 3 things, are some of the most basic key "mandatory" stuff you have to do in Snooker to even play well at the casual or amateur level.