Controlling Standard Stroke Speed

What is hard? What is soft? Medium? Pool players are always directing each other to play a shot soft, or hard, or something. Problem is, nobody really knows what that something is. Even when we're talking to ourselves we don't actually know what these terms really mean.

There is a standardized definition where the lag is soft and the variations from soft to very soft, or soft to medium, or medium to hard are separated by one table length. Okay, even interesting but I think you'll agree that a table length is just too broad a difference to be useful.

I owe this one to Cue U and my master instructor Bob Radford. Using his system we can define our stroke speed, from soft to hard, in nine two diamond variations. The lag is one and hard is nine with the normal stroke for most people being about four.

There are many benefits to this system but communication and planning top the list. Each speed variation in this system is plus or minus one diamond. I've illustrated three speeds (1, the lag; 4, medium or normal for most people; 9, hard) in the diagram at right. The red line shows the variance or range in each case.

To work on this system, use the balls from 1 to 9 and set up the table as shown. Starting with the cue ball at the head string and using your most comfortable and relaxed stroke, stroke the cue ball toward the foot rail. You should find that you're sending the cue ball close to three lengths of the table, something in the range of a 4 to 6 speed rating on this scale. Don't fret if your stroke is stronger or softer than this, all we're trying to do is establish a reference standard (centergistic in the BCA instructor nomenclature).

Let's say your stroke came out a 5. Set up at the head string again and try stroking just a little faster. The object would be to dial in a 6 speed. Now set up again and try stroking a little slower to see if you can generate a 4 speed. What you should find is that with some perseverance and very little practice you will be able to dial into most of these speed variations with uncanny accuracy and consistency.

Your base stroke speed might vary a little from day to day or table to table but all it takes is a couple of practice strokes down the table to establish your baseline (centergistic). From there you'll be able to tune in and reference most stroke speeds at will. You'll also find that it is much more satisfying and productive to talk and think about using a 4 or a 3 or even 3 1/2 than something like soft, medium or not too hard.

Introduce yourself to this system, I know you'll find it useful. The astute observers might have noticed that this system doesn't define any speeds slower than a lag. Again, thanks to Mr. Radford and Cue U for a complimentary slow speed system which we refer to as finesse speed. Finesse speed starts with the lag and works down to two diamonds, again, all in two diamond increments. The purpose of practice is not to make us think but to relieve us from the necessity of having to think. Think about it.