Shot Making Pool Playing Tips

Learning the proper fundamentals is the most critical aspect of a player's pool game. Mechanics will affect every shot executed. By learning the proper techniques first, you will be able to build upon them easier and be the best that you can be in the shortest amount of time. There is much to learn about having

proper mechanics, this article is about the three most critical.

Bridges A bridge is used to hold the cue stick in place while your shooting. The purpose of a bridge is to allow for a smooth and stable place for your cue stick, so that you can make your intended contact with the cue ball. If it is not stable and smooth, you will hit the cue ball inconsistently, and therefore, will get random results of aim, english and "deflection". An "Open Bridge" is the easiest to learn and has its advantages and

disadvantages. It allows you to see the shot better because your index finger is not covering the top of the stick. And, by bending your knuckles, you can get more height with this bridge for a high/follow stroke. At the Boys and Girls Club, this is the first bridge I teach. Once they see how easy it is to form that "little V" between their thumb and knuckle, they can quickly make more shots on the table. A disadvantage of an open bridge is that there is a chance that the stick can move upwards because your index finger is not covering it. A "Closed Bridge" takes time for the muscles in your finger to wrap around the

shaft of the cue in a way that is tight enough that it doesn't move around, but loose enough that it does not inhibit your stroke. In school, I used to practice this with my pen, until my muscles were trained to do it without thinking about it.

Stroking Arm The purpose is to move the cue stick through the ball while keeping it straight and level. Therefore, your arm should be at 90 degrees before contact. If you hold it closer to the ball (less than 90 degrees), you won't be able to follow through enough. If you hold it farther away from the ball (more than 90 degrees), it is extremely hard to keep it level. To test

to see if you have a consistent, straight and level cue. Place an empty pop or beer bottle on its side on the table. As if the bottle opening was the cue ball, do some practice strokes into the bottleneck without touching the sides of the bottle. You should be able to follow through all the way to the bottom of the bottle without touching it.

Stance The objective of your stance is to be stable and solid, while executing your shot. Many times, when nervous about a shot or result, players tend to jump up during the critical point of contact. And as a result, the stick moves unintentionally, and the shot is missed. One of my instructors, Robert McCullough Colliding Spheres TM, says, "you can either treat the symptom or treat the source." For quick results, for someone that just plays occasionally for fun, practice staying still until all the balls stop rolling on the table. For the more serious player,

treat the problem at the source for lasting results. McCullough, in agreement with Allison Fisher, teach that your stance should be forward weighted to help prevent your head from popping up.