Love your advice, gonna try this, watching good players, i often see they too use a loose grip, hard to break old habits, but i want my game to improve.
Thank you Ron. Without a doubt, this has been the best thing I’ve done and ranks right up there next to developing a smooth stroke transition. This has improved my shot making consistency and cue ball control in a major way. After you shoot like this, please let me know how it worked out. Btw, you must have good fundamentals to assure your upper/lower arm are staying on the shot line. The loose grip cannot fix poor arm and lever action. Thanks again 👍🏻
@@ronthepoolstudent It is kind of weird. I found out I was twisting in with my back hand when shooting (specially when shooting hard) and it helped a lot to make me aware of It. But I always wonder, people like Kid Delicious, Efren Reyes, etc, masters that have weird strokes. Things most tutorials would discourage, but they make it work. I don’t know, most of us mortals need advice on stance, stroke, but then again, if you make something work, it works.
@@shader26 thanks Shader and actually, Efren has a fabulous grip hand and upper arm plant that I call pinching the arm-pit. Watch these two fundamentals next time you watch him shoot. Also, see link below: How to stroke straight/watch till the end ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hCeJyQWSXjI.html
Thank you Bert. I found it incredible that this one adjustment has made such a huge difference in my shot making consistency. It’s so very important to shoot with a loose grip 👍🏻
THANKS RON! I asked you that question because I hsve a lot of difficulty staying straight on the long shots. This advice makes so much sense niw that you explain it in detail & show it. I cant thank you enough. Excellent channel....wish you the best!
Ok...also you should elaborate on the cue you use and why! I have yet to see an unbiased suggestions on recommended cues say under & over say $500. Just a suggestion!
Definitely works. I have 2 5x10 tables and I practice long straight shots a lot and this grip eliminates any mystery cue movements that you may not have even been aware of that throw off your accuracy.
Ron - great video - encouraged by this as it is very similar to a change I made also Needed to respond to this video as it touched home This 3 finger grip is what I finally landed on to fix some issues in my grip and stroke When I 1st learned billiards years ago I had a very unorthodox grip ( thumb on top) that hindered my game and stroke and when I later became aware of this flaw it was very hard to change and I experimented with several different grip styles and methods to fix this (including wearing a special bowling type glove to keep my wrist straight) - glove did not help by the way - waste of time It took me hours and hours of play and experimentation to correct this until I finally landed on this grip (which is very similar to the one you just demonstrated) - It did the trick and is the one I now use and feels normal to me now after years of muscle memory on an incorrect style - Highly recommend this grip for others to try as it can also fix wrist turn Still not a great player but fundamentals are so much better now and play pretty good for 73 years old - Have improved my knowledge of the game by light years from when I was younger and just trying to get better again as you are and always have fun playing Thanks again
Thank you Ken for sharing. There are some of us that now know the secret. This is a huge bit of knowledge that most never learn. When I discovered/developed this grip, it was instant success and a true game changer. I’ve since interviewed several 650+ fargo players and every one swears by the super loose grip. It’s my hope to hear back from many more players that this has transformed their game as well. This after all, is what my channel is all about…helping as many other player’s improve as possible. 👍🏻❤️🎱
I understand the loose grip actually allows the natural movement of the cue stick due to the pendulum motion of our shooting arm. As we stroke forward, our bridge hand acts as a fulcrum, and the cue tip naturally wants to move downward toward the cloth at end of the stroke as our grip hand moves upward toward our shoulder. A loose grip allows the butt of the cure to move upward in our grip hand. The corresponding downward motion of the tip, for some reason, puts a lot more action on the cue ball. It gives us the "feel" of snapping our wrist, but it is simply allowing the butt to rise naturally in our grip hand.
@@RoobieRhoo all of the above Norman. Maintaining a loose grip is so beneficial for every aspect of our stroke. I like it when hearing how the harmonics changes from shot to shot. When hearing this, I know I’ve let my cue do the work 👍🏻
@@ronthepoolstudent Yep. Absolutely, Ron. I love it when the cue ball actually does what it is supposed to do. That is all dependent on our stroke and allowing the pendulum to work. I believe you did a video on how to get power by shooting smoothly. This is how to do it. A loose grip is fundamental.
Thank you Michael. You can order an Olhausen 9’ direct through the company. Just call them and ask how you can set up the purchase. I ordered mine through the Olhausen dealer in my area so the company may direct you to do the same. Keep me posted if you would. Thanks 👍🏻
Hi Ron, Thank you for posting the video! Could you please explain how the thumb works when you grip like you’ve shown? Should it form a ring with an index finger? Thank you in advance!
Thank you Kirill. I cradle my cue loosely with my thumb pointing downward, I do not curl it. This illuminates any rolling of the cue. Hope that helps. Thanks again 👍🏻
@@ronthepoolstudent, thanks! What about index and middle fingers? My problem is I grasp the cue when I hit the cue ball and roll the cue it a bit. As a result, I apply unwanted side spin.
@@r1makan here is a video that answers your question Kirill. See link below: How to stroke straight/watch till the end ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hCeJyQWSXjI.html
I searched for one more Kirill and found this one as well. This one really shows how to use a loose grip. See link below: Let your cue make the shot ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-czHa0StvpCM.html
Hi Ron. Been watching a lot of your videos. Been playing for a long time. Do a lot of your drills. I'm on a 7 footer. The straight shots are fine but some others don't seem to work on a bar box. Any thoughts on that?
Thank you for your question Duane and for watching my content. I find the 7 footer, plays very different when the cloth is super fast. I play often on Simonis 760 on a 7’ Diamond. In comparison to my 8’ or a 9’ Diamond, the shots need to be stroked with more finesse. It’s all about adapting to the speed and shorter distances. Another factor is congestion. We must be more precise in order to complete a run. I suggest you shoot the spot to spot and 9-10 drills during your warm ups. These two will help you quickly feel table speed, they will also help with seeing the spot shot cut angles as well as playing accurate position. I hope this helped answer your question and please let me know how this worked out. Give me a shout if you have more questions too. Thanks again and good luck 🍀👍🏻 Take care Duane 😊👍🏻❤️🎱
Thanks for getting back to me. I got a Brunswick with simonis 860. When I play on a 9 ft. Diamond, the speed seems so much faster. So wish I could fit a 9er in my room. I was doing the same thing on a draw shot where the cue veers off a little. Tried tucking the arm in a little towards the body and that was a big help.
@@duanegar55 you’re welcome Duane 👍🏻 As for tucking your arm, I find it makes our stroke more compact thus helping accuracy. Btw, if I had the space, I would have bought a 9 footer also.
I'm very inconsistent on my medium length draw and fail when i try big draw. I'm conscious of hitting very low but idk. Long shots miss often as well. Puzzled. Our team made it to Vegas, so basically a full year to develop myself. This looks like a critical area for me to start
What helped me the most on these type shots Brett, was to incorporate a full pause so I could settle my mind from any anxiety. This gave me the ability to stroke without fear which gave me control. I could stroke with finesse when doing this. It’s all about matching up tip position with the desired stroke. Tip position is the easy part, it’s matching up the stroke that gives players fits. It all begins with controlled focus. Try pausing to gather your thoughts then execute. What you’ll find is once you make that perfect execution, you’ll have an eureka moment. This happened to me and it made me overcome to become more consistent. Good luck and let me know how it works out. Thanks again 👍🏻
Thanks for your question John, please see link below: Improve your consistency ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XkqMqTNNBK4.html Please let my know if my tutorial helped 👍🏻
I read a while ago: If you think your grip is loose enough, go looser! That made a huge difference in my game and draw stroke. I barely grip the cue when shooting.
The conundrum that I face, is that when I hold the cue lightly, I'm not able to make the shot, as my hand wobbles and it totally miscues. It feels very powerless. What might I be missing?
Thank you for your question Albin. Let me first start off by saying I have shot with and have interviewed several high level players including some pros. When I’ve asked about grip pressure, there is a consensus amongst them all that a loose grip, is essential to having the cue do the work. As far as what you are describing, realize you must control the cue but to do it in such a way that you feel you’re just cradling it. When done correctly, you’ll actually generate effortless power with finesse. As you work at this, like with anything new, know it will take time to grow comfortable. Shoot drills such as The Mighty X which will require you to shoot with a straight stroke. What you’ll find is that you will be more consistent with a loose grip over one where you hold the cue more firmly. Advice: Work on it for more than just one outing at the table. Instead, dedicate a good week and you will be amazed. Thanks again and stay in touch with a follow up. 👍🏻❤️🎱
@@ronthepoolstudent Thanks for the response. I do realize the importance of a light grip, but I'm just unable to execute it. I can't for the life of me play a long distance straight shot. The stick just doesn't go straight. I thought it had to do with my grip, as I used to have a tight grip, but even after loosening my grip, no luck. I've been playing for a while now and only shots I can play decently are close ones and slow shots. When I try to play hard long shots, I have no control over the cue ball. That's becoming more of a challenge with the light grip. How do you balance a light grip with a sturdy/firm shot?
@@albinsiby7 it’s something you’ll need to experiment with Albin. You also may be struggling with your arm motion. Since there is so much within our stroke that effects our shot making. I would suggest the video below. This is a systematic approach I came up with that really changed/improved my shot making. See link below and please let me know how it goes. Troubleshooting your Pool stroke ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-inJqZLXKUNs.html
You bring up the sound the cue makes. I'm sure you're familiar with The Pleasures of Small Motions and the section about creating your feed forward image. If you make that "tonk" sound the cue makes part of your feed forward image, it will further ingrain this stroke into your instinctual shooting.
@@ronthepoolstudent oh okay. It's a fantastic book. You know that mental game facebook group we're on? It's basically the kickoff of that school of thought and is full of little points where you just go "son of a..." like I just did about your recent "hit the same shot but with different spin for the same position" video. When I'm in dead stroke, I get position shots that I have no idea how I made them, but I land exactly where I wanted to with strange regularity and that video helped me figure out how to make them when I'm not in dead stroke. Huge. I cannot recommend that book enough, it's full of stuff like that. It's about 140 pages long, and you can probably get one for free at a library.
@@mjg1185 I can totally relate about getting position by feel. I’ve noticed this more so on stun type hits. Intuition takes over and I’ll sense the speed of the hit per the angle of the shot. It’s a weird thing but it just works. I’ll have to order the book so thanks for the heads up Martin 👍🏻
Thanks for watching Smith, I have several videos showing details. Please see video below: Grip Pressure & A Straight Pool Stroke ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ubkb7ZHN130.html
Here’s another video showing why it’s not good to rotate the cue in our grip hand during the stroke. See video below: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hCeJyQWSXjI.htmlsi=KoluVL1kVmmBivD4
Here is one video where I’m using a super light grip Romy. Loose grip + flexible wrist = straight stroke ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uderkd_g9Jc.html
Btw, I’m registered as a 518 and it may drop even lower as I lost several matches to 400s players in tournaments a couple months ago. They haven’t updated as of yet but I’m predicting 505 😉
