- Wayne Jenkins
Hello and welcome back to the Hot Seat. It has been a couple months since you started working on improving your ball pocketing skills. How did you do? Post your results and chat with us at www.facebook.com/groups/SneakyPeteMafia/ Last issue we also worked on a proper stance and not moving our head until the object ball hits the pocket. Now we are going to build on what we have already learned. 1. Improper stroke while shooting: A proper
stroke is difficult to maintain while trying to also concentrate on aiming, English, ball speed, and playing 2 to 3 balls ahead. This is why it needs to become completely natural and that it requires no effort to perform.
A proper stroke never takes its aim away from the shot you are making during the entire length of the stroke. Over drawing during your stroke causes the butt of your cue to rise as your arm straightens out. When you do this you are then pointing your cue down through the table instead of through the cue ball.
Solution: When you set up to the cue ball to aim, make sure your forearm is hanging straight down at a 90 degree angle. Shorten the length of your stroke. You can shoot just as hard with a short stroke, even when you need to come around the table 3 or more rails. When you draw your cue back and it comes to the end of your back stroke, look to make sure that you are still aiming at the same place on the cue ball as when you first set up to it. When you are ready to make your shot, never start your shooting stroke by drawing your cue back. Instead when you are stroking to aim, when you draw back, and see that your aim is the same as your set up, push the cue ball from the drawn back position. This gives you a more consistent stroke, better English control, and finesse with your cue ball speed. It will also help to eliminate misscueing, doubt when shooting, and trying to “steer” the cue ball (you know that… pull your elbow into your side to try to make the cue ball curve or spin more.) 2. Cue Ball English: Cue ball English “throws”
more or less depending on cue ball speed and amount of English applied. Throw is
Sneaky Pete Mafia Magazine - September 2014
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