He says that: "I have now been watching your DVD and I really like it, Matt. I have been going back to the stance routine you teach, and already think I'm starting to get close to, if not into the position you are talking about.
I admit I'm leaning a little to the right and peeking down the cue against your About.com secret stance article, but then I stand back up, get my distance to table, and step forward with the left foot.
It is starting to feel pretty good. It is allowing me to have a slightly wider stance that feels balanced, and lined-up. The clearance of cue to body also feels good.
What I am also finding from watching the DVD, is that my STROKE may have needed more work than my stance. I am trying to back off from measuring my progress shooting 9-ball and focus instead on simple relaxation with the stroke....smooth.
Slow back and follow-through. Lighter grip. Just using the cue ball and one other ball so I can stay relaxed and not press. I've re-positioned my right hand further forward on the cue using your balance point suggestion.
You know what is interesting to me.....two years ago I had been doing something on my own in terms of stance which was at least, similar to your routine instruction. Trust me, I have tried a lot of different things over time!
Anyway, I had been sharper than ever with my shooting. I mean, running two or three racks of balls on my old 8 footer. It was (for my game) completely unreal. Then I took a lesson, and was told to not worry so much about my feet positioning until down on the shot, and I was bent further over from the waist. There wasn't really a pre-shot routing that I was following other than aligning my chin with the line of the shot.
I changed things around quite a bit, and at the same time happened to buy a bigger, tougher table. I honestly never got back to the high level I (temporarily) had in 2008. I'm not at all saying I had a bad instructor. Actually I think he was extremely knowledgeable... but... just not sure it clicked for me. I lost some confidence in how I could get into a good position and to be honest, I couldn't seem to reproduce the former routine results even when I tried.
So what I'm trying to say is this. I think your instruction (About.com tips and DVD) is leading me back toward what I had been doing at one time, but with a more reliable, REPEATABLE routine, and with confidence I am on the right track. It is giving me more insight to distance to table, hand position, and foot position.
Plus....the stroke. I had been gripping too far back, too tightly and had been unsure about how much muscle tension to have in the shooting arm....now I know.
I'm staying with this. Can't thank you enough for the patience and guidance!"
Thank you, About.com reader. And thanks for sharing your story with me.
I'll keep my instruction simple for you and for other readers with the same problems in pool, the same struggles. A repeated stance is always better in that you will play consistently well. Your highs may not seem as high but your lows will be under control!
Always remember, pros in most any sport go back to checking their stance when shot making is less than superb...
It's okay if your head is a bit tilted at times despite the exact instruction in my Secret Stance Article on this GuideSite. There are idiosyncracies for different players based on their personal eyesight limits.
Good luck and keep in touch!
