I'm A Cue Ball Control Maven
Maven - /ˈmāvən/ Noun: An expert or connoisseur: "fashion mavens".I am a cue ball control maven. Work that white ball right and the game is easy. By "control" I mean, "rolling straight forward for most shots". If I'm confident the cue ball goes where I aim, and I miss a cut shot, I know I only need to adjust my aim, not stroke or stance, to sink that shot once again. And anyone can setup a shot and aim a bit more to the left or to the right...
The importance of the following drill was hammered home to me during a recent private session with a player wanting to improve. More specifically, we spent a weekend working on specific cut angles, aim, cue ball positioning, and some really cool insider tips yet the many hours we worked together slipped away from providing good results as I caught my student not doing the steps I've outlined below.
1. Begin the stance with the correct mental stance.
Recognize that if you can get your shooting arm aligned the same for every shot (obviously for strokes not requiring awkward bridging to the ball) your pocketing success rate will climb through the roof.
I know you've heard this sermon before-get on the cue ball the same way every time to be a winner-but I'm also talking about not fiddling with aim and alignment once bent into the full shooting stance. Pick your aim while standing erect, lay the cue on the line, bend down and go-go-go!
More About Getting Your Mental Game Correct2. Measure your entire body and cue stick to the shot.
After a student grips the cue stick where they like to hold it for the next stroke, I have them take the thumb on their shooting hand and put it inside the pocket of their slacks. Now they have related their leg position, not just their shooting hand to the cue for the stance. Next, they (and you, dear student) are to bring the cue tip in line with the shot and quite close to the cue ball.
You do this by walking up to the shot line. If your tip is too close to the cue ball or too far, shuffle/step with the feet and don't stretch the cue into position with your hand! I cannot emphasize this last point enough.
3. Bend to the table leaving the cue tip where it is.
Do not forcibly hold the stick in place (don't force or leverage any part of your pool stance) but rather relax down into place. But did you retain point 2 from above?
Have a friend watch you if you don't believe me-I guarantee that the first dozen times you do this routine, gripping the cue, hooking your thumb in your pocket with the cue in that hand, walk to the shot then bend down to the cue ball, even though your hand is restricted in motion, you jiggle your shooting hand in the air or when down in the stance or both.
How do I know you do this? Because if you didn't, if you set the tip right to the cue ball the same distance each time without that added stretch/reach of your shooting hand, you'd sink so many more balls, you'd be dusting clean your trophy shelf now rather than reading this article on stance.
4. Regard your setup well, because this is how you'll be looking at the cue ball for every stroke, from now on, forever.
Sameness leads to greatness. You can practice taking your stance on the cue ball dead center, and then getting up and taking the same stance going around the cue ball in a circle, because that's what pool is, the same stance 100 times a match with the cue the same distance from the ball, your shooting side arm and leg the same distance from the ball. I'm like a robot, a (handsome and charming, really suave) pool robot...And if you a) correct your stance overall as per the many stance articles here at About.com, and b) don't fiddle with your aim while down in the stance but maintain the line of play you chose before bending to your stance, you'll soon be pocketing twice as many balls as before if not more.
This process will provide you with penultimate cue ball control. Be a cue ball control maven!
