One Of The Best Pool Lessons I've Given
I enjoy giving pool lessons whether a costly seminar or simply a few pool lessons for struggling students pro bono. One of my students is ranked at a novice level in his league but is soon to exceed that. He encouraged me by writing a note to follow up on our recent pool lessons that...

"In Monday night's tournament I got 36 out of 50 points, 72%. Not a bad start, should have been a higher score; I missed only 3 critical shots." This was from someone averaging closer to 26% ratings before.


We got together again this week and I got him to the next level of skill with an explanation of technique that challenged him and helped eliminate the hitch in his pool stroke. This hitch is one many of you, my dear readers, have, a stop of motion partway through the final stroke.

I can help cure this hitch, and make your cue ball control superb with today's article.

Warning: If your fundamentals are sound, this will make your game much stronger than it is now. But if you tend to squeeze the cue stick too hard when you play, do not read today's article. It will ruin your game further.

The key was to expound upon the difference between "soft, medium and hard strokes" versus "slow, medium and fast strokes".

My pool lessons fellow said when I showed him, most excited, "Why didn't someone tell me this about pool years ago?"

And another student wrote after he got a sneak preview of today's article,

"Matt, that pool lessons tip of yours is SO HOT (and eye opening indeed) I can't wait to shoot some pool and try it out.

Especially grips that exceed "4" have a tendency to rattle balls in the pocket. My contention has always been the following:

1. Tighter grip, more muscle tone (leads to)

2. Increased tendency to move dynamic arm towards body (leads to)

3. Swaying of the tip East/West on cue ball (leads to)

4. Increased Spin-Induced-Throw especially on softer shots (I got the T-shirt!)

5a. Softer shots - missing pocket all together providing distance object to pocket is sufficient

5b. Harder shots - rattle in pocket (less throw)

5c. Harder shots - less follow through of stick ("jabbing" because of tension)

The consequences of a firmer grip are detrimental to pocket success rate. But your mild grip strength adjustments allow for speed control without changing anything else in the stroke. All this works especially if your fundamentals are correct. Feel free to browse the many pool lessons at this About.com GuideSite.

I never thought of that for speed control. I will be trying that one out this PM!"

See what the pool lessons buzz is buzzing about, here at About.com?

Pool Lessons Aside, This Lesson Is The Bomb

Photo courtesy of All About Pool