Technical Fundamentals

A pool stance is a stable, repeatable triangle: two feet and the bridge hand. Front foot (opposite the cueing arm) points roughly at the shot line. Back foot 30–45° open, shoulder-width apart. Knees soft, hips low enough that your chin can drop toward the cue.

Common errors

• Standing too tall — you can't sight the line.
• Feet parallel — your cueing arm has no clearance past your hip.
• Weight on the back foot — you'll rise into the stroke and lift the cue.

The bridge is a stable platform for the cue tip. Master two: the closed bridge(index finger loops over the shaft) and the open bridge (V between thumb and index knuckle). Closed bridge for power and elevation; open bridge for delicate strokes and when you need to see the tip clearly.

Distance from the cue ball: 15–20cm for normal shots, closer for delicate touch, further only when the layout forces it. The bridge stays perfectly still through the shot.

Cradle the butt of the cue between the pads of your fingers — never squeeze. The grip stays loose on the backswing and only tightens at the moment of contact. A tight grip transmits any tension in your forearm directly into the cue ball.

The forearm should hang vertically when the tip is at the cue ball. That is your neutral point; backswing and follow-through pivot around it.

Think of the stroke as a pendulum: only the forearm moves, the upper arm stays still. Three phases:

• Practice strokes — 3 to 5, slow and identical, to groove the line.
• Pause at the cue ball, then a smooth backswing (slower than the forward stroke).
• Acceleration through the ball — never decelerate at contact.

The tip should finish 10–15cm past where the cue ball was. If it stops at contact you have decelerated; if it stops way short you have "poked" the shot.

Stay down on the shot until the balls stop rolling. Rising up mid-stroke lifts the tip and pulls the cue off-line — the number one cause of missed cuts among improving players. The cue stops naturally; you do not stop it.