A Short Course in the Fundamentals

• It must have the right feel.
• Use a light grip.
• Cradle the cue in two or three fingers and your thumb.
• Allow some daylight between your cue and hand.
• Find the ideal spot to hold the cue in relation to the balance point.
• Adjust your grip hand for soft shots (forward) and for the power shots (back).

• Provides secure guidance for the stroke.
• Open bridge - place cue on the vee formed by the thumb and index finger. Good for follow shots and stretch shots.
• Closed bridge - used most often. Place the cue through a loop formed by pressing the tips of the thumb and index finger together in the middle finger.
• Raise the bridge for follow shots by bringing in the tips of the last three fingers.
• Lower the bridge for draw shots by extending the fingers as as possible.
• Use a short bridge for control and a long bridge for power.
• Keep your shaft clean and/or use a glove to prevent stickiness during the stroke.
• Elevated bridge - place your fingers securely on the table and raise your hand off the table. Place the cue in a vee formed by your thumb and index finger.
• Rail bridge - slide your thumb underneath your index finger, placing the cue alongside your thumb and tip of your middle finger, then wrap the index finger over the cue.
• Open rail bridge - place the cue in a vee formed by the thumb and index finger.
• Mechanical bridge - place as a close to obstructing balls as possible. Secure it to the table with your left hand. Use a short stroke, mostly powered by the wrist.

• Stance objectives - balance, comfort, accuracy of aim (head over cue), alignment, freedom of arm movement, and consistency.
• Distance - from the table depends on position of cue ball.
• Stability - spread your feet wide enough for stability.
• Head position - distance from cue largely a matter of preference. Keep head low for aiming, high for power shots.
• Weight Distribution - should the spread evenly between your feet with some also on the bridge hand.
• Develop a routine for settling into your stance.
• Position your shooting arm straight up and down in the pendulum position.
• Position your grip hand even with, or a few inches in front of your elbow.

• Trust and confidence are the keys to a successful stroke.
• The ideal stroke will send the cue ball along a precise path, have a variety of speeds, be silky smooth and deliver results!
• Plan your shot
• Follow your routines as you settle into your stance.
• Warm-up strokes should be of the correct type and number.
• Warm-up strokes should be smooth and rhytmic.
• Use the pendulum (straight back and straight through) arm swing.
• No unncessary body and head movement.
• Smooth transition to the forward stroke.
• Maintain a light grip pressure.
• Drop right elbow as cue contacts the cue ball.
• Stay with the shot - do not jump up.
• Follow through completely.