There’re numerous ways of holding a cue.
There exist several ways that players can use to optimize their cueing performance.
Another component that is often neglected is the choice of a cue. See, if you’re looking to optimize your performance, you need a cue that fits your needs. If you’re into pool gaming, for instance, this pool cues review should guide you on choosing a cue that fits your needs.
Without further ado, let’s look at how to hold a cue for perfect accuracy.
Where to Hold Your Cue
The first step to holding the cue is learning where to hold it.
A common mistake we see with armatures players is either holding the cue too far forward or too far back.
Sure, finding the sweet spot might like a mystery, but in reality, it’s easy to find one.
The key to finding the sweet spot is letting your forearm stay perpendicular to the cue when contacting the cue ball.
Get as close to the tip of the cue ball without hitting it, and see that your forearm is perpendicular to the cue.
How to Grip the Cue
After you have found the ideal holding location, it’s time to learn how to hold the cue.
A common mistake we see with beginners, as well as seasoned players, is holding the cue too tightly.
Sure, it’s tempting to add some oomph into your shot and drive the cue ball to the target with authority, but it doesn’t mean you need to grip the cue with white knuckles.
In any case, the moment you’re trying too hard, your body naturally becomes tensed up, and this makes si extremely challenging to make a short.
For starters, holding too tight restricts how far you can pull your arm, and consequently, it decreases your power.
Secondly, a tight grip often results in the rocking of the cue up and down during the swing.
The seesaw effect makes it quite a challenge to keep the stick level.
And in case you’re trying to hit the cue low and parallel, a tight grip requires the use of more muscles in your arms and shoulders, meaning that you lose control of the pendulum swing, and this affect your shot.
Instead, you should keep your grip natural, reserved, and light.
One way to do that is by making a shot using finger; for instance, you can release two of the front or three of the back fingers when pulling back for short.
While at it, the cue should barely touch your palm, if it has to.
How to Bridge a Cue
Ordinarily, most of the players will simply place the cue on their hands and go ahead and strike the cue ball.
However, that’s the wrong way to do it.
When bridging, it’s first necessary to consider your hand like a boat’s anchor, meaning it will not move from its original position.
This way, your hand creates a V shape for the cue to rest in.
Whether you use a deep or shallow V, it should be a matter of preference.
Perfecting the Cue Action
Cue action and timing are two of the critical components in holding a cue.
Feathering
While everyone has a unique feathering technique, it’s recommended that you pause at the cue ball as well as pause at the end of your pull back.
This way, you’ll give your shot a pre-planned structure rather than a continuous motion.
Learn, Practice & Improve
Practice makes perfect.
You need to be consistent and yearn to learn more.
I must be honest with you; learning how to hold a cue perfectly takes a learning curve and will not happen overnight.
However, like cycling, once you learn this skill, it will become part of your life.