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Oct 18, 2004 :: Trying New Stroke Routine
An Interesting Letter and Concept
Dear Monk,
I really enjoy your books, Tim. I am reading "I Came to Win” at this time. Just got a good start.
I have read your story on “Shootout in Taos ". Loved it, and I am not a book reader. I also have “Point the Way". I haven't the means to take personal lessons from you so I am trying to learn through your books. I still want to trip to Denver sometime to meet you.
I am well past my prime, yet am trying to be a player to be reckoned with in tournaments. I play against the likes of David Mattlock, Jesse Bowman, Terry Young, Jim Waldon, Gabe Owens, Coy Lee Nicklson, Marty Hildbrand, Jr. Brown, etc, etc. Nothing like trying to handle the best around.
I have a Gold Crown 1 to practice on with double shimmed pockets. My biggest worry up until now was making the shots. I always noticed at tournaments that all the good players didn't miss shots they usually got out of position.
Otherwise they would run the table. My downfall was missing a key shot and running out of position. I have finally come to learn a stroke that makes balls from every where. I copied this stroke from Henry Granis, out of Denver.
Henry's back doesn't allow him to play anymore, but he is truly one of the finest players I ever had the pleasure to meet and watch. The stroke is a tilted, downward stroke through the cue ball. You finish with your tip on the cloth after every shot except the high cue ball follow through and even then the tip almost hits the cloth at finish. I was always taught to keep the stick level but this makes more of the tougher shots and makes me feel I can't miss. Henry almost never missed a shot. In fact I watched him practice 9 ball once by throwing the balls out, taking cue ball in hand and running rack after rack. In fact after 2 hours of practice I never saw him miss a single shot. I would like your thoughts.
Thanks,
Mike Goscha, Sidney, NE
A reply from The Monk:
After receiving this letter I decided to go down into the basement and try out the “shooting downward theory” of pocket billiards. At first it felt awkward. On one shot I wanted to move the cue ball forward for position and normally I use a dead level stroke for this kind of shot.
During my run I was not comfortable with the downward motion of my cue. I wanted to deliver a follow stroke and did not feel the flow of a level stroke. My punch stroke seemed to back up. It did not give me that dead stop action I desired.
I had to work at it to make it stop. I had to really think about what I was doing. It did not come natural. And my draw shots were not accurate. Still, I continued to test this out. I am always hoping to discover the ultimate secret that will eliminate the long hours of personal training. I am the type who has to practice, practice, practice.
My friend from Chicago came down and wanted to play a game or two. Two or three is more like it. I engaged him in an afternoon of eight ball and proceeded to work my way into a major slump. After a while, with my downward motion I could not make a ball and was totally confused.
My conclusion is that we need to do what is best for us. I have mastered the four strokes of pool and I did this with a level stroke. I use a level cue on all strokes. So I will have to stay with the level stroke. I really don’t think you can master the four strokes of pool with a downward motion of the cue stick.
As for the follow-through that placed the tip on the cloth after each shot, I think these players raise their shooting arm at the end of their stroke to “hit the finish”. This forced the cue tip to the cloth.
Feel free to give it a try. I did find that the object ball raced away from my cue ball faster with the downward stroke. At first I thought I was on to something. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Search for better ways.
Keep an open mind. If it works, then stay with it. If it does not work, then move on. Take action, measure your progress and make adjustments. If it works, write to me right away. Maybe together we can discover the “mother lode.”
