Hi everyone! Thanks for sending in more of your questions. Every month I will answer questions that come through my website – www.allisonfisher.com.
What is the secret to playing a jump shot?
First, when I play a jump shot, I turn my body sideways. This allows my cue to come through without my body inhibiting my follow through. I lean my weight forward on to my front foot with my back foot resting on the toes. Then I bend my front left arm, which again gives my back arm more room to stroke and pushes my weight forward towards the table. The most important part is to have a very loose grip on the cue. The delivery of the cue is more like a flick, with the fingers barely holding the cue. The elevation of the cue stick will determine how high and how long the jump will be. The higher the elevation, the higher the jump, and the lower the elevation the longer the ball will jump. I have a Cuetec jump/break cue that I break down into a 3/4-length cue for jumping. Remember, it is illegal to strike the cue ball below center.
How do you master the correct speed in pool?
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Having a consistent stroke develops speed control. Warm-up strokes for every shot are very important, as you are trying to feel the shot prior to execution. The type of shot you are going to shoot will dictate how far you will draw your cue back on the back swing. For example, if I am going to play a delicate touch shot, I will not have extremely long warm-up strokes. I may draw the cue back one or two inches. On the other hand, if I am going to play a power shot, I will try to have longer warm-up strokes. My final back swing will be the same length as my warm-up strokes. If I used a short back swing on the last stroke, I would be forcing the cue ball with too much effort, and my acceleration would be incorrect.
Is snooker mentally harder to play than pool?
The two games are totally different. Pool is a very offensive game, and you have to be ready all of the time to get to the table. The momentum tends to swing back and forth in pool between the players much more than it does in snooker. With snooker, you may be sitting in your seat for 20 minutes while your opponent runs a century break on you. In snooker, you get rewarded for every ball you make, whereas in pool, if you are playing 9-ball and you run eight balls and miss the ninth, there is no reward. I would say they are both tough games for different reasons. Snooker matches can last for hours at a time, while in pool, matches may last an hour or just over. You have to be mentally alert for either game, which means it will benefit you to be a fit person.
Hi pool fans, thanks for all the e-mails. I am going to answer some more questions sent to me through my website www.allisonfisher.com.
What weight of a cue do you shoot with?
I use an 18 ounce Cuetec cue. When I played snooker, I played with a 19 ounce cue, which was the average used by most players. I like an 18 ounce for pool, as I think I get more feeling with this weight. It really does not matter, as long as the weight is balanced in your hands and feels good. My break cue is also 18 ounces, which gives me more velocity when breaking. Because my break cue is also a jump cue, the lighter weight in my rear (right) hand also helps for jump shots.
Where are your eyes looking when you strike the cue ball?
That is a good question. When I strike the cue ball, my eyes are focused on the object ball at the point that I want the cue ball to make contact on the object ball. There are a few special situations, however, when my eyes look at the cue ball last. They are:
1. When I am bridging over a ball and looking down at the table from above
2. When I am breaking
3. When I am striking a ball on the rail
4. When I am jumping the cue ball over an impeding object ball
These times are the only times I change my routine, as my head position in relation to the shot is different, and it is very important to hit the center of the cue ball in order to avoid a miscue on certain shots.
When you play pool, how far in advance do you plan your shots?
After the break, I view the table and look for an obvious run out. If the answer is yes, I have an idea of where I want to be on each shot. When I am ready to start executing, I am planning three shots at a time, making sure I get to the correct side of balls and leave the right angles for my next shot. As I make one shot, I add the next shot on to continue my pattern of three shots ahead. For example, if I can see the 1, 2, and 3 balls, after I make the 1 ball I now look at where I want to be on the 3, 4, and 5 balls, as I am already positioned on the 2 ball. If the rack is not an easy run out, I look for the problem balls, and if I cannot break them out, maybe my best solution is a good safety.
How do you stay cool under pressure?
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I don’t always! Of course there are times when we all get upset or annoyed with what happens at a pool table. The simple fact of the matter is that once it is gone, it is gone. We cannot bring it back, so why worry? I think the main thing is to be able to let go of a poor shot right away. This sounds easier than it is, but how are you going to play when you get back to the table with negative thoughts still in your mind? Be ready for anything, take it as it comes, and more than anything enjoy it because this is why we all play the game.
Hi everyone! I would like to talk about my experiences when I switched from playing snooker to pool and the differences I encountered. After a lifetime of playing snooker, in 1995 I made the switch to playing pool, 9-ball in particular. There are some significant differences that I observed as I made the transition, and I’ll point out several. A snooker player approaches the table differently and uses some different mechanical movements than a pool player.
Snooker began in India, which was at the time a British colony, by officers stationed there. The game utilizes 15 red balls and 6 balls of other colors. The object in snooker is to score the most points. The red balls are worth one point each, and the other colored balls are worth from two to seven points apiece. The reds stay down as they are pocketed, and the colored balls are re-spotted when they are pocketed. The game is played on a 12’ x 6’ table with narrow pockets and uses smaller, lighter balls than those used in pool.
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It took me a while to get used to the reaction of the object and cue balls as they came off a rail. The rails are cut differently and, therefore, they respond differently. In snooker more stun shots and draw shots are used, whereas in pool, because they can spin the ball easier, a pool player tends to use more rails and topspin. The age of the cloth you are playing on will make a difference. If you are playing on a new cloth, the ball tends to slide (skid) more, and spin reacts differently and is harder to control.
The cloth on a snooker table is directional and has a nap. This type of cloth has a long “playing life,” which is important to the room owners. This makes the game a little more difficult to play, as you have to allow for a roll when shooting slow shots against the nap. For example, when shooting in to the side pocket going against the nap, you will have to aim about an inch or two from the pocket, and the ball will curve in. The cloth that the professionals play on in televised events is shaved twice, making it faster and removing the nap. This type of cloth removes the need to compensate for the nap when aiming.
My snooker cue is 54 inches in length, weighs 19 ounces, and had a 10-millimeter tip when new. Over the years I wore it down to 9 millimeters. My Cuetec pool cue, by contrast, weighs 18 ounces, and is 56 inches in length. I initially used a 113/4-millimeter tip but found I didn’t like it, as I wasn’t controlling spin very well. To improve this, I switched to a 13-millimeter tip. Snooker players in general hold the cue near to the butt, which is why cues tend to be a person’s shoulder height on average. The cues are generally made from ash and ebony, maple and ebony, or rosewood, and have a brass ferrule. Pool players very seldom hold a cue at the end or near the butt. They tend to hold the cue somewhere on the wrap.
At the time I was playing snooker, 90 percent of the players stood squarely at the table and faced the shot. Steve Davis, a top player who dominated throughout the 1980s, influenced this. He had everything in line, from his elbow through his head and down to his right leg. Joe Davis (not related), who dominated snooker several decades prior, sighted under his left eye and consequently stood more like a pool player stands. He had a straight left arm and positioned his feet differently than snooker players of today. His left foot would point parallel to the line of the shot and his right turned out about 60 degrees, opening his stance up.
Probably around 90 percent of all snooker players, including myself, have a slight hesitation at the back of their stroke that enables me to get my eyes focused on the object ball prior to my final delivery. Ninety percent of all pool players have their hesitation at the front of the stroke. Either is fine as long as there is a good rhythm and understanding of what you are doing.
One of the hardest differences to overcome between the two games is that while at snooker you get rewarded for scoring points, in 9-ball only the 9 ball counts. Mentally, the games are very different. In snooker it is easy to be defensive, whereas in 9-ball you need to be able to play offense, as safety play can be very difficult, especially with the jump shot being legal.
Here is another Back Foot example demonstrated by my friend Jade, who appeared in my Back Foot article a couple of issues ago. Jade is from the South Jersey area and loves to play pool as much as time will allow any mother/wife/pool fanatic that I have met. Earlier this year at the Valley Forge Show in March, I asked Jade to help me to prove a point without her realizing exactly what my point would be. I asked her to show me two different ways for her to begin with her Back Foot Alignment. With the first way, shown in an earlier column, she elected to pose in her usual shooting stance. She started with her whole Back Foot to the left of the floor’s imaginary aim line. The following photographs show the way I asked her to model.
This new and unfamiliar position for Jade has the middle of her back foot’s arch directly in line with the imaginary line on the floor. Now, because of her physique (short legs, etc.) and because this is not her preference for her usual shooting stance, she has instinctively made a slight deviation from her usual head position over the aim line. The important thing to learn here is that this time her initial back foot alignment is in a different starting position than her normal style, which ultimately influenced her body’s search for a comfortable alignment for her head. The result is that there is more of an angle with her head now as compared to her usual style.
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Take as much inventory as you can in order to memorize and improve the way you approach the shot. Be aware how the specific points from the different parts of your body feel as you strive to find the most comfortable position for you. Ask yourself if you are relaxed as you approach the shot. Are you staying relaxed as you go down? Do not rush these critical questions and steps while you try to learn new habits. It may take a while before you find what works for you. Think of this as building an important and worthwhile foundation to your game, because, after all, you will be doing this for every single shot and safety.
Strive to eliminate all unnecessary turning and twisting to prevent unwanted muscle stress and fatigue. The less you move; the easier it is for your body to remember! It will behoove you to monitor your subtle changes as your whole body bends into the shot. You want to strive for consistency as well as comfort. Try to learn as much as you can about your habits.
The more pool knowledge that you acquire and the more you learn about your particular tendencies, the better chance you will have of becoming a better player. The “easy to make” and overlooked mistake is to base your aim perception on one head alignment while having a slightly different one. Stay tuned because another initial Back Foot example is coming in the next Pool Prayers column.
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Your goal for consistent execution should really begin with consistent thinking. Therefore, you should train your body to be consistent by thinking consistently. Until your body can naturally align properly over the aim line every single time without any conscious thought, you will have to think of where your Back Foot Starting Point is when you begin your aiming process. Whenever you can, take the extra second or two to make sure that you are placing your feet the same way each time that you begin. Are they both starting straight? Are both of your feet slightly angling to the side a little bit, or is just one foot straight? Beginning your aiming process in a comfortable alignment can help speed you on your way to forming those new desirable habits. For the sake of curiosity, my suggestion to the intermediate and more advanced players is to try some slightly different Back Foot Starting Positions. Maybe you can discover a slightly more comfortable alignment. Take your time and see if you are descending into your shooting position as comfortable as you can. Who knows? Maybe you will surprise yourself after years of playing and experience a slight improvement. A slight improvement can contribute to a more comfortable consistent game. The following photo shows me starting with my back foot’s top heel area directly over the aim line. Normally this is a little bit too much to the right for my back foot for me to feel comfortable. I usually begin with the ball of my foot, which would be about 3 inches more to the left. Remember that I am trying to demonstrate the effect that just the slightest variance of the back foot’s initial placement will have on the shooter’s descent into their final shooting position, as well as their Facial Guide Points over the aim line. Please look at the photo.
In the second initial Back Foot column of this series, I illustrated that having my back foot’s arch as my initial footing would comfortably bring my left nose edge as my Facial Guide Point. Look at the following photograph to see where my Facial Guide Point will be with this particular initial footing. In the above photo, my left nose edge is directly over the aim line. I usually prefer to have the left edge of my nose directly over the aim line. Therefore, I have just demonstrated that by starting about 3 three inches further back on my initial back foot alignment, results in a shift of about ½-inch further away from my usual left nose edge Facial Guide Point. Did you observe that I did not shift my Facial Guide Point the same 3 inches as my back foot’s 3-inch starting shift? The reason has to do with my particular physique and my body’s particular tendency to descend and pivot while I find the final adjustments over the aim line. The next column will conclude this particular series of initial Back Foot Alignment examples.
Visit InsidePOOL for the latest instruction from the sport of billiards and pool.
Here is another Back Foot example demonstrated by my friend Jade, who appeared in my Back Foot article a couple of issues ago. Jade is from the South Jersey area and loves to play pool as much as time will allow any mother/wife/pool fanatic that I have met. Earlier this year at the Valley Forge Show in March, I asked Jade to help me to prove a point without her realizing exactly what my point would be. I asked her to show me two different ways for her to begin with her Back Foot Alignment. With the first way, shown in an earlier column, she elected to pose in her usual shooting stance. She started with her whole Back Foot to the left of the floor’s imaginary aim line. The following photographs show the way I asked her to model. 
This new and unfamiliar position for Jade has the middle of her back foot’s arch directly in line with the imaginary line on the floor. Now, because of her physique (short legs, etc.) and because this is not her preference for her usual shooting stance, she has instinctively made a slight deviation from her usual head position over the aim line. The important thing to learn here is that this time her initial back foot alignment is in a different starting position than her normal style, which ultimately influenced her body’s search for a comfortable alignment for her head. The result is that there is more of an angle with her head now as compared to her usual style.
Your goal for consistent execution should really begin with consistent thinking. Therefore, you should train your body to be consistent by thinking consistently. Until your body can naturally align properly over the aim line every single time without any conscious thought, you will have to think of where your Back Foot Starting Point is when you begin your aiming process. Whenever you can, take the extra second or two to make sure that you are placing your feet the same way each time that you begin. Are they both starting straight? Are both of your feet slightly angling to the side a little bit, or is just one foot straight? Beginning your aiming process in a comfortable alignment can help speed you on your way to forming those new desirable habits. For the sake of curiosity, my suggestion to the intermediate and more advanced players is to try some slightly different Back Foot Starting Positions. Maybe you can discover a slightly more comfortable alignment. Take your time and see if you are descending into your shooting position as comfortable as you can. Who knows? Maybe you will surprise yourself after years of playing and experience a slight improvement. A slight improvement can contribute to a more comfortable consistent game. The following photo shows me starting with my back foot’s top heel area directly over the aim line. Normally this is a little bit too much to the right for my back foot for me to feel comfortable. I usually begin with the ball of my foot, which would be about 3 inches more to the left. Remember that I am trying to demonstrate the effect that just the slightest variance of the back foot’s initial placement will have on the shooter’s descent into their final shooting position, as well as their Facial Guide Points over the aim line. Please look at the photo. 
In the second initial Back Foot column of this series, I illustrated that having my back foot’s arch as my initial footing would comfortably bring my left nose edge as my Facial Guide Point. Look at the following photograph to see where my Facial Guide Point will be with this particular initial footing. In the above photo, my left nose edge is directly over the aim line. I usually prefer to have the left edge of my nose directly over the aim line. Therefore, I have just demonstrated that by starting about 3 three inches further back on my initial back foot alignment, results in a shift of about ½-inch further away from my usual left nose edge Facial Guide Point. Did you observe that I did not shift my Facial Guide Point the same 3 inches as my back foot’s 3-inch starting shift? The reason has to do with my particular physique and my body’s particular tendency to descend and pivot while I find the final adjustments over the aim line. The next column will conclude this particular series of initial Back Foot Alignment examples.