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The Cue Arm

Written by QEBF. Posted in Eight Ball Coaches

THE CUE ARM

     Imagine the cue arm in two sections:-

 .  The shoulder to the elbow is the part holding the cue on the right level, and during the stroke there should be little or no movement.

 .  The elbow to the hand is the part that swings back and forth in a pendulum action to propel the cue “At rest” should hang in a vertical position and 90 degrees.

The aim of the cue action is simple and yet it is very difficult to achieve. The cue action should deliver the cue in a straight line along the line of aim. If the player has chosen the correct line of aim then the ball will go into the pocket. The cue action also ensures that the cue goes through the cue ball with maximum acceleration so that the player uses the minimum amount of effort. The pictures below split the cue action into 3 main stages. Again, I would recommend a session with a qualified coach as the best way to improve a player's cue action.

 

 

 
bullet The player does some preliminary 'waggles' or 'feathers' up to the cue ball before stopping as close to the cue ball as possible. The player will probably switch his or her eyes back and forth between the cue ball and object ball. At this point the player can then pause slightly to allow the eyes to move to the point on the object ball to be struck. The picture shows the position of the back arm when the tip is up to the cue ball and the pause is taking place.
 
bullet Next the cue can be pulled back. This should be done in a smooth manner and as this is done the wrist can be cocked and the fingers can be loosened. This ensures that the cue stays parallel. The player should also ensure that the elbow is kept high and not dropped. The player can pause at this point as this usually stops a player from rushing the shot and snatching.
 
bullet Finally, the player can drive through the cue ball. The elbow can be dropped and the player will find that the grip tends to switch to the back of the grip rather than the thumb and first finger. This ensures that the cue does not go up and off the bridge hand. The player should ensure that he follows through the cue ball by a good few inches.