How to Improve Your Pool Stroke: 7 Fixes for a Straighter Cue
Your stroke is the engine of your game. A smooth, straight stroke makes the same aim work every time; a crooked one turns good aim into misses. These seven fixes cover almost every stroke problem.
1. Relax your grip
Hold the cue like a bird: firm enough that it doesn't fly away, loose enough that you don't hurt it. A tight grip steers the cue sideways and kills speed control. Your back hand should feel like it is just guiding the cue.
2. Keep the elbow still
On most shots, the stroke should swing from the elbow like a pendulum, with the upper arm still. If your elbow drops or flies out before contact, the tip moves off line.
3. Forearm straight down at contact
When the tip is at the cue ball, your forearm should hang straight down. If it angles forward or back, move your grip hand until it is vertical. More on this in how to hold a pool cue.
4. Pause at the back
A short pause at the end of the backswing separates the backswing from the forward stroke, so you don't jerk the cue forward. Many great players count "back, pause, through."
5. Accelerate through the ball
The cue should still be speeding up when it hits the cue ball. Decelerating (slowing down at contact) is behind most "chicken wing" misses on soft shots.
6. Follow through
Let the tip finish several inches past where the cue ball was, and freeze there for a second. If your follow-through goes left or right, so did your stroke.
7. Stay down
Keep your head and body still until the object ball is in the pocket. Jumping up is the most common reason good players miss easy shots.
Drills to groove it
- Straight-back drill: shoot the cue ball straight up the table over the diamonds; it should come straight back to your tip.
- Bottle drill: stroke into the neck of an empty bottle on its side without touching the glass.
- Film it: a phone on a small tripod behind and beside you shows elbow drop and wobble you can't feel. See how to film your stroke.
- Training aids: a stroke trainer that keeps the cue on a straight line can help early on; see pool training aids that actually help.
A glove can help the cue slide evenly, too: see do you need a pool glove?