Gareth Potts, 4 times World 8 Ball Pool Champion, explains how best to hold a cue. He takes us through how to grip and use the "release" to enable more power, as well as better control.
Video Transcription:
Gareth Potts: Okay, so in this video we're now going to talk about the
grip and how to hold the cue at the bottom. So, how you would
naturally hold the cue, is the best way to hold the cue at the
back. It's hard to teach someone the way to hold the cue. But
how you would naturally grip it is the best way. But what's
important, is when you pull the cue back, on your back swing,
something needs to be released off the cue to allow you to get
the power and the timing and the reaction onto the cue. So, as
you pull the cue back, you need to either release on the back,
this is obviously exaggerated, but it needs to be released from
the back, or as you pull the cue back, the front needs to be
released.
Now for example, to release the front, that would be something
like Ronnie O'Sullivan would do. As he comes back on the cue,
he releases his front two fingers, and then as he drives forward
he then grips it again. Someone like Johnny Reeve would be the
opposite. As he pulls the cue back, he releases the back two
fingers; sometimes three fingers, depending on how much power he
needs. Would release at the back and then play the power shot,
and grip the cue. This is something the way I would play. I
would release the back fingers, and then as I drive through,
grip the cue; which allows you to get the power and most
importantly, the spin on the cue ball.
Andy: So every shot, would you be using the release technique?
Gareth Potts: No, not every shot. Normally on the power shots and when
you have to get in a lot of reaction on the cue ball. Like, if
you're playing a deep screw shot and you're trying to create a
lot of power or playing a hard shot with top spin. To get the
top spin to drive forward, you need that release off the back
because if nothing comes off the cue, you can only take the cue
as far back as your wrist allows the cue to go back before it
starts hurting. You have to have a loose grip, as you pull the
cue back, release the fingers, whether it be the back fingers or
the front ones, you don't do both. You'd either do the front
ones. Like Ronnie O'Sullivan would be, as he pulls the cue
back, he releases the hand at the front and then drives forward.
Smaller shots, where you just putting the ball over a smaller
distance, there's still a slight release; but it's nowhere near
the amount as when you're playing a power shot.
Andy: Are there any occasions where you'd actually hold the cue
further down the shaft?
Gareth Potts: Yeah. That's a good point because, certainly on a pool
table, the reason why I would grip the cue slightly further
down, is if I've got a delicate little shot and I'm trying to
hold the cue ball, to stop the cue ball traveling very far.
What I would then do, is move my hand closer to the cue ball.
And then I would slightly come down the cue, maybe just half a
hand's width down the cue, which then gives you a little bit
more control, and makes you feel a little more compact on the
cue.
Andy: For more videos from Gareth Potts please visit
www.homeleisuredirect.com