Proper Pool Stance for Tall Players

[@EGrottendieck]

Hi Bob! As usual a well researched and thought out video! I'm 6 ft 6 tall and I feel your pain brother! Especially as I'm 62 years old. Thanks for your efforts and I will try to emulate your stance the next time I'm at my pool club!

[@luatala8008]

This is only the 2nd video of yours I’ve watched but you are the man!!!! I’m more snooker than pool player but life of me I can’t get down low with chin on cue like everyone else seems to be able to do. I enjoy your videos IMMENSELY

[@neilmurphy7064]

6'5", Great video. Struggled with proper stance and knee pains. Will give your suggestions a try!

[@birghtwing]

Excellent video! Thank you this helped my game so much. I’m new to Pool League and my stance is never been comfortable, but after this, and just practicing for a few hours, my entire game has really improved.

[@silvercue9625]

I forgot to mention this is a great video. Keep up the good work.

[@Daruwee]

Hey im a 6’6” beginner, just got my first quality cue sticks. Benn going to the pool hall and as a tall player this helped tremendously! Now i got to buy your book cause i know it will take me to the next level! I literally when on a 8 ball run the other day, this vid really helped THANKS MAN!

[@ShortstopOnPool]

So cool! Appreciate the kind words. Good luck!

[@robertgloverjr]

Fantastic and much needed/appreciated video on a crucially important subject for we tall people. Thank you!

[@umeshhodeghattaph.d6539]

Thanks you. This is great!! I will try tomorrow.

[@JodyShortt]

you're essentially replicating the Joe Davis snooker stance

[@PoolProblems]

I think a key to Ruslans stance is great mobility in the upper back (search thoracic spine mobility), pecs and lats (search for overhead mobility) and also neck (he's able to "look more up/behind"). This enables him to bend downwards from the hip (as if he's trying to touch his toes), and still see straight forward. In constrast, a player with less mobility in the upper body, would not be able to look forward in this stance.

[@ericlyons6251]

Thank you for making this sir.

[@richtubby5022]

For me, being left eye dominant and right handed, I found the only way I could get into a good stance and keep a neutral spine was actually to keep my old snooker stance with a locked back leg and my left foot across to the left and only slightly forward. I never have back issues this way but it can aggravate my shoulder because of the extra weight there on the tripod. On balance though, works for me. Dr. Dave does similar but bends his back legs more evenly. I have tried the left leg more forward but it kills my back.

[@alfedtron9043]

you are forgetting your lefthand is the third leg of a tripod you need to push into the table

[@ShortstopOnPool]

I sure did. Focus of this video was so much on feet placement, or rather my experiments. Bridge hand is a good topic for a later video. As I have experimented with the bridge hand "slide" that some snooker players use, as well as cue-on-table first and bringing the bridge hand into it (like Tanner Pruess).

[@zanethind]

Every Filipino I've seen has a nice comfortable layed back stance also a tall player like Eklent Kaci gets down all the way on the table even though he's like 6'7

[@ShortstopOnPool]

I stood next to Kaci, same height as me, 6'-5'". I love his stance but unable to reproduce it yet myself.

[@zanethind]

@@ShortstopOnPool 👍. Cool that you met him. Also it's ok if you can't do his stance as long as you are comfortable with your own stance then you're fine

[@jamescathcart4762]

Hey Bob, l am six four with 23'' shoulders. What a nightmare to find proper stance and alighnment. l am not there yet. l read some where that if you dont turn your shoulders and have your shoulder behind your head you will be nothing but a banger. Some days are better than others. Thankyou very much for your input on this issue. Now we know why the poolrooms arent full of tall guys. Thanks for a great video!

[@ShortstopOnPool]

It has taken me many months to figure out how to get my shoulder behind my head, and my head square to the shot. Work incrementally and you will get there. It's worth it. Only way to shoot straight consistently and with least effort.

[@noahmendelson6073]

I am 6-1.5....lve been exploring stance for a few years. I understand the struggle somewhat.. recently more of a snooker stance feels good, other less front facing stances make head and chin alignment tricky. I wear glasses so my field of vision seems more open if my head is level and directly forward 🙂... cool video, good luck..

[@ddeuce1847]

I was commenting the other day that I've been working on the long straight follow shot along the diagonal. This video kept coming back to me. I realized I was struggling to get my shoulders and elbow lined up on the shot, while also getting my chest and hips out of the way, clearance. I was getting a lot of motion on my elbow and tip movement to the left, right as I hit the ball. I really had a hard time correcting that tip movement. Your stance has helped a lot. I step into the shot just like you've shown here, but then I still pivot my hips to the left just a little for a little more clearance. It seems to be working for me. I just hit 10 out of 10 with 6 scratches on that long diagonal shot. I even impressed myself! Great video. Btw, where did you get your extension? I have a uniloc predator cue. I've only found a 4" mid-extension. I have the 8" predator butt extension, but it's heavy. I want the nice grip on my cue butt, not a slick extension for sweaty hands. I'm going to look again for a longer mid-extension.

[@ShortstopOnPool]

As I continue to study and refine, I now make sure to "shift" my weight more onto my back foot, which is actually more balanced for a very tall person like me. This helps with the rotation/alignment as you mention above. My extension is custom, made by a local cuemaker. Good luck!

[@zekragash4294]

6'-6" here. Watched this video a while back and committed to buy an extension. Could only find a 5". I really tried to give it a chance, but after several dozen sessions, abandoned it. Couldn't hit anything. Too heavy, cue balance whacked. Back to 60" cue, started hitting shots again.

[@DennyFrenchNetwork]

Thanks Bob! 😎💪🏼

[@zanethind]

I'm around 5'10 and man just getting down all the way feels weird for me I can do it but I always change my stance to get comfortable

[@Rocco_Pocco1]

Thanks man, I'm 6'7 and been wondering for a while why I don't feel comfortable at any stance and could never get a straight shot

[@silvercue9625]

When I was younger, I was 6’3” And focused on my feet position, tripod balance, shoulder and elbow over the cue. When I quit playing pool in 1997, I was a pretty good rack runner in 9 ball. Probably 659+. Now I am 74 and 6‘2“. I am the sole caretaker of my wife so I rarely ever get to play outside of my home. I got rid of my bed and replaced it with a 7 foot pool table that I get to practice on about 30 minutes a week. My skill level is currently somewhere between an APA 6 and an APA 7. I no longer even think about my feet placement. I only focus on getting my head shoulder and elbow aligned with the shot and keep a balance tripod position. When I’m having trouble stroking straight, I grip the cue tightly while getting into alignment. With stroke arm in follow through position. I also tried to rest my head on my bridge shoulder for stabilization. Even though I do not pay attention to my feet while getting down into the stance, I have noticed that my right toes are crossed the line. In my right knee is usually under the cue.

[@SenseiNatePlaysPool]

I practice traditional Japanese karate (shotokan), and your stance is similar to that of a zenkutsudatchi or “front stance”, albeit with some minor tweaks. That said, I’m well aware of the pressures and muscle activation needed for this type of stance, which leads me to ask the question…Do you feel any hip joint pain (on your left side), or back ache particularly towards the sides? It’s unhealthy to hold a stance like this without sufficient mobility and strength conditioning. I’m just curious really. Good stuff man. As a 5’8” player, I don’t suffer from this but all great to know.

[@ShortstopOnPool]

Hmmm, interesting. No back or hip pain for me at all. I hurt my back two years ago and could not bend over, then could only bend over with pain. I think playing pool has been therapeutic. I can stay down in my stance however long I need without exertion - when balanced properly.

[@ddeuce1847]

Very interesting. I'm 6'3 and a beginning player. I've played on and off for years, but now with my own table for the first time, I'm frustrated with my inconsistency. So, I'm focusing now just on my stance and stroke. I'll shoot to a point on the end rail and try to have the ball come right back to the cue. I can never hit more than three in a row, and few of those. I'm missing mostly by one ball width. I miss left then right. Then way off either way! Here's a question, how close to perfect on this shot is a good stroke? 9 out of 10 straight back to the cue? 10 out of 10? I think your stance helps, with a straight back leg and raising my rear shoulder. Being an old guy with stiff lower and upper back, pain and comfort is an issue for both lower and upper back. I'm having a hard time getting my chin right over the cue without upper back pain.

[@ShortstopOnPool]

Neither. That is outcome based thinking. Only quality execution gives you a chance to make some in a row. Irving Crane ran hundreds of balls and he barely bent over. Find a stance that is comfortable and lets your arm stroke naturally without upper arm movement. Chin-on-cue is not a requirement. From there you can rehearse what a stroke straight feels like. I recommend stroking along the rail/cloth joint or using boxes like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZLLg3Wedqijp6c. Then shoot straight-in shots paying attention to sticking the cue ball squarely with no movement while at the same time your cue tip finishes dead-straight over the starting point. Then you can graduate to shooting the ball straight up table and back to your cue tip.

[@ddeuce1847]

​@@ShortstopOnPool Thanks. I'll try the boxes. I can see the spin on the cue ball the instant I hit it, but over the rail, I can't really see it.

[@markhillyer721]

Bob, its not just you tall guys, Im 5'7" and can screw this up easily. A couple questions. Rotate shoulders is that both shoulders around your thoracic spine or are you just pulling back the rear shoulder. Also on your two step your head moved left on step one, probably just a demo thing, but I do find that really hard to make that first step and not pull your head off line.. I bring these things up because I can be down on a ball, sear to you every thing is perfect and within 2 inches of cue ball movement I can tell you I missed. Not sure why I cant see that alignment error before I pull the trigger. Have you found a good way to check your alignment because I think our eyes like to mess with us.

[@ShortstopOnPool]

Yeah my head moved around a lot because I was talking and looking at the camera. But it is something I still work on, not consistent yet. Your rear shoulder is the hard one to rotate. Rotating your upper body helps but too far and you can turn your head down the shot line. Each person needs to find their balance. Also, straight rear leg raised the rear hip, which makes it easier for the rear shoulder to be higher than the left, which helps it get behind the head also. Check alignment - make sure some of your warm-up strokes are pulled all the way back so you verify your stick is straight at the aim point, then after shooting - FREEZE - and notice if your tip finished left or right. Helps to shoot the cue ball off the spot. Practice without the cue ball. Practice with a cue ball only. Practice with a straight in shot to the corner. Practice closing your eyes before the final stroke. Practice often. You will learn what straight "feels" like.

[@markhillyer721]

@@ShortstopOnPool Im familiar with all these drills. I can even put a ball on the spot hit it with a stop shot and have it bank back to the cue ball. I have work a lot on a straight stroke. I work with JS and we are starting to believe I just align wrong and it comes and goes. And yet I come back for more LOL

[@geek211]

I'm 6'8 and just orthopedics insert for my shoes and now I can't hit anything.. I wasn't pro before but have been improving.. and have just hit a wall.. can't hit anything..and I feel like a thousand feet above the table.. idk what to do.. have tried a dozen different things..... Just nothing

[@ShortstopOnPool]

Well, I feel your pain. The stance I arrive at in this video is working. But my hips are still too high. At 6'-8" I suspect you'll need either a both-knees-bent stance, or shove your rear foot way back and learn to balance with most weight on your forward foot. The only other alternative is like Ruslan Chinakhov, feet close, legs under you, lower your upper arm/elbow to get cue level. Or get them to raise the table 15" higher!

[@geek211]

@@ShortstopOnPool thank you I really appreciate that I'm going to try filming myself at the table and see if I can adjust my stance and particularly as you say the right leg farther back and just watching ruslan helped give me ideas thanks a lot 😊

[@______638]

don't see a lot of tall shortstops.

[@jopeteus]

I am 5'11" and never found a problem with pool. Maybe the pool tables are taller in Europe