In the realm of pool, mastering hand positions in pool is more than just a technicality; it’s the cornerstone of precision and control. Understanding the nuances of hand placement can significantly elevate your game, offering a realm of strategies and techniques to explore.
Hand positions in pools are popularly known as hand bridges, there are four main types of bridges to be learned, open, closed, rail, and elevated bridge. Those are the four types of hand positions that all pool players should know how to use, each of those bridges would be used when in a different situation in the game of pool.
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How To Play Hand Positions In Pool?
Many beginners to the game of pool may not tend to see the importance of learning how to perfect their hand bridge techniques, learning the different hand bridges will definitely increase your skill level as a player in the game. It is a sure factor that your first attempt at trying out these will be a failed attempt, it’s even going to feel out of place or somewhat uncomfortable but with a lot of practice am sure you’ll be playing like a professional in no time.
1. Open Bridge Technique
An open bridge technique is said to be the most common and most user-friendly hand technique in the world of pool or any other cuesports out there. It’s the most common technique because it is very easy to learn, to create an open bridge, you are going to lay your less dominant hand flat on the pool table, point your thumb upwards to meet with your index finger a little from the knuckle joint, on doing that you will create a (V) bridge.
The V-shape bridge created would then be called an open bridge, the pool cue stick would then be placed in the middle of that bridge leaving the knuckle joint and thumb joint to hold the cue in a stable and firm position. The bridge can also be adjusted by raising or lowering your bridge hand knuckles and thumb.
Pros
- Great for long shots
- Better Aiming
- Less resistance for shots
- Easy to learn
Cons
- Not accurate for skilled shots
2. Close Bridge Technique
The closed-hand bridge technique is most common among professional pool players out there, the grip hold on the cue is much more stable. To create a closed bridge, make a fist with your hand and put it on the pool table, open your index finger and thumb, now wrap them around the cue stick for a firm grip.
Now open your middle, ring, and pinkie fingers flat on the table, the cue stick should now be griped by the index and thumb and rest on top of the middle finger as well thus creating the closed bridge technique. This hand technique will most definitely give you a more controlling and accurate shot in the game. It is not going to be perfected in the first attend of creating the bridge techniques but a few practices will bring you there.
Pros
- Gives more accurate shots than usual
- More control over the cue stick
Cons
- Not as easy to learn
3. Rail Bridge
The rail bridge techniques are used whenever the cue ball is too close to the rail, there are a few amounts of ways that players tend to use to execute a rail bridge, they are both made up of 80% of the open and closed bridge components but we’ll just skip to the simpler one at this moment.
A simple way to do this is to, lay your hands on the rail with your normal open bridge shot technique position, put the cue stick between your index finger and thumb, and then, wrap your index finger over the cue stick in a way that it comes between the middle and index finger, thus creating a simple rail bridge technique.
Pros
- Perfect for close rail shots
- Accurate shots
- Easy to learn
Cons
- Rail usage mainly
4. Elevated bridge
This bridge is been created when another ball is blocking your cue ball shot, to do so, plant your index and pinkie fingers on the table while your middle and married finger is been bent touching the middle of your palms, you are going to then lift your thumb upward but a little below your index knuckle joint thus creating a V-bridge to rest the cue in and making your shot.
Pros
- Easy to learn
- Great for blocked cue ball shots
Cons
- Do not give accurate shots
- Low ball control abilities
What Are The Benefits Of Learning Those Bridges
If you are a player that really wants to become good at the game, your first task should be mastering the four main hand techniques. There are going to be times in the game when if you cannot succeed in creating the correct hand bridge position, you won’t have a shot or you will possibly create a foul play or scratch shot.
When you are at the beginner’s stage of the game, most persons or players would just tell you to make whichever hand bridge that’s most comforting for you. The thing is you have to remember that those are just for people that have never played the game of pool before.
Learning how to play hand positions in the pool will definitely increase your game skills at a faster paste. It will also let you look like a real professional player while executing your shots in the game.
How Can I become Good At these Hand Bridges Fast?
Firstly, you must own your personal Pool Cue Stick for yourself, having your own pool cue stick around you at all times will most definitely give you an advantage. The main fact that you are going to have that cue stick around you means that you can always practice how to make the different bridges whether you are on the pool table or not.
Best believe you are at a major advantage of mastering them at a faster paste than a normal person who only practices when they go to places where they can use public usage pool cues. If you don’t own a cue still as yet, no need to worry we got the best suggestions for you, go check out our article with the best pool cues for the money, am sure you will find something there you like and can afford as well.
If it is your first time buying a pool cue stick, I would recommend you use a 19-ounce cue stick with a 13mm medium-hard tip two-piece pool cue stick. But if you are fully aware of what size you want already that is great, it means you are ahead already but if not I am sure what I have recommended will suit u just great.
Another thing if you are below the average height of 5ft7 you should consider using a 52 inches tall cue stick instead of the 58 inches standard form. Using the wrong cue length cue will alter with your gave as well, its gonna feel a bit dis-comfortable and out of place, so those are the thing to take into consideration.
I thank you for reading the article to the end I do hope you Check out a few more things we have here to offer for you guys, stay tuned for more, and feel free to go check out our cue selection and reviews on what best for the different types of pool games. See what cue stick is better for breaking, English usage, cut shots, and other skilled plays of the games.
4 Effective Tips on How to play hand positions in the pool
- Having your own cue stick will be better for the amount of practice time u get.
- It would be good to get yourself a pool glove for smoother plays.
- Practice as much as you can or get to.
- You don’t have to be at a pool table to try making the different hand bridges.
Perfecting Your Pool Play: Hand Position Mastery
The mastery of hand positions in pool isn’t just about gripping the cue; it’s about finesse, control, and understanding the artistry behind each shot. As you hone your skills in perfecting these hand positions, you’ll witness a transformation in your game—elevating it from ordinary to exceptional. Embrace the nuances, practice diligently, and watch your precision and mastery unfold on the felt battlefield.
Mastering the hand positions in the pool is an art. Hope you have liked all these major strokes and styles of mastering yourself in the field of pool cue game. One quick tip that we would recommend is that you must buy your own affordable pool cue stick to become smoother in the gameplay.
You can also check:
- Pool Cues Under 500
- Amazing Pool Cues For Professional Players
- Set of 5 Pool Cues
- Checkout more related gifts related to pool cues on goodgifts.com
