These are a few of the lessons that are expanded upon in Jimmy Reid’s 10 HOUR INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO SERIES
Your stroke should be smooth enough to allow you to close your eyes before the last stroke…
Developing a stroke:
 Line up a striped ball with the corner pocket, try to keep an equal amount of white on both sides of the stripe. Warm up, like I explain in “Grips”, hold the cue lightly at first, let your wrist break ‘nice n’ smooth. NEVER stop stroking during this practice routine. Aim at 12 o’clock in the upper middle of the stripe, still stroking – back & forth, back & forth, nice and smooth then let it go, let it flow…Practice this, increasing the grip pressure as your stroke improves. When you master this practice routine, you will graduate to the wonderful world of a shot-maker. Then you’ll be hooked and, Your love of the game will begin to soar… |
 Keep your eye on the target, in this case the corner pocket, from the beginning of the final backstroke, to the end of the followthrough. Your eyes should do this about 95% of the time in making shots, and this is an excellent way to train them. In my mind the only exceptions being, an extreme masse’, and sometimes an extreme jump shot. When you execute the shot correctly, memorize the feeling and firmness in your grip hand. Repeat it again… |
 As you can see the white remains equally on both sides of the stripe. |
 Practice this to perfection, no matter how well your aim. If your stroke isn’t straight, you won’t make the shot… |
 Aiming: Step 1; of my “No Time For Negative” approach. Walk around, chalk up and study the table, look for problem balls etc… This view is an example of three cbs with the same imaginary cp (cb against 3 ball lined up for the side pocket)… |
 Notice the imaginary cb against the 3 dead inline with the corner pocket. If you were to remove this imaginary cb, then shoot all three cbs where the imaginary cb was (or is), the 3 ball will be successfully pocketed by all… |
 Step 2: If I am not 100% sure of where I want to hit the ob. I will point the center of the cuetip at the center of the ob inline with where I want it to go. Whether it be a pocket, bank, safety, or multiple combination. After I’ve pointed @ the ob, I will keep my eye on that obcp as I walk back behind the cb not looking at the cb yet. Still staring at that obcp but at the same time I’m putting the cueball in a close up, sort of blurred center of my stance, still focusing on the obcp. Now line up the exact opposite piece of the cbcp with the obcp. If, from the cb that obcp is approximately 1/2″ left of its right edge, line up the cb to meet the ob with 1/2″ right of the cb left edge. As seen here… |
 Aiming is always exact – equal opposites. left edge of the ob may only be struck only with the right edge of the cb. Right 1/2 of ob may be struck only with left 1/2 of cb. Back center of ob can be hit only with front center of the cb.This picture illustrates how different pieces of the cb are used to cut this ob into the corner pocket. Keep it simple by visualizing the ghost ball clearly, and just replace it with the cb… |
 Starting to swing down on this long shot… |
 Swooping down into that cb path, now it’s time to widen the stance. Get comfortable and lower… |
 The wider stance has lowered my head and made aiming easier, also bending the left elbow a little provides for a better view of this long shot by moving the eyes closer to the target. Relax, get comfortable, warm up, stroke until it feels perfect, then shoot, let it go – let it flow to a perfect end result… |
Want to learn more about the stroke and aiming? It’s all covered in Jimmy Reid’s 10 hour DVD set
