How to Grip Your Billiard Pool Cue Stick Correctly

Many billiard players do not realize just how important it is to grip their pool cue stick correctly. Your cue stick grip should always be relaxed and loose, and should stay that way through your entire stroke. Since the tightening of muscles occurs naturally during times of duress and pressure (like when making a billiard shot), keeping a loose pool cue grip will require maximum concentration until you develop a nice, relaxed style. Try using two or three fingers to steady your pool cue stick from the outside while steadying with your thumb on the inside. This allows you to have complete control of your cue stick, while maintaining your necessary loose grip. Also, try avoiding a pool cue stick grip with the palm of your hand. Doing this will naturally encourage a tighter cue grip.

Maintaining a loose grip on your cue stick allows you to move all of the way through the cue stroke in one continuous motion. Having too tight of a pool cue grip might cause the cue stick to stray from its intended path, therefore causing the cue ball’s path to be altered. And most billiard players know that even the slightest change in trajectory results in a missed shot or bad leave.

Another thing to consider when discussing a cue stick grip is the angle of your grip arm. Your lower arm and wrist should always be in a straight up and down position, with your wrist pointing straight down to the floor (not cocked inward or outward) and elbow pointing up to the ceiling.  Also, maintaining a 90 degree angle with your elbow between your upper and lower arm will help keep your lower arm perpendicular with the floor and the ceiling.  If your wrist is not directly aligned at the proper 180 degrees with the floor, you will be more likely to jerk your cue stroke due to unnatural wrist movement and position.