Bridge

• closed bridge variations
• open vs. closed
• length
• technique advice

for more information, see Sections 2.03, 7.09, and 7.10 in The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards

closed bridge variations

Where should the index finger be with a closed bridge?

Many bridge variations are shown in the following video:

from sfleinen:

You guys did miss presentation of the most popular closed bridge, which is the Filipino-style, index-finger-pressing-down-upon-middle-finger closed bridge, with the thumb pressing against the side of the middle finger (it's basically "along for the ride" -- most of the clamping work is done by the index finger upon the middle finger). You'll notice most of the pros have now adopted this style closed bridge, with the "pure loop" style closed bridge (as taught in Mosconi's little red book) being quite rarely seen in pros these days.

Another closed bridge that is extremely stable is the Willie Hoppe style closed bridge, as shown here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sc4iaJWu8Ak#t=155s
(This link will jump you into the section where Willie demonstrates his closed loop bridge.)

I don't agree with Willie's stroke style (i.e. from the shoulder as shown in the video), but I've found his closed bridge to be extremely stable and rock steady. The only change I make, is not to let the flesh of my fingers "drag" on the shaft like he shows in the video. A little corn starch applied in there on the contacts points where the cue contacts my fingers fixes that nicely.

Another closed bridge that seems to work well -- albeit it would make you think it's completely against what's traditionally taught -- is the closed bridge that Earl Strickland uses. Basically, it's a traditional closed loop bridge (like taught in Mosconi's little red book), but Earl hooks his index finger on the OUTSIDE of his thumb, not on top of or on the inside of the thumb. Earl basically uses the top surface of his thumb as a "channel" to ride the cue shaft on top of; the middle finger provides the "left wall" and the index finger provides the "right wall" to guide the cue and keep it on track.

I also agree with the synopsis about a variation of the open bridge where the thumb, instead of sticking up in the air at a 45-degree angle (of course clamped against the index finger), the thumb is instead folded over onto the index finger. The cue travels between the knuckle of the index finger and the knuckle of the thumb, keeping the skin taught and preventing the flesh from moving to and fro. This gives added stability. Shane Van Boening uses this variation of the open bridge all the time, as do most Filipino pros.

from sfleinen:

The overlapping index finger closed bridge [with the index finger wrapping around the cue and firmly pressing on top of the middle finger] is extremely stable, since one of the legs of the tripod (the ring finger) is the foundation that the cue rests on, with the index finger keeping the cue down on top of it. It's basically a self-locking bridge. (This is as opposed to the traditional closed loop bridge, which consists of a "two-piece" construction -- the three-finger tripod / heel of the hand foundation is one piece, and the index finger loop / thumb is another piece; the player has to make sure that both "pieces" are pressed/locked together to keep it stable.) The overlapping index finger bridge also forms a "V"-bridge internally, albeit this "V"-bridge is laying on its side, with the open aperture of the "V" facing the player. The traditional looped index finger closed bridge tends to more or less form a circular orifice, or else a "shelf" (on the thumb) that the cue rests on.

The only caveat with the overlapping index finger closed bridge is that it almost "requires" a shaft with a pro taper. A standard slope-tapered shaft will "jam" inside the aperture created by the index finger on top of the ring finger, unless the player compensates by slightly releasing the pressure [applied by the index finger on top of the ring finger] in direct correlation with the increasing diameter of the shaft as it passes through that aperture.

open vs. closed

Is a closed bridge better than an open bridge?

I think an open bridge is better for most players and most shots. It doesn't look as fancy as the wide variety of closed bridges people use, and it is a lot easier to learn (even for beginners), but I think that's why some people think it isn't any good. An open bridge:

• provides unobscured view of the stick (especially with a low stance), for aiming and establishing the stroking direction.
• is very stable, even at fairly large heights (with the heel of the hand on the table and the hand cupped).
• keeps the stick centered and unrestricted in the V-shape through the entire stroke, even with significant shaft taper (this is not the case with all closed bridges).
• offers the least and most consistent resistance to cue movement, especially with hot, humid, and/or dirty conditions.
• offers a greater range of bridge heights. It can be easily flattened to a low cue position, and can be raised higher when bridging over a ball or shooting jacked-up shots.

Also, many great players trained in the snooker world (e.g., Allison Fisher and Karen Corr) use an open bridge and low stance for most of their shots. To me, this is fairly good evidence that an open bridge and low stance might be better in some ways. Accuracy is much more important in snooker than in pool (because of the huge table and small pockets), so they must be using an open bridge and low stance for a reason. Food for thought.

There are some shots (e.g., power shots, especially power follow) where a closed bridge might be more effective, but I think many people discount the open bridge without having valid reasons. Now, some people don't like the cue leaving their bridge hand, which can occur with an open bridge on firm follow shots and power shots with English; but as long as there is no risk of hitting nearby obstacle balls (in which case, a closed bridge might be advisable), this is not really an issue since the CB is already gone before the shaft moves in the bridge. Some people also tend to lift the tip during the stroke, especially with shots requiring more power, and premature lift can result in miscuing over the top of the CB, but this is a stroke issue (e.g., grip tightening and/or elbow dropping), not a bridge issue. For them, the closed bridge could help; although, eliminating the grip or stroke flaws might be a better alternative. Otherwise, whether the bridge is closed or open really has no effect on the CB, except for the fact that the increased friction associated with a closed bridge could reduce power and control a small amount. Now, psychologically, there could be many more advantages to a closed bridge. The human mind is a powerful thing.

For demonstrations of most of the concepts related to both open and closed bridges, view the following videos:

length

Is a longer bridge better?

Bridge length issues are described and demonstrated in the following video:

TP A.10 shows how when you increase bridge length, the cue ball contact point error can increase. This can create unwanted English, which can result in unwanted squirt (cue ball deflection), swerve (cue ball curve), and throw.

Bridge length can also effect how you apply English and compensate for squirt. For more information, see aim compensation for squirt, swerve, and throw.

A longer bridge length can help create more power with less jerkiness; but with more length you will get less tip-placement accuracy. Every individual will have an optimal length where these tradeoffs are balanced.

More information about bridge length effects can be found in my December '08 article. Here is a concise summary of conclusions from the article:

Disadvantages of a longer bridge:

• Stroking errors result in larger tip position errors.
• If the length is not needed for power, the longer stroke might allow more room for error to be introduced during the stroke (i.e., a shorter, more compact stroke might be more accurate).
• If a player has a long bridge but is not using the full length on the back stroke, the bridge length (and associated tip position error) is larger than it needs to be. However, if the extra length is helping with sighting and aiming, it might be justified.
• A small change in bridge position creates a larger change in cue tip position. If the bridge hand shifts accidentally or deforms during the stroke, or if the cue shifts slightly within the bridge, larger errors will result.
• For soft touch shots, a shorter bridge and stroke is usually more effective.

Advantages of a longer bridge:

• A longer bridge can help improve visual sighting.
• Smoother acceleration is possible, especially when using more power. Not as much force will be required over the longer distance to achieve a desired cue speed. The stroke will tend to be jerkier and usually more susceptible to errors with a shorter bridge, requiring larger forces over the shorter distance to achieve the desire cue speed.
• A person with large and/or inflexible hands might need to elevate the back of the cue more with a shorter bridge, and cue elevation can reduce accuracy by creating more swerve when English is used (intentionally or not). Using a longer bridge can help some people keep their cue more level, especially with draw shots.
• A longer bridge might better match the natural pivot length for your cue (especially low-squirt cues). This can help reduce CB direction errors when unintentional English is applied (e.g., due to stroke swoop). It can also be important if using the back-hand English (BHE) method to compensate for squirt when applying English intentionally.
• A longer bridge and stroke might help some people gauge the speed of the shot better; although, this might not apply for soft touch shots (see above).
• Some people just feel more natural and comfortable with a longer bridge and stroke, and shortening it will feel too uncomfortable (even after practice), and their overall performance will not be better with a change. Like many things in pool, personal preference and comfort is often an important factor.

technique advice

What advice do you have concerning the bridge?

See the following videos: