Common Pool Stance Mistakes Beginners Make

Overview

I teach beginners three nights a week at the rec center. You know what’s wild? About 80% of them make the exact same five mistakes. Different people, different backgrounds, but somehow they all end up standing too tall, with their feet too close together, and their head tilted to the right.

Here’s the thing about stance mistakes – they compound. One bad habit creates another, which creates another, until you’re basically fighting your own body every time you shoot. I spent $200 on private lessons once, and the instructor fixed exactly one thing: my back foot position. Just that one change improved my accuracy by maybe 20%. One mistake, massive impact.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about catching the big stuff before it becomes automatic. Because once something’s automatic, it takes about 10 times longer to unlearn than it did to learn in the first place.

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Fundamentals

Key Concept

Most stance mistakes happen because you’re optimizing for comfort instead of stability. Your body wants to stand the way it always stands – upright, relaxed, minimal effort. But good pool stance is athletic, committed, and slightly uncomfortable until you adapt to it.

Why This Matters

Bad stance creates inconsistency. You might make a shot 10 times, then miss the exact same shot on attempt 11. The difference? Your stance moved. Maybe just an inch, maybe a tilted head, but it moved. Fix the stance, and suddenly that shot works every time.

Common Misconception

People think they’ll notice when their stance is wrong because it’ll feel bad. Not true. Bad stance often feels fine – sometimes even better than correct stance – because it’s closer to your natural standing position. You need external feedback (video, coach, or these checkpoints) to catch mistakes you can’t feel.

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Mistake #1: Standing Too Upright

What It Looks Like

Your chin is more than 8-10 inches above the cue. You’re basically standing with a slight lean rather than getting down into position. From the side, you look like you’re bowing slightly instead of committing to the shot.

Why It’s A Problem

When you’re too upright, your eyes aren’t on the same plane as the shot line. You’re looking down at an angle, which distorts your perception of where the cue is pointing. It’s like trying to aim a rifle while holding it at your hip instead of against your shoulder.

How To Diagnose Yourself

Set up for a shot and have someone measure the distance from your chin to the cue with their fist. If their fist fits with room to spare, you’re too tall. Or film yourself from the side – if your back is more vertical than 45 degrees to the ground, that’s the problem.

The Fix

Force yourself to drop 3 inches lower than feels comfortable. Practice there for two weeks. It’s going to feel weird and vulnerable and like you’re about to fall forward. That’s correct. After two weeks, dial it back one inch. That’s probably your sweet spot.

Why People Do This

Getting down low feels exposed. You’re bent over, off-balance, vulnerable. Your subconscious doesn’t like it. Also, if you’ve got any back problems, your body fights against the bend. I get it – I have lower back issues too. But you adapt. Your back gets stronger. Just takes time.

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Mistake #2: Feet Too Close Together

What It Looks Like

Your feet are roughly shoulder-width apart, which is how you normally stand. Maybe even closer. Looks natural and comfortable, but that’s the problem – pool stance isn’t natural or comfortable.

Why It’s A Problem

Narrow stance means unstable base. Any weight shift during your stroke makes you wobble. I’ve watched beginners literally sway 2-3 inches side-to-side during their backstroke. They’re not doing it on purpose – they just don’t have a wide enough foundation to stay locked in place.

How To Diagnose Yourself

Get into your stance. Have someone push your shoulder firmly (not hard enough to hurt, but enough to challenge your balance). If you need to take a step to catch yourself, your feet are too close. A proper stance absorbs that push with minimal movement.

The Fix

Deliberately exaggerate your stance width for a week. Go comically wide – like 50% wider than feels right. Your brain needs to experience what “wide” actually means because it’s been lying to you about what’s comfortable. After a week of too-wide, you can dial it back to appropriately wide.

Why People Do This

We stand with feet close together in normal life because we’re usually moving. Standing wide makes sense when you need maximum stability, but it feels weird when you’re not used to it. Also, wide stance requires better hip flexibility, which most of us don’t have. Stretch more.

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Mistake #3: Weight Distribution Wrong

What It Looks Like

You’re either perfectly balanced between both feet (50-50) or you’ve got most of your weight on your back foot. Feels stable and secure, which is exactly why it’s wrong.

Why It’s A Problem

When your weight’s too far back, you can’t get low enough without falling backward. So you compensate by staying upright. Now you’ve got two problems. Also, weight on the back foot makes you push up during your follow-through, which lifts the cue tip and changes your contact point.

How To Diagnose Yourself

Get in your stance and try to lift your back foot an inch off the ground without falling forward. If you can’t hold that for 5 seconds without toppling, you’ve got too much weight back there. Proper 60-40 distribution lets you lift that back foot easily.

The Fix

Practice setting up with 70% of your weight on the front foot. Feels like way too much. You’ll think you’re going to pitch forward. Do this for three practice sessions. Then dial it back to 60-40. That’ll feel balanced now, even though it would have felt front-heavy before you practiced the exaggeration.

Why People Do This

Loading the back foot feels powerful and controlled. It’s how you stand when you’re about to jump or sprint. But pool isn’t explosive – it’s precise and stable. Different athletic requirements, different stance requirements.

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Mistake #4: Back Leg Too Bent

What It Looks Like

Both your knees are bent about the same amount, like you’re doing a partial squat. Or worse, your back knee is more bent than your front knee. This is usually coupled with having your hips too low.

Why It’s A Problem

Bending your back leg drops your entire body down in a squat motion instead of tilting forward in a hinge motion. Now you’re using leg strength to hold your position instead of skeletal structure. After 30 seconds in stance, your thighs burn. That’s not supposed to happen.

How To Diagnose Yourself

Set up your stance and hold it for 60 seconds. If your back leg starts shaking or your thighs burn, you’re squatting instead of hinging. Also check in a mirror – if your back knee is more bent than your front knee, that’s definitely wrong.

The Fix

Consciously straighten your back leg until it has just a tiny bit of flex – maybe 5-10 degrees of bend. All the bend should be in your front knee. Your back leg is there for stability, not support. Think of it like a kickstand on a bike – straight and locked.

Why People Do This

If you’ve got tight hamstrings or lower back, your body compensates by bending the knees more. Also, if you played basketball or other sports, you’re trained to get low by bending knees. Pool is different – you get low by hinging at the hips while keeping legs relatively straight.

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Mistake #5: Head Not Level

What It Looks Like

Your head is tilted to one side. Not dramatically – maybe just 5-10 degrees. Enough that if someone placed a cue stick across your forehead, it wouldn’t be parallel to the table. Most people don’t notice they’re doing this.

Why It’s A Problem

Tilted head means tilted eyes means your perception of “straight” is wrong. You aim what looks straight to you, but because your reference frame is cocked to the side, you’re actually aiming 2-3 degrees off. That’s the difference between making the shot and rattling the pocket.

How To Diagnose Yourself

Set up your stance and have someone take a photo of you from the foot of the table, looking directly at your face. Your eyes should appear level with each other in the photo. If one eye is higher than the other, your head’s tilted. Another test: have someone place a cue across your forehead – it should be parallel to the table.

The Fix

The problem is you can’t feel head tilt. Your inner ear has adapted to it. You need external feedback. Practice with a mirror or phone camera for two weeks. Set up, check the mirror, adjust head level, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 20 times per session. Eventually your neck muscles learn what “level” actually means.

Why People Do This

Most people walk around with a slight head tilt and don’t know it. It’s related to vision dominance, handedness, or just habit. When you get down into shooting position, that tilt comes with you. Also, if you wear glasses or have uneven vision, your brain might be tilting your head to compensate.

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Mistake #6: Cue Arm Too Close or Too Far From Body

What It Looks Like

Your shooting elbow is either tucked against your side (too close) or flared out away from your body (too far). The upper arm isn’t hanging straight down from the shoulder – it’s at an angle.

Why It’s A Problem

If your elbow’s not directly under your shoulder, you’re creating unnecessary angles in your stroke. The cue can’t swing in a straight line if the hinge point (your elbow) is off to the side. You end up compensating by twisting your wrist or shoulder during the stroke.

How To Diagnose Yourself

Get in your stance and have someone stand behind you, looking along your shooting arm. They should see your upper arm hanging vertically straight down, with the elbow directly under the shoulder joint. If they can see space between your elbow and ribcage, or if your elbow’s pressed against your side, it’s wrong.

The Fix

Let your shooting arm hang completely relaxed at your side. Now bend just at the elbow, bringing your hand up to hold the cue. That’s where your arm should naturally be – not pulled in, not pushed out. Practice this 50 times: drop arm, pick up cue, check position, repeat.

Why People Do This

Tucking the elbow feels more stable and controlled. Flaring it out gives you more room to see the shot line. Both are compensating for other problems in your stance. Fix the stance foundation, and your arm will naturally find the right position.

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Mistake #7: Locked/Stiff Back Leg

What It Looks Like

Your back leg is ramrod straight, knee completely locked. Looks disciplined and stable, but it’s actually rigid and inflexible. Zero give in that leg.

Why It’s A Problem

A completely locked joint is fragile. Any pressure or imbalance, and your body compensates by moving somewhere else – usually your upper body shifts. You want your back leg straight but not locked – there should be microscopic flex that lets your body absorb tiny movements without shifting your stance.

How To Diagnose Yourself

Get in stance with what you think is a straight back leg. Now consciously lock your knee as hard as you can. If you feel a difference, your leg wasn’t locked before – that’s good. If you don’t feel any change, you’ve been locking it. That’s the mistake.

The Fix

Practice setting up with your back leg straightened but with a 5-degree bend at the knee. Not enough to see, but enough to feel. That micro-flex is what you want. Think “long leg” instead of “locked leg.”

Why People Do This

When you first hear “keep your back leg straight,” your brain interprets that as “lock the knee completely.” It’s a misunderstanding of the instruction. Straight doesn’t mean locked – it means extended with soft joints.

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Troubleshooting Multiple Mistakes

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Measurement & Progress

Self-Assessment Checklist

• [ ] Can set up stance and immediately identify which (if any) of these 7 mistakes you’re making
• [ ] Video from 3 weeks ago vs. today shows measurable improvement
• [ ] Shooting percentage on basic shots has increased 10%+
• [ ] Stance feels less comfortable but more stable than before
• [ ] No longer getting random misses on shots you “should” make

Benchmarks by Level

When to Move On

You’ve addressed these stance mistakes when: 1. Video review shows you’re clear of at least your worst 3 mistakes 2. Your friends/teammates comment that your shooting looks more consistent 3. You’re no longer randomly missing easy shots due to stance variation

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Next Steps

Recommended Follow-Up Skills:

• Stance Drills – Now that you know what’s wrong, drill the corrections until they’re automatic
• Pre-Shot Routine – Build a routine that prevents these mistakes from creeping back
• Grip Fundamentals – Move up the body to the next foundation element

Practice Schedule:

• Week 1: Identify which of these 7 you’re doing (video yourself)
• Week 2-3: Focus on fixing just your worst mistake
• Week 4-5: Add fix for second-worst mistake while maintaining first fix
• Week 6+: Work through remaining mistakes one at a time

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Equipment Considerations

Required Equipment:

• Phone camera or mirror for self-diagnosis
• Practice partner for some diagnosis tests (push test, visual checks)
• Honest feedback (hardest to find)

Recommended but Optional:

• Tripod for hands-free filming
• Notebook to track which mistakes you’re working on
• Measuring tape for checking distances (chin to cue, foot spacing, etc.)

Not Necessary:

• Expensive coaching (these are self-diagnosable)
• Special equipment or gear
• More than 20 minutes per week to address these

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Quick Reference

Key Takeaways:

1. Most beginners make 3-5 of these mistakes simultaneously
2. Fix them one at a time, starting with foundation (feet) and working up
3. You can’t feel these mistakes – you need video or external feedback

Remember:

• Comfort ≠ Correct when it comes to stance
• Bad stance creates inconsistency, not just inaccuracy
• Fix these now before they become permanent habits

Practice Priority: First week: Spend 20 minutes diagnosing which mistakes you make Next 4-6 weeks: Fix one mistake at a time After that: Check monthly for regression

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Author Notes: I made every single one of these mistakes for the first two years I played. Nobody told me. I thought I was just “not talented” at pool. Then one day someone filmed me and showed me my head was tilted and my feet were 8 inches apart. Fixed those two things and suddenly I could make straight shots. Talent wasn’t the issue – stance was.