Perfect Pool Stance: Foundation for Accuracy

Overview

I spent my first year playing pool with what I thought was a “comfortable” stance. Turns out comfortable and correct aren’t always the same thing. My back leg was too straight, my head wasn’t level, and I wondered why I couldn’t hit the same shot twice in a row.

The stance isn’t glamorous. Nobody watches stance videos on YouTube. But here’s the reality – every single thing that happens in your stroke starts with how you’re standing. Mess this up, and you’re basically asking your body to compensate for poor physics.

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Fundamentals

Key Concept

Your stance creates a stable platform that doesn’t move during your stroke. Think of yourself as a tripod – three points of contact with the ground (two feet and your bridge hand) that stay absolutely locked while your cue arm swings freely.

Why This Matters

When your stance moves, your cue moves. When your cue moves during the stroke, you’re not hitting where you aimed. It’s that simple. I’ve watched beginners miss the same straight-in shot five times because they’re shifting their weight mid-stroke. Their aim was perfect – their stance wasn’t.

Common Misconception

Most new players think stance is about comfort. It’s not. It’s about stability and repeatability. You might feel weird in a proper stance for the first week. That’s normal. Your body isn’t used to being this locked in. Give it time – the accuracy gains are worth the temporary awkwardness.

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Step-by-Step Technique

Step 1: Foot Positioning

What to Do: Start standing perpendicular to your shot line. Step your front foot (opposite your bridge hand) slightly forward and about shoulder-width apart from your back foot.

Key Points:

• Front foot points roughly at a 45-degree angle toward your target
• Back foot stays perpendicular to the shot line
• Distance between feet should be comfortable but wide enough for stability
• Weight distribution: 60% on front leg, 40% on back leg

Visual Checkpoint: Draw an imaginary line from the cue ball to your target. Your feet should be on opposite sides of this line, creating a stable base that won’t shift when you stroke.

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Step 2: Knee and Hip Position

What to Do: Bend your front knee slightly. Keep your back leg relatively straight but not locked. Drop your hips down by bending at the waist.

Key Points:

• Front knee bend is subtle – maybe 10-15 degrees
• Back leg has just enough bend to feel natural, not stiff
• Hips drop by tilting forward at the waist, not by squatting
• You should feel stretched but not strained

Visual Checkpoint: If someone pushed your shoulder from the side, you shouldn’t stumble. That’s how you know your base is solid. When I test this with my students, the ones with good stances barely move. The ones with bad stances immediately step to catch themselves.

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Step 3: Upper Body and Head Position

What to Do: Bend forward at the waist until your chin is about 6-8 inches above the cue. Keep your head level and eyes directly over the cue line.

Key Points:

• Head stays level – not tilted left or right
• Chin position matters more than you think – too high and you can’t see the line
• Eyes should be directly above the cue, not off to one side
• Back stays relatively straight, not hunched

Visual Checkpoint: Have someone stand at the end of the table and look at you head-on. Your nose should be directly over your cue. If they can see more of one eye than the other, your head’s tilted. This took me forever to fix because I couldn’t see it myself.

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Step 4: Cue Arm Position

What to Do: Let your shooting arm hang naturally, elbow bent at roughly 90 degrees when the cue tip is near the cue ball. Your upper arm should be vertical.

Key Points:

• Elbow acts as a hinge – it’s the only joint that moves during your stroke
• Upper arm hangs straight down from shoulder
• Forearm should be vertical at the moment of contact with cue ball
• Grip hand stays loose and relaxed

Visual Checkpoint: At the moment your cue tip touches the cue ball, your forearm should point straight down at the floor. If I took a photo of you at contact point, I should see a perfect right angle at your elbow.

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Practice Drill

Drill Name: Mirror Stance Check

Setup:

• Position yourself at the table for a center-table straight shot
• Have your phone camera ready (or a mirror if you’re at home)
• No cue ball needed for this drill

Execution: 1. Set up your stance as described above 2. Take a photo or video from the side 3. Check against the checkpoints: foot position, knee bend, hip angle, head level 4. Adjust one thing at a time 5. Repeat until your stance matches the form

Success Criteria:

• Can set up the same stance 5 times in a row without thinking about it
• Photos taken on different days look nearly identical
• Stance feels stable when someone gives your shoulder a light push

Progression:

• Easier: Start by just focusing on foot position. Once that’s automatic, add the upper body.
• Harder: Set up your stance with eyes closed, then check if it’s correct. This tests if you’ve internalized the feel.

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Common Mistakes & Fixes

Mistake #1: Standing Too Tall

Why It Happens: New players don’t want to commit to getting down. They’re worried about looking awkward or feeling exposed in that bent-over position.

How to Fix: Gradually lower yourself over several practice sessions. Start by just bending at the waist 10% more than feels comfortable. After three sessions, go 10% more. Your back will adapt.

Verification: Measure the distance from your chin to the cue. If it’s more than 8 inches, you’re too tall. I use my fist as a measuring tool – that’s about the right distance for most people.

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Mistake #2: Feet Too Close Together

Why It Happens: People unconsciously stand the way they normally stand, which is usually with feet close. They don’t realize pool requires a wider, more athletic base.

How to Fix: Deliberately exaggerate your stance width. Go too wide for a few practice sessions just to feel what that’s like. Then dial it back to comfortable-but-stable.

Verification: Have someone gently push your shoulder during your stance. If you need to step to catch yourself, your feet are too close. A proper stance absorbs that push without moving.

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Mistake #3: Weight on Back Foot

Why It Happens: Standing with weight back feels more upright and less vulnerable. It’s a psychological thing – leaning forward feels like you might fall.

How to Fix: Deliberately practice shifting 70% of your weight onto your front foot during setup. It’ll feel like too much at first. After a week, dial it back to 60-40 distribution.

Verification: Lift your back foot an inch off the ground while in your stance. If you immediately lose balance, you had too much weight there. With proper weight distribution, you can lift your back foot and hold it for 5 seconds without toppling forward.

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Mistake #4: Tilted Head

Why It Happens: Most people have a natural head tilt they don’t even notice in normal life. When they get down on a shot, that tilt comes with them. I played for months with my head cocked to the right because that’s just how I walk around.

How to Fix: Use your phone camera or a mirror. Take photos from the foot of the table, looking directly at your face. Your eyes should be level with each other – you should see the same amount of each eye. Practice leveling your head until it feels automatic.

Verification: Set up your stance and have someone place a cue across your forehead. If the cue isn’t parallel to the table, your head’s tilted. When I do this with students, about 70% discover they’ve been tilted this whole time.

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Troubleshooting

Problem: Lower back pain after 30 minutes of play Diagnosis: You’re bending at the lower back instead of hinging at the hips. This puts all the stress on your lumbar spine. Solution: Focus on pushing your hips backward as you bend forward. Imagine you’re trying to close a car door with your butt. That’s the hip hinge motion you need. Your back should stay relatively straight throughout the bend.

Problem: Can’t see the shot line clearly when getting down Diagnosis: Either you’re not getting low enough, or your head’s off-center from the cue line. Solution: Drop your chin another 2 inches and shift your head until your nose is directly above the cue. I tell students to imagine a laser shooting straight up from the cue – it should hit you right between the eyes.

Problem: Stance feels different every time you set up Diagnosis: You’re setting up based on feel instead of using checkpoints. Feel is unreliable when you’re learning. Solution: Go through the checklist every single time for 2 weeks: foot position, knee bend, hip drop, head level, cue arm. Yes, it’s slow. Yes, it’s tedious. But you’re building muscle memory. After 2 weeks, you can start speeding up.

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Measurement & Progress

Self-Assessment Checklist

• [ ] Can get into proper stance in under 3 seconds without thinking
• [ ] Stance looks the same in photos taken on different days
• [ ] Can hold stance for 30 seconds without shifting weight
• [ ] Friends/opponents notice your shot consistency has improved
• [ ] Lower back doesn’t hurt after 45 minutes of play

Benchmarks by Level

Beginner Goal: Hit the same cue ball position 8 out of 10 times on a straight-in shot Intermediate Goal: Maintain identical stance on every shot type for an entire rack Advanced Goal: Stance feels automatic; you never think about it even under pressure

When to Move On

You’re ready to focus more on grip and bridge when: 1. You can set up your stance correctly 10 times in a row with eyes closed 2. Video of your stance looks nearly identical from shot to shot 3. You don’t lose balance when someone pushes your shoulder mid-stance

Don’t rush this. I’ve seen players try to learn advanced position play while still adjusting their stance on every shot. That’s like trying to paint a masterpiece on a wobbly easel.

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Next Steps

Recommended Follow-Up Skills:

• Grip Fundamentals – Once your body’s stable, learn how to hold the cue without strangling it
• Bridge Hand Mastery – Your stance and bridge work together to create the shooting platform
• Stroke Mechanics – A perfect stance means nothing if your arm swing’s a mess

Practice Schedule:

• Week 1-2: Spend 5 minutes at the start of every session doing the Mirror Stance Check. Slow and deliberate.
• Week 3-4: Start every rack by consciously setting up proper stance on the break. Let it become automatic.
• Maintenance: Check your stance once a month by filming yourself. Bad habits creep back in when you’re not looking.

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Equipment Considerations

Required Equipment:

• Just a pool table and cue – nothing special needed

Recommended but Optional:

• Phone with camera for self-checking
• Full-length mirror if practicing at home
• A friend who’ll honestly tell you if you look ridiculous

Not Necessary:

• Any special shoes or clothing
• Expensive cues (stance is stance regardless of equipment)
• A professional coach at this stage (though it helps)

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Quick Reference

Key Takeaways: 1. Stance is about stability and repeatability, not comfort 2. Weight should favor your front foot (60-40 split) 3. Your head must be level and your eyes over the cue line

Remember:

• Get low enough that your chin is 6-8 inches from the cue
• Keep your back leg straighter than your front leg
• Don’t rush the setup – take 3 seconds to get it right every time

Practice Priority: For beginners: This is your #1 practice focus for the first month. Everything else builds on this foundation.

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Author Notes: I fought the “proper” stance for six months because it felt awkward. Then I filmed myself and realized my “comfortable” stance moved 4 inches between shots. Once I committed to getting this right, my accuracy jumped 30% in three weeks. Worth the temporary weirdness.