Pool: Jump Shot Basics

After getting into a good posture and stance, you then have to stroke the cue ball in its middle point and cause it to jump. The movement of the cue ball is rather different when performing the jump stroke. It most likely won’t follow in a nice, controlled manner towards your desired ball.

In fact, your jump ball is full of energy. The jump shot is quite a short stroke with lots of power in it. You also can’t follow up much because of space constraints.

Don’t worry about hitting the pool table cloth

If you are new to the jump shot, you are far more likely to make this mistake. It is a common fear among all beginners when they try to make the shot. If you delve into this fear too much, you will actually cause you to hit the wrong spot at the cue ball. How to solve this problem? Get rid of the fear. Then concentrate on bringing or punching the cue into the correct contact point (middle) of the cue ball. It will definitely take lots of practice to do this. Sending a firm force to the cue ball is key.

Your grip is problematic, so the ball won’t jump

Most people also think that they need to grip the cue tightly with their hand. But, this is far from the truth. A grip that is too firm can’t make the ball jump! Like the regular stroke, you will want to keep your grip relatively loose because you want the cue to strike the cue ball accurately, with little power.

Maintain a brief and short backstroke

For example, when you are performing a normal shot, you pull the cue to the back for more than 10 inches, right? For the jump shot, keep it short and simple, pulling it back only 8 to 10 inches.

No extra movements

The only moving part is your shooting hand, which is the right hand for most people. Your entire body should be still.