The Triple E’s

Ever notice a player coming out of the stance prior to taking the shot? Sure you have. There are two reasons for this, but before I get to that, every shot has a triple-‘E’ sequence: Evaluation, Execution, Evaluation. The first evaluation lives in the abstract and is where decisions are made as to how and what needs to happen: aim, speed, spin, etc. Execution starts with moving into the stance and through the complete set-pause-finish sequence (Set = player in shooting position, cue motionless with tip close to the cue ball [no more than 1⁄4” away] at address; Pause = slight pause at the back of the backstroke to allow the triceps to release prior to contracting the bicep; Finish = player stays down through the follow-through).

The second Evaluation occurs after the Finish, while staying in the Finish position, and is a vital element in practice. It is here that the player gathers feedback about the Execution and goes through a post-shot checklist. Although this might sound like a lengthy process for each shot, it can be accomplished in a few seconds with structured practice and is critical to becoming a better player, for it compels the player to -- you guessed it -- pay attention. It starts with developing the habit of staying down at the finish, and from that position evaluating balance, stability of the stance, placement of the feet, angle of the hips and shoulders, shoulder-elbow- wrist alignment, bridge length, straightness of the follow-through, elbow drop (if any), head and eye positions, and orientation of the grip hand, among other things.

Back to the two reasons for coming up out of a stance prior to shooting. The first is that the player is uncomfortable with the stance, usually without knowing specifically why. The way out of this is to back away from the shot, pick up the chalk, and begin the pre-shot routine again from the start. This reinforces the importance of a deliberate routine, doing the right moves and checks at the right time, and arriving at the proper stance that the shot requires. The second reason is that the player hadn’t completed the pre-shot Evaluation prior to the stance, and continues the Evaluation well into the Set position. This is characterized by the player making continuous changes to the aiming point, body balance, head position, etc., and broadcasts the fact that the shooter isn’t ready. The player seems to be following some internal voice commanding these changes and self-questioning “are you sure?” If this happens to you – and it happens to all of all us – come out of the stance, pick up the chalk, move away from the table, and begin again with Evaluation. These re-tries help bracket the separate E-E-Es so that we focus on the right things at the right time. In other words, don’t fault Execution if the pre- shot Evaluation was incomplete.

Finally, Master Instructor Tom Simpson likes to say “don’t think in the shooting position, and don’t shoot in the thinking position.”

By: Mark Powell, PBIA Master Instructor.