The arm with which we hold the upper part of the cue (shaft), is the arm which controls the spot where cue hits the ball.
We call it the bridge because when we are hitting the ball with that part of the cue, the cue ball and the hand look like a bridge. When we say “the length of the bridge” we mean the distance between the contact point on the cue ball and the hand that forms the bridge.
We can say that there are two types of bridges according to place where you form them:
1. Bridges that you form on playing surface
2. Bridges that you form on the rail
According to the size of the shaft that you cover with your fingers, there are:
1. Open bridges
2. Closed bridges
Besides these bridges, we also have a group of heterogen bridges which are a combination of previous. The first type I would like to highlight is the Open Bridge, which is from the playing surface.
This bridge is most commonly used by pool beginners and snooker players. It is convenient for light shots without much English, but also for some advanced shots like masse and jump shots.
The open bridge is very simple to form:
lower your hand on the table surface and spread your fingers
bend your palm (bat without lifting your joint and not bending your fingers)
move your thumb next to the index finger
Place your cue now into the space that formed your index finger and your thumb. Some players bend their thumb as a variation of open bridge or they bend two middle fingers.
Master your open bridge and prepare yourself for the next lesson which will be the closed bridge.
Photo: Provided by author Editor: Dana Gornall