- Category
- Stroke & cue delivery
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Duration
- 10 min
Bottle-Neck Stroke
A no-ball drill that trains a straight, relaxed delivery by stroking through a tight opening.
Stroke through a narrow gate on a straight line.
Cue ballObject
Setup
- Lay a bottle on its side on the rail, or set two chalk cubes one tip-width apart.
- Bridge so the tip sits just behind the opening.
Execution
- Make slow practice strokes through the opening.
- Pause at the back and at the finish.
- Count strokes that stay clean.
Scoring
1 point per clean stroke, 20 strokes per set.
Common mistakes
- Gripping too tightly.
- Elbow dropping early.
- Rushing the transition.
Progression
Close the gap and add a full follow-through pause.
Terms this drill trains
Easier variation
Widen the gap to two tip-widths.
Harder variation
Close your eyes on the final forward stroke.
Drill objectives describe what the exercise trains. Results depend on the player, the table and the quality of practice; no drill guarantees a specific improvement.
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- Stroke & cue delivery
- Difficulty
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- Duration
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Spot-to-Spot Stroke Line
Deliver the cue on a straight line so the cue ball travels and returns along the same path.
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- Stroke & cue delivery
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Duration
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Center-Ball Check
Hit the true centre of the cue ball repeatably.
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