When i think about problems that are most common with beginning (and even intermediate) players, the issue of thin cut shots always pops into my head. Thin cut shots are difficult to start with, and when you add the intimidation factor that players have in their heads about cut shots, overcoming them gets even more difficult.
Thin cut shots are not only a matter of proper aim, they are a matter of trust. It is easy to spot a player that doesn’t trust himself on cut shots. He usually changes his aiming point several times while down on the shot and he can almost always be seen trying to steer the shot immediately after contacting the cue ball.
As with most pool shots, confidence comes with repetition. And through repetition you develop a feel for certain shots. Simply, you know how to shoot the shot because you’ve done it thousands of times. That is where confidence and trust eventually come into play.
So, just how do you develop that trust and that feel required to fire in a thin cut shot with confidence? You start by making it easy on yourself and build from there.
The diagram shows a thin cut on the 5 ball. Start with the cue ball close to the object ball (C-1). By starting at a close distance, you can stroke normally. You won’t feel the need to steer the ball. Watch your contact point. Shoot the exact same shot over and over until your confidence is sky high. Then move the cue ball a little further (C-2). Repeat the shot again and again, using the same contact point, until it becomes automatic. Continue increasing the difficulty (C-3, C-4 and C-5). If you struggle, move back to a closer distance and start again.
As you develop confidence, your stroke will become smoother and your grip will become looser.
