There have been many opinions on the subject of grip pressure and whether you should hold the cue lightly or firmly for the best results. I have seen many players in my time and have asked them, somewhat indirectly what gets them the best results. Some of the older players still hold firm to the idea that you should hold the cue very gently and allow it to do the “work” for you. This seems to work very well when there is very little pressure and you have absolute control over your coordination. The problem is apparent when the heat is turned up and you get a little bit nervous.

When you are playing with allot at stake it is human nature to tighten up a bit mentally and physically. If you are trying to stay loose you are fighting against what is naturally going to happen and not setting yourself up for success. If you don’t like, or have trouble playing under pressure then you probably know what I’m talking about.

I have something you might try if you feel your game going down when the pressure is turned up. It is called consistent grip pressure and it is used to control the cue through the entire stroke, beginning to end. The way that I check to feel how much pressure is appropriate is to get down beside the cue ball and do a practice stroke like in golf. I will notice the degree of firmness that I reach in the follow through and then raise up and feel what it would be like to use that exact pressure throughout the whole stroke. When you start with the finish in mind, and stay consistent then there is nothing that can break down under pressure because if you feel like you are going to tighten up you can do it from the very beginning and you won’t even notice that you’re nervous.

I have played in a great many pressure situations and this has held up for me and pulled me through in situations on ESPN where I turned a potential loss into a win and I think it will work for you as well.