stance

• general advice

for more information, see Sections 2.04, 7.05, and 7.09 in The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards

general advice

What are the recommended "best practices" for the stance?

Generally recommended "best practices" for the stance can be found here:

fundamentals "best practices" check-sheet

The stance can be a very individual thing. You need to do what works best for you. The important aspects are stability, good and consistent alignment, stroke clearance, and comfort.

For a good demonstration, see (starting at 2:05):

NV B.59 - Mike Pages's "Learn to Play Pool in Ten Minutes"

An article describing stance subtleties in detail can be found here:

http://www.easypooltutor.com/article243-pg-0.html

from av84fun:

1. Pointing to the technique that any particular championship player utilizes for ANYTHING...including the stance is a prescription for disaster.

   Trying to emulate Bustamante's "loopy" stroke and his technique of practice stroking with the cue tip literally dragging on the cloth...and then striking the CB with...say...high left would ruin most player's games.

   Keith McCready's side arm stroke is another example among many.

   In attempting to learn from watching top pros, the student should focus on how MOST players play not any ONE player.

2. Regarding stance while body size, type and flexibility are certainly major issues, there are a few important matters that are NEARLY universal.
   1. The back foot should be positioned on a line extended from the aim line out to where the player is standing. Most top players "walk into the shot" being CERTAIN to have their back foot "step on the line."
   2. The forearm and upper arm (grip arm) should form a 90 degree angle with the forearm perpendicular TO THE CUE....NOT TO THE FLOOR.
   3. The "traditional" front leg position is at about a 45 degree angle from the aim line but the snooker converts open that angle up somewhat which, among other things, makes the shoulders more square to the shot. Either method is fine and is a matter of personal choice based on extensive experimentation. HOWEVER, avoid at all costs placing your front leg much narrower to the shot line...i.e. placing the front leg much less than 45 degrees to the line. Doing so is a VERY unbalanced position that risks overall body movement during the stroke...especially harder strokes.

... whatever you do...do it CONSISTENTLY.

from Fran Crimi:

If you are tall and are having trouble getting comfortable at the table, you can try spreading your legs farther apart. This will help alleviate having to bend so much at the waist, which can cause fatigue, and possibly back pain over time.

Yes, if the stance is right, it will feel comfortable, but in some cases, such as when you're making a stance adjustment, the comfort feeling isn't there immediately. It may take a little while to get used to something new. The thing you should never be feeling is pain.

Many people don't realize how fatiguing a bad stance can be. When you start to force your body into positions that work against it's natural anatomy, you are putting a constant strain on your body. Imagine yourself turned sideways towards your cue stick, and then having to twist your neck so you can look over your shoulder to set up for your shot, and then to hold that position while you try to swing your arm as you stroke. Now imagine being in that twisted position for hours and hours. That's what many players do to themselves --- and they wonder why they can't stay down on their shots or why they lose their focus after playing awhile.