The bridge is the platform upon which the stroke carries out the aim. To that end, the bridge must be solid and accurate. There are two basic bridges, open and closed, and a number of variations to each of them plus the mechanical bridge that is employed in situations where the bridge hand cannot reach the shot.

Begin by becoming comfortable with the open bridge. This is formed by laying the bridge hand down on the table on top of a line that connects the butt of the cue to the aiming point on the cue ball with the length of the cue falling on top of the same line. Everything points to the contact point on the cue ball which will result in the cue ball being sent to that point.

The bridge hand begins as a relaxed fist. The fingers are then extended outward while the thumb is brought into the side of the palm of the hand. This junction of the thumb and the side of the hand provides your bridge. Spread the fingers and thumb out as wide as is comfortable to form the broadest and most stable base for the bridge.

The open bridge has an aspect that should appeal to anyone learning the game. Since the cue tip and shaft are not restricted as they are when using the closed bridge, the student can more easily spot stroke flaws while using the open bridge. The goal is to have the cue tip continue on after contact with the cue ball and end the stroke at a point extended along our line of aim. If the cue tip ends the stroke to the left or right of this line then the stroke was not ‘true’. Worst of all, if the cue tip winds up in the air with the cue being held there by the grip hand then you know the grip was way too tight. At the completion of a successful stroke the shaft will be resting atop the bridge hand and the tip will still be inline with the shot.

But in instances where extreme stability is desired (as in many draw shots) the closed bridge offers great advantage. While the finger looping over the top of the shaft may increase the difficulty somewhat of the aiming process there are many situations where the closed bridge is invaluable.

Form the closed bridge by beginning with the open bridge and then moving the first finger over the shaft to rest atop the thumb. Relax while you do this as the other fingers will need to move in somewhat and the hand will tilt upwards at the thumb end and down slightly on the other side. Just remember to keep the fingers as wide as is comfortable to generate as stable a base as possible. Both the open and closed bridge should be held at a distance of around 6 - 8” from the cue ball. This distance will vary somewhat form player to player, depending on what is comfortable to the individual, but always remember that the closer your bridge is to the cue ball the less room stroke error has to find a way into the shot. Do the math. The further away from the bridge the cue tip travels the more severe any tip movement becomes. So keep it close and accurate.

The most common flaw in beginners with the closed bridge is that they do not close their loop finger as tightly as they need. They leave too much ‘slop’ in the bridge and do not achieve the stability that the bridge should offer. You need some tension in that loop finger

Sometimes the oil in your fingers will make the shaft feel sticky as it slides through the tightly closed bridge. Some players resort to playing with lightweight billiard gloves to avoid this problem. But most simply wash their hands in hot water and use an old-time soap like Ivory or Lava. Do not use a conditioning or moisturizing soap as they do not remove oils, they add them. Get the oil out of the hands and keep them dry and the shaft will slide easily through your fingers. Clean the oils from the shaft with a damp rag and dry the shaft by rubbing it briskly with a towel.

These two bridges will form the basis for your game and will be the most often utilized. But there are situations that require a little adjustment. One of these is when you must have your bridge hand on the rail of the table instead of out on the playing surface. The most common bridge variation used in this situation is shown below and has an aspect you should learn early. The cue stick obviously runs between the first two fingers, but you should always remember that the thumb is part of the aiming process here. The shaft runs down the side of the thumb that aims it and then through the two fingers that stabilize it. Aim with the thumb, not the fingers.

Sometimes the off-the-rail shots will allow the stability of a closed bridge. In fact, there are many variations to the rail bridge because there are many different styles of rails that change from table to table and because there is an almost infinite number of positions that the cue ball can land in relative to the rail. You must simply be prepared to adapt to whatever situation is thrown your way. In time you will be so comfortable adapting to the various rail bridges that your fingers will assume the correct position without conscious effort.

Another situation that often arises is when you must bridge over an interfering ball. This is done using the open bridge and just raising the heel of the hand to whatever height is required while maintaining the contact of the fingertips with the tabletop or rail.

Finally, you must become comfortable with the mechanical bridge. There will be many times when you cannot reach the shot any other way. The basic concept that must be learned with the mechanical bridge is that the elbow should be parallel to the playing surface. Hold the cue so that the butt of the cue is resting on your thumb and your arm pivots through the shot from the elbow. The bridge hand may rest atop the handle of the mechanical bridge (if it is laying on the table) to add stability and nothing moves on the shot except the shooting arm from the forearm down.

Practice these bridges until they are so natural and easy that you no longer even think about them while playing. With just a little work your bridge, stance, grip and stroke will all marry into a solid foundation of play that you will adjust as needs arise.