Solid fundamentals includes aligning your body to the line of aim for a shot and delivering a straight stroke. No shot better tests this ability than a long, straight-in shot where you have to elevate your cue stick. If your stroke is off center by a fraction of an inch, the elevated cue stick will amplify this error and cause you to miss the shot.

Use the shot below for a true test of your fundamentals. The pocket blocks your cue stick from being level, so you must elevate your cue stick in order to pocket the object ball and stop the cue ball.