Nudges and kisses

[Strickimicki]

Why is it, that when I play nudges and kisses that 75% of them turn out crap!

I know that there is always a risk involved with splitting the balls, kissing them and nudging them. But 75% is extremely, let’s say bloody crap.

For example I played a lovely little nudge from a red to a red on the cushion to hold for the black, I just wanted to touch it to stop the angle widening up.

Bobs your donkey everything works out great, except I'm snookered behind the bloody ball I nudged!

Or I split the last 4 balls after potting the black, great shot! Was my first thought, then looking at the result touching ball on two of the four reds. Needing the spider to get at the other two!

After getting a pi**ed off with the soft little nudges, I started to play with a bit more force to avoid this happening. Only to be missing the nudges all together.

I think I must of run over a black cat on the way to the club, but on the other hand if it's gonna work out bad it's gonna work out bad for me.

How do I get the luck on my side?

[checkSide]

Hi Mick.

I'm probably not the best person to be giving you advice on this relatively advanced part of the game!
But......
I think it boils down to the fact a lot of precision is needed.
You can't just be thinking about nudging or kissing. You need to be predicting exactly how and where you need to nudge or kiss for the desired outcome. i.e. "I need a soft half ball nudge to split these two reds and leave me on the black." Or, "I want a hard full ball kiss to hold my white." etc. Rather than just thinking, "i'll kiss that red."

Hope I'm not patronising you with these observations!

cheers

[Strickimicki]

No not at all,

that's probably the reason for the problem! I know I've got to work on that part of my game. I've just been going through a real bad patch with other problems (see my other threads). But that seems to be really picking up now (thanks to Kiethinfrance).

But when it always seems to go wrong, it does get me down

I'm nearly always perfect but like i said nearly you would not believe how often I snooker myself through just touching a ball a mm to thick or to thin, to heavily or to lightly!

[brettski]

I wouldn't beat yourself up about it, I see first division teams play round here and alot of them would struggle to have that amount of control, its one of the hardest things about the game predicting and controling nudges and eventually I'm sure it will fall for you.

[RocketRoy1983]

They take time to get used to and manouevring the cue ball around around is very difficult. If you play billiards for a bit youll get a better feel but more importantly I would suggest setting some balls up in practice and try breaking into the reds from the blue direct, off 1 cushion then from the black direct and off the black and 1 cushion. Trial and error is the key. Familiarise yourself with the angles and nudging balls out cannons etc..

[Strickimicki]

Splitting straight from the object ball is normally not the problem. Maybe over the cushions, I often seem to judge the angle tighter than it should be. But mainly it's the fine kisses and nudges aroud the black and pink that get me down.Them not working out here are forceing me to play safe or go for a long blue/balk colour.

But I should not be to hard on myself over this, It's probably asking to much to get it right 50% of the time. I just think that my ratio when I'm hitting the pack/group is just extremly unlucky.

Practice, practice, practice and if that doesn't work, then it's not supposed to be

[ADR147]

personally i alway go either very gently or very hard - no jokes please!

[Strickimicki]

Are we talking about the same thing?

No seriously!

I'm always in two minds about this hard/gently thing. To hard and where is the cueball going after contact to gently, I don't want to stick to the ball I've kissed.

Maybe that's the problem with me, instead of doing what ever comes natural. I'm trying to be to careful or to forceful

[Strickimicki]

sorry posted twice

[cueman]

You aren't alone mate, same thing happens to me pretty often. Its frustrating because, I don't know if you are like me, but I know I'm playing well but you always need a little bit of luck with playing a cannon or to split open the balls. Its impossible to know where the balls will run to and how far so its certainly not bad play on your behalf. Sometimes getting the right nudge can lead to a big break but all too often it leads you to a difficult pot or plant, or worse trying not to leave your opponent an easy chance now you've opened up the frame.

You can't even work on it either because all tables play and run differently so one table your getting the nudges and cannons spot on, but on another table you are hitting the wrong side or catching them full ball and sticking on it etc.

You just have to persevere really, I just come to accept that if it works out then great but I don't expect to be on anything now, that way its not such a disappointment when it goes wrong.