Cueing problem?

[bluenose1940]

I thought that I had posted this yesterday but it seems that it didn't work!

On three occasions this week I have had what appears to be a cueing problem. I have been amongst the balls and was about to pot a red into one of the black pockets and, the idea then was to screww the white back sufficiently to then play the pink into the same pocket. However, things went badly wrong immediately. I managed to make the white jump over the red completely, it didn't even jump onto the top of the red and land on the other side, it cleared the red as well as an Olympic high jumper might clear the bar!

Anyone have any thoughts please? I am wondering if I am cueing too low on the white (is that even possible?), my tip is almost touching the cloth at 6 o/c.

Thank you.

[DeanH]

I am no coach but jumping the cue ball when doing a screw shot...
When this happened to me in the past what I found I was doing was gripping the cue too tight and this made me slightly lift the butt unintentionally.
Now I ensure I have a light grip especially on screw shots and allow the cue to go through the cue ball, and I did not need to be as low on the cue ball as I was before and getting better screw distance as required as a result
Maybe just me
Await the real coaches to come on here

[Starsky]

I’m no coach either but when screwing back especially if it’s a deep screw I focus on making sure my cue hand touches my chest on the follow through which helps ‘get through’ the cue ball . This will also help to stop any jabbing at the cue ball.
Digging down on the white trying to get more screw and trying to hit it too hard are common mistakes when trying to screw back.

Also I agree with Dean , a nice loose grip will help .

I would spend a bit of time practicing the shot and try to see how low you really need to get on the cue ball if you follow my advice above . You might be surprised…😉

[bluenose1940]

Thanks chaps, I will be back at the club on Tuesday morning and so will give your tips a go. I always try to have a very light grip on my cue as per Mark Allen but perhaps on these occasions i was gripping too tightly.

I will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.

[Starsky]

Thanks chaps, I will be back at the club on Tuesday morning and so will give your tips a go. I always try to have a very light grip on my cue as per Mark Allen but perhaps on these occasions i was gripping too tightly.

I will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.

Good luck , try a light grip and then a light squeeze on impact

[Nifty50]

I’m no coach either and struggle a bit with screwback. A light grip help. Might be Nick Barrow I saw demonstrating screw back by only holding the butt between finger and thumb. To avoid jumping the white I don’t aim as low as I possibly can but concentrate more on getting a good long backswing and a long follow through. Unless you’re using the Toam chalk you should see the chalk marks for a good few inches in front of where the cue ball was.
PS. Lately to warm up I pot 10 balls into the blue pocket and screw back into the opposite blue pocket. Don’t always get 10 from 10 I have to say. Usually get the pot but when the cue ball doesn’t zip back I can generally work out what I did wrong.

[DeanH]

Might be Nick Barrow I saw demonstrating screw back by only holding the butt between finger and thumb.

Yes it was, in the gawd-awful gold shirt

[Quackers]

For me it happens when I'm holding the cue too tightly. It can also occur if you do a "pump handle" type action.

[bluenose1940]

Right then chaps, I can definitely say that my problem isn't with my grip. I mentioned earlier that my grip was very light as per Mark Allen, so the problem is not related to my grip. I was at the club again last Friday and I tried potting a red and screwing back for the black, three successive attempts resulted in the cue ball jumping completely over the red.

At that point another member came into the club and we decided to have a game. I broke off and for the first time ever for me, the white scurried across the table and almost went into the Blue pocket!!! Now I have never known that.happen previously, and then, a short time later I was playing a red into the centre pocket with the intention of a little screwback to stay on the black. Yes, you've guessed it, my cue slipped off the white completely and I didn't succeed with the shot. With each of these problem shots I can say that the sound was most odd, it was almost as though there wasn't a tip on the cue at all and that the cue ball was being struck with a piece of wood!

It was then that I thought that the problem might be to do with the tip. The tip I was playing with hadn't been on the cue all that long, so it seemed strange that the tip could be the problem. I'm not sure what I used the last time that I changed the tip, it was either a Mike Wooldridge or a Century, I can't be sure

Anyway, before choosing to give up and go home, I decided to scuff the tip somewhat with a bit of rough treatment and it became much better to play with.

Can I ask you more experienced chaps, is it possible that a tip could become so impacted in such a short space of time that it acts like a 'solid' rather than more of a 'cushion'?

I have brought my cue home with me and am considering changing the tip again now. Just wondering if I might be better playing with a softer tip.

Any thoughts will be much appreciated, thank you.

Have just watched Jimmy beat Tony Drago in the semi-final of the World Seniors. He seems to be in good form.

[itsnoteasy]

I play with a layered tip, I scuff the chalk off it all the time, gently though no rough stuff and always on the down stroke, not up and down, they can become quite slidy after a while. I suppose it could depend how hard you hit the ball as to how quickly the tip can become compacted. I would definitely do it after every miscue as you can get a shiny flat spot on your tip.
Just to add, it's important to look after your tip, it's the only contact you get with the ball so look after it. Like car tyres are the only contact you have with the road, you don't want bald ones, you want ones with grip.

[Siz]

If you are miscuing and the tip is making a strange noise, then it sounds like the tip is too hard to use. Is there an experienced player in the club who would be prepared to take a look at it if you asked nicely? Chances are that he would only need to hit the cb once or twice to confirm a diagnosis of a rock hard tip.

If you do need to retip the cue, I have found layered / laminated tips to be very consistent (much better in this regard than the old Blue Diamonds or Elks). I like Talismans but prob a bit of a personal thing.

<edit: sp>

[Starsky]

Right then chaps, I can definitely say that my problem isn't with my grip. I mentioned earlier that my grip was very light as per Mark Allen, so the problem is not related to my grip. I was at the club again last Friday and I tried potting a red and screwing back for the black, three successive attempts resulted in the cue ball jumping completely over the red.

At that point another member came into the club and we decided to have a game. I broke off and for the first time ever for me, the white scurried across the table and almost went into the Blue pocket!!! Now I have never known that.happen previously, and then, a short time later I was playing a red into the centre pocket with the intention of a little screwback to stay on the black. Yes, you've guessed it, my cue slipped off the white completely and I didn't succeed with the shot. With each of these problem shots I can say that the sound was most odd, it was almost as though there wasn't a tip on the cue at all and that the cue ball was being struck with a piece of wood!

It was then that I thought that the problem might be to do with the tip. The tip I was playing with hadn't been on the cue all that long, so it seemed strange that the tip could be the problem. I'm not sure what I used the last time that I changed the tip, it was either a Mike Wooldridge or a Century, I can't be sure

Anyway, before choosing to give up and go home, I decided to scuff the tip somewhat with a bit of rough treatment and it became much better to play with.

Can I ask you more experienced chaps, is it possible that a tip could become so impacted in such a short space of time that it acts like a 'solid' rather than more of a 'cushion'?

I have brought my cue home with me and am considering changing the tip again now. Just wondering if I might be better playing with a softer tip.

Any thoughts will be much appreciated, thank you.

Have just watched Jimmy beat Tony Drago in the semi-final of the World Seniors. He seems to be in good form.

Sounds like a tip problem more than a technique but it’s hard to make that decision on a forum .

Some questions,
How long have you had the tip on and was this the first time you had roughed it up a bit ? ( I’m talking tip and not other less savory exploits 😉)

What chalk do you use ?

Has the tip become flat instead of a dome shape ?