45 years of missed pots and here is why! Too Thick!

[baldblindgit]

Hi
i am posting this as i think after studying the game for many a year, i have come to a simple conclusion as to why technically (ie not withstanding nerves or whatever) i have missed pots and perhaps my conclusion may be of some help to new players, basically i have 9 times out of 10 missed the pot on the 'far side' of the pocket or simply have hit the object ball too thick.

i have noticed this in the vast majority of players to, they always to my eye seem to hit the object ball thick. ie what should be say a 1/2 ball is hit as a 3/4 ball and of course misses the nearside of the pocket by mile!

in the past few years i began to experiment by deliberately hitting the object ball what appeared to be too thinly! and lo and behold i began to pot well again, although my general form has deteriorated due to lack of practice i still can pot quite well, i wish i had discovered this many years ago!

i tend to think that a sort of optical illusion happens with many pots making us
play the ball too full, if you think this is happening with you, go on the practice table and set up your basic bread and butter pots and deliberately hit them 'too thin' you may be pleasantly surprised!
Cheers BBG

[RGCirencester]

Yeh i noticed that the other day. However i noticed this on my second ever hour of solo practice :P Can't comment on whether its a rule but im always hitting the far jaw when cutting balls into pockets. Spent about 2 hours just taking red black red black trying to correct this but my brain seems to think its right when it obviously isnt! Hopefully i can fix this soon though and it wont take me 45 years

[JoeNut]

in practice i sometimes do this http://www.snookergames.co.uk/tuition2.html

if you put a ball in front of the ball you're aiming at, so that it lines up with the pocket, and the aim at the "target ball" full on, and then remove it, you'll be aiming at the perfect angle.

[baldblindgit]

in practice i sometimes do this http://www.snookergames.co.uk/tuition2.html

if you put a ball in front of the ball you're aiming at, so that it lines up with the pocket, and the aim at the "target ball" full on, and then remove it, you'll be aiming at the perfect angle.

Hi
i must admit i have done that many times years ago when i was practicing heavily but my mind generally simply would not allow me to think the the potting angle was so thin, also as an aside i allowed myself to get too involved with the analysis of techique, similarly in golf, 'paralysis by analysis'
in the early 1980's i became a much better player when i simply let myself go and made efforts to not think too much!, i then had what for me was a 'golden era' of good form, i also took inspiration from Jimmy white and played far more briskly than i ever did, if only those images had been around when i was a young player, i certainly would have achieved more i fancy.
Cheers bbg

[JoeNut]

i actually learnt that method from youtube, just search for snooker coaching and some interesting vids come up.

[screwball]

I think there is a tendency to aim unconsciously at the contact point which results in a thicker than intended hit.