Pause from "The Pause"

[RocketRoy1983]

I have a 14 year old under my guidance whom together we have decided something very important in his game that I feel may benefit other members on here.

In and around the business end of the table he is prolific to be truthful for a small kid of his age and can make a 30-45 break regularly in match play. However, I noted that his long pots were not going in at all often. We practiced a hell of a lot on this aspect of his game and finally after 3 weeks I thought of something for his to try - and it has worked a treat.

Its very simple. He felt that once he had feathered the ball and brought his cue back for a second long pause he has lost his rhythm he built up when addressing the white. So for the long, straight (or indeed just long) pots he addresses as normal but doesnt have such a long pause that he does when in and around the pink/black spots.

He concentrates fully on centre ball striking and brings his cue back fully knowing his hitting the white plum in the centre then he can concentrate 1000% on that part of the object ball he needs to rather than pausing and possibly losing that rhythm.

Ive tried reducing my pause on these shots and it has improved my game too. Such a simple techincal change (it is after all a split second thing) and it has improved his game greatly. Give it a go yourself and if you have any change in fortune (Or dont!) post it on here.

Enjoy your game.

[DandyA]

well yes RR ... I can see that ...

I'm not a big "pauser" anyway, I think it disturbs my flow, the theoretical reason I think is to ensure your eye has changed focus from the cue-ball to the object ball but surely that is only relevant if your eyesight is like 20/20 or whatever ...

being over 50 and long-sighted, I say if I think I've got my bat pointing in the correct direction, just hit the little darling ...

what I'm currently working on is "walking into the shot" which all the pro's do but John Higgins seems to me the best exponent ... and also not feathering so much - how on earth can I see if I've pointed it my bat in a good direction if I feather so much?

[RocketRoy1983]

aaaah calling it a bat something you older generation seem to like saying haha

Yes Ive started looking at the centre of the cueball for about 5 seconds just back and forth but looking only at the cue ball then a quick seconds glance up at the object ball just to see im lined up correctly still then back to the centre of the white then instead of my usual pause its pull down EVER so slightly slower then object ball....BAM..back of pocket.

[DandyA]

aaaah calling it a bat something you older generation seem to like saying haha

Yes Ive started looking at the centre of the cueball for about 5 seconds just back and forth but looking only at the cue ball then a quick seconds glance up at the object ball just to see im lined up correctly still then back to the centre of the white then instead of my usual pause its pull down EVER so slightly slower then object ball....BAM..back of pocket.

cool RR ... I like it ... although what's this BAM back of pocket stuff?

if you have an absolutely perfect cueing action (I'm not saying you haven't) hitting the little darling into the hole probably isn't a problem ... but for the rest of us mortals, more weight equals less accuracy ...

doesn't it? never use more weight than you need to ... pro's prefer stunning on their superfine cloths, I prefer rolling the little darling in the hole ...

btw ... thanks for calling me older rather than old ... much appreciated and I genuinely mean that ... I'm not old, I'm just older than you and it's hardly my fault that you were born a good few years after me is it?

[RocketRoy1983]

It sure isnt sir!

If the table is true id take rolling the balls in plain ball as often as possible dandy no question.

[DandyA]

It sure is sir!

well that's a bit more like it RR ... the "sir" bit I mean ... respect your elders

ha ha ... only joking, I've enjoyed chatting with you and the rest of the reprobates on TSF ... I need to do some zebedees but I hope to catch up with you all tomorrow

[RocketRoy1983]

well that's a bit more like it RR ... the "sir" bit I mean ... respect your elders

ha ha ... only joking, I've enjoyed chatting with you and the rest of the reprobates on TSF ... I need to do some zebedees but I hope to catch up with you all tomorrow

Not happy about the reprobate reference but ill let you off

Ill be here same time same place tomorrow

[FerruleFox]

I used to have a very pronounced pause, but I found I was getting "stuck". This was especially true under pressure. I think it even caused me to develop some shoulder movement in my stroke (in order to get unstuck).

Now I'm trying to adopt a more free-flowing backswing. I'll always have a slight pause (can't help it) but it's unconscious now and doesn't interfere with my tempo.

[bongo]

Very interesting RR. I should try that different pause for the long shots. It sounds like a good idea.

bongo

[1lawyer]

A pause should not really be described as such because its just the slight moment of hesitation while you transfer your eyes from white to object ball and it should be something that fits into the timing of your game and NOT something that detracts from the cues continuous motion (eg by pausing too long) Peter Ebdon tried adding a longer pause at the back once and it ruined his game for a while before he went back to his original action. I feel whatever way you develop your action is natural for you and in most cases unique to the player themselves, problems can arise if a player over learns or learns to cue in different ways with different pauses or timing because he will be forever switching cue actions and not really knowing which action suits him best.

As for the pause some pro players do not have one at the back Jimmy White paused at the front only for example, ROS has a very very slight one at the back. Players like John Higgins are an exception and his pause is longer than most at the back but this fits into the timing of his shots so he remains constant in all his shots.

Some players change the sighting though on the long shots because of the depth of field of vision on this type of shot. John Virgo for example looked at the white last on long shots instead of the object ball. Its all trial and error to work out what suits a player the best though I try to keep the cue action the same for every shot because i feel it is important to remain constant in this approach.:snooker:

[spike]

I will be playing next on Thursday so i will give it a go then and let you know afterwards how i got on.

[pigeonslayer]

Cheers Roy - I was 38 last week and I have always referred to my cue as my 'bat'. Nothing like being part of the older generation!!

With regards to the pause - I never had a pause at the top of my backswing, and no matter how i try to incorporate one it only seems to cause problems than give me any benefit.

When I was younger i just used to take one 'feather' then shoot. I dont do that so much now, but what i have noticed is that when I am playing well that if after having a few feathers then i take a slight pause just before I pull back and shoot then i seem to do better.

I have always found though if i am thinking too much about what I am doing then it becomes a hinderance. I honestly could not say for definite whether i look at the cue ball or the object ball when i deliver the cue - i have tried to focus on looking at the object ball, but it affected me severely, so that now i just go with it!!!

[RocketRoy1983]

haha sorry pigeon me ol' mucker

I think Murphy has the ideal pause and ive tried almost incorporating his action into my game and I have to say it works in and amongst the balls but not on the long straight shots as it does for him as I feel it disrupts my flow as my young pupil found too.

Deffo give it a go spike.

[noel]

Good thread Roy... gives pause for reflection (hardeeHar) on proper form.

Another aspect to this which I have found important is b r e a t h i n g.
One adjustment coming back to snooker after years of wandering in the wilderness was changing breath management from my martial arts training. Exhale on striking is crucial to obtain max muscle tension and power... KEE EYEEE!!!! Or as in tennis... GRUUUUUNT!!!!
In snooker I have found it's much more like target shooting... exhale, pause, squeeze.
That exhale and pause before stoking the ball calmly is the way I prevent myself from powering the shot with the wrong muscles and overhitting or steering my shot.

For me it's integral to The Pause.


=o)

Noel

[RocketRoy1983]

Yes breathing correctly is very important although seeing as I dont think too much about it hopefully means ive managed to master that aspect of my game.