2 or 3 inch backswing?

[RocketRoy1983]

Yes follow through is required when applying top spin just the same as bottom. If your a competent professional then there may be no need to change from a short backswing in and around/longer on shots from distance but I would reccommend keeping it the same if you are new or a 20-30 break-builder.

[Terry Davidson]

OK, I guess it's time to chip in on the technique question of backswing.

If, as advocated here, on a high-power shot you have a short backswing and then attempt to generate the power you require it could initiate movement in the grip arm shoulder because of the rapid acceleration you would need. It also leads to gripping the cue too tight and too early in the delivery.

In TheSnookerGym theory as developed by Nic Barrow, the backswing should be longer with more powerful shots and also when you feather the ball those should also be near the length of the final backswing to get your brain ready.

On the follow-through side of things, on EVERY shot - no matter what the pace - the grip hand should ALWAYS hit the chest.

The question I have to ask is if a shorter backswing is the better then why do all the top pros have longer backswings? There is a growing theory that a longer backswing on all shots, as like Mark Selby, might be the way to go. John Higgins and Shaun Murphy also have this on most shots with Ronnie not far behind them, but the common element with them all is the final backswing is very slow and controlled and coupled with the rear pause gives them really positive control of the cue on the delivery. (Also note they all leave the cue extended at the end of the delivery for a short pause (Murphy's is longer) which adds to the positive control of the cue and lack of movement on the shot.

Where players go wrong is somewhere around 95% of amateur players have too quick a backswing (no matter what the length) which generates movement and usually means they are not drawing the cue straight back. The speed of the backswing should be a speed which the player can control and have a dead straight backswing.

Most off-line delivery errors come from the backswing not being straight.

Terry Davidson

[samad]

Thanks for your insightful reply . Hope to see more of your helpful posts

regards

[RocketRoy1983]

The cue hitting the chest is NOT a necessity but a helpful guide that you are cueing straight. It is NOT essential and is very much a comfort/preference to the individual.

[Terry Davidson]

OK Roy...here's the coaching theory behind having your grip hand hit the chest (or at least come to rest against the chest on low power shots).

If you stop the cue before you hit the chest you have no way of knowing exactly where the cue stops on each shot and no way to have your backswing consistent as you have no reference point.

Also, you are decelerating the cue right after you hit the cueball. Decelerating the cue means you end up gripping the cue too early in the stroke and also getting a jerk in your right shoulder, depending on the power you used. You should not grip and decelerate the cue until you are well past the cueball, or for those who need some reference it should happen 5" to 6" after your tip strikes the rear edge of the cueball and ideally as the front of the grip hand hits the chest. This will give the player a positive point of reference.

Also, to address whoever said 'it doesn't matter if the follow through is 4mm or 4ft' (or whatever). IT DOES MATTER!!! The follow-through should be smooth and the only way to have it smooth is to NOT STOP IT TOO EARLY.

If you have any recordings of any of the top pros, (but especially Ronnie as he hits the cueball 'sweeter' than anyone and gets more cueball spin with less power than anyone else in the game) try watching in slow motion on a dead in camera shot (i.e. - straight in black where he's screwing back to the cushion for a red somewhere in the middle of the table). You should note he first of all has a backswing of somewhere around 9", dropping his elbow a bit, with the ferrule almost reaching the 'V' of his bridge and then he follows through (and ACCELERATES through) the cueball at least 7" and doesn't tighten his grip until AFTER he hits the cueball and his grip hand hits his chest. Note how much he drops his elbow on the follow-through too.

I will post a simple exercise that anyone can do to help them develop perfect cueing for them. As a coach I don't dictate to a student that he must do exactly what I tell him and this exercise will show the student how to teach himself what is his best cue action, including backswing and delivery.

Sometime this week I will post something probably titled 'A Simple Exercise For Perfect Cueing'. It's already posted on TheSnookerGym Forum if anyone is anxious to see it. It's simple and VERY effective and I use it myself every morning to get my cue action to a point of ideal rhythm and timing, which is the true secret of good snooker. It takes me 10 minutes but it gets my brain into what Cliff Thorburn calls 'The Zone'.

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

OOPS! I meant delivery rather than backswing in line 4 of that first post

Terry

[bongo]

On the topic of the grip hitting the chest, we are only humans and we can't just suddenly decide to stop the cue when we like on the delivery on most shots as the cue is moving reasonably fast, you want to rely on the grip coming to strike the chest on each shot, it ensures good follow-through and you can concentrate on the shot, not 'putting the brakes on the cue'. The grip hitting the chest is the only way to have a consistent delivery length (if that's the right phrase). Even though it may not be necessary in terms of striking the cue ball as the follow through is after the shot, it is still very important as the grip not striking the chest can lead to a jerk as Terry mentioned, which can affect the delivery when you jerk during the striking of the cue-ball. Don't put the brakes on the cue!

[Krypton]

don't misunderstand RocketRoy and type in hundrets of words to prove him wrong where he isn't...


He said that
a) it is not important how long you follow through as long as about 4mm are straight
b) you don't have to hit the chest

and with both, he's right.

he mentioned it's of course helpful, more consistant, ... state of the art cueing ... what a coach might tell you to to (being right as well) ...

it was meant to a bit of an excourse, from a physician's point of view:

after that 4mm, the cueball will have left the cue tip and therefore you can do whatever you like, not influencing the cueball anymore. ask alex higgins.

but then, of course, staying down and cueing to the same end point (chest) on every shot will help you not to start moving BEFORE the cueball has left the cue.

[RocketRoy1983]

Cheers Krypton. As you all know im here to help and so long as I am ill be happy enough.

[DandyA]

well, I tried my new shorter backsing at snooker last night and at UK 8ball tonight playing for the local pool team ...

at snooker, on long range shots, it felt a bit too short, not hopeless but a bit too short ... it felt just a bit too short to feather the cue accurately down the line of aim ...

on a UK 8ball table it feels fine ... as I've just posted on the pool forum (in a local pub league) I happened to be drawn against one of the top pro-am players, Sefton Payne ... did OK but lost ...

so mixed results but I like the idea of playing with as short a backswing as you can get away with ... definitely, in my mind, improves accuracy and the spin you can get on the balll ...

[bongo]

don't misunderstand RocketRoy and type in hundrets of words to prove him wrong where he isn't...

Sorry Roy.