Cueing Accross - A Mental Fault

[Terry Davidson]

I am one of the coaches on TheSnookerGym.com and in there Nic Barrow has posted many practice routines in the Bronze site, which is free to join by the way. I believe there are over 60 different practice routines posted there.

TheSnookerForum and TheSnookerGym are linked and Nic is a member here, as I am.

One really good and practical exercise is to pot as many blacks as you can off the spot. When you get to 100 you should go on the PIOS tour You can do the same drill with the pink and blue balls which go into all 6 pockets and you'll have to use the top and bottom cushions to maintain position and again if you get to 100 in a row then go to PIOS.

It's a difficult thing to get to 35 blacks or 20 blues although the pink is a lot easier as you have 4 close pockets. I have beaten both but you have to cheat the pockets to keep on line, especially with the blue ball.

Terry

[hatterboard]

now then.
iam very concious of my action, nothing about it feels right when the thought process is going on, however, as soon as i relax, everything comes together, including every bad habit ive ever had. accross the ball, moving target, shoulder shifts. however, am comfortable with that, but then missing easy balls. iam at an age where i have had odds coaching sessions for pool an snooker recently. been playing 30 years, have maybe had 20 frames of snooker now in 20 years. if i wanted to an was motivated enough, just out of curiousity would it be easier to correct my faults or start from scratch learning to play left handed ?
also, i have a young granson, if he was interested in playing what age would you consider the best to receive coaching for him ?

[kjozsa]

I didn't know this site, checking out. Thanks!

[C-J]

now then.
iam very concious of my action, nothing about it feels right when the thought process is going on, however, as soon as i relax, everything comes together, including every bad habit ive ever had. accross the ball, moving target, shoulder shifts. however, am comfortable with that, but then missing easy balls. iam at an age where i have had odds coaching sessions for pool an snooker recently. been playing 30 years, have maybe had 20 frames of snooker now in 20 years. if i wanted to an was motivated enough, just out of curiousity would it be easier to correct my faults or start from scratch learning to play left handed ?
also, i have a young granson, if he was interested in playing what age would you consider the best to receive coaching for him ?

If you feel urges during preliminary strokes or at last moment then the subconsciousness is fighting the consiousness becauses it feels you haven't lined up correct.This happens when you go down and look at the white to early(because you're not sure) or when you start rethinking the thickness at wich the white is going to hit the objectball or give in to a sort of preprogrammed line of the white wich isn't right.
All this will bring your complete line up slightly across wich you will want to compensate for when down.
So when you go down make sure you're thoughts don't tempt your eye's to make site movements and don't look for the midlle of the white ball to early.

[shailendra]

HOW TO AVOID cueing accross ?
well the answer is simple,
NEVER TAKE EYES OFF THE SPOT ON OBJECT BALL !!!!

[Krypton]

that doesn't mean you won't cue across...

[Terry Davidson]

Hatterboard:

With your grandson, Ronnie started playing when he was 8yrs old and I would guess most of the pros started before they were 12 years old. I would say if your grandson shows an interest in either pool or snooker then get him started as soon as he can see over the cushions. As the cushions are normally about 2ft10in high, when his height gets to about 4ft he should be able to start learning on a full size table, maybe earlier for a pool table.

Cueing across the ball is a problem which is VERY common. The advice here regarding keeping your nose/eyes locked on the back of the object ball (BOB for short) and dropping the head straight down while keeping your eyes there and then no sideways movement of the head or shifting of the aim of the cue should keep you on line.

Coupled with this it's necessary to remain completely still on the shot, have a loose grip (looser than you imagine), a slower backswing (slower than you imagine so you can control it), a rear pause and a completely smooth and deliberate delivery should get you out of cueing across.

I don't think it's necessary to start over again using your left hand since your primary coordination will be in your right.

Terry

[hatterboard]

when ive decided what shot to play, do i walk into it, lining where i want to hit the white, or do i line the shot, then get down then point my cue for the place on the white i want to hit ?
eg.
i want extreme right, do i line it up then from the right of the cue ball an walk into it, or line it from centre then move the tip of the cue to the right ?

[hatterboard]

its obvious i can play a bit, but i have no touch, no gentle control without this i will obviously struggle. is there an exercise i can do to obtain a touch ?

[dpdubai]

Hatterboard:

I don't think it's necessary to start over again using your left hand since your primary coordination will be in your right.

Terry

Just on that subject Terry, what if you've played snooker all your life left handed even though most other things you do are right handed.

Would you see a huge benefit training your right hand (the more coordinated one in other sports) to take the place as your dominant hand in snooker?

I started playing left handed as a boy, my right hand is dire even though its meant to be my strongest side.

[Terry Davidson]

hatterboard:

First of all, never, ever get down on the shot centre-ball and then move your cue tip over to the side to apply some stuff. For certain you would cue across the ball.

Secondly, pros and good amateurs only use side somewhere between 1-2% of their shots as it's so iffy, since they have to try and judge the amount of throw and return of the cueball so the distance between the balls comes into play plus the condition of the cloth, weight of the cueball and perhaps even the humidity in the club (remember the pros have virtually ideal conditions whereas us mortals get to play on club tables).

The 'correct' way to get down on a shot is to keep your eyes on the back of the object ball (BOB), take your 2 steps, swing your cue and bridge around to behind the cueball and drop STRAIGHT DOWN with your head, all the while keeping your eyes focused on BOB. Don't look at the cueball until you start your feathering.

If you are going to use side then drop the bridge and cue down right behind the spot of the cueball you intend to hit, either right or left of centre. When you do look at the cueball and your tip is not EXACTLY where you want it, then stand back up and go through the shot approach routine again. In this case if you intend to apply right siding then ensure your right foot is slightly to the right of the centre-ball line of aim of the cue.

By the way, the only time side has an effect on the cueball (besides throw) is if you intend to hit a cushion with the cueball. In most cases centre-ball will do the trick, be it top or bottom. Where the pros will use side is if they end up too straight on the black and then they will normally use deep screw with side to get up for a red between pink and black or into the middle. However, they hate to have to do that until they're well warmed up.

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

dpdubai:

Boy, you guys sure come up with some tough (and weird) questions. I am at a loss on what to tell you regarding being right-handed normally and playing snooker left.

My advice would be to stick with your left since you have learned that way, however maybe try some practice drills with your right and see if the coordination is there. The ideal would of course be like Ronnie, able to play with either hand which sure saves a lot of rest shots.

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

hatterboard:

A good exercise for touch is to place an object ball on the blue spot and the cueball for a 1/2-ball (approx) pot into the middle with the objective to get the cueball to land on either the pink or blue spot.

I used to try it to each spot with 10 balls and you will eventually get that nice touch for a slow and deep screw shot. It's VITAL to keep the grip loose on this shot and to ensure you're hitting the very bottom of the cueball (1 tip-width off the cloth). Also, a rock-hard tip might be a little problem too although I use a hard tip normally and I don't have a problem.

Terry

[choy]

hatterboard:

A good exercise for touch is to place an object ball on the blue spot and the cueball for a 1/2-ball (approx) pot into the middle with the objective to get the cueball to land on either the pink or blue spot.

Terry

Terry, how do you get the cue ball back to the blue spot after a half ball pot on the blue? Does it mean that the cue ball needs to touch the top cushion before coming back?

[dpdubai]

dpdubai:

Boy, you guys sure come up with some tough (and weird) questions. I am at a loss on what to tell you regarding being right-handed normally and playing snooker left.

My advice would be to stick with your left since you have learned that way, however maybe try some practice drills with your right and see if the coordination is there. The ideal would of course be like Ronnie, able to play with either hand which sure saves a lot of rest shots.

Terry

Thanks Terry,

My practice sessions have improved thanks to your input.
I've ditched the line-up & replaced with more focused drills along the lines of the ones you mentioned. I then limit myself to 10 times on the line as you said at the end of my session along with a final frame.

I realise what the line-up was doing to my game now, because I was playing it for a couple of hours at a time, I knew I had that many chances to make a decent break off it. In the reality of frames you may only get 1 good chance.

It's not a technique related problem or anything the line-up inspires, more a manner around the table that you know you can line-up and start again.

Having said that i like to make sure my soft screws and stuns are still there for close control and by limiting to 10 times as you say it makes me focus on putting together a good break as I know I only have that many chances.

Your advice has been a great help

Thanks


Derek