Finding the middle of the white

[The Doctor]

Lots of sound advice here. Another thing to consider is possibly you are more dominant in one eye, this can cause this problem. You could also be moving the cue on and off your chest, so check that the pressure applied to your chest remains constant. Like Terry says though it's difficult to assess something without seeing it.
Hope this helps

[newtip]

A method I sometimes use is to imagine another ghost ball in front of the cue ball. Address both balls to get cue online you can even imagine another ghost ball half way between cueball and object ghost ball. See the cue go threw all balls. See railway tracks along each side of cue ball, all ghost balls will be between nthese tracks
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Originally posted at Http://www.thesnookergym.com/forums

[snookerfan91]

I think i realised my problem today i was playing with my practise partner and he noticed that when i cue i actually cue to the right of the ball.

now i see this 'right' side of the cueball to be middle. and when i put it into the actual middle it seems like im putting a lot of left hand side on it when im actually not.


i dont know why this is, is it because im so used to cueing to the right that i just dont notice it? ive always thought ive been left eyed so ive put my cue under my left eye could this somehow influence it also?


thanks


MAL.

Are you cock eyed by any chance?

[Dannyboy333]

Finding The Middle Of The White

I had the same problem and did not know why, then i realised i was hitting the white with right hand side when my brain was telling me it was the middle i was hitting. After racking my brain's i bought a Training white ball with a black spot in the middle of the white. I put the Training ball on my Kitchen worktop on a tea towel, and got my cue and kept aiming at the black spot on the training ball. I done this everytime i went to the kitchen for 5 minute's at a time, even while waiting for the kettle to boil i would keep getting up and down and keep aiming at the black spot with my cue. I done this only for one week and my brain now know's where the true middle of the white is and now can hit the white up and down the spot's in a straight line all day long. I hope you try my method as it really work's.

Danny O'Driscoll.

[1blonde]

just a quick point here.

Jimmy White starts his feathers by first pointis the tip at the bottom of the ball before raising the tip on contact, this probalby this helps him find the middle line through the centre of the white ball a little better.

I just wondered if you start by visualising this middle point at the bottom of the ball would this help a player find the middle line on the white better when you raised the tip to the centre?
:snooker:

[magicman]

This kind of thing should be avoided really, as your bridge hand should be flatter for a screw shot than for centre ball striking, and even higher for playing top.

[1blonde]

I dont mean when you strike the ball I mean when you first address the white with the tip of the cue before you start going back and forth when you cue up.

I would have thought the logic is it would be easier to find the centre line on the white to begin with by doing this and noticed a couple of players that do this, like Williams and White.

Probably nonsense but I am blonde so please forgive me

[finabb]

I agree with andy carson here. You must be applying a little right siding on impact with the cueball on delivery or in other words delivering the cue slightly to the right.

To get rid of this there are a few things you can try. First of all ensure your grip is loose enough that someone can pull the cue out of your grip if they grab the butt.

Secondly, most of these problems originate in the backswing and the delivery is a mirror image of the backswing. I would be willing to bet when you pull the cue back the butt of the cue is going out from your body a bit (if you're right-handed) and on delivery your brain will compensate for that even though you don't see it conciously.

The backswing has to be slow enough that you can positively control it and keep it straight and no faster. (Most people have to fast a backswing)

Also the backswing length should be proportional to the amount of power you're using on a particular shot or else it can be long all the time (so that your ferrule comes back to the 'V' of your bridge) but NEVER longer than you can positively control it.

The backswing MUST BE ABSOLUTELY STRAIGHT.

Shooting the spots is a good way to check this BUT...make certain you are hitting right on the piece of chalk on the cushion behind the black spot and not to one side (in your case to the left a bit and then that slight touch of right-hand side will correct the cueball and bring it back in the centre of your tip).

Terry

I think i've found a better way of going up and down the spot, as terry says a touch of side can bring the cue ball back to the tip.
Place the white on the brown spot and the blue on the blue spot, Strike the cue ball onto the blue ball hard enough so the blue ball comes off the back rail and hits the white ball on its return, if it hits full ball you are cueing dead straight.

[The Doctor]

Yes very advanced but probably the clearest way of testing cuing and alignment in one.
Try it with the cue ball on brown spot and object ball on blue spot then on pink spot and on black spot. Also try to put a ball in between blue and brown spot in a line with the spots. if you are putting side on then you will notice very quickly with this exercise. Also try it with different amount of backspin and pace. I say this because a fraction of side spin will exaggerate the more pace is applied. if you find for example you are hitting the blue on its right on slower shots but nearer left on power shots, then you are putting right hand side on. The more power the more the right hand side will push to the left.

[Dannyboy333]

I have a problem with arcing on my backswing, i did not know this until my snooker coach Tim Dunkley told me i was doing it. Tim also said like you Terry that i had to bring my backswing back very slowly to solve the arcing problem. I practice this now in front of the mirror and can see the difference between the two speed's of the backswing the slower being very straight. During my ongoing coaching with Tim he put's the Pink on it's spot and white on the brown spot and Tim wont let me start my coaching until i get a double kiss on the pink.

[alabadi]

go back to basics. the bare basics

1. hit the white up and down the table. if u are putting right side, then hit towards the left more. i sometimes do this for half an hour, simply to hone the basic technique

2. while u are off table, get yourself a new roll of scotch tape from 3m. let it stand, and cue right through. thats what
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Originally posted at Http://thesnookerforum.com/board

hi there

It's not that simple, I have this problem where I put left hand side for reasons that I am not aware of. I do the up and down the table and do that ok, i go up and down the spots without deviating. I have even practiced by putting two balls either side the black, pink and blue spots with about an inch clearance for the cue ball, again I can go up and down the spots without touching theses balls.

But still in play or practice I can still put left side especially on straight long pots.
I am interesting in this scotch tape thing, how does that work I didn't understand what you meant. Are you saying to stand it on a table and cue through the hole.
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Originally posted at Http://www.thesnookergym.com/forums

[alabadi]

set the swan neck spider over the pink and black spot with a piece of chalk underneath it, place white ball on the brown spot and play your shot, if you have a good swan there should be about 2-5mm gap for the cue ball, when you get it once does not mean you have it try and get it three times on the trot.
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Originally posted at Http://thesnookerforum.com/board

I don't get what you mean, what am I suppose to aim at. Can you describe in more detail. Where does the chalk sit . Not even sure about the swan neck spider how it's positioned, any help appreciated
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Originally posted at Http://www.thesnookergym.com/forums

[irnickknowles]

Could it be as you settle into the shot you twist, thus leaving youself in a position where you will cue offline. Something I'm trying to eradicate from my game.

[hotpot]

i think that hitting the middle of the white is one of the hardest aspects of snooker , i know i cant do it consistently , hence the reason for deliberately applying side .

One of my good friends who is a regular ton breaker also has the same problem and plays with side and i,ve never seen anyone , pro or amateur do things with the cue ball like him .

We once played in neath and he pulled of an amazing clearence on the colours and Steve Newbury was watching and shaking his head in disbelief .

[Terry Davidson]

The roll of 3M tape usually has a plastic centre of somewhere around 15-20mm and you just sit it on its edge and practice cueing through the centre hole.

What I used and tell my students is a plastic pop or water bottle and cue through the hole, which is usually about 15mm. Plastic so you don't damage the cue and also imagine a cueball about 3in or so inside the bottle so in the address position your tip is inside the bottle.

I also recommend putting it on the baulkline and then placing a ball against the cushion on the baulkline and keeping your eyes focused on that ball during the delivery, as the tendency is to watch the neck of the bottle. Don't worry, if you hit the side of the neck of the bottle you will feel it

Terry