On the verge of quitting

[Terry Davidson]

manu:

Your problem is in your right shoulder! To get rid of that you have 2 methods, one of them very easy and that is to straighten out your bridge arm until there is only a 10degree bend or less. This will have the tendency to lower the left armpit and thus raise the right shoulder socket.

The other way it to look at yourself in a mirror at the address position. You should not be able to see any part of your right shoulder but if you can then work on raising the right should up AND INTO YOUR BACK as much as you can WITHOUT CAUSING DISCOMFORT.

It may beel a little strange at first but keep with it and you will find the unwanted side will disappear


Terry

[Manu147]

Thanx for the advice terry, i will try this out and see how i get on.

[CoachGavin]

I have a very similar problem and put right hand side on the white. The best way to start solving this is with a camcorder. At least you can then see whats going on and become aware of the problem. My problem sounds similar to some of those on here. Check that you walk in to the shot online. If you dont walk in with your nose online then you can get down offline and then when you play the shot try and correct it by playing offline and across the line.

Another note that I found was that if you are cueing across then you need to check where you grip is finishing. For instance I found that I thought I was cueing straight because my grip finished at my chest but then I noticed that the cue brushed the chest on my backswing and at the end of the delivery my cue was away from the chest which meant that I was coming away and around the chest on delivery and although I was still finishing on the chest it was not the place it should have been.

I think when working on problems like this make sure you are online first (use the video camera). Then when you are certain you are online then you can concentrate on cuing straight. If you are not online and then get the white to go up and down the spots then you are cueing across to compensate for the original problem.

As Terry said try not to correct using 2 wrongs. Hopefully some of my problems and ideas might help.

I am sure Del will sort things out.

[davipp]

G'day cazmac1, isn't getting older just a bummer for snooker players. I too experience a similiar problem, cueing across the line of aim. I am always trying to fix the problem on my own due to no coach available within 3hrs of me.
I will be taking the advice Terry D has given you. Hopefully it will help.
One piece of info though, due to the spots having divots due to some players banging the balls onto the spots try cueing the ball just off to the side of the spots and see if the same result occurs.

[cazmac1]

I pretty sure that it's not the spot's, It's the same on all tables. I'm booked into see del on saterday. So theres no point going over it until I see him.
I have a couple more questions tho.

I'm a bit puzzled about the line of the shot. I've seen some coaches suggest you should line up the shot using the centre of the nose as your aid to sighting. then suggest your right foot should be on the line of the shot. surly there is a contridiction here as in order for this to work you'll have to be very side on to the line of the shot, instead of square. Surley the right foot would have to be to the right of the shot line in order to keep the nose on line???
Also got a second question on the distance between cue tip and white ball in the address position. Now it's obvious that the closer you are to the white in the address position the less room for error, so my question is, "is there an ideal to strive for 10mm, 5mm, 2mm, 1mm or less if possible."

[Acrowot]

How long are you going to Del for cazmac1. I wonder if is ok for me to come and watch, as only live a few miles away.
:snooker:

[cazmac1]

Hi all, I've just got back from thr snooker farm and am very glad I went. i think the advice he has given me will put 20 points on my breaks easly.
I won't go into detail now as my back is killing after driving for 3 hours there and 3 hours back. I have video the session and will post on youtube soon.

[simon dent]

Hello Cazmac

I met you down in Brighton for the Pink Ribbon event this year. I think we are the same age roughly. Everyone goes up and down with the game as you know and cueing changes slightly from practice session to practice session. bottom line is this game needs lots of time to practice and play. Then of course you have the tables, balls, your own state of mind, whether business, work or family are getting ouy down. The one thing this game offers is endless opportunity to get better! and it takes a lifetime. You might find that you try one thing, it works and then after a while you lose it somehow and you need to change something again, it is an endless circle, I have found.

There is more to cue action than the feet, head, body and arm etc. Cueing needs to be muscle remembered and that takes loads of time. Then there is the maintenance issues, weight increase, eyes, aches and pains..

So here is my bottom line all encompassing advice that I try and remember when under pressure to cue...

1. Get down and be happy with the angle you select.

2. Feather long, to found out if the cue is going through straight as you address the ball - I say this because as you move your body around the table for differing positions, ie leg up, stretching, left or right side of table shots, your line may not be natural.

2. Now hit the ball the best way that suits the shot and white ball position, and follow through in a straight line!

There, not that bad now is it?

Cheers mate

[cazmac1]

Thanks for the advice simon. was you the guy originally from london, that played in the fist round.
I'm sure that del's advice will get me potting again. Del was very complimentry and said that I didn't need much work.

[Acrowot]

I am pleased that you enjoyed the time at The Snooker Farm, cazmac. Hope that it helped you with the prob you have been having and that you will see the improvement you have been hoping for.
:snooker:

[cazmac1]

After 3 practice sessions I starting to grove my new cue action and had a 64 last night. I'm really surprized how my cue action has improve in such a short time by applying a few simple technics that anyone and put into there game.
I'm off to ther club shortly and am expecting good things today

[hotpot]

Cazmac , from my experiences when playing well and expecting big breaks that in effect never materialised probably as i was expecting to make them and probably may have been taking some shots for granted and losing focus and concentration .

I now find that the breaks come easier when i,m just concentracing on the ball on and precise position required for the next one or two shots ahead .

Its nice when your cueing well but you dont always produce your best snooker when doing so .

[Neil Taperell]

After 3 practice sessions I starting to grove my new cue action and had a 64 last night. I'm really surprized how my cue action has improve in such a short time by applying a few simple technics that anyone and put into there game.
I'm off to ther club shortly and am expecting good things today

So i take it you are not quitting .........that's great news as i don't think that i could stand anymore of your moaning

Now get down to the club and bash in a ton

[cazmac1]

Hi Neil, I'm still going to quit if things don't turn around, I had a very good 83
before going to the farm I made the break potting 14 reds with no blacks. There are no magic bullits in this game but if you have a good cue action you can limit times when your in bad form and you can play better when in bad form.
When I quit the game 20 years ago I was playing great snooker and was even thinking of turning Pro. I know what it feels like to be in full control of the table and the difference between going for a pott hoping to get it and knowing you going to get it. When I returned to the game I wanted to compete on the amature circuit but have failed to reach any kind of level.
I know my problems are purley tecnical and still think I can compete at a high level if I can sort the faults in my game out.
Dell was very impressed with my game and said that out of six key factors I allready have 4 built in. He has showen me the other two and this is what I'm working on. This is coming from a man who has coached 4 world champions, so I pretty sure he knows what he talking about.
Neil I'll send you a PM.

[nrage]

Hi Neil, I'm still going to quit if things don't turn around, I had a very good 83
before going to the farm I made the break potting 14 reds with no blacks. There are no magic bullits in this game but if you have a good cue action you can limit times when your in bad form and you can play better when in bad form.
When I quit the game 20 years ago I was playing great snooker and was even thinking of turning Pro. I know what it feels like to be in full control of the table and the difference between going for a pott hoping to get it and knowing you going to get it. When I returned to the game I wanted to compete on the amature circuit but have failed to reach any kind of level.
I know my problems are purley tecnical and still think I can compete at a high level if I can sort the faults in my game out.
Dell was very impressed with my game and said that out of six key factors I allready have 4 built in. He has showen me the other two and this is what I'm working on. This is coming from a man who has coached 4 world champions, so I pretty sure he knows what he talking about.
Neil I'll send you a PM.

Are you allowed to tell us what those 6 key factors are? .. and what you're doing to work on the 2 you're working on.