How to stop messing around with my technique

[vucko117]

But I don't have any problems with straight potting I am potting about 7-8 out of 10 long blues. But yes I worked really hard to get to that point.

[vucko117]

But I think that this is quite interesting question as I am convinced that many players start to change their technique as soon as they miss a couple of balls

[checkSide]

But I think that this is quite interesting question as I am convinced that many players start to change their technique as soon as they miss a couple of balls

Hey Vucko, this is my analysis of the situation, as like almost every other player, I have been there!

You only change your technique if you don't have confidence in it.

Lack of confidence comes from missing balls you know you should pot.

Missing balls you know you should pot stems from either poor concentration or bad technique...

If you are changing your technique after missing a couple of balls you obviously don't believe in your heart that your technique is solid.

i.e. You don't really believe you can cue straight enough to trust your technique.

[vucko117]

Hey Vucko, this is my analysis of the situation, as like almost every other player, I have been there!

You only change your technique if you don't have confidence in it.

Lack of confidence comes from missing balls you know you should pot.

Missing balls you know you should pot stems from either poor concentration or bad technique...

If you are changing your technique after missing a couple of balls you obviously don't believe in your heart that your technique is solid.

i.e. You don't really believe you can cue straight enough to trust your technique.

Yes I agree with you. I really don't believe that I am cueing straight but I am potting long straight pots as I said 7-8 out of 10 times. So sometimes I just find that it is so hard to have some faith in my own abilities.

[Terry Davidson]

vucko:

Try potting a few long straight blues and leave your cue extended at the end of the delivery and check and see where the cue is lined up.

If it's still lined up on the point of the pocket you were aiming at (should be the edge of the leather on this shot) or maybe just a touch to the left if you are a right-handed player then you are delivering the cue straight and you have no worries.

If it is lined up to the other side of the pocket or else 2 inches to the right then you are not delivering the cue straight and you have compensated for this when you are aiming and you need to correct it by visiting a good coach. Maybe Nic Barrow again?

Terry

[vucko117]

Terry, I am going to see Nic next year 2-3 times for sure I have just done my practice and I can confirm that I am officially cueing straight

[Sport Focus]

Theres some good advice on here, You really have to build on your confidence and remember that your stance and style has worked in the past so theres no real reason why that should stop working if you keep it the same.

Its well worth spending a bit of money to see a good coach to remind you of the basics if you feel like things have become a muddle and then rebuild your confidence again from there knowing that you have had the reassurance from the coaching.

I really dont understand why more people dont see a coach as it doesnt cost much at all and the money is well spent.:snooker:


www.mattandrewsmentoring.org

[Monsoon]

I think that coaching the basics or helping confirm the person has the basics is good. Not everyone is the same and there are many unorthodox cue actions that work for the person. Its easy for someone who has maybe lost a bit of timing to lose confidence in technique when tempo and timing may be the probelm. I don't think there is enough emphasis on this when its vital. The one thing I do if i'm stuggling a bit with timing is concentrate on feeling the weight of the cue ball on the tip - may sound strange and its hard to explain but try it sometime, also finish with leaving cue extended for a couple of shots. I find that if timing is out its too quick so going super slow for a couple of shots also helps.

2nd time a scotsman giving for free grouch.

Heard the one about englishman, scotsman and nigerian in delivery waiting room and doctor tells them they all have a healthy boy, but the have been mixed up, the have a quick draw and scotsman won so went first only to appear with a beautiful little black boy, the nigerian says what you doing, the scotsman said - I'm taking no chances of getting the english one mate!!

[Acrowot]

You are a naughty boy Monsoon. But you made me laff.
:snooker:

[Monsoon]

Just a bit of fun!! Not meant to offend any Englandshire peoples.

There is also one about the scotsman who dropped a 50p and it hit him on the back of the head when he bent down to get it!! Don't know why scots get stick for being tight tho, similarly most of the Irish I know are very clever!!

[Sport Focus]

Is that money well spent by the player or by the coach? Grouch

Not everyone is right to be coached, not everyone has the skills to coach either you know. Some people dont listen some people cant change and some people listen to advice then just Carry on regardless.

Coaching depends on two things.

1 The person giving it (coach) knows how to give it and differentiate on what is needed and how to relate that back to the person being coached.

and

2. The person being coached has the capacity to take it in and listen, practice and adjust to what has been said and dedicate themselves to making a positive improvement.

Coaching is for professional people grouch (not the likes of me). Good coaches are people who can communicate effectively, even to the ones that dont listen. A good coach is also a reflective practitioner and someone who is always willing to listen and learn along with the learner.
Coaching is not a magic wand. Helping yourself, keeping positive and dedication to practice is just as important.

Obviously if your going to see a coach then you need to realise that most of the work is going to be done by yourself other wise it is a pointless exercise and a waste of Time and money.
But people can get very tied up with this problem and seeing a GOOD coach can help you regain some confidence.
There are good and bad in everything but a good Coach can adapt themselves to work with most and will work with someones natural playing style without pulling it all apart, thats what builds good confidence.

[the priest]

I took up golf in my mid twentys (because i had knackered my knees playing football and cricket) never took a lesson but tried to copy ernie els set up ie stance and grip.
As any keen golfer will tell you its incredibly addictive and you can spend hours on a driving range tinkering with all kinds of crazy body movements.
After a year or so i stumbled on a truth of the game which probably relates to snooker.
I was on the range and i decided to stop trying to manipulate all these different parts of my body and just think about making a full shoulder turn. Bang the ball flew off like a dream. For the rest of that session every ball was sweet.
I went back the next night thinking it was probably a fluke but no it was the same every ball flew off straight again. The next night i hit a couple of slices not huge ones but enough to shock the system and my imediate thought was how can i stop that happening maybe if i just make my grip a touch stronger.. and i stopped myself right there and then and thought hang on, your about to start this awful cycle of tinkering again. So i kept everything the same knowing i had good fundamentals and just carried on thinking of that good full turn and the good shots soon returned.
Keeping this in mind my handicap tumbled down to 6.
Dont get me wrong i still had ocasional bad days but having stopped tinkering thats all they were ocasional.
So how does all this relate to snooker? Well if you can knock in those long straight blues your technique is pretty good isnt it just think of one thing you already do well. Perhaps keeping your head still or stepping onto the line with exactly the same foot placement everytime. Point is stick with it through good and bad and it will free up your mind for the important parts of the game such as positional play and i promiss you the slumps wont be half as long.
Just let the bad days go we all have them. Just realised writing this why i had a 6 month snooker slump earlier on this year.. i was bloody tinkering!

[vucko117]

I took up golf in my mid twentys (because i had knackered my knees playing football and cricket) never took a lesson but tried to copy ernie els set up ie stance and grip.
As any keen golfer will tell you its incredibly addictive and you can spend hours on a driving range tinkering with all kinds of crazy body movements.
After a year or so i stumbled on a truth of the game which probably relates to snooker.
I was on the range and i decided to stop trying to manipulate all these different parts of my body and just think about making a full shoulder turn. Bang the ball flew off like a dream. For the rest of that session every ball was sweet.
I went back the next night thinking it was probably a fluke but no it was the same every ball flew off straight again. The next night i hit a couple of slices not huge ones but enough to shock the system and my imediate thought was how can i stop that happening maybe if i just make my grip a touch stronger.. and i stopped myself right there and then and thought hang on, your about to start this awful cycle of tinkering again. So i kept everything the same knowing i had good fundamentals and just carried on thinking of that good full turn and the good shots soon returned.
Keeping this in mind my handicap tumbled down to 6.
Dont get me wrong i still had ocasional bad days but having stopped tinkering thats all they were ocasional.
So how does all this relate to snooker? Well if you can knock in those long straight blues your technique is pretty good isnt it just think of one thing you already do well. Perhaps keeping your head still or stepping onto the line with exactly the same foot placement everytime. Point is stick with it through good and bad and it will free up your mind for the important parts of the game such as positional play and i promiss you the slumps wont be half as long.
Just let the bad days go we all have them. Just realised writing this why i had a 6 month snooker slump earlier on this year.. i was bloody tinkering!

What a nice advice Cheers. I have discovered something today. When I play against a weaker opponent I tend to change my technique as I know that I will beat them no matter how well I am playing. And that is the time when I am ruining my game. But when I am playing against someone who is a t similar level or better then me I am not thinking about my technique and I am playing much better... Strange???

[Terry Davidson]

vucko:

Play every frame as if you're playing Ronnie for 1M pounds. Use the 70% rule on pots and that 70% is in matches, not in solitary practice. Only take on a more difficult pot if the safety is more difficult than the pot.

If you can develop this discipline you will find you end up in the balls more and thus get your rhythm going and also you will get into the 'zone' a lot more where you really don't hear or see any distractions and your full focus is on first the pot and then mostly on where that cueball is going to end up.

Also, in solitary practice definitely try safety shots and stay down and observe where than cueball ends up.

Terry

[Acrowot]

The Priest ....... The Tinkerman.
:snooker: