The Right Shot!

[cazmac1]

This is an age old argument. What's the correct shot? Is there such a thing? The best percentage shot? The shot in which you are most confident? The one that brings best position? The one that keeps you at the table regardless?

I personally believe that, in 90% of situations, there is a 'best choice' of shot. Better players notice lesser players NOT choosing the 'correct shot' and many amateur players flag their lack of experience by their shot choice. Sometimes this is choosing to play for the 'wrong' red when it was equally easy to play for the 'right' one. Sometimes it's going for a pot when no real advantage can be gained, sometimes it's trying to get back to baulk whilst playing safety when a dump-shot onto the top cushion would be a safer option. This is all part of the great game of snooker. Personal decision making, each players intelligence, ability, temperament, and confidence.

Well put, you hear many people talk about talent in snooker and they seem to use this with regards to cue action and potting, but these are things that can be mastered with practice. What you can't master with practice is your shot selection, touch and little cannons and flicks when amongst the balls. This is where real talent lies, yet this talent can't come to the front until you can pot to a very high standard as you will always take the easy pot instead of the correct one for fear of missing. (catch 22)

[JayCho]

I'm not that good. My highest break is 96, but I've only done this twice. I make regular 30s and 40s in practice, with occassional 50s and 60s. I play in the Premier Division in the Leamington & District league. I did play quite well in the UK League Snooker Tournament back in 2009, and I won my club pairs and handicap titles last year. I'm not consistent enough and don't practice enough to improve my game as I would like.

What about yourself?

i play in the Birmingham efficiency league, my team is in division 1 and we are about mid-table at the moment.

My HB is 82 on the line up, in practise its 67 and in a match its 48.

Like yourself, I'm not happy with my consistency, i definitely need lessons soon lol

[gazza147]

The Right Shot is the One your Most Comfortable with but always try and get on Higher Colours.

When I started I always like going for the Easier Colour Mostly the Blue instead of Playing Stun Run Throu for Black, But Now I am always looking to get on Black or Developing it as its alot easier Potting 7 Blacks than 14 yellows etc.

Its Does depend on How many Points you are in Front thou as if you only need 15/20 Points to win the Frame take the Easy Option and the Balls which are there so if that means take 2 blues and 2 yellows then take them.

Too be Honest its Hard for anybody on here to tell you how to Play as it Depends on your Ability/Confidence etc etc.

All I would say is When Practising try and Develope the Black/Pink as soon as you can or when you Need too as you will soon get that into your System and it will work in your Favour.

Gaz.

[Welshsteve]

I have found that when you play against lower ranked teams in the league, or in handicapped matches, some of the players deliberately try and put the high colours safe and keep things tight. One thing I always try and do is get that aggressive safety shot in, the half ball off the pack to open them up, or developing the high value colours. It can give your opponent the impression that you're confident and will quite often force them into a mistake

[Welshsteve]

i play in the Birmingham efficiency league, my team is in division 1 and we are about mid-table at the moment.

My HB is 82 on the line up, in practise its 67 and in a match its 48.

Like yourself, I'm not happy with my consistency, i definitely need lessons soon lol

Maybe we'll have a friendly against your league sometime. Trying to gte friendlies for my league team in readiness for the 2011 UK League Snooker Championship being held at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester. Your league should enter

[JayCho]

Maybe, I have no influence on anything in the league though lol

Our league never seems to enter the inter league tourney

possibly because our west midlands counter parts are far superior, I think they normally win it dont they?

[Welshsteve]

West Midlands team won the first ever tournament in 2009, but they got beat by Ormskirk in this year's final. Taking part is all the fun though. We sent a team last year that didn't have much of a chance, but we tried our best and won 2 out of 6 matches, two others we could have won as well. We have a good side potentially, but most of our best players are usually not available. I don't rank in our top 20 but I played and enjoyed (and won 2 out of 4 games )

[JayCho]

The Right Shot is the One your Most Comfortable with but always try and get on Higher Colours.

When I started I always like going for the Easier Colour Mostly the Blue instead of Playing Stun Run Throu for Black, But Now I am always looking to get on Black or Developing it as its alot easier Potting 7 Blacks than 14 yellows etc.

Its Does depend on How many Points you are in Front thou as if you only need 15/20 Points to win the Frame take the Easy Option and the Balls which are there so if that means take 2 blues and 2 yellows then take them.

Too be Honest its Hard for anybody on here to tell you how to Play as it Depends on your Ability/Confidence etc etc.

All I would say is When Practising try and Develope the Black/Pink as soon as you can or when you Need too as you will soon get that into your System and it will work in your Favour.

Gaz.

Well put, you hear many people talk about talent in snooker and they seem to use this with regards to cue action and potting, but these are things that can be mastered with practice. What you can't master with practice is your shot selection, touch and little cannons and flicks when amongst the balls. This is where real talent lies, yet this talent can't come to the front until you can pot to a very high standard as you will always take the easy pot instead of the correct one for fear of missing. (catch 22)

I can understand what both of you are saying, to be fair I havent been playing for too long (2 and a half years).
In the first year I improved a lot due to better consistency, then the next year and a bit I really struggled in terms of improving.

the past couple of months, mainly since I came on here and had a lesson with Andy Brett(see the snookerfarm site) I have been looking int the reasons as to why I am not improving.

Due to this my cueing has improved as I have been trying to work on fixing my flaws.

I will probably have another lesson early in the year just to see where I'm at and hopefully this will give me more confidence to take on the pots that I 'should' be taking on.

[jamesmcd]

Just wanted to give my opinion here, read something about playing an open game and getting beaten 8-1 by ur friend.

I tried to do that against my pal, and got hammered 5-0, mainly because i was always playing the attacking shot.

the most recent time i played him i only got beat 5-3, and this was simply becaue he played suberb.

With regards to shot choice, i always play a shot that will get in the best position to continue my break, whether it is a difficult shot or not, i will take it.
Its the only way to play in my opinion, you win the game by ur shots, not the mistakes of the openent!

This might only be true in my case, since i am playing lesser players, and are therefore less likely to punish me!

Its all related to self confidence i think :/

[snooker warrior]

Thanks for the opinions guys,

I think what I will do now is play my 'match play' game in my matches which brings me a good win ratio, and practise my flair game in practise as this is how I would like to play my matches, but my lack of confidence holds me back at times when I consider playing the shot to gain me more points!

you should play your matches the same way you practice, play at the same pace/speed play the shots the same way you would in practice,,,