Too much info?????????

[DWOT]

I've been reading with great interest the threads here and trying as much as I can to implement the advice of the coaches and other good folk on here into my practice, however....................

I now find myself with too much in my mind as I'm now playing a shot, I've got too much going on in my head..

I know my cue action is crap and needs sorting ( I can see the tip moving around the cueball as I'm feathering!!!)

I know my stance is crap and needs sorting. (It feels uncomfortable.)

I know my aiming isn't as it should be. (Not getting the angles right etc!)

I know I'm not playiing through the ball as I should. (Stunning too much..)

I know I'm not playing the right shot. (Shot selection not the best, lack of confidence on taking on the slightly more difficult but potentially more beneficial shot!)

To name but a few of the things that went through my mind tonight......

Too much information???????????????

[thinsy]

One thing at a time..........

You can't do everything at once so ideally try to sort your stance first. The important thing is to feel comfortable. Without seeing a stance no-one can judge but you will probably find that if your current stance is fairly comfortable you will only need to make minor adjustments to maybe create a more solid stature and/or easier access for your cueing arm to move. If your not comfortable, you'll need to find something that is, again just by making minor adjustments!

Your cueing/feathering is something you can practice at home.... All you need is a table of a similar height to a snooker table and an old lemonade bottle. Make sure the bottle is secured on the table and then practice pushing your cue into the neck of the bottle. This will help you keep control of where you're aiming your tip.

It's a slow proccess but if you put the time and effort in you will be rewarded. Hope I have helped a little

[DWOT]

Yer, I think frustration kicked in big time and my head went with it, I'm just desperate to improve my game, funny thing was I was super relaxed when I got there and potted lots of good pots after getting the balls put of the pockets and playing them from where they ended up, I then decided to to try a set up and quickly feel into a crappy frame of mind as I couldn't pot more then 3-4 balls before messing it up.

As I say, I'm desperate to improve my game but should give myself a break as I've only been back playing on a regular basis for about 6-7 months after about 15 years away from the game.

[hotpot]

The frame of mind your in before and when playing usually determines how well you play , whether that be just not feeling comfortable and irritated , or having doubt on the shot , thinking about the shot too much , taking the shot for granted , or putting pressure on yourself to make a big break when you feel your cueing well .

This mindset can change in an anstance and you can go from expecting and potting a high percentage of balls and being in the zone , to missing easy shots , messing up position and questioning your grip , stance , and your cue , etc , if you often switch cues like i do . If you can think of things that help and work then keep doing them . For example when i play a league match i like to referee the frame before i,m playing , rather than the norm of firs player refs third and second refs last . I find reffing before i play takes my mind off things , rather than sitting in a chair with things going through your head , positive or negative .

Nobody knows how to get into the zone , i suppose it just comes on its own . But when it does you just float around the table , oblivious to all around you . Its just you and the balls .

When i play bad i either stop playing , if no improvement after an hour , or if i,m playing someone then i just treat it as a knock about and not bother if i win or lose , even if i,m better than my opponent .

Rather do that than get frustrated .

Tomorrow is another day .

[jrc750]

....Tomorrow is another day .

Actually tomorrow is another Year

[DWOT]

actually tomorrow is another year

:d:d:d:d:d

[peterpackage]

if you feel you have that much wrong with your game mate, get a few lessons from a good instructor and get things on the right track

[cazmac1]

Hi dwot, From what you'r saying about the tip moving all around the place when feathering. It sounds like you grip is the problem. I have a friend who is a good player yet his grip is crap. he holds the cue with a very loose grip and when he address the white ball he closes his hand with his fingers in a separate movement from his arm. When I watch him I can see that this causes A kind of circular motion when addressing the white ball. I told him and tryed to get him to change his grip but he's just to pig headed to change. More fool him. With out seeing your grip I can't be certain, watch my vids on you tube and pay particular attention to what dels says about the Grip IE: allways go down on the shot with the plam of the hand touching the cue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwdUk7CGT7Y

[sfmcar]

:snooker::snooker:

I've been reading with great interest the threads here and trying as much as I can to implement the advice of the coaches and other good folk on here into my practice, however....................

I now find myself with too much in my mind as I'm now playing a shot, I've got too much going on in my head..

I know my cue action is crap and needs sorting ( I can see the tip moving around the cueball as I'm feathering!!!)

I know my stance is crap and needs sorting. (It feels uncomfortable.)

I know my aiming isn't as it should be. (Not getting the angles right etc!)

I know I'm not playiing through the ball as I should. (Stunning too much..)

I know I'm not playing the right shot. (Shot selection not the best, lack of confidence on taking on the slightly more difficult but potentially more beneficial shot!)

To name but a few of the things that went through my mind tonight......

Too much information???????????????

sometimes i feel the same but when playin badly i am usually forgetting to walk into the shot properly (lining up the shot)or as i move my eyes from white to object ball during pause i strike before being fully focused on where i want to hit.how are you supposed to hit accuretly if not even focused on it?
I would also reccommend you sort your cue action first. ie two,three,four feathers... pause ...strike...follow through. you can pause either at the white or at the end of your back stroke whichever feels better.
if your cue action is constant and through your stance is only a minor detail.
if your happy with your action and playing well it obviously suits you so when playing poorly at least you have confidence in your action as your doing the same thing(amount of feathers etc.)If you dont sort your action you will be asking yourself ..did i cue twice or three times the other night while playing well or maybe i was feathering slower or fasster.maybe i was playing faster or will i slow down?At least these questions will be answered and you can consentrate on other aspects of your game:snooker::snooker::snooker:

[alabadi]

:snooker::snooker:

how are you supposed to hit accuretly if not even focused on it?__________________
Originally posted at Http://thesnookerforum.com/board

your aiming starts from the standing position, so if you have correctly chosen the line of aim and lined up properly behind the shot and you get down with your head arm and cue online with the shot in theory you can just close your eyes and you will pot, you don't need to see it.

however on the otherhand if you have not chosen the aim correctly and your stance body and cue are not correctly inline with the shot you will miss even if you are focused on the object ball. there are many things that need to be performed correctly before a pot will go in its not just about focusing on the object ball.

alabbadi
__________________
Originally posted at Http://www.thesnookergym.com/forums

[Terry Davidson]

DWOT:

First, get your grip sorted out so that it's firm but not tense and ONLY use the forefinger and thumb, with the main knuckles roughly parallel with the cue (beside the cue) to give you a decent wrist cock.

If the tip is moving around during your feathers there could be many reasons for this, a simple one is you may be breathing in and out. However, to get it corrected get a plastic soda/pop bottle with a neck of around 15mm and set it on the baulkline and cue into and out of the bottle, like the cueball was halfway inside the bottle.

The way to keep both the feathers and backswing straight is to slow them right down until you can positively control them and keep everything straight.

Now is saying that< i still feel your best option is getting to a good coach who should be able to sort this problem out in relatively quick time if you are able to change your old bad habits to what he tells you.

Terry

[DWOT]

DWOT:

First, get your grip sorted out so that it's firm but not tense and ONLY use the forefinger and thumb, with the main knuckles roughly parallel with the cue (beside the cue) to give you a decent wrist cock.

If the tip is moving around during your feathers there could be many reasons for this, a simple one is you may be breathing in and out. However, to get it corrected get a plastic soda/pop bottle with a neck of around 15mm and set it on the baulkline and cue into and out of the bottle, like the cueball was halfway inside the bottle.

The way to keep both the feathers and backswing straight is to slow them right down until you can positively control them and keep everything straight.

Now is saying that< i still feel your best option is getting to a good coach who should be able to sort this problem out in relatively quick time if you are able to change your old bad habits to what he tells you.

Terry

I fully intend to go and get some good coaching as soon as I can afford to get some, I'm supposed to be getting some from an old boy who was the Derbyshire area coach for about 20 years but he's been ill and had an opperation since I had 1 session with him about 2 months ago....

Tonight I just relaxed and played freely without a care in the world, I wolud have had a lovely clearance too had I not put too much top on the cueball and followed through on the pink... A shame but I'll take the possitives from it that I played 5 really good shots with great possition on each as all the balls were off the spots and I had to go up and down the table 4 times to pot them.

[Blanchon147]

My problem is when i am in a match or practise, i am constantly changing my cue action. I can start playing like Ronnie then play like higgins, i have no natural feeling cue action, am trying to copy others its very frustrating. Any advice of any sort would be great?

[the montrealer]

I've been reading with great interest the threads here and trying as much as I can to implement the advice of the coaches and other good folk on here into my practice, however....................

I now find myself with too much in my mind as I'm now playing a shot, I've got too much going on in my head..

I know my cue action is crap and needs sorting ( I can see the tip moving around the cueball as I'm feathering!!!)

I know my stance is crap and needs sorting. (It feels uncomfortable.)

I know my aiming isn't as it should be. (Not getting the angles right etc!)

I know I'm not playiing through the ball as I should. (Stunning too much..)

I know I'm not playing the right shot. (Shot selection not the best, lack of confidence on taking on the slightly more difficult but potentially more beneficial shot!)

To name but a few of the things that went through my mind tonight......

Too much information???????????????

hi you should get a coach that will help you have to many problems cheers Leonard from Canada

[snookerpoolman]

Enjoy it and the rest will follow...

The frame of mind your in before and when playing usually determines how well you play , whether that be just not feeling comfortable and irritated , or having doubt on the shot , thinking about the shot too much , taking the shot for granted , or putting pressure on yourself to make a big break when you feel your cueing well .

This mindset can change in an anstance and you can go from expecting and potting a high percentage of balls and being in the zone , to missing easy shots , messing up position and questioning your grip , stance , and your cue , etc , if you often switch cues like i do . If you can think of things that help and work then keep doing them . For example when i play a league match i like to referee the frame before i,m playing , rather than the norm of firs player refs third and second refs last . I find reffing before i play takes my mind off things , rather than sitting in a chair with things going through your head , positive or negative .

Nobody knows how to get into the zone , i suppose it just comes on its own . But when it does you just float around the table , oblivious to all around you . Its just you and the balls .

When i play bad i either stop playing , if no improvement after an hour , or if i,m playing someone then i just treat it as a knock about and not bother if i win or lose , even if i,m better than my opponent .

Rather do that than get frustrated .

Tomorrow is another day .

Hi DWOT, Some great advice on here mate - read it and consume it. I've played competitive snooker for over 25 years now. My game has constantly evolved and steadily improved. I don't play half as much as I did at one time - prob 3 - 4 times a week plus English league pool, when I was single . Now my highest break is 132. Recently I've only been playing once a week - twice some weeks and I've made breaks of 57, 52, 50, 62 and an 81 clearance in the last 4 weeks. This week on Mon. night I played a singles and knocked in 68 to inc. last red, then missed black off the spot trying to get on yellow. This was my highest break in a match. Yet tonight Ive gone on cold, played 2 frames and could hardly make a ball. That's just form... I don't get frustrated, cos I know that next time I'll try harder, prob. play well and enjoy it...

If you're in driving distance of Clay Cross, I'd love to have a few frames and look at your cue action, stance etc. I have coached beginners previously and am sure someone as enthusiastic as you are will get there. PM me or just call me any daytime and we'll set up a game at The North East Derbys Snooker Centre - probably the best club in the world!!!

Dave, Snookerpoolman Tel. 07740102927