How long did it take?

[tedisbill]

For you to get very good?

I have been playing every Saturday for the last year, and I make 20 breaks, and maybe one 30 each time I go.

I want to be consistently making 50+ breaks. How long did it take until you achieved this, and how often do you play?

[nrage]

For you to get very good?

I have been playing every Saturday for the last year, and I make 20 breaks, and maybe one 30 each time I go.

I want to be consistently making 50+ breaks. How long did it take until you achieved this, and how often do you play?

I've been playing every Wed night, practicing every 2nd or 3rd Saturday, for more than a year, and that doesn't include the year of playing every month with a friend, and the years and years of playing pool every lunch hour at work.. and I'm making breaks of 15-20 with the occasional one over 20.

[CoachGavin]

Think it depends a lot on your age and how much you play and also on how good your basics are. I played for about 6 months once or twice a week to make a 50 break. Then another 6-12 months of playing 4-5 times a week to get to 80-100 break standard. I did not start til i was about 16 or 17 but I know of youngsters who make a century less that a year after starting and I also know of men of 70 or 80 who have played all their life and never got past 25 or 30. If you cant make regular 20's then I would go and seek help.

[tedisbill]

I'm 27. Been playing every Saturday for the last year.

For the last two weeks I have tried to go most days for a couple of hours. I suppose I'm expecting too much too quickly?

[jonplayer]

Ability and good solid practice are the most important factors. If you are breaking down on 20-30 all of the time then you have some problems with your game which you need to address if you want to really improve.
There are loads of threads for good practice routines on this site and lots of people who will point you in the right direction, but the right practice is the only thing that will make you better. Also go at your own pace with, if you do the fundamentals right - You Will Improve its that simple.

[Terry Davidson]

If you are motivated then with coaching and say around 10 hours of practice a week, broken up into 3-4 hour stints then you should get to the 50 break standard anywhere from 6 months to a year.

The next step, to get to the 100 break standard is a lot tougher and takes m,ore practice time and more coaching.

However, if you happen to be one of those lucky individuals that gets a good technique naturally then you won't need much coaching however from the sounds of it you must have some glitches in your cueing technique and are not delivering the cue consistently straight.

That is the secret to rapid improvement, first learning the technique you require to deliver the cue consistently straight

Terry

[cazmac1]

It all comes down to your basics in the end, Lots of players are guilty of that they believe that they have the model stance in their minds eye that most proberly see themselves as a clone of Stephen Hendry or Steve Davis. But the reality is a million miles away and for this reason a good coach is essential.
But be careful here as some coaches will just go through the motions parrot fashion and not really try and correct your faults. You can teach yourself of course but I think a video camera is a must. Once you have a fairly decent stance, you need to practice, try and find a quite time in the club where you can really focus your mind on what you’re trying to achieve.
From there the rest comes down to experimenting until you find what works best for you, sometimes the smallest detail/change can have a massive impact on your potting. As far as time goes there is no real time frame. The important thing is that if you truly believe in yourself keep working hard and you should see the rewards
Good luck and keep the faith

[tedisbill]

I really don't think I have a problem with my cue action. I find it very hard to believe a coach could help me (I'm a man, and very arrogant).

I think that if I play most days for the next six months I'd get good anyway, coach or not coach.

People I play in the club have commented that I have a lovely cue action (some 100 break players).

I think some of the trouble is confidence. As soon as I know I'm nice on a red with a good angle to get down for a black which will take me to a 30+ break, I'll miss a red I'd pot 100/100 if it was my opening shot.

It's a strange old game

[cazmac1]

I really don't think I have a problem with my cue action. I find it very hard to believe a coach could help me (I'm a man, and very arrogant).

I think that if I play most days for the next six months I'd get good anyway, coach or not coach.

People I play in the club have commented that I have a lovely cue action (some 100 break players).

I think some of the trouble is confidence. As soon as I know I'm nice on a red with a good angle to get down for a black which will take me to a 30+ break, I'll miss a red I'd pot 100/100 if it was my opening shot.

It's a strange old game

Sorry tedisbill, I think you got your head in the sand, a couple of guys at the club pay you a compliment and you take that as you got it all and just need a bit of practice. They were just being nice to you, their not going to say your crap are they. This goes back to the minds eye and it sounds like you are this type of player. Have you ever read a coaching book or watched a video. If not and you don't need a coach, It would suggest that you are a natural talent? Don't take this as a dig I'm just trying to open yours eyes.

[tedisbill]

Sorry tedisbill, I think you got your head in the sand, a couple of guys at the club pay you a compliment and you take that as you got it all and just need a bit of practice. They were just being nice to you, their not going to say your crap are they. This goes back to the minds eye and it sounds like you are this type of player. Have you ever read a coaching book or watched a video. If not and you don't need a coach, It would suggest that you are a natural talent? Don't take this as a dig I'm just trying to open yours eyes.

I appreciate the advice mate.

I have never watched a coaching video or read a book. However, I watch A LOT of snooker and I think this gives me a good idea.

I play once a week and made a 37 break on Saturday. So my thinking now, is that I'm not going to get any better until I play 4-5 times a week for 6 months, and then yes, I'll make 50+ breaks.

My thinking is; I'm not going to see a coach and then after half an hour be knocking in 40 breaks.

Feel free to tell me if you think I'm completely wrong here.

[cazmac1]

First I'm sorry about my last post it was way over the top.
I don't think you can't learn snooker from tv and of course one visit to a coach won't turn you instantly into a better player, but he can show you where your going wrong and give you some things to work on. The other thing that is often over looked when learning snooker it about feel. Joe davis talks about this in his book and I revisted some thing he says in his book about a line of tension of across the shoudlers. I put this into practice the other day and for 5 frames played flawless snooker. This is knowledge that you can't pick up by watching tv or practicing.

[tedisbill]

You were not over the top, just giving REAL advice and that's exactly what I want.

I think I need to look at a few books/DVDs.

[jarcher]

The only way I think you will get better is if you can learn how to position the white, ie, how it will bounce off the cushion on soft shots, hard shots etc and in what direction it will take when you've struck the object ball etc. which will help with canons.

Potting is potting, everyone can do it, everyone can miss, but if you make it easier via cue ball control and try to think a couple of shots ahead of yourself, this is the way to make breaks.

There are various routines to practice for cue power and the lack of it, for screw shots, stun and follow through. I found this helped me dramatically around the black.

Do NOT use side unless you absolutely have to... and even at that, only aim about a tip width off centre.

Have a look on youtube and 147academy.com for practice routines and video's of others doing those routines. Totally invaluable.

[snookerpoolman]

For you to get very good?

I have been playing every Saturday for the last year, and I make 20 breaks, and maybe one 30 each time I go.

I want to be consistently making 50+ breaks. How long did it take until you achieved this, and how often do you play?

Hi Tedisbill,

Well I've been sat here reading this and trying to think back how long it took me to reach a 50+ break?? I first played snooker in the mid eighties (pool before that). I found it fairly easy to get to 20's and I do remember being stuck on 32 for what seemed like ages... At the original club I played at, we had an old guy who gave us coaching - and I latterly got him to coach me more formally at Clay Cross where I still play now. By the 90's I must have had 50+ as I have a trophy for a 53 break in the league, that was the highest that year...Only Div. 5, so standard was not too hard, but still competitive.

Then I remember being stuck on 70 odd, then 87, then 92... This was for several years when I smashed it with a 132 clearance...

Everyone progresses at different speeds, and it depends how natural you are. I'm probably not too natural - mines all graft and learning, hence maybe took me longer than some to reach a century. I don't beat myself up about this - what's the point? It is how it is.

I play less now, but obviously I have a wealth of 25 years competitive and practice play to fall back on. I generally make a 50 + break most weeks, and although this seems a little complacent, I'm happy with this standard.

I'd say you definitely need some coaching as you can learn so much - correct shot selection, cue ball control, tricks with side - the list is endless. I'd recommend coaching to anybody at any level as snooker is such a hard mistress, you can never stop learning.

Remember - concentrate, stay still on the shot and follow through more than you think you need to...

Good luck with your quest - you'll have a lifetime of pleasure and reward from our GREAT game we call snooker!

[unclevit]

For you to get very good?

I have been playing every Saturday for the last year, and I make 20 breaks, and maybe one 30 each time I go.

I want to be consistently making 50+ breaks. How long did it take until you achieved this, and how often do you play?

I played less than 10 hours each month for the past 2 years, and still my best break was 45 last night. Our recent World Amateur Champion - Jack, practiced many hours every day. For me, it would take a life time to come up to a century, or perhaps never will :snooker: