Snooker advice

[bonoman1970]

why dont you try another sport instead?

[nrage]

why dont you try another sport instead?

That's great "constructive" advice you've got there..

[ABCsnooker]

In the vid you are cueing accross at an angle to the table. This is probably the worst angle you could have chosen to actually promote this problem. Try something at right angles to the table. A straight blue off its spot for e.g. into the middle.

As someone who has tried about every cue action out there, I also agreee withe the theory of cueing under the armpit it, as this usually allows for a fuller longer follow through and aslo avoids hitting the chest on the way though. Difficult to do with a long bridge hand, so move your hand a bit closer to the cue ball and you should also fee the back arm move slightly behind the vertical, similar to John Parrott's style. You may also have to bend the left arm a little.

[Rjcmcmlxxix]

why dont you try another sport instead?

Thanks!, I'll be sure to take your advice. On the other hand I'll be sure to keep your bull**** comments in teh back of my mind so I can strive to be a better player. But again. Thanks for your wonderful comment!

In the vid you are cueing accross at an angle to the table. This is probably the worst angle you could have chosen to actually promote this problem. Try something at right angles to the table. A straight blue off its spot for e.g. into the middle.

As someone who has tried about every cue action out there, I also agreee withe the theory of cueing under the armpit it, as this usually allows for a fuller longer follow through and aslo avoids hitting the chest on the way though. Difficult to do with a long bridge hand, so move your hand a bit closer to the cue ball and you should also fee the back arm move slightly behind the vertical, similar to John Parrott's style. You may also have to bend the left arm a little.

Hey ABC. In the video I just picked out a shot from a break I made. It wasn't a set up shot. Just a shot I found that showed my action. I've tried what you suggested, and I tested out the distance on the followthrough before my arm hits my chest and its exactly the same in all positions I tried. I'm thinking could it be that I'm shorter, and if you have longer arms, it means, you hit the chest later in the followthrough???

[ABCsnooker]

Aah sorry, I didn't realise it was from a series of shots. The arm length thign doesn't really apply I think. For e.g. if you bend your left arm whilst down on the shot you will see that it causes you to move into the shot. This also promotes moving the back arm further back. Now your tip is still at the ball but you now have further for the right hand to travel before it meets your armpit so to speak. The opposite would be straightening your left arm and allowing your right arm to start further forward. Now you would have no room or very littel at all to follow through.

[Rjcmcmlxxix]

Hmm I just tried this yesterday actually. I found by lining up with chest to cue, I found it easier to bend the arm. I might have a look at it and see if it helps with the followthrough.

Cheers

[nrage]

Aah sorry, I didn't realise it was from a series of shots. The arm length thign doesn't really apply I think. For e.g. if you bend your left arm whilst down on the shot you will see that it causes you to move into the shot. This also promotes moving the back arm further back. Now your tip is still at the ball but you now have further for the right hand to travel before it meets your armpit so to speak. The opposite would be straightening your left arm and allowing your right arm to start further forward. Now you would have no room or very littel at all to follow through.

The same can be achieved by moving the grip hand up/down the cue.. tho, of course, if you're already gripping the cue at the end you can't do this, you can only shorten the bridge arm distance as you say The difference between the two is that shortening the bridge arm distance will make things 'look' different as your head will be closer to the white, but it's certainly something to try.

The actual mechanics of the stroke are interesting, important and at the same time different for everybody! Try this. Hold your grip arm out as if you were down on the shot. Now, while keeping the grip forearm vertical, try and move it around to create a larger distance between your address/vertical position and your chest. I believe, the only direction you can move it (without ruining the vertical forearm position) is vertically, and the direction which increases the address/chest distance is to move it vertically down, because moving up only serves to bend the elbow more, raise the shoulder more and bring the whole lot closer to your body thus shortening the distance between address/chest.

As a shorter player, like myself, we haven't got a lot of choice about where we put things vertically, the cue must be, at least, above the bed of the table - but can be as low/flat as possible. Our bodies must be above it, and can only be as high as we are tall (to the waist where we bend + maybe a little if we curve our lower back. So, the possible range of positions is much smaller than for a taller player.

So, the answer for us, if we want to get more space between address/chest actually starts from stance, and is a combination of:

1. Getting the cue as low/level as possible on every shot. This is good for other reasons as well, so is well worth any effort put in.

2. Having a narrower stance, to give yourself more height. I noticed recently that I cued much better on a pool table, and then realised that the reason was the height of the table was lower by an inch. I discovered my body position was different on the higher snooker table, causing my shoulders to be on more of an angle and everything to be more strained and less comfortable. By narrowing my stance to give myself the same 'relative' body/shoulder position on the higher snooker table I could achieve the more relaxed inline position I had on the pool table, and everything improved.

3. Taking the grip hand slightly back of vertical, to give yourself more distance between address/chest contact, and therefore delaying any grip movement effect till well after contact with the white.

I would start with #1 and #2 and only add #3 if necessary.

Also, as I think Terry mentioned somewhere, if you get the tip as close as possible to the white while at address, then you immediately get more follow through than if you are 1 inch or more away.