Does anyone else play without a pause on the back swing ?

[the nugget]

This is a very powerful insight imo... Sometimes we get way too bogged down with the technical aspect of the game and forget to "feel" our shots. I believe that is what Dell meant by being an artist; select the tools available at your disposal and feel your shots, don't let your game become too stiff or mechanical... at least that's how I interpreted it after watching Cazmac's session with Dell on Youtube and it's starting to work for me... I now allow more freedom of *gasp* movement in delivering the cue.. I don't mean moving my body or head but rather, a certain dexterity and deftness in the cue action, especially on delivery... not thinking much about the rear pause, more on a smooth acceleration.

On Hendry, I get the impression that in trying to improve his game, he got too technical and made his cue action too mechanical with his long rear pause. It certainly looks awkward to me. He did not have much of a rear pause in the earlier days and he incorporated that into his game. He got the rear pause timing right for a period of time and was most consistent and deadly. Then the pause got longer and longer till it no longer made sense, messed his head up and his game with it... imo.

Well said Damienlch this last few years its really evident in his game, he had a lovely timed pause at his best but now i think hes lost the flow of his original cue action. Steve Davis had this for a time in 1985 where his pause was nearly a full stop compared to normal. You can see this at times against Dennis the world final. Steve has also said though that he has won 3 or 4 of his world titles with different stances and or modifications of grip and cue action, so its not only the amateur players that sometimes get bogged down technically. I find that when youre playing really at the top of your form you sometimes dont notice these things that youre doin right, its only when things start to go wrong with your game the tweaking begins.

[Sidd]

Just a little idea in achieving this with ease. I developed this habit automatically I guess as do other players but I have an idea that this habit may as well aid in maintaining that nice little backswing pause. You must have noticed many players, maybe including yourselves, to tap the middle finger of the bridge hand on the cloth a couple of times at the time of delivery and even at times after the delivery while one is still on the table. I developed this habit I think automatically without knowing it. What you can do is that while you go for the backswing and slightly pause for a couple of seconds there use this tapping thing three times and mechanise your brain not to start the final delivery untill you have tapped three times or maybe two times. This way when you are at the backswing pause you will become automatic in tapping the finger twice or thrice and then your pause would end and the cue would come forward. Try it I am sure it will work as it becomes part of the routine and the brain would be trained to allow you to to tap before the final start and hence wallah you'd have that all the time same consistent beckswing pause you are looking for I do it unintentionally of course but you can also develop it intensionally to a point that it becomes unintensional. The key would be that while tapping the fingers while you are on pause at the backswing keep concentrating on the object ball and you will feel the difference of accuracy in potting you would achieve by this method. hile the fingers are tapping you are gaining time in looking and focusing on the potting angle... Hope it helps.

[Nic Barrow]

mark allen, peter ebdon, jimmy white and others have a 'one piece cue action'
as long as you have control over the length backswing, body movement, the tempo, straightness off cueing, smoothness of acceleration, and consistency then it doesnt matter what you do
some people's 'snooker personality' simply does not allow a definite pause or a one piece action
the issue is that most players i work with have LESS of the above qualities with a one piece cue action.
if that tempo really does work for you and you have less control than you like, then simply smooth it our and slow it down slightly - this often helps

However, EVERY player STOPS the cue at the end of the backswing for some time as it must stop to change direction - so perhaps the question is 'how long is yours (pause)?'

[pottr]

Spot on Nic... you should be a coach

[Byrom]

Snooker personality? that's a new one -

I always think a player with a flicky type wrist cue grip if you know what I mean? suits having a one piece cue action with no pause better than a firmer wrist action which will always look jerky if there is no pause or not much of a pause at the back. It's a matter of how you time it - All in the grip as they say.

[Nic Barrow]

;-)

Spot on Nic... you should be a coach

;-) .

[Ramon]

Ah,,, SIR NiC ... it's an honor sir!! I just can't tell you, how happy I am to see you here!!
have a nice evening !!!

[Pedantic Stroke]

I have a front pause, a slow backswing but no rear pause. I've tried it and I tense up if I try to deliberately pause and miscue more than is acceptable. Someone once told me to never try and incorporate a rear pause A) if you don't naturally have one and B) without proper instruction. I took that advice and never bother with it. Every now and again ill pause at the back on a long pot, and it seems to help but it happens naturally. The moment I try to pause consciously on a long pot its a miss.

I think everyone has their own timing. A front pause and a rather slow back swing seem to help my timing and judgement of power. Whilst I think a rear pause looks very pretty in a stroke I also think Katie Price is pretty...would I go there? No friggin' chance.

[Leo]

Ah,,, SIR NiC ... it's an honor sir!! I just can't tell you, how happy I am to see you here!!
have a nice evening !!!

You having one of those turns again Ramon

[sammyts]

If I may stick my oar in so to speak, Terry Griffiths advocates a prolonged back pause but no front pause at all, Steve Davis on the other hand thinks Terry's theory is a load of crap ! lol. I think this probably illustrates there is no cue action that will suit every player, even at the top level. I agree totally with Nic on everyone having an ideal tempo or 'personality' and trying to change this natural tempo drastically can be harmful. That said I believe some sort of pause at both ends can help a lot in delivering the cue smoothly and consistently. I have found for anyone trying to build a slightly longer back pause into their action rather than thinking about actually staying stationary at the extreme of the backstroke, it can be helpful to imagine decelerating the cue slowly on the way back and accelerating it again slowly on the way forward. It means the 1/2 an inch or so either side of stopping is slower and smoother giving the appearance of a longer pause without actually being stationary any longer. Hope this helps.

[Ramon]

You having one of those turns again Ramon

I wish I could say you're wrong, but u re not !!!! going to catch up some sleep! my friend.
and get that face off your logo!! Is pretty ugly!
What happened to other one (Bruc Lee)?? that was much better!!
Good night !!

[Leo]

I wish I could say you're wrong, but u re not !!!! going to catch up some sleep! my friend.
and get that face off your logo!! Is pretty ugly!
What happened to other one (Bruc Lee)?? that was much better!!
Good night !!

Different logo every week

[Byrom]

Ah,,, SIR NiC ... it's an honor sir!! I just can't tell you, how happy I am to see you here!!
have a nice evening !!!

A star in yellow appears from the East at Christmas - its the coaching messiah or Saint Nik back home for Christmas - good luck with finding three wise men and a virgin on here.