Ah! That potting consistency

[Sidd]

Izzy and Terry: thank you both for your responses. I truly understand and now I can think straight. I havent been here on the forum for some time and have been going for snooker in a strict routine and have figured out that in order to improve technique solo is the last solution. One cant improve technique during matches... Terry I agree with you.

Sorry for being a little sentimental about my game lately, hopefully that wont be repeated again given that I have now understood that it isnt about being your best all the time its about being consistent and that will come through practice and patience... I also now et it what it means to have DISCIPLINE in snooker

I have watched the anlysis video on the grip in which you are having coaching from Nic Barrow; I have learnt a lot from that as well as some of the snooker lab (Terry Griffiths) videos.... so the learning continues and so does my consistency journey

[nrage]

@Sidd. I have one thing to add which I feel may be of some help. I have, like you, spent a long time thinking about my game, and working on aspects of technique .. but, my game has not improved in all that time. Recently, I stopped thinking about technique so much, and stopped directly practicing technique altogether.

Instead what I do now is practice more (I was only playing once a week at most, now I get down 3-4 times for at least 1 hour), and just focus on potting and position. While doing so the only aspect of technique I think about is my "walk in thought" ("get on the line of aim") and my "on the shot thought" ("keep the grip relaxed"). I have found that doing this for just 2 weeks (perhaps 5-6 hours) has improved my game more than 1 year (40+ hours) of technique focused practice.

I'm not saying that the 1 year of technique focused practice was wasted, as it has left me with a cue action that several people have commented on as being "very good" or "better than mine" (their words), but it did almost nothing for my overall game.

So, if anything, I would suggest that you get into a regular rhythm of practice where you focus on potting i.e. line reds up down the middle of the table from black spot to blue spot (with maybe one or two above blue, or one below black), or pot as many blacks off the spot, playing the white from where it lands, or practice a line up (start with 5 reds, pink and black for example), or practice a colours clearance. The goal in all of these is consistency, so you're constantly challenging yourself to get more than your personal best. Take your time, don't rush anything and if you miss - note your "score" then reset the shot you missed and play it until you get it, then reset the exercise and try again to beat your high "score".

[Sidd]

Thanks for the suggestion Nrage. It is very true. Also true is the fact that while altering or mastering technique the game temporarily ruins and maybe that is what I am experiencing right now these days and once my proper technique becomes perfect and consistent and that I am no longer thinking about it while playing- things shall surely improve. So I have to be patient...

Secondly, I have been religiously following Terry's advice and then I went to the club few days back and started practicing solo the same red ball line up and also something like placing only Pink and Black and trying to pot as many as possible with one shot (Hendry's routine) and then well I practiced for an hour or so and then I started playing the friendly matches and vitnessed pure immaculate difference in my game. That day I played amazingly. Means Terry and you are right, there is no substitute for solo.

Lastly, I will now start my solo sessions regularly. However, when I do solo I first of all go and practice my technique and focus on all theaspects and then after that I start the drills.

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

As both nrage and I have advised, don't get overly concerned and worried with technique. Once you feel you have a technique which is decent but perhaps not 'perfect' then just do a solo warm-up before any matches and then forget about technique almost entirely.

For any player I would say the best mental 'dummies' in a match would be 'keep my head/shoulders still' and also 'keep the grip loose until time of stike'. These two are to my mind the most important since the loose grip will encourage the player to naturally and normally drive the grip hand through to the chest even without thinking about it (or at least that's what I'm finding right now)

Terry

[Giggity1984]

Some great advice from all here. I'm sure we've all been where you are sidd. Steve Davis says in competition to think of position and in practice to fanny about with technique. If you think of position only in competition it might be of benefit to you?!

[Sidd]

Thanks Giggity. Yes it would beof help to me and I have been following the same recently. Concentrating on potting in matches and concentrating on technique in practice.

Terry: Well rightly pointed out coach this is what I would do. I think I needed the time that I took after getting your advice and suggestions in order to reach to a point where I can see the difference in developing a technique and in mastering it to a point that it becomes your second nature.

This reminds me of a statement that I heard in the starting of a coaching videos series by Jack. He said "its just like this. You need a technique to eat with a fork of course but while eating you are not looking or thinking about the fork going in to your mouth. It becomes your second nature"

I will try to do solo as much as possible and improve technique whereas in matches its just going to be, as Terry outs it, sound still head and loose grip for the smooth follow through... Let's see now!

[Zayne Clarkson]

I find that when I am not potting and making positions I go back to the start and work my way back up, you think to yourself what you are doing wrong, for example: I sometimes hit at the cue ball instead of following through, so when this happens, I just have a small back swing which forces me to push through. Always keep your concentration at 110%, when I am concentrating at my hardest, I become tired after just 3 games of snooker. But in those three games I am unstoppable.

[Sidd]

Well said Zayne. But that is rather hard to achieve and keep on achieving consistently. But anyway since that is what this game demands for; we are all a victim of the same thing every now and then. We just need to get focused all the time.

What I have decided to do this time is that once that happens to me (like it has happened since the last two days) what I will do is to have a loose grip and try to have a follow through and that I will achieve by focusing on a better backswing pause and a longer backswing... Lets see!!!

[cantpotforshíte]

Thanks Giggity. Yes it would beof help to me and I have been following the same recently. Concentrating on potting in matches and concentrating on technique in practice.

As Giggity says, Steve Davis recommends to think of position in matches, not potting. There is a big difference. The pot should take care of itself. Think of position and the pot will take care of itself, like the fork analogy.

[Noelcwb]

As Giggity says, Steve Davis recommends to think of position in matches, not potting. There is a big difference. The pot should take care of itself. Think of position and the pot will take care of itself, like the fork analogy.

Absolutely right... this happens with me all the time. When I am not thinking in position, I dont pot very much. But when I am thinking in position, all suddenly seems easier and the pots start coming.

[Zayne Clarkson]

No No, short backswing so that your subconcious mind forces you to follow through, and witht the position and potting, its the other way around, my uncle teaches me and he was taught by steve davis' teacher, its find the position, and where you are going to aim on the cueball, then look at the pot, focus only on the pot, dont look at the cueball, only the object ball and its lines to the pocket and your cue, get down on the shot, focusing on only the pot, and the position will take care of itself. having a long backswing makes you jabb at the ball and mis hit it. and focusing on the position instead of the pot will give you less accuracy for the pot and more for position, but as you focus on the pot and get better at the pot position will start to come naturally.

[Sidd]

Well thanks for sharing this. Seems very realistic. I have never thought of this for potting before. Will try it tonight and see what happens. Will update!

[davidwu]

Yes you are right Coach that everyone has inconsistency however my inconsistency is perhaps way too bizzare. I mean being inconsistent should mean not being your best but then it should not mean being an arse haha .. Anyway another thing that comes to my mind is that maybe since I never used to play with a technique and a proper grip and follow through etc this is happening because now I am playing with a proper technique that it would take some time for me to settle in. Like when I am playing well I can feel settling in to the game, you know what I mean, I dont have to think about anything like stance grip etc etc but everything becomes automatic a if I am in the line of aim automatically and am cueing automatically perfect and I just hit and the cue ball pots and positions for me magically. At that time I know deep down that I have settled in to the game. On other days I dont feel settled myself... !

I hope this improves over time and I can settle easily maximum number of days, if not always. Another thing maybe something that a friend recommended to me the other day. Would like your inputs over that. He said (he is a provincial level ranking player) that when we play exceptionally well for two days then on the third day we are so confident that we somehow take things for granted like everything will happen like yesterday and we will play best. This makes us loose concentration and focus and hence the game is ruined. He asked me to keep focused and concentrated even when you are playing best and never to loose it...!!!

I have the same problem as you. Now I can't even play pool properly. I went to see coaches and watch tutorial videos and after all that I play much worse than before. It is forcing me to quit the game now. I really hate it!

[Sidd]

Davidwu: You have the exact problem as mine and can appreciate what I or both of us are going through. I have been seeking coaching, to the best that I could, and watching tutorial videos and then practising and all of that. But then sometimes I am a super snooker player and sometimes I am a person whom a kid can beat easily. No idea what to do. I have given thoughts of quitting too but what do I do then; this damned game is too dear to me to be quitted.

Still struggling and trying to be patient and get that touch back for good.