How to practice long backswing

[HUFRO]

Hi Terry;

After a long period without posting anything I will ask you what is the best way to practice long back swing since when I tried it it feels very comfortable and gives me more focus and relax all my cue action.

Thanks

Hufro

[Sidd]

Dear Hufro, while Terry will come up with his expert advice I am sure; I wanted to contribute something here as well since I have also started playing with the long backswing after noticing some of the pros do the same and talking to Terry and seeking his advice before attempting on this. Even though I am now confused in long or short backswing (I have noticed that I am applying both in my game now and need to be certain which one I prefer- these days its a mix of both). Anyway, for practice all I can say to you is the following:

1. Practice the long backswing in solo line up with plain potting varying the power levels for different shots.
2. Practice with follow, stun and screw shots many many times just to acquaint yourself with the reaction of the cueball and focus on how the cueball travels afterwards and notice how the backswing level feel upon delivery.
3. You might encounter what I have been encountering... Controlling the cueball will become difficult in the begining because you will need to accelerate/decelerate the power level rather than having the backswing decide it for you. This area in particular would require lots and lots of patience and understanding to perfect in to your technique... So here you need the maximum of your focus.

I am sure Terry will guide you better from this point onwards.
Best of luck!

[Terry Davidson]

HUFRO:

If you really feel the long backswing is helping then I would suggest you try the following in order to get it correct. The main difficulties of using a long backswing are the change in natural rhythm and also the extra care required (basically stillness on the shot) in order to ensure that long backswing is ABSOLUTELY straight.

I've found the best method to get a student to adapt a longer backswing is to have him play with his eyes closed and putting ALL his concentration on his grip hand. Don't try anything dramatic like the line-up or anything...just shoot the spots with no object ball and do your normal feathering and then at the front pause close the eyes and then concentrate on the grip hand and pull the cue all the way back to where the ferrule almost touches the 'V' of the bridge and then rear pause and delivery the cue slowly so you can stay down with your eyes closed and have the cueball return softly to the tip of the cue.

This might take a large number of tries to get it right but once you feel you are bringing the cue back all the way when shooting the spots then move to a simple pot like pink or brown off the spot and with the eyes closed try the pot at different paces since you will have to learn to adjust the rate of acceleration when using the longer backswing since you have to remember the amount of power available in an accurate shot is measured by the length of the backswing and the rate of acceleration THAT A PLAYER CAN CONTROL POSITIVELY.

Once you feel you're doing OK with the pink or brown pots at different power levels and with the eyes closed now move to playing these simple shots normally. You might have to also introduce a slight change in eye rhythm (depending on what you're doing now) in that you will want to keep the eyes on the cueball during the backswing so the cue is right there in your near peripheral vision and you can tell the length of the backswing and then at the rear pause (or near to it) switch the eyes to the object ball.

Just remember, THIS IS NOT AN EASY THING especially if you are changing to the long backswing method (which I think is the best method as long as a player has a straight one) because you will be changing your natural rhythm that you've developed over a few years of playing. Don't get discouraged as it will be a painful transition.

Terry

[Sir Ivanhoe]

Can't see my reply to this thread.

[Sir Ivanhoe]

Second attempt. I've known Mark Selby for many years playing in minor tournaments at Leicester formerly Willie Thorne Snooker Centre Leicester. This, his former base club. He was coached by the local club coach from his early years. Every shot he played was with a long baCK swing with his perpetual body movement habit. It all changed when under professional management and more concentrated snooker environment he adjusted his back swing shorter for shorter top of table shots has previous described ably. His complete technique now is perfect. It needed to be for his acheivements and current status at the pro game.

[Sidd]

Terry, you are very right. Tonight I tried the tip you mentioend. I had a few shots over the spots with my eyes closed with the long backswing method and was surprised to note that I am not cueing straight. Even though I have made a few 40-45 breaks with this method yet with the eyes closed over the spots I noticed myself applying accidental left hand side any ideas on improving that would be appreciated. With eye closed on short backswing I was not applying any side and the cueball was coming back to the tip easily and that means there is something really weird about the long backswing... Why always left hand side well being a lefty you told me that I would tend to apply left hand side accidently which was the case so any ideas how to improve?

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

With a long backswing and thus a longer delivery it is ABSOLUTELY VITAL to stay still on the shot as any movement, even during the backswing will take the butt off-line.

The other important point to note is the grip cannot tighten on the butt until AFTER the strike.

You have to get these two points correct before you can even think of using a long backswing all the time

Terry

[HUFRO]

Hi Terry and Sidd;

I was practicing the long back swing and I have two questions for you. What is the purpose of taking the cue to almost the ferrule on the back swing? I find that it throws me out of line when doing so. 2nd. question. Even when the object ball enter on the center of the pocket, the cue ball goes slightly to the left. That means I am cueing accross the cue ball?

Thanks guys for your repply.

Hufro

[Terry Davidson]

HUFRO:

That tells me in the first instance on a long backswing you are not keeping the cue ABSOLUTELY straight (remember fully 90% of delivery problems originate in the backswing - hard to believe but it is very true). The most likely cause of this is you are not keeping the cue on the same plane as you do a longer backswing and the end of the butt will rise perhaps 7-10degrees or about 1inch or so. This in turn causes the shoulder to lift a few millimeters and this in turn takes the tip slightly off-line.

The purpose of using a long backswing all the time is it allows the player to have a lower RATE OF ACCELERATION and so he has a much, much SMOOTHER delivery as he can get the power he requires for even a power shot by keeping the rate of acceleration lower than a player who uses a shorter backswing on a power shot as the shorter backswing means that play will have to increase his rate of acceleration steeply and this brings in shoulder movement where the unconcious action is in order to facilitate that much power the player will use his more powerful shoulder muscle and thus get some shoulder movement.

There are two theories on backswing (and thus delivery) length. The Terry Griffiths school advocates the length of the backswing and delivery should be proportional to the power required (which is what I mostly use, which gives me a long backswing on high power shots).

The Nic Barrow school will advocate using a longer backswing all the time (except for experienced players who use an adjustable length of backswing) because it will always give the player a much smoother delivery since he doesn't have to accelerate the cue too quickly AND ALSO DOES NOT GET INCLINED TO GRIP THE CUE TOO TIGHT AND TOO EARLY since the power requirement is available without bringing extra force from the shoulder into it.

HOWEVER, if you decide to try and use the longer backswing all the time you MUST be able to have the backswing perfectly straight, the rate of acceleration on delivery very SMOOTH and also keep the grip from tightening in order to get the higher rate of accleration required for power shots.

As an example, I've always had too short a backswing and even today I tend to accelerate the cue far too rapidly and I have to concentrate hard on keeping my shoulder still on power shots especially. I'm trying to get my backswing up to around 8-9in on power shots but in trying that I also have to concentrate really hard on keeping still on the shot. Whem I'm doing this correctly I start making most of my long pots and also I start running centuries.

My biggest problem is when under stress in a tournament I have a very hard time trying to keep the backswing smooth with no shoulder movement and consequently I play like a wally in a lot of tournaments. Maybe wearing a 50lb lead belt across my shoulder might help as when I'm concentrating on keeping absolutely still for both the backswing and delivery my concentration is not totally on the job I'm supposed to be doing, which is potting balls and getting position.

My recommendation is if you can conquer the long backswing method then go for it but if you find it really throws you off then switch to the proportional backswing length, but in either case that backswing has to be perfectly straight and so does the delivery. This is easier to do with a shorter backswing but as noted above that will bring in other problems, especially on power shots.

Terry

[HUFRO]

Hi Terry;

Latelly I had been experimenting with this long back swing. I take the ferrule to the"V" but it feels strange. The positive thing is that in that way you have to loose the grip hand completely, just holding the cue with the thumb and index finger forming a "ring". Is that the correct way to hold the cue at the end of the long back swing?. I notice that the pro's with a long back swing just pull the cue about 1" from the "V" not to the ferrule. I think I read in this forum that pulling the cue in the back swing and deliverying it is done just with the thumb and index finger, the other fingers barelly touch the cue butt.

Thanks for your input

Hufro

[Terry Davidson]

HUFRO:

Your assumption is correct. Also, there's no real need to pull the ferrule all the way back to the 'V' which would mean a backswing of 11" or so, which in my opinion is a bit excessive. I believe a player can get any amount of power with a backswing of around 8-9" or so.

But remember, the backswing has to be absolutely straight and controlled AND the cue must remain on the same plane, which will force you to only be gripping the cue with the thumb and forefinger at the back of the backswing and also will force the elbow to drop somewhat as it has to in order to keep the cue on the same plane

Terry