Shot Strength not coming.

[tsering]

Hi! :snooker:
I'm playing snooker since long time, and my problem is that I can't produce the strength that is required to pull back a cue ball at a distance, the more the distance is the more it goes worse, whenever I play these shots, the cue balls hits the object ball very soft and at the wrong sides mostly. When a younger kid hits the cue ball so hard in a game and pulls back the cue ball so easily, my heart goes into pieces, thinking why I can't do this, as I'm stronger person than him.
Can anyone suggest me on improving this matter.
Thanx.

[jarcher]

Shot Strength not coming.

There's a number of factors for this, one of which I know from personal experience, is your cue. I had a cue that was butt heavy and couldn't screw the white back for love nor money, then changed to one with a better balance and started screwing back with ease.

Another factor is what tip you use and what shape. I find on a layered tip, it needs to be slightly more domed to allow good screw power.

Next is your timing, with good timing, this removes a lot of the need for extreme power as you get through the cue ball better.

Finally, where you strike the cue ball. The more power you try to put into your shot, the more chance you have of body movement, which in turn can lead you to strike higher on the white, leaving more of a stun shot, but also that dreaded unwanted side.

I would start with relatively short screw shots and see how soft you can hit them to achieve the desired level of screw, focusing more on your follow through and no body movement. Then gradually start increasing the distance between cue ball and object ball.

You will find that gradually, your cueing will improve and realise you don't need all power but more action to control the white

[Terry Davidson]

tsering:

Besides what jarcher has mentioned, it is a fact that power placed into the cueball comes from the acceleration of the tip at time of impact, which should be at its maximum for a power screw shot over distance.

The only way to get this power (unless you are Hercules) is to lengthen your backswing to at least 8in (20cm) and more if possible, with your backswing taking the ferrule almost to the 'V' of your bridge. Watch Ronnie, Higgins, Selby or actually any of the top pros on youtube and you will see they pull the cue back a long way on a power shot.

Remember, backswing length is proportional to the amount of power required for the shot (however you must ensure the backswing is perfectly straight when you do this)

Terry

[Jake O'Sullivan]

I've been having this problem too! Long screw back is difficult, close up I never have problems with it.

[nrage]

I have trouble with power on screw/stub shots as well either over or under screwing the ball. There is a practice routine I like to do, and it goes..

1. Place a red on the brown spot, and the white just off straight for a pot to yellow or green pocket. When I say just of straight I mean on the right side of straight for a pot to the yellow and the opposite for green. When you screw the ball it should come back toward the middle of the table, not the side.

2. Now, relax, and play 5-10+ screw shots. Concentrate on staying still on the shot and striking as low as possible. Make sure the pots are going to the middle of the pocket - perhaps practice just potting to fix the correct angle/spot in your mind to start with. Record the distance of the best screw shot by placing the black in the center of the table, in line with where the white landed. This is your maximum screw marker.

3. Place the pink, blue, brown, green and yellow down the middle or the table, from the black toward the red/brown spot. These are your target distances. Space them out evenly.

4. Pick a target i.e. brown ball, and play 5-10 screw shots where your goal is to land the white in line with the chosen ball.

5. Repeat for each colour.

Black will be the hardest, pink also quite hard. I usually place yellow quite close to red and find the really short range screw hard also as I tend to over hit a lot. Practice this once a session and you should see some improvement in both your ability to screw the ball and your ability to hit with the correct power.

[vmax4steve]

tsering:

Besides what jarcher has mentioned, it is a fact that power placed into the cueball comes from the acceleration of the tip at time of impact, which should be at its maximum for a power screw shot over distance.

The only way to get this power (unless you are Hercules) is to lengthen your backswing to at least 8in (20cm) and more if possible, with your backswing taking the ferrule almost to the 'V' of your bridge. Watch Ronnie, Higgins, Selby or actually any of the top pros on youtube and you will see they pull the cue back a long way on a power shot.

Remember, backswing length is proportional to the amount of power required for the shot (however you must ensure the backswing is perfectly straight when you do this)

Terry

Still doing it Tel, must have answered this one a hundred times before. Ignore or cash required.

[pottr]

In my experience, the reason some beginners can struggle with cue power is that they have their bridge hand too far away from the white and can't push enough cue through as a result.

[jarcher]

Shot Strength not coming.

The best technique I found for practicing screw power is to line up the colours to the right of the blue spot, for a right handed player, starting with the yellow about 2 inches behind the blue spot and evenly spaced to the black about 2 inches from the side cushion.

Place a red on the blue spot and the white anywhere between that red and the middle pocket. Pot the red and screw back to the yellow. Place another red up, straighten the white, then screw to the green, then to the yellow, then brown, then yellow, then blue etc. once you've done that, make the green your focus ball, so yellow to green, green to brown, brown to green, green to blue etc.

Remember also, it's not a case of hitting as low as you can on the white at all times as its easier to miss centre ball striking, so play a little higher on the white with slightly more power, but remember your follow through.

I found this routine dramatically helped when break building in and around the black.

Try it, it's not as easy as it seems lol

[LittleMissAlexa]

it has little to do with physical strength and more to do with timing and cue actiondont be afraid to have a long backlift dont be afraid to follow the cue right through and dont be afraid to grip the cue a bit looser as a tight grip can cause friction

[tsering]

Thanks alot to everyone who have shared their valuable advice to me ,I will try all the guidance that I've got here. Thank U all there from the bottom of my heart, I really appreciate.

[Luke Hooper]

I have trouble with power on screw/stub shots as well either over or under screwing the ball. There is a practice routine I like to do, and it goes..

1. Place a red on the brown spot, and the white just off straight for a pot to yellow or green pocket. When I say just of straight I mean on the right side of straight for a pot to the yellow and the opposite for green. When you screw the ball it should come back toward the middle of the table, not the side.

2. Now, relax, and play 5-10+ screw shots. Concentrate on staying still on the shot and striking as low as possible. Make sure the pots are going to the middle of the pocket - perhaps practice just potting to fix the correct angle/spot in your mind to start with. Record the distance of the best screw shot by placing the black in the center of the table, in line with where the white landed. This is your maximum screw marker.

3. Place the pink, blue, brown, green and yellow down the middle or the table, from the black toward the red/brown spot. These are your target distances. Space them out evenly.

4. Pick a target i.e. brown ball, and play 5-10 screw shots where your goal is to land the white in line with the chosen ball.

5. Repeat for each colour.

Black will be the hardest, pink also quite hard. I usually place yellow quite close to red and find the really short range screw hard also as I tend to over hit a lot. Practice this once a session and you should see some improvement in both your ability to screw the ball and your ability to hit with the correct power.

this is a really good post.... i like that idea, it sounds fun!

[nrage]

The best technique I found for practicing screw power is to line up the colours to the right of the blue spot, for a right handed player, starting with the yellow about 2 inches behind the blue spot and evenly spaced to the black about 2 inches from the side cushion.

Place a red on the blue spot and the white anywhere between that red and the middle pocket. Pot the red and screw back to the yellow. Place another red up, straighten the white, then screw to the green, then to the yellow, then brown, then yellow, then blue etc. once you've done that, make the green your focus ball, so yellow to green, green to brown, brown to green, green to blue etc.

Remember also, it's not a case of hitting as low as you can on the white at all times as its easier to miss centre ball striking, so play a little higher on the white with slightly more power, but remember your follow through.

I found this routine dramatically helped when break building in and around the black.

Try it, it's not as easy as it seems lol

This sounds like a good routine, I'll have to give it a go