Bored in Solo Practice.

[Blanchon147]

Hi,

I practice most days doing a few different routines and a bit of match play but i am just getting bored in solo practice. Does anyone have any advice on how to make practice more fun? I do almost the same routines everyday.

[steve clarke]

I get a bit bored sometimes too.

A way of getting a bit more interest into the session, I find, is to randomly spread the balls on the table - then just pot anything with anything ie don't just use the white as the cueball.

This helps me as I'm still at the stage where the main emphasis in my practice is potting but you could adapt this to include cueball control if you wanted.

The other thing I've considered is a practice partner - so if anyone is in the Northampton / Kettering area and is in the same boat , give me a shout!

Cheers

Steve

[denja]

Hi,

I practice most days doing a few different routines and a bit of match play but i am just getting bored in solo practice. Does anyone have any advice on how to make practice more fun? I do almost the same routines everyday.

If you can play every shot in the book perfect Screw,Stun,Run Through, pot 10 out of ten reds from across the pink spot, pot ten reds and ten blacks round the black spot and be able to screw down the table for the yellow thats the time to get BORED otherwise look on your practice as a challenge,the amount of practice routines are endless you can find many with a search on the web, I love my practice time I keep a notebook with a summary of what worked and what did not you must have an enquiring mind. Boredom is sometimes a sign that your mind is switching off because you are in a rut and not making progress. Snooker is a game where you are never going to know it all, the permutations of balls positions tactics are endless how can you get bored. Some say it is Chess with balls.

[mattyshinobi22]

If you can play every shot in the book perfect Screw,Stun,Run Through, pot 10 out of ten reds from across the pink spot, pot ten reds and ten blacks round the black spot and be able to screw down the table for the yellow thats the time to get BORED otherwise look on your practice as a challenge,the amount of practice routines are endless you can find many with a search on the web, I love my practice time I keep a notebook with a summary of what worked and what did not you must have an enquiring mind. Boredom is sometimes a sign that your mind is switching off because you are in a rut and not making progress. Snooker is a game where you are never going to know it all, the permutations of balls positions tactics are endless how can you get bored. Some say it is Chess with balls.

bang on mate

[pottr]

Have you made the max on the lineup? Or better yet, clear the line up without using a cushion, that one winds me up but keeps practice interesting.

[gazza147]

Try Fergal O'Briens Website for Practice Routines below.........


http://fergalobrien.ie/practice.html


Gaz.

[Blanchon147]

Denja- You say you keep a notebook, do you write down what your highest break was on each routine or something like that? I am thinking of writing down all the routines that i know and putting down my highest break each day. I think i would give me a challenge to beat my highest break each day.

How long should you spend on each routine?

Thanks for input.

[denja]

Just have the cue ball on the table and work out all the different angle of the cushions,see if you can pot the cue ball off three cushions this should keep you busy until Christmas, great for learning how to get out of snookers, Play a three red practice frame just using the rest for every shot (Within reason) its amazing how many times using the rest can be a frame winner.

[denja]

Denja- You say you keep a notebook, do you write down what your highest break was on each routine or something like that? I am thinking of writing down all the routines that i know and putting down my highest break each day. I think i would give me a challenge to beat my highest break each day.

How long should you spend on each routine?
Thanks for input.

No that not the point Write down your faults eg I undercut or overcut the black off its spot when playing from a position from right or left of the table close to the black. I find blind pocket shots hard to the center pockets. My long pots are not bad as long as the object ball is not too far away from the cue ball. My cueing over the spots needs work I put right hand side on the ball. e.c.t. Then you can start to practice with a aim in mind to correct the things that are wrong Then you can start making notes of your breaks if you wish ! but the main aim of the notebook is to keep a record of your technique both good and bad. If you are crap at something write it down in RED and do something about it, ok ! it sounds a bit like school and "Must do better" you should start your practice with a aim in mind not arrive at the table thinking what should I do now and just piddle about .

[coomsey76]

There's plenty of good routes on here to try as well.....

http://pjnolanschampionsacademy.com/...=78&Itemid=107

[steve clarke]

I take your points entirely gents.

To use a musical analogy, when you're learning the piano you have to practise scales and arpeggios, maybe a Chopin waltz or a Beethoven sonata.

But just now and then, it's nice just to sit down and play Chopsticks.

[denja]

I take your points entirely gents.

To use a musical analogy, when you're learning the piano you have to practise scales and arpeggios, maybe a Chopin waltz or a Beethoven sonata.

But just now and then, it's nice just to sit down and play Chopsticks.

SPOT ON its just like mastering a instrument you have to work on all aspects

[The Statman]

I'm completely HOPELESS at solo practice. I either get frustrated if it's going bad or indisciplined if it's going good!

Anyway, I have found a few ways to spice up even the boring old line-up.

I have always kept the baulk colours in the top pockets, just to save me going round the other side of the table to collect the black. I just put whatever baulk colour is in the pocket my side back onto the spot, until I end up the other side of the table.

That then got me to challenge myself to never run out of colours on my side of the table - requiring an extra bit of care to make sure that every (at most) three shots I have to make sure position is on the other side of the table.

I also sometimes do the same, but stipulate that I MUSTN'T use a cushion, again making a bit more effort needed so I'm always the right side of whichever ball. Or sometimes I decide I MUST use a cushion.

I find, even with my limited attention span in solo, it offers that bit more focus to concentrate the mind and - yes - relieve the boredom.

[The Statman]

Oops - duplicate post! (Had a bizarre experience there, trying to post that)

[Jono857280]

I practice a lot and know what you mean. Practice needs reward. Without reward practice becomes a chore and then you'll start developing a negative relationship with the game and your self image as a player.

How many times have you been in the club and seen a 30-break player setup the line up - all 15 reds and all colours on spots, then proceed to get 2 or 3 reds and blacks/pinks and then fluff the next red. That simply confirms you're a 30-break player! Comical! - and no reward or end point.

1.Can you clear the colours off there spots? If so, line up 2 reds between pink and black and the pot those with a colour and then all the colours.
2. Now move into 3 or 4 reds.
3. 5 reds with one on the top cushion and all the colours (I spent 14 (read it and weep) months at this stage!)

Lack of consistency is also very discouraging. Regrettably theres no shortcut to consistency. Playing 7 loose reds randonly spread around the pink and black spots and then the colours is (believe it or not) much much harder than the line up. With the lineup,you know exactly where the balls are before you start but with 7 random reds (all away from the cushions) in never the same configuration twice is a test of consistency.

Also find players that are better than you and set a goal to beat them (or even take 30 points off of them in a frame).

Find your own rewards in smaller goals. Oh yes - and watching professionals on television is like reading glossy magazines - you'll just start to feel ugly.

best,
Jono