Terrible in Match

[Blanchon147]

Hi all,

Just played a league match and terrible the worst i have ever played. I almost forgot how to play, i would get down on a shot and not have a clue whether it was going in. I did not practice before hand. Does everyone suffer from this? Cue action wise i felt exactly the same but some shot missed by the old country mile.

Steven

[checkSide]

I used to suffer from this.

The way to solve the problem is to have a consistent routine and rhythm.

i.e.

• Take two steps into the shot.
• Pull back slowly.
• Strike to the chest.

This is a very basic example. You will need your own routine that is personal to you.
Next time you practice develop yourself a routine. Then set up a line-up and follow the routine exactly every single shot! It doesn't matter if you pot or miss, just play your routine and you will notice your natural rhythm start to develop.

Continue with this every single time you play until it is engrained in your subconscious!!

If you have the discipline and motivation to complete this task, you will notice a wonderful thing. When you play matches you will no longer worry about what you are doing. You will fall into your rhythm automatically at the table and kick some ass!

Cheers.

[Blanchon147]

The more i think about it i was probably rushing my shots. When i was down on the shot i really didnt fancy the pot, it is so strange because i was flying in practice a few days ago.

[checkSide]

The more i think about it i was probably rushing my shots.

This is why you need to play at your natural rhythm.

Good luck.

[LittleMissAlexa]

i tend to miss balls when i take my time everyone has different rhythms

[LittleMissAlexa]

faster rhythm players follo their instincts slower rhythm players are more thoughtful i find

[Phil Carr]

What GREAT advice this is. CONSISTENCY is the key and there is no better way than doing the SAME THING every shot. Usually called a 'pre-shot' routine, it is approaching the shot the same way EVERY time. The way you 'sight' the shot, line up the shot, walk into the shot, get down on the shot, address the cue ball, move your eyes from cue ball to object ball (perfect example of this is Stephen Hendry - he does the SAME eye movement every time - notice how just once in every shot he also looks at the pocket!) waggle your cue in pre shot strokes, time the shot (i.e. strength of stroke) and finally PAUSE fractionally before delivering the cue STRAIGHT through the shot, not too tight a grip and natural FOLLOW THROUGH and then STAY DOWN on the shot (perfect example is STEVE DAVIS who took it to another art form) and finally look at (hopefully) an excellent end result. Yes, this is a LOT isn't it? This is why with SO MUCH to remember you need to practice it hundreds (maybe thousands) of times until it IS second nature so that under the pressure of a match (when all of us get the 'heebie jeebies'), you need to have something solid you DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT to rely on. You don't think about balance when you ride a bike, or gear changes when you drive a car. It's because you've done it hundreds of times until it became automatic. SAME THING HERE. It has to be automatic. It has to be consistent. It has to be disciplined which comes from PRACTICE - NOT hitting balls around. ONE SHOT. ONE method. ONE result!! SUCCESS!!
Good luck!

[Phil Carr]

Get a routine!

What GREAT advice this is. CONSISTENCY is the key and there is no better way than doing the SAME THING every shot. Usually called a 'pre-shot' routine, it is approaching the shot the same way EVERY time. The way you 'sight' the shot, line up the shot, walk into the shot, get down on the shot, address the cue ball, move your eyes from cue ball to object ball (perfect example of this is Stephen Hendry - he does the SAME eye movement every time - notice how just once in every shot he also looks at the pocket!) waggle your cue in pre shot strokes, time the shot (i.e. strength of stroke) and finally PAUSE fractionally before delivering the cue STRAIGHT through the shot, not too tight a grip and natural FOLLOW THROUGH and then STAY DOWN on the shot (perfect example is STEVE DAVIS who took it to another art form) and finally look at (hopefully) an excellent end result. Yes, this is a LOT isn't it? This is why with SO MUCH to remember you need to practice it hundreds (maybe thousands) of times until it IS second nature so that under the pressure of a match (when all of us get the 'heebie jeebies'), you need to have something solid you DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT to rely on. You don't think about balance when you ride a bike, or gear changes when you drive a car. It's because you've done it hundreds of times until it became automatic. SAME THING HERE. It has to be automatic. It has to be consistent. It has to be disciplined which comes from PRACTICE - NOT hitting balls around. ONE SHOT. ONE method. ONE result!! SUCCESS!!
Good luck!

[Blanchon147]

Great post Phil. I have changed my game to hopefully make me more consistent, i have a wider more solid stance and a strong bridge.
Just need to stick to it now because that is a aspect of the game i struggle with.

[thelongbomber]

Snooker isn't just about potting balls and mechanics and routines. It's also a game of pressure and how you handle it. The Pro style of play is to use scoring and pure offense as the primary pressure tactic: score to win. For most people that doesn't work because they rarely make a 80+ break in competition. If you incorporate good defense and traps into your game, you will find that you will start taking control, and your pressure will be reduced, and then suddenly, you will start potting balls and making breaks. The pros do this but it's not understood and rarely implemented because one long ball made off the break and they clear the table. I wrote an extensive series on how to reduce pressure and gain control. Read here: http://snookerdelight.com/snooker-ar...ection-part-1/

As mentioned above, routine, focusing on mechanics, and focusing on your own thoughts is how to play snooker properly and overcome the pressure we all feel.