Picked up snooker again and my progress

[jonnylovessn8ker]

After about 2 years off serious snooker, I have decided to pick up the cue again. Even though I have played US pool a few times (as well as the rare few occasional really scrappy snooker) to remind myself a few things, it is just not the same with snooker. In fact, I think i developed some really bad habits from switching between the 2 games. I aim to become a consistent 50-ish or plus break player.

Today is day 1. I decided to start with simple potting, easy straight -ish pots. I began with a variation of the pink off the spots. Basically, I split the balls into 2 piles. The first pile is meant to be potted from 1 to 3. When done, I pot the second pile from 2 to 4. Afterwards, I'll pot from 3 to 1 and then 4 to 2.
Basically, the order goes from:
1 to 3,
2 to 4,
3 to 1,
4 to 2...and again...

Any missed ball will not be picked up. The objective of this little exercise is to pot as many balls as possible, until I run out of balls from the routine. The aim of this tiny exercise is to remind myself how to cue properly on a consistent basis, and go back to basics. I rotate from simple stun, screw, stun run through and forward spin. Simple enough.

A few notes:
1. I have some strange weakness in potting from 4 to 2....The inaccuracy is exceptional..I always always hit the near jaw. I'd like some guidance and routines from others

2. I am generally better in potting from 2 to 4, than from 1 to 3...I'm right handed and right eyed. I dont know if this information is useful. I'd thought I could use some input on this as well since I have posted this. (It has taken a lot of courage for me to post this and tell myself I am an absolute terrible player these days, despite my love for the game)

[Terry Davidson]

A lot of players will have a weakness like you describe. In my case it was the pink off the spot with the cueball up level with the blue spot and at around 3/4-ball. I kept hitting these thick and it was really getting to me.

What I did to overcome this is set up all 21 object balls with the cueball in that spot and just played them at all different speeds and height on the cueball. I always had a positional target for the cueball, i.e. - position on the black. After around 10 times of doing this now this has become one of my favourite shots and I can hit it with drag, deep screw off the side cushion, just roll it in and also top & side cushion for the black.

I found this exercise really helped in a normal frame since there are usually reds hanging around which you have to avoid to get on the black or pink, or even the blue and this shot will not only become easier for you but will also teach cueball control around teh top of the table.

Bottom line...practice, practice and practice some more with any particular shots you are having difficulty with (I watched a junior pro practice playing the black off the side cushion, both sides of the table, for over 4hrs one day until he felt he had it down pat).

Terry

[jonnylovessn8ker]

Thanks Terry
I did another practice yesterday and some thoughts that could use inputs:

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I switch between snooker and pool, due to the different table heights, a potential bad habit has risen. My right leg doesn't always stay at a right angle. Yes, it is perfectly straight (in a sense that it is along the line of aim/shoulder/cueing line), but it isn't at a ideal right angle that you, as well as other respected members advocate. I think this "lazy" leg approach has ultimately affected my stance and caused inconsistency.

The second issue is the left arm. I'm not entirely sure if I'm more comfortable with a bent or straight left arm.

The best outcome so far is that I am getting used to know what it feels when I am cueing straight/etc, so when something is off, I know it. Even if I miss, it is never a long way off, just a rattle.

[Terry Davidson]

jonny:

For the straight leg foot, presuming right foot in your case...there's only ONE spot for the foot whether it's snooker or pool and that is directly below the grip hand with the butt of the cue over any spot between the laces and toes. Some prefer the foot to be pointed along the line of the shot but I advocate turning it outwards a bit to relieve stress on the knee joint.

For the bridge arm there is not one answer for all players and it becomes a matter of personal preference. I teach it should be ALMOST STRAIGHT as I feel thrusting it out straight as Joe Davis recommended put some strain on the left shoulder muscle and also it's easier to get the left elbow down on the cloth for better stability. You should bend it a bit and when you get down sort of push on the left elbow to get some weight on the forearm and bridge hand. With the straight arm I find sometimes the whole arm is above the cloth and I have only the bridge hand on the table.

But whatever you decide to do, remember snooker is all about consistency so you should keep it the same and also for both snooker and pool if you can

Terry

[jonnylovessn8ker]

Terry
I'm becoming very comfortable with my technique in general. I am fairly confident in most short/mid-range shots that are, say, from 45' degree to full ball, at least only in practice anyway.

My weakness however lies in: 1) middle pockets 2) thin cuts... thoughts and tips?

A third weakness is actually finesse, control of power.
I am capable of most shots from full ball to 45'' angle. However, when I'm trying to cue slowly through, especially around the black spot, I have trouble. I miss. The object ball is way off. If it is the same shot that requires a bit more power, I don't have a problem potting it.

Comments from Terry and other fellow members are welcome.

edit: The second day after I wrote this, i have no idea why i couldnt pot anything mid range... as well as having severe problems with playing blacks off the spot. i couldn't get a perfect clean pot, especially with pots that require power, they always bounce out, hitting the far jaw first.

[Terry Davidson]

jonny:

I'll answer here rather than the PM.

I sound very much to me like you have 2 separate problems but without a video it's very hard to tell and this is just knowledgeable speculation.

In the case where you're missing slow shots the usual problem here is the player not completing the shot correctly (not driving the grip hand through to the chest and decelerating through the cueball). You MUST complete the shot correctly no matter what the speed or power and you MUST drive the grip hand through to the chest on every shot.

In the second case, not being able to get a clean pot, even a black off the spot tells me you are probably moving on the shot or else adjusting your aim when down on the table. The best bet is to video yourself and watch for movement of the upper body. ANY movement, even just a couple of mm will take the cue off-line and cause a miss on mid-range and long pots especially.

A certain way to detect this with a video camera is to play the long straight blue from the baulkline and if you can load the video into your computer then download 'Kinovea' (freeware) and do a frame-by-frame analysis. Have the camera set up so it covers from about 6in in front of the baulkline (so you can tell where the cue is at time of strike and just after) all the way up to the top of your elbow in the address position.

When playing back in frame-by-frame start with the backswing and step through each frame until the end of the delivery and watch 2 things very carefully, well maybe three. First of all, look for ANY head movement. Then look at the butt of the cue over the yellow pocket leather and watch for ANY sideways movement in the cue (the leather provides a very good reference point). Lastly, wind back the video for each shot and watch very carefully for ANY movement of the hips (they usually move to the left for a right-handed player).

Any of these problems will take the cue off-line and they are especially apparent in power shots. In addition, check and see if the grip hand is striking the chest in the same place for every shot (hopefully about 2-3in to the right of the right nipple). Most common here is the grip hand moving to the right as the cue is delivered and it normally starts happening just before the strike but is more obvious after the strike. Watching the butt over the leather will also show this.

The two most common problems are upper body and hip movement and tightening the grip too soon in the delivery. Next would be deceleration of the cue through the cueball which is very hard to see unless you have the camera on the right side showing the grip hand. Tightening the grip can be resolved by (in solo practice) holding the cue overly loose and keeping the grip that loose through the strike and beyond. Allow an air gap between the butt and the web of skin between thumb and forefinger. Try cueing very slowly along the baulkline without any balls to get you used to not tightening that grip early.

Without a video that's about the best I can do.

Terry

[Sidd]

jonny:

The two most common problems are upper body and hip movement and tightening the grip too soon in the delivery. Next would be deceleration of the cue through the cueball which is very hard to see unless you have the camera on the right side showing the grip hand. Tightening the grip can be resolved by (in solo practice) holding the cue overly loose and keeping the grip that loose through the strike and beyond. Allow an air gap between the butt and the web of skin between thumb and forefinger. Try cueing very slowly along the baulkline without any balls to get you used to not tightening that grip early.

Terry

Terry: One this very comment of yours I need to ask one thing; if you are asking to practice with a very loose girp even allowing air space between web and butt for a player to note how loose a grip should be and that it should not tighten after the delivery or until cue ball is struck- then once one gets hold of it then should a player keep the same strength hold even during matches? if not then how would the proper grip be cemented in to technique?


Please help me out on this...

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

Your answer is to use the method Steve Davis developed in one of his coaching videos. Lay the cue on the table and pick it up with the grip hand like you were going to hit someone over the head with it. Now lay the cue across the lower hips using your normal grip and have the other (bridge) hand holding the shaft of the cue.

Now, keeping the grip hand still in space and using your bridge hand on the shaft attempt to move the butt of the cue through the grip hand so that it moves easily and smoothly. That is the definition of the proper grip pressure.

The trick now is to keep that same grip pressure as you get into the address position and as you backswing and deliver the cue without unconciously tightening the grip when you are about to hit the cueball. Too many players will unconsciously tighten the grip just before the strike, thinking they have to tighten it up since the cueball will have resistance to the cue and stop it. However, this is not the case as the cue will weight close to 5 times the weight of the cueball and also there is very little resistance to get the cueball moving.

This is one very good argument for using a longer backswing on all shots and regulating the acceleration as it helps to eliminate the unconscious need to tighten the grip before the strike.

Terry

[throtts]

The upper movement on a shot I feel can catch so many players out because they do not realise there doing it. I will now stay down on the shot till the object ball pots ( or misses ). This certainly helps one and reminds one to stay still..

[Terry Davidson]

throtts:

This is what is taught by most coaches and done by every good player when he's playing well. To see this in action watch Sean Murphy who probably over emphasizes it a bit

Terry

[throtts]

throtts:

This is what is taught by most coaches and done by every good player when he's playing well. To see this in action watch Sean Murphy who probably over emphasizes it a bit

Terry

I agree, Terry.

SM certainly does put extra on keeping the head down...