help with positional play

[nrage]

i have recently returned to the line up however i am starting with less balls now and build it up, i only lay 4 reds between the black and pink and see how many times i can clear them.
this might seem easier however i think it isn't because position is more precise, you can't run down the table for instance if you run out of position slightly

You can also do this around the blue spot. Lay down 5 reds, one on the blue and 2 above and 2 below. You can only pot into the blue pockets. This limits your options and forces you to concentrate on very specific types of shot. I think it's harder on the positional side than playing around the black/pink - because you have less pockets and less room for running out of position. But, it's easier on the potting side as you typically have a wide open middle pocket to pot into.

[vmax4steve]

yes Vmax i agree line up is a good exercise to do, so frustrating when you over do it slightly on a good break where the cueball is just too close and you can't avoid contacting another ball, or on ocasions when you find yourself on the cushion.

i stopped doing this for a couple of months to concentrate on another aspect of my game, i have recently however i am starting with less balls now and build it up, i only lay 4 reds between the black and pink and see how many times i can clear them.
this might seem easier however i think it isn't because position is more precise, you can't run down the table for instance if you run out of position slightly

I wouldn't do this Alabadi as running out of position and needing to take on a more difficult shot is all part of the game.
Practise all the shots all the time as no one ever gets perfect position everytime.

When I practise line up, missed reds and colours go down as if I potted them and in my head I keep counting the break as if I haven't missed and at the end I see how many times I missed in order to clear the table.
My best shot at this the other day was two complete clearances with two misses and one with three. Saves having to reset the line everytime a ball is missed and lets you know what you could have gotten if you hadn't missed while giving you good practise of all the shots needed to make such clearances and maybe also giving an insight as to why you miss certain shots/balls at/in certain situations.

[alabadi]

Interesting idea vmax i have on one occasion continued after breaking down, if i remember i was on a break of something like 42-43 and i had a thin cut on the black from a high position, i slightly undercut it and the black stayed in the jaws.

i was so frustrated because i got a very good postion on the next red just below the blue half 3/4 which would put me on the blue. so i continued as if i potted the black just to see what i could have achieved, so i replaced the black and continued, i eventually got to 68 before i lost position and finally missed my next shot.

i have only done this once as i feel that if continueing after a miss it doesn't seem satisfying.

i just wonder if i got use to this idea of if missing just continue , i would lose some focus and not treat every shot with the respect it deserves and it may lessen my focus because the shot wouldn't matter to me if i missed it.

not sure really, but interesting concept

[Terry Davidson]

My recommendation when using the line-up is when you screw up and miss either a pot or the intended position then re-set that one ball and keep trying that shot until you have it perfected. This will generate positive reinforcement whereas a lot of coaches insist if you screw up you should re-set all the balls and start from scratch again.

With beginning players this means all the time is spent on re-setting the balls and the value of doing the line-up disappears and there is a not of negative reinforcement...not good!

I do this myself when I'm working on my technique and I find it really helps.

Terry

[magicman]

I think a bit of both would be good really.

Replaying missed shots until you get both the pot and the exact desired position is very useful practice. Sometimes you may miss the first pot, replace it, pot it but get poor position, replace it and adjust to pot it and get good position. Now you realise your initial error, play the correct shot three times over until its ingrained into your head. Hopefully you will be much better at that shot from this point on!

Also, realise that attempting to clear a line up with no errors is a very good concentration exercise. At my best I used to attempt Hendry's '3 line-ups without missing before you can go home' routine. I have done this quite a few times, although on most occasions I'd miss halfway through the 2nd or 3rd line-up(even sometimes the 3rd black on the 1st line-up) but the exercise builds your focus like no other! Missing on the colours in the 3rd line-up would make me want to weep!

[vmax4steve]

At my best I used to attempt Hendry's '3 line-ups without missing before you can go home' routine. I have done this quite a few times, although on most occasions I'd miss halfway through the 2nd or 3rd line-up(even sometimes the 3rd black on the 1st line-up) but the exercise builds your focus like no other! Missing on the colours in the 3rd line-up would make me want to weep!

I would end up homeless if I tried that.

[vmax4steve]

My recommendation when using the line-up is when you screw up and miss either a pot or the intended position then re-set that one ball and keep trying that shot until you have it perfected. This will generate positive reinforcement whereas a lot of coaches insist if you screw up you should re-set all the balls and start from scratch again.

Terry

Thing is Terry my technique is sound and it's the sitters that I miss so no real use to me to replay such easy shots. It's purely a lack of concentration and carrying on and seeing what I could have done is more helpful to give me that kick up the arse I need for the next attempt.

[Bigmeek]

Jim Donnelly's "Fan System" and Nic Barrow's DVD on positional play helped me to understand a bit about cue ball control ( ie what is possible and what is not) but you need to be able to put in hours of practice to be able to convert the understanding bit into the ability to be able to actually make the cue ball go where you want it to!

[itsnoteasy]

I dont know if i will describe this correctly but i think you must have a ,stock shot, by this i mean a shot at which you play at your natural pace, and you can reproduce it time and time again, through all the shots, follow through, stun and screw, once you have this shot at a very consistent level all other shots are just a slight variation(bit lower or higher on cue ball) as you have a base to measure against what amount of action you need on the cue ball. It has taken me months to get this but it is just coming now and along with really concentrating on the potting spot of the ob, it has made my game come on leaps and bounds, this is only my opinion mind ,as i have never heard anyone else say this is important, its just that i have found this in my own game.