Just paid my entry fee for a City Tournament: Islamabad Cup- How to go about it

[Sidd]

Last but not the least; maybe someone can point out something in this regard and help me improve perhaps...

While writing the above post and thinking of my earlier days and playing screw shots and all.. I just recalled something very important and want to ask all you guys and coaches alike. MAybe the answer to this might help me in understanding something realy important and I can perhaps retain some consistency...! I would really like to get opinions and answers to that.

When I played without knowing anything about technique and joining this forum and doing it on my own (having made two 50 odd breaks like that) I recall that I used to play with only two finger grip. i.e. I used ot play with forefinger and thumb only and my three fingers used to be away from the cue butt and I never used them to cradle the cue in. I hope I am making this clear. I used to let the thumb hang down and curl the forefinger to grip the cue and the rest three fingers used to roughly hang down as well away from the butt and they literally had no role in the grip. But I could make all shots like that and now i remember that no matter how sloppy that grip was it enabled me in 50 breaks and also I never ever ever had to think about the grip while playing...!!!

After that i learnt that if i let them hang like that (three fingers) cue will not be in control and the grip shall be sloppy... So I introduced the three figners to cradle. My 67 break is with this grip.

Can someone make something of this or should i not think over this anymore ???

[ace man]

i went in and played some frames yesterday and lost them all really cuz my mind was completely engulfed in that tournament match loss.. I felt completely shattered and was missing everything.

This means that you cared about how you did. Pretty normal, happens to many players. You'll bounce back quickly.

...and was thinking that if I loose this it will be a big blow and I wont be able to face my mates... And it did happen just like that.

Your mates can't really judge you. I got criticism about my performance from my club mates many times. "You're so much better than that Xxx guy. How could you lose to that clown?" That hurt at first, but I've learned to ignore them...they just don't understand what it is like under the heat.

..."I am not going to my death bed before a 100 break- no matter what happens"

Have you tried doing tons in solo practice? I mean line ups, cross line ups, reds spread in various ways? Might want to try that first.

[vmax4steve]

Last but not the least; maybe someone can point out something in this regard and help me improve perhaps...

While writing the above post and thinking of my earlier days and playing screw shots and all.. I just recalled something very important and want to ask all you guys and coaches alike. MAybe the answer to this might help me in understanding something realy important and I can perhaps retain some consistency...! I would really like to get opinions and answers to that.

When I played without knowing anything about technique and joining this forum and doing it on my own (having made two 50 odd breaks like that) I recall that I used to play with only two finger grip. i.e. I used ot play with forefinger and thumb only and my three fingers used to be away from the cue butt and I never used them to cradle the cue in. I hope I am making this clear. I used to let the thumb hang down and curl the forefinger to grip the cue and the rest three fingers used to roughly hang down as well away from the butt and they literally had no role in the grip. But I could make all shots like that and now i remember that no matter how sloppy that grip was it enabled me in 50 breaks and also I never ever ever had to think about the grip while playing...!!!

After that i learnt that if i let them hang like that (three fingers) cue will not be in control and the grip shall be sloppy... So I introduced the three figners to cradle. My 67 break is with this grip.

Can someone make something of this or should i not think over this anymore ???

When Steve Davis was in his prime he used to hold the cue with the first two fingers and thumb only, the back two fingers were only resting on the cue, touching it but not holding it. I suppose that you could be gripping the cue in much the same way with your natural grip and with the fingers that are not holding the cue hanging down out of the way then they wouldn't then be involved in the grip when the cue goes through on the shot so therefore cannot tighten on the butt and cause the cue to go off line.

The parallels between you and I Sidd are very close. I too was a fifty break player with a very fast and fluent style who wasn't very consistant and started listening to people who said I could be a very good player if only I did this or that and slowed down played more safety etc. Like a fool I started listening to them and changed my game but really all I needed to do was to make sure I kept my eyes on the contact point of the object ball at the exact moment of the strike, for unknown to me that was what I did when playing at my best.

I ended up playing so badly that I quit the game for three years, forgot all the changes I made to my game, and when I came back started afresh and just played naturally again and found out the secret to my best form simply by understanding that when I played great I could really see the object ball so I must in fact be looking at it at the right time.
Understanding it doesn't make it a given though, I'm still inconsistant and I can't force myself to do what's needed in matches, only in practise.
In matches it has to come to me naturally when I'm relaxed which isn't very often as I too am a little OCD and my mind is therefore thinking too much. But I don't get anxious or angry anymore because I understand myself and others and after all it's just a game.

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

The 2 biggest faults with the most number of players is keeping still on the shot and having a nice and relaxed grip that isn't too loose. Just doing these 2 things and getting them mastered would lead to improvement for almost any player. You should have these 2 mastered by now and there need to be no other thoughts in your head.

In fact, your one swing thought should be to keep the head still as that is a dynamic component of the cueing technique and the grip is not as important since it can be virtually anything at all as long as it is relaxed. Keeping the back 2 or 3 fingers very loose THROUGHOUT the delivery is the way to go (witness Hendry in his prime with his back 3 fingers sticking out from his grip at 90degrees) or as has been said above with Steve Davis having the back 2 fingers barely touching the cue.

The real secret of the grip, no matter what configuration it is, is to not tighten it AT ALL until AFTER the strike

Terry

[Sidd]

Dear Vmax: Thanks for the comments. Supporting and encouraging. I went in tonight for snooker and had it in mind to try out my old grip and as you said Davis in his prime so I started playing with thumb and forefinger and I think the second finger too but didnt really care to notice but the last two fingers I kept them away on purpose to play like old times... Guess what happened ??? A shattered player after the tournament and tonight I was as smooth as a breeze kept potting and potting missed a few balls but thats usual for anyone .. the result.. well well now dont ask 5 out of 6 frames won with heavy score having the opponent concede on colours in nearly all frames... not pink/black decider situation All were surprised and asked how did you manage this 180 degree shift overnight? and I smiled back and said I had breakfast with Ron cant wait to see him again... come April come quick.

I was so happy tonight trust me. They made me referee a round two tournament match and I did that with honour and did not play during that time as I was satisfied and relaxed and pleased with myself... I still have no idea if that is cuz of the grip or as you said before I was doing the fundamental correctly... the coming days will reveal this to me...!!!

Dear Terry: Thanks for your comments and trust in me. Yes by this time I must only have these things in mind and nothing else i.e. still head and relaxed grip. However, as you say above 'having a nice and relaxed grip that isnt too loose' i am not sure how to get this ... do you think if my grip hand slides in the but with little very little friction- is that loose enough and correct? Also if I play like Steve or hendry in their prime as you and Vmax pointed out i.e. thumb and two fingers having last two fingers loose and away from the but throughout the stroke including delivery and follow through--- would that be OK?

If yes, I would love to continue that way cuz tonight this very grip gave me my confidence back ... I also noticed that my control improved tremendously while I positioned a black on a red with a trace of check side to hold the CB for the black that was tight in the middle of two reds... !!!

I remember you once told me while discussing grip and the role of back fingers to experiment by wrapping tape on the last two fingers and then playing cuz the tape stops them from coming back and gripping the butt... if that experiment is correct then it is exactly equal to how I gripped tonight and used to before.... In fact I only changed my grip to the full hand one cuz I used to see almost all pros have the full hand grip and i thought playing with the way I used to would make me look clumsy yes I know my bad ... sorry ... !!!

If all I said is correct, then I am on the right path and shall surely attain a good form that is consistent.

[mythman69]

Lots of ups and downs...incredible oscillations...etc. Currently working on reducing those...

This is the story of my (snooker) life . . .

; )

[vmax4steve]

Sidd

Do what feels right and what works for you and then don't think about it, even though it will occasionally go wrong, as all that has happened then is something as certain as taking your eyes off the pot or moving your head due to some sort of anxiety, ie: thought
There is no absolute and correct way to play this game, all players use different cue actions but the very best players keep still on the shot and keep their eyes on the contact point of the object ball at the moment of the strike.

[Sidd]

Sidd

Do what feels right and what works for you and then don't think about it, even though it will occasionally go wrong, as all that has happened then is something as certain as taking your eyes off the pot or moving your head due to some sort of anxiety, ie: thought
There is no absolute and correct way to play this game, all players use different cue actions but the very best players keep still on the shot and keep their eyes on the contact point of the object ball at the moment of the strike.

Thanks Steve. I shall carry on then with the open grip. Will use thumb and two fingers only and have the last two away from butt throughout the stroke... That seems to work fine for me. And yes still head and EOB is the key

[Sidd]

Just looking forward to last comments from Terry as per my post above...!!!