The Grip: Terry's pearls of wisdom reproduced

[Sidd]

I can understand what you guys are thinking and coming from. For those players who develop a grip or hold naturally and can play like that ... things seem easy like the grip. They never take in to account the grip cuz it comes to them naturally. Same was the case with me I had a grip with thumb and forefinger and last three fingers were off the cue ... it was wrong but worked for me until I discovered Terry Griffiths stating (and its very important) "with players of 70 break standard 80% of their problems are grip related" and this is a big statement. When I started to learn about the correct or say proper grip if not correct it was a huge problem for me because I tried several grips and had some bad coaching advice from local mates which ruined my idea and i completely forgot how I used to play before. hence my game suffered badly and I lost my breaks and consistency. I kept trying to understand how to hold but I was always holding tightly and not as loose as is required...

For a person as nieve as me, when i saw Terry's old post shared above and noted it down and practiced this method and wallah! it gave me back my grip/hold and my confidence and I observed that I am again cueing straight and through the white...

It took me almost two years in the confusion and trying to understand what others can understand in seconds... this can happen to others as well... the reason was that i was experimenting with different grips all time along and wasn't getting it properly (being tight early in the delivery and all that)...

Terry's methods 1. hold and 2. looseness got me through finally...!!!

[Mpitman]

I feel I must comment on this thread, I like some of the other guys have been playing snooker on instinct for years and at no point even considered my grip being part of my failings as a consistent player. I read through this thread last night and played today....
I concentrated on my grip and grip alone and the transformation in my game was considerable.... Multiple 40 plus and 25 plus breaks.Every time I missed(once for a fifty) I stepped back and realised that the arm had tightened and the cause was the grip was too tight.
Thank you for this informative thread. I will continue to watch my grip!

[GeordieDS]

One more thing when i am cueing should my thumb be pointing to the floor or in the direction the cue is pointing??

[j6uk]

Great!! Sound like your using your cue properly by not griping it with your grip which is good for your grip, or rather non grip and, shooting from the elbow

I feel I must comment on this thread, I like some of the other guys have been playing snooker on instinct for years and at no point even considered my grip being part of my failings as a consistent player. I read through this thread last night and played today....
I concentrated on my grip and grip alone and the transformation in my game was considerable.... Multiple 40 plus and 25 plus breaks.Every time I missed(once for a fifty) I stepped back and realised that the arm had tightened and the cause was the grip was too tight.
Thank you for this informative thread. I will continue to watch my grip!

[happy]

I wish you guys (experts) will do a video and post it on youtube instead of the long essays.
It will help us the baby novices a lot!

Too much text to digest.

[Sidd]

One more thing when i am cueing should my thumb be pointing to the floor or in the direction the cue is pointing??

Your thumb can never point in the direction of the cue and let the cue drive through the white at the same time. Therefore, it must either be pointing straight down to the floor or else be gently wrapped around and over the first finger first pad. But why do coaches ask to let it hang pointing to the floor... the reason is to avoid any extra pressure on the cue butt generated by the thumb. The only part of the thumb used in the grip/hold is the uppermost inner part of the thumb and not the rest of it.

While curling it against the first finger or cupping the first finger with it in the grip there is a tendency to apply pressure on the grip and if it does it would insert a jerk effect in the delivery. Upto you really to curl it against and over the first finger or else let it hang straight down pointing to the floor... just remember the thumb should help in keeping the cue straight i.e. cue resting against it. It should not exert any amount of pressure on the grip itself.

Now that I am gripping and cueing nicely if I tell you my grip pressure it will be like this: when I play the shot and if I do not close my grip hand on the completion of delivery, my cue will slide off my grip hand with ease on every shot... This is the amount of pressure that the grip should have on the cue while making a shot and striking the white and through it and the grip hand only closes or squeezes very nicely and easily only after the tip strikes the white and never ever ever before that...!!!

Hope this helps.

I have achieved this after two years of ruined game. Trust me, I have been playing like a jerk for two years and it is only now that this came to me and all my agony and anguish is well paid for now

Rather than thinking of quitting... accept the challenge this game of ours bestows upon us all

Happy snookering

[j6uk]

I knew someone who had no bridge hand and would put attachments-on to play. I also knew of a lad who had no hand to hold the cue. He invented a kind of suction gizmo that strapped around the inside of his wrist, he could screw the length of the table, amazing

[nrage]

I wish you guys (experts) will do a video and post it on youtube instead of the long essays.
It will help us the baby novices a lot!

Too much text to digest.

Try this one..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZaejfsbMGc

[happy]

Try this one..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZaejfsbMGc

Thank you!
I watched that already.

One question:
I have bought a cue which is 147cm (standard size, I am inclined to believe).
However, I stand at 168cm and my shoulders are upto 140cm.
Thence, is this cue way too long for me to grip properly?

I see all the pros gripping their cues near or at end of their cue. Most of their cueing action uses their right-angled elbows and grabbing the end of the cue.

Will having this "too long" cue for me (I am a beginner) be detrimental? It is too late to return the cue. I was kinda hustled into buying this cue quickly. I also overpaid for it. It is very old stock apparently when I checked at home, RO Signature Series (3-pc set from BCE).

Should I just grip the cue butt about 10cm inwards?

[j6uk]

145cm/57" is standard size.
Thought about a coach happy?

[Terry Davidson]

GeordieDS:

Sidd has it correct. The thumb should NEVER point in the direction of the shot nor should it be on top of the cue. Ideally it should point towards the floor and be pointing at the laces in the straight leg foot. Alternately, perhaps bent a bit and touching the last part of the forefinger BUT NOT APPLYING ANY PRESSURE to the butt of the cue except for the very top of the thumb at the web of skin. The same applies to the forefinger

Terry

[happy]

145cm/57" is standard size.
Thought about a coach happy?

Hi Thanks but no. Youtube is now my coach.

After the purchase of a new but old-stock cue yesterday for my first cue, I have lost a little confidence in the "pros" players of the game in this country. He is from the UK.

I was sales talked to and paid the listed retail price of the "same cue" of the current series. Meaning I buy the older version but paid the price of the current new version.

The butt rubber was moldy and glued on not tidily. Salesman response was "does that affect your game"?

I was told BCE is same company as Riley.

The ferrule was a bit tarnished near the tip (only saw it after I took cue home). I can see the cue is factory wrapped and unused. But surely kept a very long time in dust etc.

It is a tad too long for my size.

It is "same as any other 300-400chf" cue, I was assured there is no noticeable difference.

What a shame, I had high hopes and aspirations that buying my first (own) cue, will give me more motivation to play more and learn more. It kept me sleepless last night, thinking how stupid I was.

I think I should be more careful when receiving advice or coaching from "pros" or "ex-pros".
Maybe he is reading this forum too.


I will try out my cue, and perhaps console myself it is afterall a first cue. I pay "tuition money" to learn the hard knocks in life.

So no, I will not be engaging a coach anytime soon. Perhaps go out more in the snooker arena.

Perhaps I am totally wrong about my purchase and that I actually got a FANTASTIC deal, as said by the seller.

First thing for me is: really go into a training mode. Go to a snooker table and practise first. All the long shots, straight shots, arm action, stance, bridge, etc.
I am usually a DIY self-learner.

Thanks. Sorry for the long essay.

[nrage]

Thank you!
I watched that already.

Was there anything left unclear?

There are other videos out there, like these by Nic Barrow:
http://www.youtube.com/user/nicbarro...ew=0&flow=list

One question:
I have bought a cue which is 147cm (standard size, I am inclined to believe).
However, I stand at 168cm and my shoulders are upto 140cm.
Thence, is this cue way too long for me to grip properly?

No. You can get shorter custom cues, and serious players might do just that. Some players get so obsessed with the exact measurements of their cue that they chop and change every few months to find "the right one". IMO, the right one is the one you put the most time and effort into learning to use, simple as that. I prefer unvarnished oiled cues because they slide on my bridge more freely. I have only used ash cues, and have yet to try a maple.

For interest sake, here are my and my cue measurements:

PLAYER
------
1) Height: 69.0" (5'9")
2) Arm-span: 70.0"

CUE
---
3) Cue-tip-width: 9.5mm
4) Cue-butt-width: 29.5mm (1.16")
5) Cue-length: 57"
6) Balance point: 19.0"
7) Weight: 18.2oz

POSITION
--------
8) Bridge-length: 11.5"
9) Bridge to grip: 40.0"

I see all the pros gripping their cues near or at end of their cue. Most of their cueing action uses their right-angled elbows and grabbing the end of the cue.

Yep, the pro's all have custom made cues. The important aspect is the one you have noticed, the grip forearm should be vertical or very nearly vertical at the address position (just as/before the tip hits the white). If this means you're gripping the cue 10cm up from the butt then so be it. You may be able to grip further back if you lengthen the distance from the tip to your bridge hand - it should be 8-12 inches with 10-11 being the recommended amount. This is roughly the distance from the brown spot to the edge of the D 1/2 circle.

Will having this "too long" cue for me (I am a beginner) be detrimental? It is too late to return the cue. I was kinda hustled into buying this cue quickly. I also overpaid for it. It is very old stock apparently when I checked at home, RO Signature Series (3-pc set from BCE).

No. Most younger players start with a cue which is longer than they need, but it doesn't hamper them in any way. I started with a set just like that, it should be fine. Of course, mine was varnished and in hot weather that was a pain. I was considering sanding the cue back and applying oil instead, but then a mate offered to buy it off me so I sold it instead.

Should I just grip the cue butt about 10cm inwards?

If that is what gives you a vertical grip forearm, yes. But check you bridge distance in case it's too short, if it is you can grip further back so long as you train yourself to use the longer bridge distance. To train this I placed a small piece of electrical tape on the top of my cue at the 10.5" distance from the tip I wanted. Then I made sure on every shot that this was above where the cue was resting on my bridge hand.

I also placed some tape on my grip, just in front of my thumb/forefinger so I could feel that my hand was in the right place for a normal shot.

Of course, if you're playing off the rail or have to shorten or lengthen your bridge for any reason you should shift your grip hand by the same amount to retain the vertical forearm.

The reason the forearm is so important is for "timing". You need to learn to time the contact with the white, and making that happen when your arm is in the same vertical position on every shot helps you do that. The reason to use vertical and not further forward or back is that it gives you a good range of motion and in this position you have more control of the cue.

[happy]

Was there anything left unclear?

There are other videos out there, like these by Nic Barrow:
http://www.youtube.com/user/nicbarro...ew=0&flow=list



No. You can get shorter custom cues, and serious players might do just that. Some players get so obsessed with the exact measurements of their cue that they chop and change every few months to find "the right one". IMO, the right one is the one you put the most time and effort into learning to use, simple as that. I prefer unvarnished oiled cues because they slide on my bridge more freely. I have only used ash cues, and have yet to try a maple.

For interest sake, here are my and my cue measurements:

PLAYER
------
1) Height: 69.0" (5'9")
2) Arm-span: 70.0"

CUE
---
3) Cue-tip-width: 9.5mm
4) Cue-butt-width: 29.5mm (1.16")
5) Cue-length: 57"
6) Balance point: 19.0"
7) Weight: 18.2oz

POSITION
--------
8) Bridge-length: 11.5"
9) Bridge to grip: 40.0"




Yep, the pro's all have custom made cues. The important aspect is the one you have noticed, the grip forearm should be vertical or very nearly vertical at the address position (just as/before the tip hits the white). If this means you're gripping the cue 10cm up from the butt then so be it. You may be able to grip further back if you lengthen the distance from the tip to your bridge hand - it should be 8-12 inches with 10-11 being the recommended amount. This is roughly the distance from the brown spot to the edge of the D 1/2 circle.



No. Most younger players start with a cue which is longer than they need, but it doesn't hamper them in any way. I started with a set just like that, it should be fine. Of course, mine was varnished and in hot weather that was a pain. I was considering sanding the cue back and applying oil instead, but then a mate offered to buy it off me so I sold it instead.



If that is what gives you a vertical grip forearm, yes. But check you bridge distance in case it's too short, if it is you can grip further back so long as you train yourself to use the longer bridge distance. To train this I placed a small piece of electrical tape on the top of my cue at the 10.5" distance from the tip I wanted. Then I made sure on every shot that this was above where the cue was resting on my bridge hand.

I also placed some tape on my grip, just in front of my thumb/forefinger so I could feel that my hand was in the right place for a normal shot.

Of course, if you're playing off the rail or have to shorten or lengthen your bridge for any reason you should shift your grip hand by the same amount to retain the vertical forearm.

The reason the forearm is so important is for "timing". You need to learn to time the contact with the white, and making that happen when your arm is in the same vertical position on every shot helps you do that. The reason to use vertical and not further forward or back is that it gives you a good range of motion and in this position you have more control of the cue.

I am a beginner but hardly a "young player".
I used to play as a teenager, but never good at it.
I have watched years of Snooker on Eurosport and watched players like Jimmy White in my teenage years (gives you an idea my age really).

I know all the drills and the tricks etc. But to carry them out, is a totally different game (pun intended).

I hope to be able to master a simple smooth game soon.

[j6uk]

Where in the world are you from happy?