Im seriously losing my sanity with this game !!!! HELP !!!!

[lesedwards]

Now that was well wrote.

[alabadi]

Considering i'm the one who originally started the thread I’ll give you all an update of what my thinking is at the moment..............

I've always considered myself to struggle with snooker for years, I sough coaching, quick fixes etc. - my biggest argument was with coaching, I would get advice, work on it and then someone in the club would criticise how I was doing something. Thus I would adapt again, and this caused a vicious circle, I would know 50 different ways of achieving the perfect technique, all because people had different ideas of how they play, all thinking you should do what they do. To me, there is not a perfect technique, there are things you should do to help yourself achieve straight cueing, but everyone is individual so individual improvements and guidance are needed.

Anyway, every time I received advice from coaches, I would work on it, and then lose interest because I did not suddenly become amazing when in reality it was because I never practiced the changes enough. This resulted in me believing the changes were not working. In all honesty I went backwards, I got so fixated on techniques etc., that I forgot I was playing snooker and not trying to become a robot who was not playing a game but was battling to prove something to myself; I literally wanted to think about my technique every shot. Surely you play snooker for the enjoyment??

Anyway, it was only recently I had an utter breakdown with my game and again sought advice here, and for the first time, after I posted a video, I was getting interesting advice that triggered something in me. It was an explanation why I should change my technique, It wasn't just a case of keep your shoulder still, it was people saying you’re doing this, this is why..... And this is how you fix it. I knew the reason I was doing it!!!! And to be honest, people were being blunt with me – literally I realised the reason I wasn’t improving was me!! So after the advice I got on here, especially after people seeing my video, I thought well there must be something in all this advice and thought well you have no excuse to improve, you've been given the advice, the corrections etc..... it’s for you to work on it, and to at least justify to the people that helped you that you appreciated their time and effort to post and help you!!!! And ever since I got that advice, all I think Is when I miss a shot I must be doing something different in my technique and strayed from what I’ve been working on, thus I’m not blaming my technique but more me straying from what is the correct technique, and it’s only me that can cause that to happen.

The problem with snooker is that there is a such a vast gap from a beginner to a pro that each improvement increment does not necessarily mean bigger breaks, it could just be consistency - it isn't like bmxing for example, where you work on bunny hopping, then one day you can do it - with snooker, you work on something to gain consistency, and that is the main element of a good snooker player. With my changes I was not making any bigger breaks, but I was not missing so many balls, not miscueing so much, and if anything, it gave me more trust and confidence in myself to pot balls better. The improvement was the consistency and this was because I believed what I was working on improving was the correct way of doing things, thus if I do it right, I should pot the ball.

The biggest thing I miss is that I don't do constructive practice, and before games I play random frames whereas I should set up easy routines to practicing cueing straight and give myself confidence in my potting...... it’s this confidence you can then take into a frame. Yes you may be potting easy shots, but potting balls makes you feel better than missing balls.

Anyway - with all of the above I suppose what I’m trying to say is, improvement in snooker is not measured by breaks but more consistency - going from potting a shot 3 in 10 to 6 in 10. The angle never changes but your consistency does. And the reason improvement in technique does not reflect in bigger breaks, is because bigger breaks come from experience more that good cueing - you could be the best cueist and make not breaks because you play wrong positioning.

Just think as snooker on a scale of 1 - 1000 - each step is a small improvement over a large scale, yes it may not be a massive improvement which you can see, but it works towards the end goal!!

one of the best responses i have read for a while, well put Belloz

[vmax4steve]

I think one of the biggest no no's in practise is to constantly work on dead straight pots and practise routines.
One must learn to recognise that angled shots are exactly the same as straight shots in that the contact point on the object ball is the same as it is on a straight shot, only the cue ball is coming from a different direction.

The eyes must lock on to both the contact point on the object ball and the centre of the cue ball at some point when standing up behind the shot in order to put the line of aim into the short term memory. This helps enormously with getting the stance in the right place to put the cue on this line.
Keeping the eyes on the contact point of the object ball holds the cue on the line of aim when down in the stance. Any deviation to this when executing the stroke WILL result in the cue coming off the line of aim.

All the top pros do this, but it happens on a subconscious level and happens so quickly that it isn't seen, just a flick of the eyes and a moments focus is all it takes both when lining up the shot and executing it. Us mere mortals don't do it to the same level as the top pros, we may think that we do but we actually don't and giving yourself a set routine in this respect is a given.

My advice to you Les is to cut down on all those dead straight exercises, scatter all the balls all over the table and simply pot any ball in any order.
Do not fall into the trap of only taking on those balls that are straighter and therefore easier, learn to pot those angled balls because the secret to break building is not to leave yourself straight as position is far harder and requires more power from a straight ball than one that you have the right angle on.

Once you are comfortable with this then move on to the line up and endeavour not to disturb any ball in the line. This will teach you how to control the cue ball; but remember not to subconsciously take on only those straighter pots, learn how deep soft screws from angled balls will stop you from disturbing the balls in the line, and this when allied to an understanding of the pace of the table will help your breakbuilding.

[hotpot]

If you listen to the ones here who know their onions you wont go far wrong . Have to say every aspect of the game has been covered and talked about in great detail . Think every stone possible has been turned . Hats off guys for taking the time to go into such detail . I have learned so much and i consider myself to be quite a decent player who knock in centuries quite regular . There is enough info here for the novice through to the experts to pick up and learn . Invaluable .

[itsnoteasy]

Belloz you are now on the road to learning as you have accepted it's you and not the advice that's wrong, that is a major breakthrough IMO , the rest is just hard work.
I have re read the whole thread and noticed that you shuffling on the shot was mentioned right at the start, on the second video on the last part (blues across the table filmed from your right hand side) one thing I noticed is you don't walk into the shot you actually walk out of the shot lol, this is what the shuffling is I think(I had noticed J6 had mentioned a little bit on it but as usual you had to decipher it, as he asked if there was a sofa behind you lol so this important thing got missed) what I think he ment was you are too close to the shot and actually reverse out into your stance causing this shuffling that Pottr I think first mentioned, Alan Trigg video on YouTube shows you what your after could be worth a look, the post is number 138 on here for the video of you if a coach would like to check it out for you, this could be a reason for your inconsistent potting as you may be coming offline.

[RunningSide]

vmax: Can You please explain this to me as this has been confusing me a long time, and when I'm potting balls poorly this issue takes me over?

Where to stare at when going down to shot? I think there is a difference between line of aim and the line through the contact point - more cut the more difference. Isn't this distortion - if you stare at contact point - makingstaring_point.JPG you to go down to the shot on wrong line? Personally, I'm trying to stare through line of aim to the center of the "ghost ball". But, I'm struggling with this issue, as someone mentioned it is very difficult to concentrate on non-existing...

[Belloz22]

To be honest I have found that u shud look at the BOB on the white so u are focusin on the physical ball, but as long as ur stance is on the correct line and cue straight you will judge to account for the distortion from the contact for the front of the white is not necessarily on the spot on the object ball. Otherwise the other angle option is work out if it is a full, half or quarter ball angle and you will know where to aim on the OB...... so half ball pot you know the front of the white should aim for the edge of the OB, 3/4 shot you aim the front of the white half way between then center of the OB and the edge etc

[vmax4steve]

vmax: Can You please explain this to me as this has been confusing me a long time, and when I'm potting balls poorly this issue takes me over?

Where to stare at when going down to shot? I think there is a difference between line of aim and the line through the contact point - more cut the more difference. Isn't this distortion - if you stare at contact point - making[ATTACH=CONFIG]15002[/ATTACH] you to go down to the shot on wrong line? Personally, I'm trying to stare through line of aim to the center of the "ghost ball". But, I'm struggling with this issue, as someone mentioned it is very difficult to concentrate on non-existing...

One last time for you RunningSide seeing as you are a new member as I and many others have covered this question so many times.

The line of aim is the path between the cue ball and the object ball that the cue ball needs to take in order that the contact point on both balls is the correct one to make the object ball go where you want it to.

You are not aiming your cue at the object ball, you are aiming the cue ball at the object ball and using your cue to propell the cue ball on the correct path in order that the cue ball makes the correct contact on the object ball.

Your eyes need to look at and focus on the contact point on the object ball and the centre of the cue ball before getting down into your stance in order to give your brain the information it needs to get the cue lined up with the centre of the cue ball in order to propell the cue ball along this line of aim and make the correct contact.

For simplicity's sake we call this getting the cue on the line of aim.

Your eyes need to be focussing on the contact point of the object ball as the stroke is executed in order to keep your cue on this line of aim, otherwise the hand will follow the eye and seeing as the cue is in your hand, the cue will come off the line of aim and the shot will be missed.

You are right in that it is very hard to focus on something that isn't there.
There is no such things as ghosts, be they human spectre's or balls on a snooker table.
Simply look at the contact point on the object ball when executing the stroke.

[RunningSide]

Thanks vmax for your reply! From now on, I'll try to stick on focusing contact point, as you instructed, (instead of focusing to the center of "virtual cue ball"), when dropping down to the shot.

However, that focus on contact point (off-cue-line) feels very unsure as i'm feeling that "hands tend to follow eyes" and when swithing focus to contact point I'm not positively placing and keeping the cue on correct line of aim when going down, but feeling and scaring like placing the cue on the line from the cue ball center to the desired contact point, which is not correct line to cue through.

This is maybe a-practice-much-and-lot-more-thing, I guess. I'll start to follow your instructions with discipline...

cheers!!

[Terry Davidson]

Running:

Just follow what vmax has stated (and as he says we have all covered this many times). Of course your cue is not pointed at BOB except in a straight in shot as you're dealing with 2 spheres which have to make contact at BOB.

Given a little practice you will find your brain will automatically adjust this 'aim-off' you seem worried about so that the leading edge of the cueball will contact BOB. If this didn't happen with every player in the world then you tell us how it should be done. You cannot aim at a molecule of air as you've been attempting to do but I will bet you still managed to pot balls, even using that method.

I'm afraid the secret of snooker is consistency. Whatever you do, as long as you do the same thing every time or use the same methods every time you will eventually train your brain to use that method accurately.

Terry

[lesedwards]

Running:

Just follow what vmax has stated (and as he says we have all covered this many times). Of course your cue is not pointed at BOB except in a straight in shot as you're dealing with 2 spheres which have to make contact at BOB.

Given a little practice you will find your brain will automatically adjust this 'aim-off' you seem worried about so that the leading edge of the cueball will contact BOB. If this didn't happen with every player in the world then you tell us how it should be done. You cannot aim at a molecule of air as you've been attempting to do but I will bet you still managed to pot balls, even using that method.

I'm afraid the secret of snooker is consistency. Whatever you do, as long as you do the same thing every time or use the same methods every time you will eventually train your brain to use that method accurately.

Terry

I agree, I find when I go to get down on the shot if I put the cue on the line of aim as I am getting down it is usually right on. My problem is not cueing straight so now I am spending time runing the cue ball up and down the spots until I drill it into my head. Yes Terry I am using a very loose grip.

[RunningSide]

Thanks Terry and Vmax for your patience in answering me personally to this question. I needed to get answered personally (and properly, as you sirs kindly did) as I wanted to be 100% sure I really am understanding what is said here. This is because of my limited skills in English (thats why I added that picture to make sure that all the terminology were understand in a same way). Here I am learning from you not only necessary snooker tips but some English language too

Thanks!!

[lesedwards]

I mentioned last week I was going to upload a video of me playing well it took so long to play that game the video was so large I could not upload it. Today I took two short videos of me running the cue ball up the spots one rail and then a second one running the cue ball up the spots two rails. You will notice it is pretty good but not perfect yet. If anyone can slow down the video you will see my tip wobble at impact which I think puts un wanted side on the cue ball. Terry you will notice in a few shots I am still lined up to the right but the majority of them look pretty good.

[Byrom]

The camera angle needs to be so we can see you too Les lol

[j6uk]

Les, you gong from left to right with the cue, bridge arm is unusually bent (not sure if thats medical) and I don't think you hitting the cue ball with the elbow, your pecking the white.
Stop running the spots and upload a video of you doing just 15reds on the line.