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

[itsnoteasy]

Last go Les, bridge far far to far away, I can't believe no one has told you this, fix it and some problems may go, you will never cue straight or get through the ball with this set up, it's the first thing needing fixed, it's an absolute must everything else must come after this as it is a fundamental. I won't comment again as to many cooks spoil the broth, and I think you can get bamboozled ,but basics first, second and last, all the best.

[lesedwards]

Yeah not pretty,
Freeze 50sec into the video (where I stopped watching) and please explain whats going on? Sorry but I don't get it! If this is for medical reasons then you really need to work with someone who's sympathetic to that and who can get you playing to the best of your ability.

I played it back again but I am not sure what you are looking are at in regards to medical condition. Yes I do realize at times I look all out wack but there is nothing I can do about it. That where coaching is tough because depending on where the cue ball is on the table depends on how I have to get down over the shot. There is the odd time where the cue ball is sitting in the perfect spot and I am able to get right down over the shot, cue on chest and chin on cue and there are other times where my chin is a foot from the cue. I ran into the same thing when I went for golf lessons at 11 years old and the coach told my parents that he might as well just enjoy the game and play like he is because with his bad arm he will never be very good. By the time I was 16 I was breaking par and at 21 I was playing professional golf on the Canadian tour. Completely self taught. I am beginning to think I am in the same boat with snooker but at 50 how realistic is it to think I will ever really be able to run big breaks?

[Terry Davidson]

j6uk:

I had played to a decent standard from 15yrs to around 23yrs or so although it was tough to get in practice in the Navy. Then I totally quit playing for around 13yrs or so and then got Joe Davis' book and faithfully followed the book (I had read in SnookerScene where Steve Davis, who was my hero at the time) did exactly this and I used to get tips from a very good player named Ken Shea who's best tip was 'imagine you're hitting the object ball with your tip'. Once I left the Navy it was full time in Britain, 8hrs practice on a match table every day and every weekend playing and watching some great players and all-day practice sessions with some really great players, both pro and amateur.

Britain was so much easier in those days as there were always good players within a short driving distance. For Les to get into a club with decent playersw he would have to drive for 2 hours or more.

Les doesn't have the opportunities I had plus he doesn't have the background as a youth so he is developing a style right from scratch but his basics are not too great and he needs to get that corrected before he can deliver the cue straight and start improving more quickly.

Terry

[j6uk]

Press pause 50 seconds into the video and post your own critic of what you see.

I played it back again but I am not sure what you are looking are at in regards to medical condition.

[Terry Davidson]

Les:

Before you get all disgusted with yourself I want you to try something as an experiment. I noticed in the line-up exercise EVERY pot you missed you had a very short backswing and then did what seems to be your favourite thing, dropping the elbow severely.

What I want you to try is this...get down into the address position and get the chest to the cue and then using your forefinger only, PULL the cue tight into the chest and KEEP IT TIGHT TO THE CHEST through your feathers, especially the backswing and then the final delivery and KEEP YOUR ELBOW UP!!!!! right to the end of the delivery...DO NOT DROP THE ELBOW AT ALL.

This is an experiment which hopefully teach you it's not necessary to drop the elbow severely as you look like Tony Knowles who used to (and still does) drop his elbow on every shot.

Watch Ding on Youtube and you will see he puts his chest and chin down and then pulls the butt of the cue upwards and you can see his waistcoat going back and forth as he feathers and backswings/delivers. Judd Trump also does this consistently where Ronnie does it in his feathers and backswing however he does drop the elbow on delivery, sometimes prematurely.

This little exercise should lead you to better potting accuracy but only if you can do it without losing the plot. So your swing thought right now should be 'cue tight on chest throughout'.

One other thing...this game takes PATIENCE & PRACTICE. Well you're getting the practice but I think the patience is missing. I advised you to get a spare spot and BEFORE EVERY SHOT place the spot where you want the cueball to end up. This exercise will take a lot of time and interrupt your flow but it will teach you to control the cueball better and along with the exercise above should get you improving a little quicker.

Terry

[j6uk]

Well, as realistic as it was for a 40 years old terry to make a max after a few years in the UK.

at 50 how realistic is it to think I will ever really be able to run big breaks?

[humperdingle]

Les... Your walk-in to the shot...

You can only see this on some shots where you're closer to the blue pockets.

You have two steps in, then a second 'shimmy', with your left leg. As you're a leftie, your left leg should be planted on the line of aim on the 1st step and shouldn't move.

As it is, this little shimmy is taking you off line.

Did anyone else see this? When he does it, no amount of 'straight cueing' is going to help.

[j6uk]

I'm going by what you said here in About the Coach: http://snooked.wordpress.com/2013/02...erry-davidson/

j6uk:

I had played to a decent standard from 15yrs to around 23yrs or so although it was tough to get in practice in the Navy.
Terry

[Byrom]

Did anyone else see this? When he does it, no amount of 'straight cueing' is going to help.

Yes I told him and posted a video to help him correct it J6uk mentioned it Terry did too but it seems there are more important things -

I think you are right and agree with his coach it is important to get the basics right first - so then why are we myself included talking this and that and the other - if you cant get down properly and cue straight no point working on other things - get this right first - save time later.

Oh and give it a month between videos - each little improvement needs working at - you are giving yourself too much to do,

You cant fly without wings - you just end up bumping into trees.

[lesedwards]

Press pause 50 seconds into the video and post your own critic of what you see.

Okay paused at 50 seconds and I think you are looking at my wrist of my bridge hand and how out of sorts it looks. Well that is what happens if my arm is on the rail do to the fact I have about the same movement in my wrist as I do in my arm. My wrist does not turn any farther then the hand shake position in other words if someone hands me change I have to take it in my left hand because I would drop it with my right. I have lived with this arm since smashing it at 4 years old. I will work on getting my bridge hand closer to the cue ball but then again if the cue ball is out at the pink spot i cannot reach it without being that far away or by using the rest. I wish I could switch to right handed but that does not work because my right arm only has 10% movement so they would be really soft shots.

[humperdingle]

Yes I told him and posted a video to help him correct it J6uk mentioned it Terry did too but it seems there are more important things -

I think you are right and agree with his coach it is important to get the basics right first - so then why are we myself included talking this and that and the other - if you cant get down properly and cue straight no point working on other things - get this right first - save time later.

Oh and give it a month between videos - each little improvement needs working at - you are giving yourself too much to do,

You cant fly without wings - you just end up bumping into trees.

Indeed. If things aren't lined-up before he's even touched the table... Only the simplest of balls will go in IMHO

[lesedwards]

Thanks for all your pointers. I will go back and check out the video on Nic again. Back to scratch again one more time....LOL Last fall I bought the complete Snooker Gym which I have started over about as many times as it took me to make a video that even looked respectable last night potting reds. The one I posted was probably around the 50th take.

[j6uk]

Okay les, again I think you really need to work with someone who's sympathetic to you disability needs and who can get you playing to the best of your ability.
Or.. Take what you can from tsf and just keep on what your doing, if your enjoying it.

Okay paused at 50 seconds and I think you are looking at my wrist of my bridge hand and how out of sorts it looks. Well that is what happens if my arm is on the rail do to the fact I have about the same movement in my wrist as I do in my arm. My wrist does not turn any farther then the hand shake position in other words if someone hands me change I have to take it in my left hand because I would drop it with my right. I have lived with this arm since smashing it at 4 years old. I will work on getting my bridge hand closer to the cue ball but then again if the cue ball is out at the pink spot i cannot reach it without being that far away or by using the rest. I wish I could switch to right handed but that does not work because my right arm only has 10% movement so they would be really soft shots.

[lesedwards]

Okay les, again I think you really need to work with someone who's sympathetic to you disability needs and who can get you playing to the best of your ability.
Or.. Take what you can from tsf and just keep on what your doing, if your enjoying it.

Enjoying it I am not, hooked on the game I am. You have know idea how many times I have said thats enough I am packing this game in just to find me back at the table the next night. I am determined to be able to run high breaks when I get the chance wether it is through coaching, TSF or just making do with what I have to work with and mastering a lot of bad habits. Right now I am just totally over whelmed with theory's that either I cannot use do to my arm or cannot understand. Back to the drawing board.

[humperdingle]

Enjoying it I am not, hooked on the game I am. You have know idea how many times I have said thats enough I am packing this game in just to find me back at the table the next night. I am determined to be able to run high breaks when I get the chance wether it is through coaching, TSF or just making do with what I have to work with and mastering a lot of bad habits. Right now I am just totally over whelmed with theory's that either I cannot use do to my arm or cannot understand. Back to the drawing board.

Start at the beginning. Your whole approach to the table is out

Maybe you just have a short attention span? (Seriously)